Brother, can you spare a window seat?

    I guess I don't understand how airlines work their seating now. I should have bought this ticket by now, and lucky for me the price has gotten a little cheaper the closer I get to the take off date. I am going to do it today I swear! And while the price has gotten cheaper, the seat selection is weak. I am not rich so I fly economy AND I am picking these tickets up a bit late so I get that I'm not going to have my pick of the litter. What I didn't expect was that airlines are now implementing different economy tiers. Judging from my seat map, to get a window or aisle requires you to pay extra. Hobos not willing to pay extra get to sit in the middle of the middle section of the plane or if you'd like a window without paying extra you can sit in the near back of the plane near the bathrooms....possibly with video equipment under the seat in front of you. .

     I looooooooooooooove window seats and right now I am looking at the seat map of the first leg of my flights in complete denial that I have to sit in the middle section middle seat unless I fork over an extra 40 bucks. I've been looking at it for the past week praying that it's not true or that somehow somewhere someone will cancel and a window, so to speak, will open up. No one likes the middle seat. NO ONE. I am one of those freaks that falls asleep as soon as the plane levels out and unfortunately this may also mean me using your shoulder as a pillow which wouldn't be so bad if I didn't also dribble saliva out of my mouth while unconscious. I marvel at people who can strike the Weekend at Bernie's pose...straight up with head bent to the left or right on their neck pillows. I, however, need to lean right or left as long as I'm slightly diagonal which is why I love the window. I'm not even in it for the view since I only get maybe a minute or two of it before I'm out cold.

     In other news, the safari planning is going along ok. I got my yellow fever shot last week finally. From what I've read, it's unnecessary when coming from a non-endemic country like the U.S. or European countries. I read a lot of travel forums and sometimes it seemed it was a luck of the draw with health officials at the major airports in Tanzania no matter where you're from. Although, recent traveler's reports with this has gotten much better, I didn't want to take any chances. There's no way I'm getting a shot in an airport. The crap news is that my county travel clinic closed down so I had to go to the next county over. I called multiple private travel clinics and it seemed the prices for the shot itself were anywhere from 150 - 180 USD plus the 70 to 90 dollar consult fee and you're looking at a good bit of money to lay down. This vac isn't covered by my insurance, by the way. So I got it done at the county health clinic which saved me at least 50 bucks. I also re-upped my hepatitis a/b and got tetanus shot earlier this summer. The yellow fever vaccine was not pleasant. It burns! As much as it hurt going in, it felt like nothing after it was done which is more than I could say from some shots I've had.

     I am also going to have a call with my travel tour operator soon for a final rundown of the itinerary and to address any outstanding issues or questions I may have. The problem is that I really don't have any questions, well none that she can answer anyway. Like, am I going to get bitten by a snake? How does it feel to be a black American in Africa? I gotta think of something! Also at some point I'm going to need to go thrift shopping for some neutral colored/pastel shirts and hiking pants. I looked in my closet and I'm a HUGE fan of black, blue, red, and white. None of which you want to be wearing on a safari with tsetse flies (attracted to dark colors) or hungry mammals mistaking you for a zebra. I refuse to buy new clothing for this safari because I've already dropped enough coin for this trip and I'm going to be a dusty,dirty mess by the time the safari part is over. So might as well wear stuff that's super cheap and kind of throwaway. Kind of like the middle seat in the middle section of an airplane. :D

Destination 2015: Tanzania/Zanzibar!

     Bless me Blogger, for I have sinned. It has been months since my last post. I've had impure thoughts about work and day to day bullshit to fully concentrate on this trip and this blog. However, I have a moment and would like to start making up for it today!

     As you hobos can see, my destination is set in stone. I'm so excited by it and scared at the same time. I haven't felt like this in a while. It's going to be a whole new experience for me. I will be on safari for a total of 9 days and camping/glamping out in various camps 3 days out of those 9. I will also go on a walking safari, which I still can't believe I'm doing. And then 5 days of lovely beach time on Zanzibar before my flight home. In my imagination it's going to be some real Indiana Jones shit. I'm totally expecting misery (the bugs) and good times (lions and ellies oh my!). I will be going solo as my potential travel partner backed out. That experience was a great reminder on why I love solo travel in the first place. I will never again stray from being the captain of my own ship.

