T Minus 2 Weeks

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We bought our tickets to Africa (SF to Istanbul to Cairo to East Africa and beyond) three months ago, but with just two weeks til departure the anticipation is killing us. 99% of our preparations are done--pouring over military survival guides and McGuyver reruns, perfecting our poop-'n-bury techniques, and learning how to tame a pack of wild hyenas with a spork and peanutbutter.

We also got vaccinations, updated our passports, and packed the band-aids...just in case.

In lieu of travel guides, we've been reading an eclectic assortment of Africa-related histories, memoirs, novels, and essays with hopes of gaining a better sense of context for our trip than what might be gathered from "The Gods Must Be Crazy." Most of all, we're amazed not at what we've learned, but at how little we knew. Like the fact that 71% of the African population is under 25 years of age. (This puts Randy Over-the-Hill and Jenny trailing close behind.)

Of course, statistics will be rendered useless the moment we step off the plane. But in a sense, that's exactly the point of traveling in the first place--to get past the numbers, the rhetoric, the media...and experience Africa firsthand.

Every now and then we look at each other and say, "Oh my god. We're going to Africa." Like just now. T minus 2 weeks and counting.

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Comments

[Pat Coad]

Dear Jenny and Randy, Sheelagh sent us your blog address and so we are following your trip with excitement. We will live vicariously through your blogs. Much love to you and we will be excited to receive the next installment. Love to you both, Gary and Pat Coad