GORILLA TREK or PAPERWORK & THE BORING BITS

I want to explore maps and read guide books and imagine exotic African stamps in my passport.
I want to find blogs about Gorillas and Kenya and Uganda.
Not happening.
Instead it is now 62 days to go until my Nomad Gorilla Girls trip and I am only half way through all the boring stuff. Beaurocracy and paperwork are consuming all my waking hours, and invading my dreams.

I have listened to at least 60 hours worth of ghastly muzak on the phone.
I have heard about 8 hours worth of options while waiting for an operator to become available.
I do know that my call is important to everyone, even if everyone is not there!
I have a broken ear from obeying the "please hold" command.


Do you know how difficult it is to take a photo of your own ear?  So no pic, sorry.

Progress so far.

FLIGHT
My flight is booked, thanks to the great service from  Leana at Up and Orange leana@upandorange.co.za 
Cape Town to Nairobi return ticket for just under 8000 South African rands,and I get dinner twice on the return flight. Beat that!

INSURANCE
I can now damage myself to the tune of 25 million rand before I need to be concerned about funds. Nice to know. Thanks to Laurence at Travel Guard for Travel & Medical Insurance (Total cost R910)

No thanks to Nedbank for giving me vague info re credit card free insurance. Their cover is actually great.

No thanks to me either for cancelling and un-cancelling my credit card and then booking my flight with my debit card! Senior moment of note.

FORMS
I have my booking form from Nomads half completed, and they have managed to get a great price for the Gorilla Permits at R5400. Thanks Jess. Still a lot of dosh, so I hope to see more than 1 gorilla doing more than eating leaves.

PHYSICAL PREP
I am down a few kilos , been walking every day, swimming lengths in my friends long pool, and doing strenuous things in the midday heat.  So far, I have not passed out from exertion.
So long as the hike to the gorillas is on a smooth, flat path with a pool nearby, I will be just awesome.

I have tested out 3 brands of FACTOR 50 Sunblock and had allergic reactions to all of them. Tomorrow I will be shopping for a hat.

I tried to eat babotie, (remember it is on the menu),still not a fan, but I did not vomit. This counts as major progress.

I have been doing lots of stretching, but I am still not taller than a Pygmy adult male. 

Still on this weeks agenda is Yellow Fever shots and any others the travel clinic, or my nurse Gorilla Girl 2, deem essential. I also need to get info and decide what malaria prevention option to go for. Some of them need to be taken way in advance of being in the presence of ragged toothed, killer mosquitoes.

Suggestions on Sunblock for super sensitive skin and Malaria prophylactics will be welcomed.
Till next week, back to the ever growing folder.