     Ok, well, I won't the the total captain of my own ship. I've gone with a tour operator and they've arranged everything. And for once it's nice to have everything laid out and scheduled in front of me. I will have a driver/guide, car, and cook. It was hard to find info for a safari tour operator who arranged solo safari trips. As I was researching, I even had one highly recommended tour operator kind of snottily write back that they didn't do solos because the cost is prohibitively more expensive. I mean, what if I were a billionaire, they don't know! I'm not, but what if?! Anyway, I believe I found a good tour operator and they have been very helpful and thorough. I researched and read a bunch of forums and when it comes to safaris, I think you definitely get what you pay for in this case. As I may have stated in a previous post, I could've gone on a group trip, but I just didn't want to take a chance of travelling with a group of people or person I didn't get along with and ruining the experience. It would be less expensive, but I would rather spend more and be responsible for my own misery thankyouverymuch.

     As I didn't put together this trip from scratch as I usually do, I don't have a lot to think about other than shots and travel insurance. I've gotten the first round of hep a/b and tetanus, and have to get the other round this week. Closer to the time I have to leave (a month or two before), will have to get yellow fever (the blessed yellow card) and get some malarial pills. The travel insurance is something I really have to look at closely this time. I usually go with World Nomads, but I think I'm going to get some travel medical insurance on top of that. I don't know about your insurance, but mine does not cover 'lion maul in the middle of the Serengeti'. The safari has flight evac insurance included in the price which is good, but I just want to make sure my ass is totally covered. Being captain of your own ship is great, but having a lieutenant commander isn't so bad either! :D

 





   

Let's think this through.

     Ok, I know I was pretty deadset on Namibia last time I spoke, however now there's a possibility that I may have a travel partner. I usually walk alone on my travels, but the more I think about tackling Namibia, the more I get a little overwhelmed/scared of having to overcome some pretty big obstacles alone: driving on the left side while watching for animals and possibly breaking down in the middle of nowhere. I was sort of thrilled he wanted to come, but of course nothing is ever easy. He came with a counter trip idea of going to Tanzania. Now, at this point, I had my heart set on Namibia. Before I even got to Namibia, I researched a little into Tanzania and thought it might not be for me. It was for the same reason I threw out Vanuatu. It is a very conservative country. I'm not sure how much it matters when out on safari, but Zanzibar I hear is also very conservative outside of the beach resort. And I must admit it really didn't help when I heard about the two British girls and a priest getting attacked with acid a couple of years ago. I decided to entertain the idea again, however, and researched Tanzania and a few tour operators.

     Tanzania, I think, will definitely have more density and greater variety of animals. My friend really wants to see lions, which is the reason why he wants to go to Tanzania. Namibia also has lions, but I don't think they are as plentiful as they are in Tanzania. I also advised my friend that the wilderness is not a zoo and would he be disappointed if we didn't see one. His answer was, 'Yes'. He was only half-kidding. I finally wrote to a few tour operators for quotes. Only two have written back thus far. One for Namibia called Cardboard Box Travel and the other is Wayo Africa for Tanzania.
I am now facing a question of what kind of experience would I like to have and I don't know! They both sound great! Namibia has unique, beautiful scenery and the wildlife at Etosha Park sounds great!
The car, even though I have anxiety about it, will allow me some freedom to do my own thing if need be and I think breaks/stops will allow me to interact with locals. I will be staying at lodges and can either go on game drives myself or go on organized drives. Namibia just feels a bit more DIY even though it really won't be. There doesn't seem to be any hangups about not being covered from head to toe.

                                                                 

Sossusvlei, Namibia

      Tanzania on the other hand does have a hangup about clothing, which I suppose if it came down to it, I could handle because from what I've seen it's worth it. The wildlife there looks amazing and so does the Serengeti. And really, going to the Serengeti should be on everyone's bucket list. The safari tour with Wayo sounds very intriguing and really that is what's making my heart beat for Tanzania. It will be mostly camping/glamping right in the thick of things and a couple of walking safaris. Not to mention we wouldn't have to drive and we would have our own guide.  And then there are the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar or Pemba Island. Being grotty during the safari and relaxing for 4 or  5 days at the end on a lovely beach sounds heavenly.

