Packing

It's now less than 12 hours until we head to the airport and the to-do list is shrinking!  We've packed and repacked and juggled and weighed our bags umpteen times.  Bob finally resorted to a hockey bag so he could get everything in for his hike and the weight is right at 12 kg.  The porters will weigh the bag before the hike starts and if it's over 12 kg, some things will have to come out.   His daypack/carryon bag still has some room but we might get that filled up yet too!

We still have a few things to do around the house like washing the dishes and sweeping the floor - and then maybe we'll even get to bed at a reasonable hour!

Have we got everything?  Only time will tell!!  It's time to leave the planning behind and get to the doing part!

Two little voices today:

One left a message that said, "Have fun in Africa!  Bye!"

And the other one said,   "Gramma, next time I don't want you to go away so long."

 I agree, Little Ones, I agree!   We will have fun and we will miss you lots!

Hopefully my next blogpost will be from Africa.

Kwaheri!!   Or "Good-bye" as they say in Swahili.

See you on the other side of the ocean in a day or two.

Cameras

The great debate about whether or not to buy a zoom lens for our DLSR camera has come to an end.  We knew it would be quite costly to buy a 300mm lens - not in our budget right now!  So Bob spent a day investigating and we now own this Panasonic DMC 12X Zoom camera.  It's small, light, easy to use and can zoom to 360mm so hopefully we can still get some good animal safari pictures.  And it was (semi-) affordable :))  I was going for a Canon model but the one that's comparable in zoom has an annoying flash that pops up every single time you turn the camera on!  Bad design feature that will surely affect their sales, I think.  Kelsey's mom has one similar to this and she was a great salesman and sold Bob on getting a Panasonic.  You can read some reviews here .  So far the video function is awesome - we love the zoom while recording feature.  Hopefully the 2 batteries will provide enough charge, especially on Kilimanjaro!

Elephant Orphanage

A couple of weeks ago on CBC radio,  I heard Brian Keating, in conservation outreach at the Calgary Zoo , interviewed after he visited the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust  Elephant Orphanage near Nairobi, Kenya.   The work that's being done here with baby elephants is quite amazing!

This is Pesi, who was stranded in the mud and rescued on August 18th, 2 days after he was born.

Each day for 1 hour the orphanage is open to the public to view the little guys as they are fed.  They live with keepers who act as surrogate mothers for 3 years  and when the elephants are about 10 years old, they will be released in Tsavo National Park.  The Trust has worked hard to find the best ways to support orphaned elephants and return them to the wild.  Guess where I hope to be next Sunday morning??!!!

While You Are Waiting

Today I thought I would give you a few ideas of other travel blogs to read, especially while you / we are waiting for our adventure to really begin.

Sherry at Ottsworld left the corporate world behind 3 years ago and is currently teaching English in Viet Nam.  She just spent 17 days in Mongolia!

Copenhagen Cycle Chic has the coolest pictures of people using bicycles as transportation.

Next is Talia (who is the daughter of Bob's cousin, Dorothy), who is teaching kindergarten in Abu Dhabi this year.

And the last pick is The Brooklyn Nomad , by a travel writer who tours the world.  I first found this one while we were visiting Melinda in New York City and then he was writing about Poland.

If you aren't able to leave home and tour around the world right now, these blogs will still give you a glimpse of some very interesting places.  Enjoy!!

154 Hours -

until we are on our way to Africa!!  It's coming so, so quickly!  Bob has the time function on the camera set so it counts down and every time you turn the camera on, you see a bright yellow reminder beside a suitcase icon.

Packing and checking lists to make sure we have everything is the main topic of conversation these days.  Clarence is super organized and had everything laid out last week.  I think he has it all packed into the duffle bag now and is ready to walk out the door on his way to the airport.

 Bob's 'checklist' was to take this picture and use it as his reference :)  I was inspired to clean off our pool table and attempt the same arrangement , using Bob's gear :)  It's a work in progress that's coming along nicely.    We are really blessed to be traveling with such organized friends,  especially for the climbing part of the trip.  Though as Bob did mention tonight,  the hike of Kilimanjaro is only 25% of the trip - although it has definitely consumed  more time than that in the preparation mode.  


