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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Kenya, here we come!






Bloemfontein, the city nearest our home town

Today as this post is aired, Grant and I will be on board the SA Express domestic flight from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg. From there we board a larger plane and all things being equal, we'll take off by 14h15. We should arrive in Nairobi at 17h05. We'll be collected from the airport by the company driver and taken to overnight in a hotel in the city. On Thursday morning the driver will collect us from the hotel and drive us out to the mine site which is a four-and-a-half hour drive from Nairobi. As you can imagine, I cannot wait to see East African countryside and take lots of photos.

Tuesday was quite a challenging day: we took Shadow into the city. He yodelled and yowled so loudly in the cage at my feet, that I eventually took him out and held him on my lap. He fiddled and tried to climb under the seats and across Grant, but after a while he lay down on my lap and "sort-of" relaxed. After having blood drawn at the vet for his future travels into Africa, we drove across town to Albie's kennels. I carried Shadow into his cage/run and he immediately jumped up onto the wooden shelf on which I placed his igloo filled with toys. Albie's assistant, Leomi says this is the first time she's booked a cat in and written the instruction: "to be walked regularly" on his visitor's card! She said she'd go in and stroke him and chat to him as often as she has the chance to do it. It was sad to leave our little lad but I know he's in good hands.

We phoned when we got home and of course, Shadow is fine. Just checkin', LOL!
Just when we thought we had all the arrangements in the bag, the person who promised to take us to the airport tomorrow, phoned to say he couldn't make it anymore! After phoning around town to see if we could catch a lift with someone going to the city, Angus (who is on leave down in the Cape, else he'd have taken us) phoned with a wonderful suggestion. He said we should ask Albie if we could meet her at her house and she take us to the airport. She lives about three kilometers from the Bloemfontein airport. I phoned her and she kindly agreed to help us out. We've left our vehicle in one of her garages and Angus will collect it from her over the weekend. It's so "cool" when you have friends in high places, lol. Oh and of course, I got to see little Shadow again when we stopped at Albie's !

As Bloemfontein airport is now an International airport, we will bubble wrap our luggage here (the theft and tampering of luggage on our airways is horrific and this is one way of making it a lot more difficult for would-be thieves to fiddle in our cases) and we will buy our US dollars at the Bureau d'Change. Note: we never travel without US dollars although we don't always use them.









The plane which flies us from Johannesburg to Nairobi is much larger than the one we took from Bloemfontein. Grant normally knows whether they're jets or whatever. I don't! Also, he's a very nervous flyer (I'm not)  so he "checks up" on the craft, AND the crew, I might add!

So for now, it's cheerio until I land on East African soil and am reconnected to the Internet.

Bless you all!

15 comments:

  1. You do know people in high places - including Grant! How does he check up on the crew?
    Good thing the airport run worked out well. Good thinking, Angus!
    You said you're checking into a hotel to start with. Then where will you live after that?
    I'm fretting like a mother hen, even though I know you've become used to this way of life.
    -- K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  2. How cute you got to check on Shadow again. Albie is great. So look forward to pics and stories from this newest adventure.

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  3. HI Jo, I'll bet you cried when you left Shadow.. I know that I would have...

    God Speed --and Safe Travels to you both.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  4. Thinking of you, Jo - it has been so nice getting this last minute up-date and hearing Shadow is not 'unhappy' in his new 'home' It sounds like he'll be well cared for until you are able to collect him to join you in Kenya. Just think what a wonderful reunion that's going to be :)

    I'm really looking forward to following all your adventures with you...starting right with the very first pictures you take once you've arrived!

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  5. i love ur website so much, glad u are coming to kenya, we might meet somehow...safe travels

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  6. Hi Jo - so jammer ons het nie daarby uitgekom om nog vir oulaas saam te "tee" nie. Hoop julle reis sommer baie voorspoedig! Liefde, (((Ida)))

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  7. I don't want to be at your place right now with all these organizations and preparations ! You must have a head like a baloon !
    Why does Shadow not stay with your other cats and dogs and has to go into a cat hotel ?
    I am curious to read your further adventures !

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  8. Have a safe and worry free trip.Looking forward to you reconnecting.

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  9. I look forward to all your new photos!

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  10. Just getting back to reading about your adventures. I love travel, can't do it anymore so I will enjoy the world through your eyes. I probably would never have gotten to Africa anyway. I do know a few Sisters of Charity in Botswana. They have a mission there and one of my dear friends runs a school for children with HIV. Blessings
    QMM

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  11. Hi Jo, you have hopefully arrived safely and (uneventfully?!) in East Africa now so i will look forward to reading your 'take' on this region of Africa!

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  12. You really know how to juggle the many tasks to prepare for such a trip. Your destination sounds remote. I'm sure you photos and descriptions will make for lots of great posts. I'm looking forward to them.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback. Jo