Leaving for the airport shortly. I haven't really slept well the last few nights because Porter has been sick. Maybe that is a good thing....not sleeping...and I'll catch up on the flight to Amsterdam. Porter is due for a second chest x-ray tomorrow and vet will email me. Eric has so many emergency numbers he should be able to get some sound advice. I guess, as my friends say, it is what it is.

Two days from now we should be airborne to Amsterdam where we make our connection to Nairobi. Still playing with this blog which, as I said before, has been more work than planning the entire trip. I am thinking that you have to have a gmail account to sign in. We'll see. At least Peggy is added as a contributor ???

Three days to go. It's been an anxious past week as a major fire destroyed the international terminal at the airport in Nairobi. Flights were cancelled, immigration equipment destroyed. The next day they had put up tents and begun using the domestic terminal but we read it was pretty confusing. Fortunately for us KLM which we are taking from Amsterdam began flying into the airport a few days later. Our Kenyan guide Makau kept us posted and as of today things are returning to normal. This is Kenya' s peak season and the economic impact on the tourist industry would be immeasurable if tourists couldn't get there. It is also the major hub for all of East Africa.

Jambo (swahili for hello)

Two weeks from yesterday we should be flying from Amsterdam to Nairobi if my memory serves me correctly.  I am still playing with this blog as some of my posts are under comments. What can I say.

I need to repack and rethink what I am taking today.  The small planes we will be taking from Kenya to Tanzania and from Arusha (that capital city) to the Serengeti have a severe weight restrictions.  We want to take school supplies for the classroom/school we are visiting on our last day but school supplies tend not to be light.  I did buy pens and pencil cases yesterday.  Just happens to be tax free weekend here.  I am actually thinking about buying an extra seat on that first flight for extra baggage.  Not sure until I repack today. We are told we can leave things once we are in Arusha as we will be returning there before our flight home.

A wonderful thing has happened as we are now in email communication with our Kenyan guide, James Makau.  Our guide and friend Paul from Uganda was able to get that information for us.  I asked what he would like us to bring from Charleston and he selflessly said anything for his 8 year old daughter.

Any cash we take has to be bills dated 2006 and later  No damaged bills, crisp is better.  I haven't done well getting the latter but did get all 2006 and up.

Have made copies of my passport, birth certificate and passport photos to leave here for Eric in case the need arises.  I will also give copies to Peggy.  Additionally, I will register us with the state department so they know our whereabout and dates of arrival and departure.

Also need to notify the companies of the credit cards we will be taking that we will be out of the country.

Well, hopefully Peggy will be able to blog soon as an author.  If not, I will create a new continuation of this one.

I am trying to add Peggy as an author, so stand by.  I promise, she is going !