Oh -  the Pepsi and Coke cans won't be packed either :))  And I am happy to report that I have my visa in hand and am good to go in that department.  The small problem I mentioned yesterday has also been resolved so we are all happy!

Meet Melissa

We picked up our etickets, final itinerary and other assorted pieces of paper yesterday at the travel agency.  Melissa is our tour agent at Trek Escapes and she's had to answer alot of questions as we've prepared for this adventure!   All in a day's work for her, I guess.  We still have one small (we hope it doesn't become big!!) question to ask her tomorrow.

We also received confirmation of the hotels that we'll be staying in, packing lists  - and a detailed summary of the hiking days that the guys will spend on Kilimanjaro and the cruise days that Sandra and I will be spend on the River Nile.   Here's a little snippet for you to compare!

- "transfer via air-conditioned vehicle to Grand Hyatt Hotel  (click and then click again on photos) - 5-star deluxe Nile cruise boat - afternoon tea"  vs  "will test you to your limits, both physically and mentally - hike is steep - exposed and cold - long and tiring - slippery downhill sections - three pairs of socks and two pairs of gloves should be considered for today - gasping for air".

The Big Five

As we planned the safari part of this trip, I kept reading about "The Big Five".

I knew it was 5 animals but I wasn't sure which ones they were.

So my latest research (it's an ongoing project now!) in our Fodor's Complete African Safari Planner

says this:  "The Big Five was originally a hunting term referring to those animals that posed the greatest risk to hunters on foot - Cape buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino. "

Here are some random facts:

- Swahili word for lion is "simba" - name that movie!

- estimated 23,000 found in sub-Sahara Africa

- females do most of the hunting

- may sleep for 18 hours a day

- females and cubs stay together in a pride

- today's population of elephants is about 600,000

- Savannah elephants (the ones we hope to see) can be 13 feet tall and weigh 7 tons

- calves are raised and protected by the entire herd

- baby elephants can sunburn easily and usually stay in their mother's shadow to keep cool

- some consider the Cape buffalo to be the most dangerous of the Big Five

 because of its unpredictability and speed

- heftier and more powerful than any other buffalo

- few predators other than human hunters

- may reach 1800 pounds

- old bulls spend much of their time in mud wallows

- black and white rhinos both have poor eyesight

- vegetarians

- black rhino tends to be solitary

- white rhino travels with a 'crash' or herd

- can gallop up to 30 mph when attacking

- can be 5 feet tall and weigh 1.5 - 2 tons

- hardest animal to spot on safari is the leopard

- spots are called rosettes and are round in East Africa but square in South Africa

- often lose their kill to lions or hyenas

- will drag the kill up into trees to eat in peace and quiet
- will drink water but can get sufficient water from the blood of animals they kill
- young weigh 400 - 600 grams when they are born (think a pound of butter!)

- mothers keep young hidden for 2 - 5 months


I'm excited to see all of these in their natural habitat!

Did you know there is also a group of animals called the Little 5?!!

- antlion

- leopard tortoise

- rhinoceros beetle

- buffalo weaver

- elephant shrew

Of course there will be lots and lots of other animals to observe too.

I don't think a zoo will ever have quite the same appeal after this.

(Pictures from www.kenyatravelideas.com)

Climate Report

One of the most common questions we've been asked is "What's the weather like over there?"  I did some more research today (it's a daily occurence now!) and this is what I found out.  

Climate

Nairobi (from www.africaguide.com)

Climate Chart for Nairobi

Situated at a high altitude, Nairobi has a moderate climate. The summer months are sunny and warm without blistering temperatures, while winters are mild to cool, with very chilly evenings. Rainfall is also moderate, the wettest part of the year being late summer to autumn, when cloudy, drizzly days are common.

Eqypt (from www.toureqypt.net)

Throughout Egypt, days are commonly warm or hot, and nights are cool. Egypt has only two seasons: a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October. The only differences between the seasons are variations in daytime temperatures and changes in prevailing winds. 

