Back to the beginning

My apologies for the delay but it's been really busy since I got back home so I kept putting this off. I do however have most of the photos organized and I wanted to get into a bit more detail for you, right from the beginning of the trip.

I was able to book a room in Johannesburg ("Joburg") just before I left. I found the most reasonably priced guest house I could that was close to the airport through http://www.joburg.org.za/visitors. It was the Airport Lodge Guesthouse, http://www.airportlodge.co.za/contact.html. I sent an e-mail and they e-mailed me right back, though I never did get a chance to check it before I landed. Luckily the driver was already there because there was another couple that just flew in. After you get your baggage and go through the passport area (note: don't use the "African Passports" line - that is for Africans. It made sense once I figured it out but I was confused at first because I thought "I am visiting Africa so I need an African passport?" duh!). I got one of their more basic rooms for R400, R100 for the late road transfer (after regular pick up time), and R70 for breakfast which is ~$70 Canadian. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable. There was room to settle in if you are there for a while like a cupboard for clothes, etc.. There was a T.V. with only a few stations (which is the norm from my experiences) - soccer of course, soap operas, news, not much else. The flight was so long that I desperately needed a good rest. I was of course unable to sleep properly and was awake after a few hours of sleep.  Once I finally got out of bed, I was introduced for the first time to the local instant coffee "Ricoffy" (chicory and coffee mix). The breakfast included yummy juice (some kind of orange mix the waitress said), bacon, tomatoes, toast, eggs, and roasted wieners. There was also cereal available. It was a good choice though if I was staying longer I would need to rent a car or figure out public transit because it was not in walking distance of much, or at least I didn't notice anything when we drove back to the airport the next morning.

When I got to the airport I eventually found the Air Botswana check-in and went through. The lady was a bit rude, or at least that's how I saw it. She didn't look at me at all and kept turning her head to see what her co-worker was doing...But, the airport itself is quite nice. Lots of shopping to do, for good or bad, and places to eat. It is really a huge place. I found where the gate was and thought I completely screwed up my booking because there were all buses lined up. However, I figured out that the buses just took the passengers to the planes so that they did not have to have as many planes come up to the terminal I guess. Most of the people lined up to go on my flight to Maun really LOOKED like they were going on a safari - khaki pants and/or shirt, a suitable safari hat, hiking shoes, some even had khaki vests. You could buy the gear at the airport even, though I did not bother to look how much that would cost.

Once the airline was ready to take us to the plane we all loaded onto the bus (mostly standing room only but there were a few seats if needed) and walked up the metal staircase to the plane. I got a seat in the first row and the lady at the window kept coughing so I kept trying not to breathe. It was a smaller plane than the international flights of course, just enough room for 3 small seats on either side of the isle and the food cart in the middle. We had a cheese & cucumber sandwich and a muesli bar for lunch and had juice and coffee (or tea). Once we landed and walked off the plane I felt I was really in 'Africa', I just could not stop smiling. It was very hot and the airport in Maun is quite small. They had only a few passport stands and then brought in all the luggage to their pick up area by hand. I did find the Bushways Safari people in the lobby area and met some fellow travellers that were going to the Kalahari first. We headed for the 'bottle shop' first to get our water supply for the time camping. They recommended about 3 litres per day so we bought these larger 5 litre jugs which were easier to store.

This is the bottle shop parking lot. This is where SUVs are actually needed!

We stayed at the Island Safari Lodge, http://islandsafarilodge.com/, so I was there a few extra days before my group left. It was actually a good idea because I had time to really relax and acclimatize as much as possible. But it was about 2 1/2 kilometers from town so I ended up staying at the Lodge the whole time. I could have asked to have a ride or taxi pick me up but I did not want to go by myself yet. Luckily the Lodge had post cards, stamps, and they even mailed them for me.

Here is my room, it was quite comfortable.

 2 twins seemed to be the norm, when there was a double bed it was usually 2 twins pushed together anyways. 

The Lodge is along the Thamalakane River so there was an awesome view and it was quite tropical compared to what I saw right in Maun. There was a cow farm on the other side so I could hear the cow bell ringing as the cows walked along. 

