Bwana is Paranoid

Bwana has several concerns, traveller's diarrhea being foremost amongst them, but the security of my belongings is another concern. In India, I stayed in 2-star hotels and always found a way to feel confident that what I left in my room would be there when I got back. I had a lock mechanism that allowed me to lock my stuff in the cupboards of the room I stayed in.

In Africa, I'll be in tents often and as it is my first trip and my impressions are all from the media and from friends, I have some mild anxiety about theft. So I got the mesh bag pictured above at Wonderlust, the travel store on 4th Avenue, so that I will have peace of mind about my things. And I have Imodium, re-hydration salts and Ciprofloxacin for that other concern ....

How Bwana's Ass Gets Fat

Bwana is going to Morocco and coming home from Dar-es-Salaam in Business Class!! I have flown between Vancouver and India six times; three there and three back. Last time I came home, I resolved never to go back without a stopover because that long, that cramped is torture.

For this trip, I used my Aeroplan points for travel and I had enough to go Business Class. I thought, How appropriate for "bucket list" trip to every place I ever wanted to go in Africa.

FEAR!!

In my safe little world, I rarely experience fear. And THANK GOD for that. My life was nothing but fear when I was a child. But as I write, I am having a problem remembering experiencing the the sensation—at least for fear that lasted longer than a second or two. Sustained fear is, thankfully, a long, long way in my past.

Right in front of me, right now, is a large (and expensive) package of Malarone pills. I have to check the math, but I believe I have enough for my time in Kenya/Tanzania, plus enough for three days before I arrive and for another three days after I get home. I also have enough to try them for three days to check on my capacity to sustain them.

Malarone can cause psychotropic side effects and the HIV drugs I take are also heavily psychotropic. The side effects of them are quite severe, so I take my HIV meds just before getting into bed because for four hours after, I am a zombie. The question is my capacity to sustain two medications that have psychotropic side effects—it is a quantitative problem, not a contra-indication problem.

Psychoactive medications cross the "blood–brain barrier" and affect the central nervous system causing alterations in brain function and resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behaviour.

Why "Fat Ass Bwana?"

Kirurumu tented camp

This trip is not characteristic of my past travels for many reasons:

• I am using a travel agent, which I have never done before
• I am flying there and back Business Class, which I have never done before
• Everything is pre-paid that is listed in the previous post, which I have never done before
• I am staying in hotels and very "touristy' places instead of quaint, small rustic places
• I am having to ingest prophylactic medications (Malaria), which I have never done before
• I am seeing many places for a short time instead of one place or a few places for a long time
• The itinerary was derived from my "bucket list"

The Advance Plan

Ramparts of Essaouira

• Nov. 16             Fly to Marakesh, bus to Essaouira
• Nov. 17 - 19      Essouira
• Nov. 20 - 21      Agadir
• Nov. 22 - 25      Marakesh
• Nov. 26             Fly to Cairo
• Nov. 27             Cairo
• Nov. 28             Fly to Luxor; transfer to Nile cruise ship
• N. 29 - D. 2      Cruise
• Dec. 3               Fly to Cairo
• Dec. 4               Giza and pyramids (birthday)
• Dec. 5               Cairo; night flight to Nairobi
• Dec. 6, 7           Nairobi
• Dec. 8               Maramboi tented camp
• Dec. 9               Kirurumu tented camp
• Dec. 10, 11       Kisima Ngeda tented camp
• Dec. 12, 13       Ngorongoro Farm House
• Dec. 14, 15       Serengetti Sopa Lodge 
• Dec. 16, 17       Speke bay
• Dec. 18             Serengetti Medium Camp
• Dec. 19             Ndutu Safari Lodge
• Dec. 20, 21       Lake Natron Camp
• Dec. 22             Fly to Zanzibar
• Dec. 22-29       Stonetown, Zanzibar
• Dec. 30            To Dar-es-Salaam
• Dec. 31            Fly to Vancouver