getting closer

Well, its 10 days til the big bike ride, then after that its recover so that I can enjoy Africa. Things are falling into place. On Weds AM, I went down and got my vaccines... typhoid, flu, (for the hellava it), polio and yellow fever. also have malaria meds grasped firmly in paws. I chose to use Doxycycline... even though it causes nausea on an empty tummy). It was the cheapest... but you have to take more pills.. oh well. Ill pack lots of Vitamin B too.. cos skeeters HATE blood tainted with vitamin B.

Headed off to the far side of the world.

Well, I get to head out into the world soon. This time off to the far side of the (wild) world... lands where Paul Theroux writes ... and pisses and moans... about. I get to see the lands that Jimmy Buffett sings about and I get to take LOTS of pictures. Mom and I will fly off to London on 27th June where we first will spend three days in my beloved town of Edinburgh, Scotland... discovering Rebus's Scotland and visiting with Tim over a pint and some cool fiddle music. Ill have my laptop, my digital camera, my camera phone and my mp3 player... oh wait, im going off to AFRICA? Gosh, whoever woulda thunk that one day we would have to travel with all this STUFF? Wasnt gonna do the laptop, but heck, i can use it to download my many pictures, so what the hay?
After getting my Edinburgh fix, we will head off back to Nodnol (thats London for you forward moving folks)... where we wil hop onto a yes, a Kenya Air, flight to Nairobi. 8 bloody hours on a Kenya Air plane!!
'
meanwhile... a few words from Jimmy Buffett's 'Far Side of the World' .... ok, so its the whole song!

Ramadan is over
The new moon's shown her face
I'm halfway round the planet
In a most unlikely place
Following my songline
Past bamboo shacks and shops
Behind a jitney packed like sardines
With bananas piled on top
I ran away from politics
It's too bizarre at home
Away I flew, tuned into Blue
'Maybe Amsterdam or Rome'
Awakened by a stewardess
With Spain somewhere below
On the threshold of adventure
God, I do love this job so
So while I make my move
On the big board game
Up and down a Spanish highway
Some things remain the same
Girls meet boys and the boys tease girls
I'm heading out this morning
For the far side of the world
Oh, I believe in song lines
Obvious and not
I'd ridden them like camels
To some most peculiar spots
They run across the oceans
Through mountains and saloons
And tonight out to the dessert
Where I sit atop this dune
I was destined for this vantage point
Which is so far from the sea
I've lived it in the pages of Saint-Exupery
From Paris to Tunisia
Casablanca to Dakar
I was riding long before I flew
Through the wind and sand and stars
Caravan
Ride that hump
And Timbuktu's a jillion bumps
Sleeping bags and battle flags
Are coiled and furled
That's the way you travel
To the far side of the world
A sunset framed by lightning bolts
Burns a lasting memory
And a string of tiny twinkling lights adorn the sausage tree.
While the embers from the log fire
Flicker, fly and twirl
Then drift off toward the cosmos
From the far side of the world
Well it's Christmas and my birthday and so to that extent
The Masai not the wise men
Are circling my tent
I teach them how to play guitar
They show me how to dance
We have rum from the Caribbean
And burgundy from France
New Year's Eve in Zanzibar
With Babu and his boys
High up on the rooftop
You can relish all the noise
They are dancing on the tables
People bouncing like gazelles
Two 0-0-1 is ushered in
With air raid horns and bells
Time to sing time to dance
Living out my second chance
Cobras and sleeping bags are coiled and curled
That's the way it happens
On the far side of the world
Back at home, it's afternoon
Six thousand miles away
I will still be there when I get through
Attending this soiree
There are jobs and chores and questions
And plates I need to twirl
But tonight I'll take my chances
On the far side of the world
That's the way it happens
On the far side of the world