I would highly recommend this place if you do go to Maun. If you have at least 2 or 3 people in your group you can arrange tours with them on the river and elsewhere. There is also a camping area available, pools to swim in, and good food. You can eat there for 40 to 80 Pula (~$5-$10 CAD) and they had burgers, pizza, pasta, steak, etc. My favourites were their zucchini fritters and potato fritters, very delicious and one of the cheaper items. I also discovered the local cranberry juice drink, "Liqui Fruit" brand, which I loved. I even had chocolate mouse and a milkshake at one point. The breakfasts were fairly standard for the area which includes the full cooked breakfast, bacon, usually tomatoes and/or mushrooms, beans, sausages, etc. and then yogurt, muesli, and muffins or cereal. The breakfast was included but the eggs were extra or you could order off the menu. There was such a good spread for the buffet I don't think it's even necessary to have anything else.

Again there were not many T.V. stations and at least 1 was all soccer. I highly recommend bringing your laptop and/or cell phone with you - everyone else did, except me. The Lodge, and most places, offered Wi-Fi services for a small fee. The reception staff let me use their computer a couple of times at no charge which was nice, but there is not much entertainment going on unless you get to go out on some excursions. Relaxing by the water, napping, and reading were my main activities, so if you want to completely get away than it's definitely a good place to do that.

More to come soon...

Home

I am now home, safe and sound. It was a crazy long flight, about 11 hours from Johannesburg to Amsterdam and then about the same from Amsterdam to Vancouver, maybe longer. I dozed a bit, ate, dozed, ate some more, watched Jane Eyre (another version I had not seen before), Crazy Stupid Love, Bridesmaids, Super 8, The Change-up, a Modern Family episode, listened to music, played Sudoku, read a magazine, chatted with my neighbour.  I was lucky enough to get an aisle seat on the first flight so I could stretch my legs a bit but sleeping was impossible. We left at around midnight but it was too uncomfortable to really get a sound sleep. KLM actually served dinner right away, which I refused politely. I just waited for breakfast, but the omelette or at least the sauce on the omelette was a bit unpleasant so I just ate the other items: fruit, yogurt, cheese & crackers, a bun with butter. The pasta for lunch on the next flight was pretty good, a green pasta (assuming spinach?) in a tomato sauce. We got pizza just before we landed which I couldn't finish. It wasn't horrible but not overly tasty either. I seemed to enjoy the food more on the flight to Africa, I think because I knew I was coming home this time and could eat normal food once again. The fruit, dessert, and snacks were really good, it's just the entrees that were hit or miss. I hardly moved from Amsterdam to Vancouver since I was in the middle so I highly recommend reserving an aisle seat and will make sure I do next time. I had a crazy 'charlie horse' in my shin last night and it hurt like hell, but it seems okay now. I think it helps if you also put all your belongings up in the storage compartment, instead of under the seat in front of you so you can stretch your legs out at least.

I will unpack and start posting photos soon. I am currently doing laundry and enjoying wearing p.j.'s and watching T.V. - it's quite nice to just relax and not have to go anywhere (airport, bus station, game drive, rounds, etc.). I am happy to be home!

Monkey baby

Today was my last full day at Moholoholo and I got the best treat ever. This is a baby vervet monkey, Neo, that the centre is taking care of until it can be transferred to a vervet monkey sanctuary near by. I got to monkey-sit for a about an hour or so and it was awesome. Admittedly it's not easy to watch a monkey but I did my best to be a comfortable climbing structure and made sure it didn't get trampled by Dela the rhino or jump into the wild dogs camp. I used a sling to keep him in what I called the 'taco' but it was much easier when he finally went for a nap. Tomorrow I head to Hoedspruit and then back home...

Suncatcher's Hot Air Balloon Safari - me on a hot air balloon!!!

Today at 4:10 a.m. a group of us Moholoholo students departed for a balloon ride with Suncatchers Hot Air Balloon Safaris. I have wanted to go hot air ballooning for most of my life so this was a dream come true. To do it in Africa just made it a bit more special. I tried to take pictures of the staff inflating the balloon but it was too dark. But it was exciting to watch, and luckily a pretty colourful balloon (not a REMAX balloon like I see back home, no offence to REMAX I just don't want my first balloon ride to be advertising). We got in, I got to ride in the middle with the pilot, and there were 2 people in each corner. We had the option of tea, coffee, or juice before the ride (I had tea). The balloon took off probably around 5:00 and we were in the air for maybe an hour or hour and a half. The pilot was struggling to find enough wind so we went up & down to the tree tops and back up again. The balloon did not cover much distance but we did have a nice view despite the cloud cover and saw a giraffe and wildebeest in a private game reserve. We also had the rare opportunity to go between the bottom & top cloud layers and see the mountain ridge in the distance and it was absolutely stunning. Apparently one of the younger pilots in training has been working there for a few years and still has not had the chance so we were quite lucky. We ended up landing in a grapefruit orchard and then had some juice, champagne, and dried mango and mixed nuts as a quick snack. The driver that picked us up drove us to the Otter's Den for breakfast, with the rest of the champagne in our glasses for the ride (we couldn't do that in Canada!). The Otter's Den was amazing. You have to walk over this suspension bridge to get there and we were greeted by Shadow the black lab. I couldn't have been any happier. The breakfast was delicious (the standard local fare of eggs, bacon, tomato, fried mushrooms, and toast) and we also got to meet a cat. I of course played with the cat as much as I could, she was a purrer and enjoyed playing just like my cat Hal. Shadow enjoyed fetching sticks, even if they went in the pool, so he got soaked and of course those of us who played with him did too. We drove back, listening to David Guetta, in time for our 9:30 meeting at the clinic. It already felt like a full day, but back to work.

