Africa: 1 more day!

Wow. I can hardly believe that our departure is almost here. We'll leave at around 8 AM tomorrow to get to Tulsa and fly to Atlanta. From there, we have a bit of a wait until we board the plane for Johannesburg around 8:15 PM. But, I'd rather wait in Atlanta than in Bartlesville.

The weather here has been beautiful - finally. Cool and sunny. It's been delightful to have the windows open after so many months of heat warnings. As a result, I've been in the mood to do more cooking to keep Robert in fine form while I'm away. I made another batch of granola, baked some of Kasia's terrific artisan bread and then froze it, made mac 'n cheese and today I made chicken soup. It might sound like a lot, but I really enjoy cooking, so it was fun for me with the windows open and the cool breeze floating in.

What's on the schedule for tonight? Well, according to NASA, at about 7:30, we may be able to catch a glimpse of the International Space Station. Here's the link to see if you have a chance of seeing it: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/home.cfm

Africa: Three more days!

I finally got the whole suitcase dilemma figured out. I'm using the grey one in an earlier photo. It has the right measurements, and I have been able to get everything in it. I'm also making good use of an old backpack that Gates used in middle school. In there, I've stashed all of the items I'm bringing to him (along with some other non-replaceable items) in case my suitcase is gate checked.

I am getting really, really excited and just want Saturday to be here. Gates and I have been talking about what we can do while I'm there. One idea is to go to Liwonde National Park.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liwonde_National_Park    That's about 50 km away and could be done in a day, or we could stay overnight at a lodge. I also want to see Zomba, particularly the botanical gardens and Chancellor College. I'm also interested in the markets as I hope to get some fabric with which I can make a quilt.

Here's our itinerary:

Sunday, 10-3: Arrive in Johannesburg
Monday, 10-4: Fly to Livingstone, transfer to lodge for 4 nights
Tuesday, 10-5: Victoria Falls - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls
Wednesday, 10-6: Chobe National Park - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chobe_National_Park
Thursday, 10-7: Maybe Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosi-oa-Tunya_National_Park
Friday, 10-8: Fly to Nelspruit, South Africa: transfer to Timbavati Game Preserve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbavati_Game_Reserve for 3 nights
Saturday/Sunday 10-9, 10: Game drives
Monday, 10-11: Transfer to Sabi Sabi Game Preserve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabi_Sabi for 2 nights; game drives
Wednesday: 10-12: Fly to Johannesburg
Thursday: 10-13: I fly to Lilongwe and Charlene flies to Botswana
Thursday, 10-13 to Thursday, 10-20: Zomba!
Thursday, 10-20: Return to Lilongwe
Friday, 10-21: Fly to Johannesburg, Atlanta, and Tulsa
Saturday, 10-22: Home!

Africa: 7 days and counting

There was a little hiccup yesterday... I found out the maximum carry-on luggage measurements for Delta are: 14 x 22 x 9. My favorite carry-on is one inch longer and wider, and I was worried this would cause my suitcase to be gate checked. Not something I want to deal with upon arrival in Johannesburg.

So, as much I do not need a new suitcase, I went shopping. Fortunately, I found a Travel Pro that is the right dimensions. I also discovered that this is the brand flight attendants use. So I'm hoping that they will let me board with it for the US flight as well as the three flights within Africa. It would simplify things so much.

Here's a photo of my old favorite "Big Red" and the new one. Amazingly, I was able to pack just about everything in the new one, including some items I'm bringing for Gates. And there might just be a silver lining here - the new one will be lighter and much easier to manage.

Africa: Nine days and counting...

I'm taking a break today from my never-ending list of tasks. Here are the two books I'll be spending some time with:

Africa: 10 days until we leave

As some of you may know, I'm going to Africa in October with my friend, Charlene, a fellow Bartian (local talk for a resident of Bartlesville...). I feel so blessed the way this whole trip has come together in such a smooth and wonderful way.  We'll be on safari for ten days, and then I'll go to Malawi to see Gates for ten days while Charlene travels to the Okavango Delta.

Ten days until we leave! I am slowly whittling away my list. Getting this blog set up is a huge relief as I really do hope to be able to post from the lodges/camps we'll be visiting. I'm hoping there will be some down time in the afternoon when it's much warmer.

There's been a huge amount of details (including shots, clothing, bug repellent, Insect Shield items) but things are all falling into place. In my spare (?) time, I've been reading up on animal behavior. I bought a terrific book, The Safari Companion - A Guide to Watching African Mammals by Richard Estes. It lists each animal by family (such as carnivores, etc.) and includes a description of possible behavior and what that behavior means. I also bought a laminated brochure of animals, birds, snakes, etc. which sounds a little juvenile but has been very helpful already in identifying animals in some of the BBC animal videos I've been watching on Netflix.

I also read Peter Allison's "Whatever You Do, Don't Run" which details his experiences as a Botswana guide. And now, I'm working on West With the Night by Beryl Markham which my good friend Leslie sent me last spring.