       Also it includes most things like food and 

game drives which Namibia does not. We would

Acacia Tree, Tanzania

have to pay for park fees, gas, and whatnot on our/my own. On the outset it seemed like Namibia would be the cheaper option, but when counting in those things, it comes out roughly the same as far as cost is concerned. So here I am, unable to decide and I guess it's not all up to me for the moment. I actually have to think of another person. People always ask me what it's like to travel alone, and now I feel like asking people what it's like to travel with someone. 

 

     

Namibia, maybe?

   Welp, here we go again! I have been all around the world in my head trying to decide where I should go. At first it was back to Brazil. As much as I love it there, there's really one place left that I would love to see: Lencois Maranhenses. For right now though, it's not enough. I also thought about going back to Colombia as well, but I thought to myself, it's so uncreative. I always want to try something new and different. I loved Italy last year, but it was comfortable. This year I want to be uncomfortable and completely out of my element. So then I thought, Iceland! And that would be great, but I'm one of those people running a heater in the office in the summer time, so I can't even imagine how I would cope my body temp drops and there's nothing I can do about it. Who wants to spend their entire vacation next in a hotel boiler room? Not me. So then my thoughts swung over to the other side of the world. Indonesia? It looks fun, but I think I overdosed on that part of the world during my whirlwind Thailand, Cambodia, Japan trip in 2013. Then I thought I had a eureka moment with the South Pacific...Fiji in particular...which has always been the subject of a crude inside joke between me and Mr. Brknsuitcase. It's always been on my bucketlist and it's still in the back of my mind, but I lost the thirst for it as well.

     I wanted to think a little outside the box. On iTunes they used to have playlists and on one tab would be a "Deep Cuts" list. Like if you know all the hits from an artist, but want to go deeper. This is what I want this trip to be. I've played the hits. I was slowly getting there with Vanuatu. Kind of difficult to get to and little known, so not hoards of tourists. And a real cultural feel. I think what sort of deflated both of these was the conservatisim. Granted, I don't usually walk around in bikinis in normal life, but when I have to be careful about wearing above knee shorts (not even the booty kind) in a dreadfully hot country, count me out.  I liked it and was going with it, until I saw Madagascar. Africa! Why not?! Lemurs and Baobabs! So I started looking at tours and then I saw you pretty much need a car and driver to take you places. And it also seems like the country is split. The southern part it seems is all the wildlife (lemurs) and the north is beaches and Tsingy's. It just felt like I would have to choose which side...like the Kramer vs. Kramer of vacations.

       Then I moved to Tanzania and Zanzibar. Hey, best of both worlds..but..it's a conservative country...again. I then moved back to Mada and thought, well I could do Mada south and then maybe trip on over to Mozambique for a week for some beach time. It's still a possibility. Then I saw a picture of Namibia as I was researching a tour company for Mada itineraries. It was love at first sight and unfortunately the most difficult for me to undertake. The more I read about it, the more I love the idea of it. I, of course, will be travelling by myself. This leaves me with only two possibilities of getting around: a guided tour or self-drive. The pro of a guided tour is that it generally comes out cheaper and your activities are mostly planned out. The con of a guided tour is that your activities are mostly planned and also what if you hate your tour group. I mean, you will be spending practically every waking moment with strangers. It could come out 50/50. And while it's cheaper, it's not THAT cheap and I don't want to take a chance on the shitty 50%. I lean on the misanthropic side anyway.

     So now I'm thinking about a self-drive which is fraught with all kinds of fucked up difficulties. First of all, most cars for hire are manual transmission. I'm automatic only. I've read the travel forums and I see some automatics for hire, but they are rare and therefore way more expensive.  They also drive on the left, which means the driver's seat is on the bloody right side of the car. So I'm fucked right out of the gate. On the one hand, I really do need to learn to drive stick and on the wrong side of the road (yeah I said it!) especially if I want to go to Oz or NZ or the UK. I also pretty much know the itinerary I want to take and as I never take it easy and just sit in one place for any length of time, I'm going practically from top to bottom. That is a LOT of driving through desert which for some and maybe me is super boring. From what I've read the roads are sometimes gravel, sometimes tarred, but well maintained and signposted. The scenery from pictures is stunning and the chance to catch some wildlife leaves me equally ecstatic. I would also love to visit a Himba village as well and drink beer in a shebeen. I'm very much into it. Travelling on the open road, watching out for animals, large and small, crossing my path. Me and my tunes. The deep cuts.