Power Bars
Mood:  vegas lucky
Masa and Didik came through for me again. Masa found 5 hiking stores to explore in Kobe yesterday. I found Power Bars! yahoo. I really wanted something compact and lightweight to take on the Kilimanjaro climb. Power Bars may not be the best tasting, but they have proven to give me an extra boost when i need it when hiking or biking in the past. Also, I found a really nice backpack for just $40! I can't believe my luck. I had a 15-year old day pack that was very inadequate, but i didn't think that i could afford to replace it here. Now i will climb Kili with two water bottle holders on the outside of the pack. A mesh screen to keep my back from getting so sweaty and a hip belt to take the load of my shoulders. yippeee, hooray.

I also found a pair of gaiters that go around my boots to keep the rocks out. On Fuji-san i discovered that lava rock is very light and has a way of finding its way into your boots. What a hassle to continually have to take your boots off and shake out the irritating rocks.

Also i am very fortunate that Jackie in the states has ordered me a waterbottle/purification system. She will bring it with her to Africa for me. I'm still trying to find some water purification tablets but no luck yet. I will go to the doctor today and see if he can prescribe me some. We hear that even the bottled water in Tanzania might not be safe. I've never had trouble with water before. Even in Zimbabwe, if we found a bore hole well, it was very safe to drink. We are taking extra precautions because there are some nasty bacteria and viruses in the water there.

After spending a bit o' my money in Kobe it was a pleasant surprise to walk down to the Port and discover the Port Festival in full swing. Listening to live music, watching very talented Japanese belly dancers, and sitting in the shade trying to stay a bit cool and feasting on watermelon and pineapple is quite the way to end a shopping spree.