The view of the mountain tops! AWESOME!

Blyde River Canyon

We did an hourish boat tour today at Blyde River Canyon. There was a storm last night and it was very windy until mid-morning and then it started to rain. It's still raining. Despite that the boat tour was really quite amazing. The mountain tops were covered in clouds and mist and it was quite cool but it's just absolutely gorgeous scenery, no matter the weather. Apparently it's the 3rd largest canyon in the world, the Grand Canyon being one of the larger ones, but it's quite lush. It is however their dry season, the rains only just starting to come, so the grass the animals need (Hippos in particular) is far away so they will go to nearby farms to feed until the grass grows back after more rain. There is a waterfall that we saw that goes over a cliff with impressions that look like a face - eyes, nose, and big mouth. There are also some caves and indentations from water lapping against the rocks when the river is at a higher level. It was only $130 Rand so completely worth it.

At Moholoholo

I am having a really good time here. Some of the animals have been hand reared so enjoy being pet or scratched including Mr. Chicken a Bataleur Eagle, Luma the Hyena, Delilah the Leopard, Della the Black Rhino, and Bullet the Cheetah. I have to say that it's pretty awesome being able to get close to these animals, though I did enjoy seeing them in the wild as well of course. The daily rounds here are done in groups though I have been on my own 1 1/2 of the 4 days here so far. It's been good though and I don't mind being on my own, though it's very tiring. Della-sitting duty is the best part of the day. There are 3 1 hour shifts in the afternoon and the students sit with her so she's not lonely. The rest of the day she's pretty much running around as she pleases in the main yard by our lodges.

There are also a lot of bugs, including preying mantis, around and so I have been leaving the lights off at night as much as possible. It's hard to sleep soundly when moths and beetles are flying into your nose and mouth. We walk up to Forrest Camp for breakfast after the morning rounds, lunch is at 12:30, and then dinner is at about 7:00. So far we've had Shepherd's pie, mac & cheese, stew, salad...and the breakfasts are huge. The best thing is that they seem to like avocado but the students don't so I have been eating quite a bit with breakfast. Forrest Camp also serves brewed coffee (not instant like I've had for the past few weeks) and that is such a wonderful indulgence. I walk really quickly to breakfast, quickly for me anyways. The way back to camp is a bit slower and includes a lot of huffing and puffing up the hill. Hopefully I'll get slightly more fit by the end of the 2 weeks.

Young male impalas play fighting

This was in Moremi Game Reserve, the male impalas fighting 'arena' where they spar with their horns. This is play or practice for when they fight to get the female impalas during mating season. There were several pairs that we watching for about 15 minutes.

The connection here is too slow so I don't think I'll try to upload any more photos until I get back...we'll see. I am at Moholoholo now and got to pet a young black rhino, a bataleur eagle and a hyena. And, I got to hold a white backed vulture. So it's been a good day and a half.

Internet access at Kruger National Park

I have finished day 2 of my Kruger ´Quickie´ safari and it was great. Kruger is the complete opposite of my Botswana experience, as far as the conditions go, but I have enjoyed it just as much. Mainly I think because I saw rhinos today, how can that not be completely awesome?

Anyways, Kruger is very ´put together' meaning paved roads, elaborate camping facilities (including a restaurant, Internet cafe, laundry...), fences (so no baboons of hyenas). At first I missed Botswana's  ruggedness, being so close to nature, the scenery, etc. But, Kruger is very beautiful and worth visiting in its own right. Other than the rhinos we saw elephants, giraffe, lions, baboons, vervet monkeys, baby impala...

