DOs and DON´Ts

there are so many rules in this world. e.g. now, in two months or so, I´ll be flying to Kenya and so I checked the "baggage allowance" and "restricted items" on the website of the company and..

-I can´t carry any radioactive material! (oh no!, I´ll have to leave the tone of that nuclear waste we have in the cellar at home!)
-I can only take 20 kg ( 44lbs.)
-I can NOT smoke (nobody can THANKS GOD!!! :) ...it will be nice flight after all...)

ouch...it didn´t hurt at all...

fisrt HEPATITIS A and B shot is over...

it looks terrible but I didn´t feel it.
-I will need 3 of them (one now, second in one month time and last in 6 months)
-after first two shots, I´ll be protected for 6 months
-it costs 50 € per dose (= 150 € for full vaccination)
-you can buy it in pharmacy, without prescription
-younger kids (born 1998 or later) are vaccinated for free...my fault I was born in 1989 - bad order of last two numbers :P ...let´s face the truth - I´m too old, nobody wants me, who cares I could get hepatitis? :D ...but I´m happy that it´s free for kids now :)

unfortunately it doesn´t have any funny side effects so no interesting story to tell (yet)

some purchases made today...

-backpack ordered (many many thanks to the best of the best friends Martin!!! )
-flight ticket bought (many many thanks to "CKM travel" office for being so kind and patient with me )
I´ll fly to Cairo and then to Nairobi - it´s night flight so I hope the pilot won´t fall asleep somewhere in the middle of the journey...and I also hope I won´t miss my flight and stay sleeping at the airport in Cairo - they wouldn´t be very happy there :D

I´m flying ...

it´s even more real...becoming really real!!!
7th April 2009 - flight is booked
(UPDATE - 9th april - I bought different ticket)

I´ve started a "ta-da list" and there are really so many things to be done
(how many times am I going to say "really" till I finish this post? )
no funny story about booking the ticket - the CKM employee was pretty brave (I beg she has houndreds of volunteers flying to Nairobi every day so there was nothing to be excited about...God knows I wish there were houndreds of volunteering people - world would be nicer) - but seriously, one would think she at least look at me..no, not a single blink...

geez...will they pick up that phone or not???

calling my doctor to say "Hi...and btw do you have a yellow fever vaccine for me?"
and guess what she said - nothing!!! she didn´t even picked up the phone - I´m wondering if she´ll do it in this century, or should I wait few more decades and try again?

I guess she doesn´t have many patients who would let her to come close with a needle without trying to get her down...I guess she doesn´t have many patients who are begging to get vaccinated and I guess not many of them are accually looking forward to it!!! - so she should enjoy me - peaceful, willing to get vaccinated girl!!!
I can´t wait (literally) to have my own documents...
someone else was lucky enough so here´s the picture from complete stranger of who I´m completly jealous!!!

I´ll soon become an earth explorer...

yes, you´re right...this baby will travel with me...
my camera equipment (consists of one fairly small camera and bunch of memory cards) would easily slip into the pocket of my pants so you might be asking yourself why for goodness sake am I buying this?
the answer is easy :
- I simply enjoy feeling like a real explorer and looking cool with a backpack of each traveler´s dreams...
-it will last forever (I like the idea of my grand-children playing with it in the garden - pretending to be explorers like their grand-mom )
-it looks cool (and it really is cool, breathtaking, handsome, practical backpack)
-it´s NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - it will add a pinch of professionality to my wandering (do you need another reason?)

and that front pocket for photographer´s gear can be filled with socks and diary or candy for kids (not if I´ll put socks there - don´t worry)
....now you can stare on my baby and be jealous...enjoy

XOXO

Jarka

I´m officialy happy

4th april 2009 - official acceptance letter from WWB
things are moving forward...
I know it´s just a small step on my journey but as Mother Teresa said:

"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. "