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FAQ
2) Where did you get your website made? 4) Is the book actually any good? 5) Why did you choose to support the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project? 6) How much money will actually go to the charity? 7) What's the story with www.lulu.com? 8) Can I get the book anywhere else? 9) I'm not sure whether I want to climb Kilimanjaro, would you recommend it? 10) Did you make it to the summit of Kilimanjaro? 11) Which route did you use to climb Kilimanjaro? 12) How long does it take to climb Kilimanjaro? 13) Which tour operator did you use? 14) Did you get altitude sickness? 15) Where can I find more information about Kilimanjaro? 16) I'm a literary agent or publisher, and I was wondering if you're looking for representation?
1) Who are you?My name's Chris Baker and I'm the author of "Kilimanjaro: Hakuna Matata". If you'd like to find out more about me, check out the "About Me" page. If you'd like to read some of my earlier work, take a look at the "My Writing" page, and if you'd like to get in touch please check out the "Contact Me" page.
2) Where did you get your website made?I actually designed and made the website myself. I got my web hosting from a company called "Lunar Pages" - they've done a really good job so far, and if you're looking to get your own site hosted, I'd thoroughly recommend them. To find out more about Lunar Pages, click on this link.
3) Why are you doing this?A combination of reasons really. Firstly, because I enjoy writing. Secondly, because I wanted to help some people less fortunate than myself, and thirdly, because I wanted to try and raise my profile a bit and get a few more people interested in my writing (if you're a publisher or agent and would like to get in touch, please see the "Contact Me" page!).
4) Is the book actually any good?I'd like to think so, but I have to confess that I am probably a little bit biased! If you want to sample my writing check out the "My Writing" page of this site where you can read some travel articles and other bits and pieces that I've written. In particular, you may be interested in "An Ice Cube on the Moon", a short article that I wrote about Kilimanjaro. On "The Book" page, you can also read a sample from "Kilimanjaro: Hakuna Matata" itself.
5) Why did you choose to support the "Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project?The porters on our trip were amazing. There is no doubt that we would have got absolutely nowhere near the summit of the mountain if it wasn't for them. Not only that, but they were a great bunch of guys too. For that reason, it was really hard to see the conditions that they had to endure on our behalf: and we had made sure that our porters were going to be well treated. I firmly believe that it is only fair that if someone is going to work that hard on your behalf, they deserve to be well treated in return. Adequate clothes, food and medical care are not too much to ask, they are the least that porters on Kilimanjaro deserve. For that reason, I've decided to support the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. If you want to find out more, visit "The Cause" page of this site, or check out the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project website.
6) How much money will actually go to the charity?100% of the money that I receive from the sale of this book will be given to charity. Unfortunately, that's not the same as the cover price because the printers, publishers and retailers all take a cut, but it will still be a healthy sum. The cover price of the book is $13.97. For every book sold through Lulu, I will receive $4.22, all of which will go straight to the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project ($8.69 goes to the printers, and $1.06 goes to Lulu). If you buy your copy of "Kilimanjaro: Hakuna Matata" anywhere else (see FAQ8) then only $1.06 will be received by me (the rest goes to the retailer). That $1.06 received by me will, again, go straight to the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. If you download an electronic version of the book from Lulu, which costs $3.99, $3.19 will go to the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to get in touch using the information on the "Contact Me" page.
7) What's the story with www.lulu.com?Lulu is a print-on-demand publisher. What this means is that copies of the book are only printed when somebody actually wants to buy them. So, rather than having thousands of copies of the book stored in a warehouse somewhere, if you buy a copy of the book it will be printed specially and delivered directly to your door. It means that you get a brand spanking new copy, direct from the press. And it's good for the environment too - it means that there are no excess copies that are made and then destroyed because nobody wants to buy them. If you want to read more about Lulu, and print-on-demand generally, check out this article from The Times.
8) Can I get the book anywhere else?Yes, the book has an ISBN number so you should be able to order it from any bookseller. To do so, you'll need to quote the ISBN number which is 978-1-84753-670-9.
9) I'm not sure whether I want to climb Kilimanjaro, would you recommend it?That's a tough question. Climbing Kilimanjaro was an amazing experience and I'm definitely glad that I did it. That said, it was also probably the hardest thing I've ever done. For much of the time the climb was actually quite unpleasant - absolutely exhausting, freezing cold and unbearably short of oxygen (see FAQ14). For that reason I always hesitate to recommend the climb when people ask me: it will be hard, unpleasant and possibly unsuccessful - there are many people out there who definitely would not enjoy it. However, if you've read this paragraph and haven't been put off, then you'd probably love Kilimanjaro.
10) Did you make it to the summit of Kilimanjaro?I'm afraid that if you want to know the answer to that one, you'll have to buy the book!
11) Which route did you use to climb Kilimanjaro?We climbed via the Lemosho Glades route. Obviously, I can't really compare it to the other routes, but I have to say that it was pretty spectacular - some amazing scenery and the fact that this is longest route to the summit means that you get a bit more time to appreciate it. And it's also supposed to be the least busy of the routes to the summit (although it was by no means deserted).
12) How long does it take to climb Kilimanjaro?It varies quite a lot, depending on the route you choose to take. Our climb took a total of nine days (up and down), but it is possible to complete the climb in only five days on the Marangu Route. In general, the shorter the climb the cheaper it will be, but the longer the climb the less likely you are to suffer from altitude sickness.
13) Which tour operator did you use?We used a Tanzanian operator called Nature Discovery: they weren't the cheapest that we found but we all thought that they did a fantastic job with our climb and I would strongly recommend them if your thinking about organising a climb of your own.
14) Did you get altitude sickness?Yes! For a large proportion of the climb I was in a fair amount of discomfort. I had some pretty bad headaches, felt quite sick, had trouble sleeping and eating and generally spent the last few days of the ascent feeling rather dazed. Worst of all, however, was that I suffered a "High Altitude Retinal Haemorrhage", which was a bit worrying. You can read all about these symptoms in more detail in "Kilimanjaro: Hakuna Matata", as well as some of the things you can do to avoid/overcome them. As a general rule, it's wise to allow as much time as you can for acclimatisation on the trip, and there's medicines you can get to improve your ability to cope with high altitudes - speak to your doctor about that.
15) Where can I find more information about Kilimanjaro?Obviously, I'd suggest that "Kilimanjaro: Hakuna Matata" is an excellent place to get information about Kilimanjaro! Alternatively, take a look at the "Resources" page of this site, which will point you in right direction.
16) I'm a literary agent or publisher and I was wondering if you're looking for representation?Yes I am! If you're interested then please get in touch via one of the methods listed on the "Contact Me" page.
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© 2007 Christopher M. Baker. All rights reserved. I am not responsible for the content of any external sites. |