Tomorrow is our last morning, and the group is hoping to see a leopard at our 4:30 am start. Then I am off to nThambo Tree Camp for a night and then finally Moholoholo for the next 2 weeks. I am really looking forward a set home, going from place to place every night is a bit tiring.

Camping preparedness in the Botswana bush

I just got into Livingstone, Zambia today and am at the Maramba River Lodge which is beautiful. The best part was being able to take a long shower, but there was still a baboon in the area & I heard elephants so it's a good transition from the safari life. We camped for 6 nights - 3 in Moremi, and 3 in Chobe - and it was really amazing. Exhausting, dirty, and hot, but absolutely amazing. I did have some major setbacks though despite the fact that I had thought I prepared for everything. I got a cold (in AFRICA which seems so ridiculous) which I blame on the 11+ hour plane ride breathing recycled disease ridden air and my lack of sleep. So my first 2 days were very difficult, and I used up all my emergency toilet paper blowing my nose. Luckily I had brought that and I took Advil and used my Watkins ointment as a kind of Vick's vapo-rub substitute but it definitely wasn't the same. I think the climate helped because by day 3 I was okay and I only have the occasional cough now. In Canada that would have lasted weeks. I also got hay fever as my cold was getting better. I solved this for the most part by not allowing myself to tough my eye with my hands & I used a cloth & whetted it to clean my eyes with. I also took Advil. It seemed to help. But, assuming I go on Safari again I must remember to bring cough medicine & antihistamine stuff with me as well as everything else.

The other major setback was my memory cards for the camera. The ones I bought were not compatible so when I filled my regular one up on Day 2 I discovered my error. I should have known to check it before I came but I took the sales person at their word & didn't think much about it. I have had to delete tonnes of pictures, just saving the best ones. I have almost 300 pictures and some videos so it's not completely tragic but it would have been nice to document EVERYTHING. However, one of my fellow campers will be sending me their pictures so I can at least have some other perspective on the experience and not rely solely on my poor memory.

Despite these issues though it was the best experience. Seeing elephants and giraffes up close, lions eating (or mostly sleeping), animals I have never seen before - it's just so incredible. Tomorrow I am off to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe for one night and then back to South Africa. Hopefully I can find a compatible memory card before the Kruger Safari in Jo'burg Airport if not before!

Maun, Botswana

I arrived safely & am now in Maun, Botswana at the Island Safari Lodge (about 2 km from town). I was ecstatic to finally land in Africa and even more so when I finally landed in Botswana. The airport was quite small, and you exit the plane on rickety stairs outside. After going through their customs booth we waited for the luggage, which was all loaded by hand onto this low shelf. The Bushways Safari people were outside waiting for me and a few other people. They got us to change our money at the airport so we could pick up supplies for the safari on the way to the lodge. "Bottle Shop" means a liquor store, water bottle, pop, etc. so we got our water and any other drinks we may want. They recommended we get the larger bottles of 5 L, enough to drink 3 litres per day on the trip. I also treated myself to a 6 pack of Coke Zero. Sometimes I need a little bit of a treat you know?

Anyways, the town is very spread out but seems to have everything needed. Some of the houses are run down looking but most are tidy. There were quite a few stands along the road, most out of the corrugated metal or with a large umbrella, selling various things like candy, gift items, metal bins, and a variety of other things. I tried a dried meat, kind of like jerky but it was curled up rather than flat and hard. It was really good but I can't remember the word for it. One of the safari staff members let me try some because they bought a bag at the 'bottle shop'.

The Island Safari Lodge is really beautiful, very lush because it's along the river. And, I have been able to get post cards and stamps here so they're mailing them for me. They're also letting me use their computer which is nice. It's hard to be away from the Internet and quite a few guests have brought their laptops so I had the Internet itch. The food is good - especially their zucchini fritters and potato fritters dishes. I am also really into this cranberry juice drink they have. One more day here and then off on safari. I hope I see monkeys tomorrow - I heard they were around but I have yet to see them myself. There are so many different kinds of birds here. I wish I knew what they all are. I should get going though so they can close up their shop.

