We touched down at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) at 1:30 PM; however cloudy skies prevented us from seeing the famous mountain for which the airport is named (thankfully, Pascal snapped a photo of the peak from his window seat while en route to JRO). JRO sits in the broad flatlands beneath the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, which rises 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) above sea level. Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s highest free-standing peak, attracting roughly 40,000 climbers from across the globe to attempt the demanding ascent to its glacier-capped summit. Known affectionately as “Kili,” the mountain is a stratovolcano composed of three distinct cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. JRO is a small but bustling safari hub about ninety minutes east of Arusha, our destination for the night. Waiting for us was our good friend, Malisa, who was hired to provide transport to our lodging, Tumaini Homestay.