Africa - In Retrospect

My grand plans to blog throughout my adventure in Africa didn't pan out due to lack of access to the Internet. When I did have access it was painfully slow. Way. Too. Slow. So, I never did blog except for a short paragraph during one of our last days in Zambia. I did, however, jot down thoughts all along the way. The problem now is that my memory is already fading (though I've only been home for a week) and I can't decipher some of my messy handwriting. Nonetheless, here's an account of my African Safari starting with "getting to Africa".

Sun, August 7, 2011

Following a tearful departure with Mark and Keira at the airport Sun evening, I took a deep breath and was ready to tackle this African Safari with gusto and excitement! Heather and Anne joined me at the airport, we got through security and were soon on our way.

Our domestic flights from Minneapolis to Dulles to JFK were anything but dull. From listening to a pair of strangers flirt and say inappropriate things (I was not eaves dropping. They were talking THAT LOUD.) to mysterious smoke entering the plane's cabin to the world's fastest-talking flight attendant to witnessing one of the worst temper tantrums ever, well, I knew this was going to be a memorable trip. We arrived in New York and settled in at a hotel near the airport for the night. 

Mon-Tue, August 8-9, 2011

After a short night of sleep, we grabbed breakfast at the hotel and headed back to JFK to catch our flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. I'm happy to say that the flight was quite uneventful. That's how I like it. The entire 15 hours (yes - 15 hours!) went smoothly. Unfortunately, by the time we landed in Johannesburg, I was exhausted. There was a time when I could sleep on planes. That's no longer the case. I think I slept a few hours the entire flight. So, what did I do? I read my book and watched movies. I mostly watched movies. The in-flight on-demand system was awesome. During the flight to JNB I watched Unknown, Arthur, Water for Elephants, Source Code, Just Go With It and Lincoln Lawyer. (In case you're wondering, I liked all of these movies, but particularly enjoyed Lincoln Lawyer.)

Once we landed Tue afternoon (7 hours ahead of MN), we met up with my sister, Mai, inside the airport. She had just flown in from Cape Town where she had been volunteering as a teaching assistant. 

I was expecting JNB to be a rinky dink, dingy airport. Boy was I wrong! The JNB airport was incredibly modern, spacious and filled with things to do - shopping, eating, resting, etc. It was much, much nicer than most airports I've been in back home in the good ol' USA. That was my first lesson in managing my judgments and preconceived notions about traveling through Africa.

More to come tomorrow when I blog about our real first night on an African Safari. Stay tuned.

Internet Speed in Africa is Very Slow

Since I actually have access to the Internet I thought I'd start posting about my journey only to learn that every page is taking about a day to load. I guess I will have to post stories and photos about this adventure when I am back home on my super-fast connection. So...first thing to note...digital connections are very slow and will drive you nuts if you're Type A like me and can't possibly wait for the few seconds of delay. This has been an adventure, an experience in learning and a trip I will never forget. Off to the airport soon to fly back to the good ol' USA.

A Wedding and an African Safari

An odd combination - a wedding and a safari, but yes, it's total reality. One of my good friends is getting married this weekend. The festivities begin this evening and continue tomorrow as Ms. A joins the rest of us in wedded bliss. Congrats A!! 

This is how we make charity events more fun!

After the amazing wedding fun is over and the happy couple is on their honeymoon, I will be boarding a plane to Johannesburg, South Africa where my Safari Adventure will begin. We (4 of us ladies, including my baby sister) will be winding through the countries of Namibia, Botswana and ending in Zambia at Victoria Falls - one of the seven natural wonders of the world! And, since I've already been to the Grand Canyon, only five more to go!!

Victoria Falls! I'm going to see this in-person!!

This truly is going to be an adventure of a lifetime. It's going to be so hard to be away from Mark and Keira for so long without being able to be in communication, but I have to trust that it will be just fine - for them and for me.

I don't know if I'll be able to post anything at all during my adventure, but be sure to check back or follow my posts via submitting your e-mail (top, right sidebar) or if you're a google user, follow me (bottom, right sidebar). Until next time!!