BACK TO BUSINESS

I arrived in Cambridge at a ridiculous hour in the freezing cold. I'll be spending time with Riz and his family and also go through any final details for our trip to Africa - budget, route, health requirements, etc., etc. - a long list of things to do.

Riz has been working hard alright, being on the phone the whole time with two monitors running simultaneously in the background.

And me?

Equally PRODUCTIVE, indeed. 

LION ON FIRE

For Piks....

....sorry Piks, I've thought about it long and hard but I think I'm not ready to go to jail for arson

Random things my friends and I discuss about. Nonsensical at times, it must be the chicken strips we had.

When I started searching for this on Google Image, I seriously didn't think there'd be so many hits!

He looks pretty docile here but if the lion ever decides that I make a good afternoon snack....I'll definitely know what to do! It was also suggested I pile up the kilos now so I can lose it there.

The Widjajas arranged for a wonderful dinner and drinks last night at Ole-Ole Bali. Klev and Richard made it too. My mind never arrived at work today, besides the nagging mental reminder to enable the Out Of Office. This was a great way to conclude it. Then it's off to London for a 3-week break!

- image from scenicreflections.com

WHAT TO DO WHEN CHASED BY A WILD ANIMAL

'Run towards the person who runs slower than you...then deviate'

- Shington Widjaja

....Nothing but the best survival tips from Shington.

TICKET....CHECK!

I could've chosen a better image but for now this'll do. The first photo I took with my trusty little camera specifically for this blog is of....a piece of paper!

Mind you, this paper is worth a couple of thousand ringgit, MYR2394 to be exact. I'm flying Malaysia Airlines. I would say that's a good deal from Kuala Lumpur to Cape Town. I booked this through Asiatravel.com via Wego.com, in case you're interested.

So the flight date is on the 13th March 2011, and no, it's not a Friday.

It does feel like things are really moving now. I can feel the heat! I've been going to the banks a lot lately and asking about account cancellation (of my gym membership, not at the bank-lah) and the mandatory vaccinations, among others.

So yes, Jaja, plenty of time for you to plan, so my expectation is way up there!

GET THE (PINK) PARTY STARTED

Jaja is already talking about a farewell party.

Who am I to complain?

It's not like I'm not coming back.

....

On second thought....

Jaja, I take it as a hint but don't forget our deal - 2 out of 3 and Hawaii One Five :)

Crazy lady, I'm going to miss her.

TANZANIA - RESEARCH PART 1

Capital: Dodoma
Population: 39 million (over 120 ethnic groups)
Official Language: Swahili
Currency: Tanzanian shilling

- image from skyviewofafrica.com

The other day I told Yao Jung about this trip. In Skype mode excitement, the first thing he blurted was "Serengeti!"

Yes, the stuff of the National Geographic Channel. The great migration.


1. The Serengeti

There's just too many National Parks and Game Reserves to choose from, such diverse habitats, but supposedly the untamed Katavi National Park is one of the few that allows visitors to jump off the jeep and walk on the plains. The only complication is to get there, land transport may take days. My eyes open wide when I read "all flights will require landing on a grass airstrip" and "bush-compatible light aircraft". Bush-compatible. Cute.


2. Zanzibar

'Nuff said :)

- image from come-to-africa.com


3. Kilimanjaro

Standing at 5891m, the climb up to the Uhuru Peak at Kilimanjaro needs a week, possibly a bit more costly too. Scientists posited the year 2014 as the date for disappearance of the mountain's ice cap due to global warming.

- image from 7summits.com


4. The Maasai

The world is fascinated by them.

Lions are afraid of them.

Everybody else wants to dance the adumu with them.

- image from masai-mara.net

This may be one of the highlights of the trip, especially for Riz. I leave it at that, I'm sure he'll divulge the story.    

2.0.1.1.

Feel that?

It's going to be a fantastic year!

Have a good one folks!

OF PHARAOHS AND SOUKS

Cairo. The Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Sphinx.

The Red Sea. The River Nile.

Theban Hills. The Valley of the Kings.

Aswan.

Abu Simbel.

- image from travel.nationalgeographic.com

That, but in actual fact, there are two reasons for Egypt. One is Peter, the other is Hassan; a promise made that I’ll come visit if by coincidence I’m in the neighborhood.

Coincidently coincidental. I most definitely will not pass this chance.

ZAMBIA - RESEARCH PART 1

Capital: Lusaka
Population: 13 million
Official Language: English (other languages include Bemba and Nyanja)
Currency: (Zambian) kwacha


Truthfully there's little that I knew about Zambia until I started to seriously think about this trip. The only reason why I knew it existed is because it's the other country that starts with the letter 'Z' (the other one is not New Zealand by the way).

I've heard so much about Victoria Falls that is 'somewhere in Africa'.

1. Victoria Falls a.k.a. Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders) ~ I like how cool the names are like the Dragon Mountains in South Africa

Located on the Zambezi River, southern Zambia near Livingstone, it is the largest waterfall in the world. Don't be confused, it is not the highest nor the widest waterfall but the combination of the two make it the largest sheet of falling water.

A visit is a must and so is a photograph. The challenge may just be finding the right spot to capture it at its best.

A more adventurous option is to bungee jump from the bridge. Mind you, if you ask me 5 years ago I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But I'm well past that stage and now I opt for, hmmmm....white water rafting.

Knowing my fickle mind, that may change.

I think I'll die at the monstrous rapids THEN die with a rope around my ankles.

- images from lonelyplanet.com and amazingplaces.onsugar.com respectively

....this piece of info doesn't seem much but I'm feeling a bit lost without the books I left in Kuala Lumpur.

WHERE THE ATLANTIC AND THE INDIAN OCEANS DIVIDE (OR MEET)

 

How can you travel a gazillion miles to Africa and not go to the southernmost tip of the continent?

It's Cape Agulhas by the way, not the Cape of Good Hope, thank you very much.

....the Cape of Good Hope relative to Cape Agulhas....

I'd totally beat the 5th graders if this is a World Geography question :) 

- all photos from Wikipedia