Temperatures for Cairo

Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.
30 / 18	24 / 14	21 / 10	19 / 9	21 / 9	24 / 11
86 / 64	75 / 57	70 / 50	66 / 48	70 / 48	75 / 52
Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sep.
28 / 14	32 / 17	35 / 18	35 / 22	35 / 22	32 / 20
90 / 62	90 / 62	95 / 64	95 / 71	95 / 71	89 / 68

Legend

Month

Celsius

Fahrenheit

day / night

back to top


Temperatures for Luxor

Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.
35 / 29	29 / 13	24 / 18	23 / 6	25 / 7	29 / 11
95 / 84	84 / 55	75 / 46	73 / 43	77 / 45	84 / 52
Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sep.
34 / 16	39 / 21	40 / 23	40 / 23	41 / 23	38 / 22
93 / 61	102 / 70	104 / 73	104 / 73	105 / 73	100 / 72

Legend

Month

Celsius

Fahrenheit

day / night

The sun always shines in Cairo, and the weather is constantly warm to hot with cool nights. The city experiences only two seasons, which are a blisteringly hot summer between May and October, and an only slightly cooler winter between November and April. Rain is not a feature in the climate of Cairo, which receives less than half an inch a year. Humidity can reach 77 percent in summer, but is very low in winter, making this the most comfortable time to travel to Cairo. The city is also subject to occasional strong hot winds, called sirocco, during April.

Aswan, Eqypt (from www.aswan.world-guides.com)


(This is where our cruise ends.)  


The climate of Aswan is characteristically Egyptian and at times, very hot and very dry - rain is almost unheard of (some nearby Nubian settlements don't even bother with roofs on their houses!) However, the heat tends to be a dry heat and not overly humid, which makes even the hottest and sunniest Aswan weather all the more bearable.

When you come to Egypt, you will find very little need to bring an umbrellas, that is unless you intent to be using it to shade you from the sun. Aswan is no exception to this, with an average of seven or eight hours of sunny weather even in the winter months, rising to around 12 hours of sunshine in the height of the summer.



Zanzibar (from www.islandsonly.com)

Being situated 6° south of the Equator just off the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa means the islands of Zanzibar enjoy a warm equatorial climate with reasonably constant daytime temperatures of 26°C. However, they are subjected to the seasonal monsoons and it is important to know when these are and plan accordingly. At a glance: · Equatorial climate with heavy rainfall from March to end May. · November to March is generally the hot and humid time of the year with ..temperatures often above 30°C. Rainfall is limited to short bursts. · April to June is the monsoon period characterised by torrential rainfall. · July to October is probably the most pleasant time to visit Zanzibar. ..The temperatures average 25°C and there is little rainfall.
Monsoons: · The northeast monsoon winds blow from anytime in November to March. · The southwest monsoon winds blow from June to October. Seasons: The monsoons and the rainfall determine the seasons on the Zanzibar Islands. There is very little variation in temperature which might otherwise define the typical winter and summer. Temperatures on the islands vary between 26°C and 28°C with Pemba being slightly cooler and often wetter than Zanzibar Island. Temperatures: · Summer - Average temperature on Zanzibar Island is about 28°C. The hottest months are from December to March. · Winter - Average temperature on Zanzibar Island is about 25°C. · Cooling sea breezes and trade winds relieve the humidity on the coastal areas throughout the year. Rainfall: The main rains fall anytime from mid-March through to the end of May each year. There is a second much shorter rainy season in November.

Countdown

In 2 weeks we will be in Africa and starting our amazing adventure!!  I chose this title because in Swahili it means "Hello, Travel or Journey " - and that makes it perfect for this blog.

The countdown is on to have everything packed, especially the guys' gear for climbing Kilimanjaro.  There is still one visa to arrive (why did mine have to get "special treatment?!), some last minute supplies to purchase, camera batteries to recharge,  and a visit to the travel agency to pick up all the documents and transfers.

Clarence and Bob started talking about this trip last summer while hiking The Bugaboos and we first met last September to seriously discuss the possibilities.  It's hard to believe that nearly a whole year of planning has gone into this trip - and that it's almost a reality.

We have decided to start this blog for our close family and friends and will use it while we are gone.  Perhaps it will go public at a later date but for now it is by invitation only while we are away from home.  I have no idea how often we'll be able to post while we are gone but we hope it will be often.

Please keep us in your prayers as we experience another amazing place and its people  here on earth.