Today is August 1, exactly 31 days until my departure to Tanzania. Last Sunday at 2 a.m., I received a phone call from my new Tanzanian friend, Abuu Hasaan. He lives in Dar es Salaam and has kindly offered to collect me (whatever is left after 23 hours of air travel) from the airport and deposit me at my hostel in the city.
Abuu's call was well timed and has made the trip seem a little more real to me. Needless to say, my excitement continues to build.
I have one more round of shots to complete the series and have requested a scrip for Diamox. It's a drug that supports acclimatization in high altitudes. I'll keep it in my back pocket in case my body needs some assistance during the Mt. Kili climb.
While my plans are pretty solid for Tanzania and Uganda, I need to read a great deal more about lower and upper Egypt before September. There is so much to see and do, and I don't want to miss anything!!
I've studied a bit about the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, which will be absolutely beautiful and fascinating from a historical perspective. The sites currently on my agenda are the Gallipoli battlefields, the Archaeology Museum at Canakkale, Troy and the city of Izmir. There are also active dig sites that I want to visit before making my way to Istanbul.
While there is still much to do before my trip, I'm feeling fairly prepared, with the exception of the Mt. Kili climb. While my level of fitness is fairly high, the altitude (19,300 ft) remains my biggest concern.
Be Well.
Lori
