YURI BELOYVAN
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I am not trying to be a versatile or, as they say,
unconventional individual. I simply want to be happy.
For me happiness is the harmony between creativity, study,
health, work and God. If this means harmony, than it is Happiness.
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Africa

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The mountain climb was not very difficult. It was difficult to bring myself to do it. It was a tough decision to make, because during the preceding five months I had been visiting all sorts of doctors, or surgeons, to be more specific. As is often the case, their opinions divided 50 x 50. I had to decide for myself. It is so easy to decide for someone. But when one’s own life, health, freedom or money is at stake, the decision is not so easily taken. In my case only my health was at stake, but we are talking about the musculoskeletal system, so it was difficult to decide. Moreover, during preceding months I had no regular training and my form was not the best. Still I decided for it. Out of stubbornness. What helped was that I was not going alone but with two guys who won the trip. Also, I needed to make an inoculation against yellow fever, and I never do inoculations on principle. I read that only 15-20% die of yellow fever. I decided to go, but I understand that it was a dorky decision in all respects. I have two little children, an 11 mm herniation of intervertebral disk and many obligations I had to take care of myself. But how can one not go? Man proposes, but God disposes. Well, I thought that everything would be ok. I am glad I was not wrong. I climbed the mountain and returned safe and sound. Maybe the brownish water or black (in all senses) hands of African cooks will come back to bite me later, who knows…
You can read about the climb in more detail on the web site of 7 peaks and many of those who visited Kili. There is no reason why I should write about it here, too. The conditions are good, the huts are warm, the mattresses are soft; they have showers, toilets, hot meals, and daily 7-12 km marches with altitude difference of 1000 - 1200 m. For those who love outdoors, walking, morning sun and afternoon rain – I recommend visiting Kili.
There were minor setbacks, too, but not noteworthy. I bruised two toenails which would take six months to grow back, and their ugly black-blue color will remind me of the trip more than once. I purchased a carved souvenir stick, which at the customs turned out to be a knife in the sheaths. Now this was my number 5 of sever 7000 m mountains. Well done! Now I have to bring myself to get to Carstens and Everest. But today, lying in a warm bed in Miami, I do not even want to think about it.

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Miami. Fisher Island.

22.03.2010
Africa that you see in this section differs completely from Africa shown in glossy magazines. However, this is exactly how it is perceived by a traveler, because if his knowledge of Africa was based on photographs from glossy magazines, he would be sorely disappointed. But if before going to this continent you studied Africa to make an objective impression, there is a chance that deserts and thorns would rather charm you and not disappoint.

I did not have much in terms of expectations regarding the climb to Kilimanjaro, I only knew that I had to conquer this mountain, too. It was my fifth pinnacle of pinnacles of seven continents and now, after I am done with the trip, I can say that lack of heightened expectations played into the hands because it allowed me to relax and simply do what I arrived to that desert to do getting bright impressions that were twice so due to their suddenness. Africa shown in this section is not the beauty of the country of the continent, but the beauty of a separate mountain. Africa on the photos of other photographers and travelers can be diverse, but for me it will always be the synonym of the word “Kili” because the most important things that I learned about its culture, nature and beauty are connected with my ascent to Kilimanjaro this way or another.

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