Packing

I am trying to squish way too much into my carry on so I will need to re-assess the situation. However, I can have 2 bags on the KLM flight, not like the 1 check in bag only for domestic flights now (I paid $18 for the 2nd bag when I did the web check in for Air Canada, which was about $4 cheaper than West Jet). Here's what will hopefully all fit in 2 bags of 55 lbs or less each:

sleeping bag
fleece blanket
small pillow
rain jacket
wind breaker
extra pair of shoes
alarm clock
head lamp with extra batteries
reading lamp (clips onto the book)
2 towels
facecloths
mesh laundry bags ( 1 big, 1 small)
camera
extra battery
world plug adaptor
battery recharger
2 extra memory cards
memory card USB transfer thing (only $20 CAD)
4 paperback novels
5 magazines
travel diary
pens
sudoku puzzle book
I.D. and wallet
money belt
Sunlight laundry/cleaning soap bar
socks
undies
2 pairs of khakis
2 pairs of Capri's
6 t-shirts
1 long sleeved shirt
2 button up shirts
1 hoodie
bathing suit and cover up
1 wrap skirt
Swiss Army knife
safety pins
band aids
tensor bandage
tape
shampoo
conditioner
tooth brush
toothpaste
floss
brush
hair elastics
2 hats
head scarf
hankies and Kleenex
emergency toilet paper
hand wipes
insect repellent
sun screen

What am I forgetting?

Last minute details

It's a bit hectic but I am trying to get access to the Internet to get last minute e-mails & itinerary printed off. I booked a room in Hoedspruit for my last day via roomsforafrica.com. If I calculated it right it's only about $40 plus breakfast & they had a cute dog in their picture so that won me over. They'll also give me a ride to the bus stop so that's awesome. I also finally got an extra battery for my camera. It was discontinued but I found a place that still had some which makes me feel much more secure. That way I can have backup if I am mid-Elephant herd or something. Almost there...

Almost there...

It was a bit of a struggle to do the final payment for the safari - my credit card just would not work and I had to call the credit card company a bunch of times, repeating the same info over and over and I spoke to at least 5 different people. I kept getting an alternate number to call which always redirected me back to the main line. I almost banged me head against my computer monitor while screaming my guts out, but I pulled myself together and finally gave up. I went to the bank the next day to do another money transfer and my bank was closed due to a power outage. If I were less invested in this I would have considered that a sign. I did finally get it taken care of, at a different branch with moderate patience and various bank fees, and got confirmation that the payment went through today. Now it's all paid for. I still feel like it's not quite real, but I leave shortly so it must really be happening. I am starting to pack which is going to be a challenge. I need to bring enough, but not too much, prepare for a variety of weather and activities, and somehow keep it all to 1 or 2 bags. One of the suggested items is an umbrella - yeah, that's not going to fit. Perhaps a garbage poncho will suffice?

I took Dukoral, which you have to keep refrigerated by the way, and need to take the next dose Friday. The pharmacy was one pill short to fill my malaria prescription so I was supposed to pick it up today. I didn't make it though, so I will have to make sure I do it tomorrow. Then I am fully medicated/vaccinated and hopefully will stay healthy. The doctor assured me that the certificate he gave me would be sufficient for Yellow Fever, which gives me a medical exception so I should not need the shot. But, I guess we'll see. It's apparently a new law that anyone travelling from Zambia to South Africa needs it so I still feel a little doubtful. However, I have to trust the expert so I will just leave it at that.

The mystery of Visas

I need to get a Visa for entry into Zambia and I think maybe Zimbabwe too, but Zambia for sure. However, I kept trying to find out how to get this exactly and it was a bit difficult. What I read in the travel books I have and other info I found just said that I needed a Visa, and seemed to assume I knew what the hell I had to do to get it. I of course resorted to Google which is the answer to most of my questions but when I looked into the government's website that came up I just got more confused. I e-mailed the info e-mail on the Government of Canada's website that was posted on the page that was linked to the Visas info page and their response was that they do not normally reply to those kinds of inquiries but they suggested contacting the representatives of the country I was visiting - which by the way was the contact info I had requested. This made me feel like a complete idiot and was also completely not helpful. I found another information site but I put off looking into it more. I then finally went to the Zambian tourism website and that was a bit more specific but there was an option to pay at the 'port of entry' or in advance and there was a 1 day option, a travel option, and a long term option so I didn't know which was correct anyways. I finally just e-mailed Wild Wings Safaris back and asked if they knew exactly what I had to do. As usual, they were super helpful so I really just should have asked them right away instead of depending on the web but live and learn.

This is their very helpful explanation of how it works:

You can purchase a single & double entry visa at the port of entry for Zambia.  Since you are staying one night in Zambia, and then travelling to Zimbabwe, and flying back to Johannesburg from Zimbabwe, you only need a single entry visa.  You would have needed a double entry visa if you were going back to Zambia for either a flight out or an additional activity. 

