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.