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.

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".