For Zimbabwe you will also need a single entry visa – as you enter the country only one, for your night at the Kingdom Hotel, before flying back to Johannesburg from Victoria Falls Airport.  All visa fees are payable in cash at the port of entry.

The transit visas are necessary if you simply travel through the country to your next destination without actually sleeping over somewhere – that is no applicable to you.  I hope this makes sense & helps.

The costs (as we have them on record at the moment) are:

Zambia (single entry): USD 50 per person

Zimbabwe (single entry): USD 30 per person

Please note that since you are visiting Zambia you will also need to receive a Yellow Fever vaccination from your local travel clinic before leaving for this trip (preferably 2 weeks prior to travel).  This is a new law that has been put in place for travellers from Zambia into South Africa.

More shots

I went in for my first rabies shot yesterday and it kind of hurt today a bit, but still not as bad as the tetanus. I still have to book my bus ticket but I am having trouble getting the money transferred so I'm hoping they may take a credit card instead. The bank needs addresses for the business & their bank before they can do anything and it will cost $26 or something like that. Apparently it's $12 through Western Union so I will look into that if the bus company can't accept a credit card. Once that's booked I'm pretty much set. So the itinerary is as follows:

• Fly into Johannesburg, South Africa
• Fly out the next morning to Maun, Botswana
• 3 nights in Maun
• Start 8 day Safari in Botswana with Buffalo Safari
• 3 days at the Moremi Game Reserve
• 3 days in Chobe National Park
• 1 night Livingstone, Zambia
• 1 day and night at Victoria Falls
• Fly from Victoria Falls Airport to Johannesburg
• 1 night in Johannesburg
• 3 days in Kruger National Park with Wild Wings Safaris
• 1 night at nThambo Tree Camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve
• A short drive to Moholoholo Wildlife Reserve and then 2 full weeks of volunteering
• 1 night in Hoedspruit
• 6 hour Bus trip to Johannesburg
• Fly back to Canada

Shots

I went for my second round of shots yesterday and afterwards I couldn't lift my arm to get the coffee down from the cupboard shelves in the kitchen at work. It still feels a little sore but I can lift it a bit higher so that's a good sign. So far the tetanus shot was the worst and took a few weeks to go back to normal. Here's the cost so far:

Tetanus FREE
Twinrix (Hep A & B) $78.00 x 2
Polio FREE
Mumps Measles and Rubella $42
Typhoid fever $45

I got an official doctor's note that I do not have to get the Yellow Fever vaccine which I have to take with me. The next batch will be the Malaria, Rabies ($210 x 3), and medication for travellers diarrhea. I do not have to do the Rabies, but it is recommended since I will be working with animals and is also recommended for pet-sitters which is the industry I will be going into when I return so I decided it would be best to do it just in case. But, the financial strain is a bit much right now. Thank goodness for the library and free entertainment in general.

From the beginning

I have been saving for over 4 years for this and I am finally going! Everything has cost just a bit more than I expected so I am way overbudget. I estimated about $1000 for a week safari, about $1500 for 2 weeks of volunteering, about $1500 for the plane so about $5000 I was thinking. But, I guess time flies and things get more pricey, and I underestimated how all the little things add up. There's the shots, extra flights, the bus, additional nights accommodation, the passport, tax, money transfers, khakis, bug repellent, sun screen, luggage, never mind gifts and minor spending when I get there! I have never been strong at math. But, almost everything is now paid for and with the arrival of the passport I feel like it's really happening. I can't wait, but I kind of have to since I'm not leaving for 7 more weeks!

I initially looked at visiting Tunisia, or maybe Tanzania, then I wanted to go to Botswana (mostly because of The No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency novels). I also looked at Namibia and kind of had my heart set on that for quite a while. I had hoped to go for the World Cup last year but I didn't have enough saved to be able to go then. Last fall I bought Fodor's 'The Complete African Safari Planner' and the Lonely Planet's 'Botswana and Namibia' guide to help get my plans going and out of fantasy land. The problem with Africa is that there really wasn't anywhere I didn't want to go. Everything sounded amazing and fun, and how could I possibly decide! I finally had to make decisions based on personal connections. My co-worker's nephew had spent several months at this one place in South Africa and had an amazing time so I got into contact with him to get some more info about that. Another co-worker's relative owns a Safari business in South Africa and gave me their contact info. Thanks to their help I finally started the process of really planning the trip. I realized it didn't really matter what I did because I would love it, no matter what.