Preparations

OK, things are, amidst the general chaos of my life (which just continues to spiral out of control), coming together for the Africa trip. I now have places to stay at every step along the way: the Taj Pamodzi in Lusaka, Zambia for five nights, the Lodge Menlo Park in Pretoria for four nights, and then the Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth for two nights. They all look pretty nice. I tend to scrimp on hotels when I travel through Europe, but make up for it when I'm passing through Africa. What amazed me was how expensive the hotels were in Zambia (I knew they would be expensive in South Africa, especially in light of the upcoming World Cup). I had managed to forget that I was flying out of Burlington at 6:00 a.m. this coming Sunday morning (I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time). Actually, there wasn't much of a choice - my flight to Johannesburg leaves at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday morning, which doesn't leave a lot of options (short of staying over the night before). South African Airway flight 204 - 15 hours from JFK to Johannesburg - yikes! Then a two hour layover in Johannesburg on then a two hour flight to Lusaka (still working on the ride in to the airport in Lusaka - again, I never arrange flights at the airport, but Lusaka sounds like it may call for one). I don't know a soul in Lusaka, but I have a good friend in Johannesburg who will help with driving me around, and a GM contact at Port Elizabeth for help. So, if I make it through Zambia I should be fine. I've also picked up my latest malaria prescription, which is different than what I've used in the past (and, typically, CIGNA won't cover it - as compared to the cost of actually treating me for malaria, it, although expensive, seems like a drop in the bucket) - apparently the stuff I've used in the past no longer works in southern Africa (which is always good to hear). Now, if I could just get over this wretched virus I have (and get my voice back) I might be ready to go.