I'm now about five weeks out from safari. As I mentioned before, there isn't much to do but wait once it's all booked. I have managed to get a few chores done as I wait though. I visited the travel clinic again and got my yellow fever vaccine and the anti-malarial prescriptions as well as a prescription for Cipro, for all the intestinal bugs that might ail me. I'll renew prescriptions for things like vomiting and insomnia due to jet lag and the pharmacopeia will be replenished.
I'll admit that the increase in violence in Kenya is somewhat unsettling but as the advisories for travelers haven't really changed I'm going to keep plans but keep aware.
I've started my packing pile in the back bedroom, with my carryon and the new convertible pants and fleece that I bought new for this trip. My first camp is at the base of Mt Kenya and is allegedly cold early and late day even at the height of summer on the equator. I guess cold is relative given that it will be literally sub zero when I leave Boston, most likely. I've started to eye movies to download to watch on the plane and I'm debating whether to take my new iPad instead of my iPod and mini PC...trying to minimize and travel lighter... At some point soon I will start to cull the cosmetics needs and place an order with minimus.biz to round out my packing.
I know I shouldn't be wishing this all away, but now that I know what awaits me, it's almost worse than last year. I'm waiting to see it all again, the big cats, the preyed upon, the gorgeous sunsets, the white fluffs of cloud that hang over miles of flat nothingness, the warmth of Africa's beauty and sunshine...it's almost too much to imagine, but it'll be here soon enough.
