Seemed Like a Good Idea Last August!

Well, here we are - less than two weeks from leaving for South Africa!

Am I excited - yes, am I anxious - yes, am I worried at all - yes!

This all started last August when we got talking with our good friends Gary and Denise, who are originally from South Africa. They moved here 8+ years ago. Gary is an engineer and Denise is a nurse (thank gawd - she WILL be able to save me from anything untoward on this trip!!!!). When they were in South Africa, Gary was offered an engineering position here in Edmonton, and because of the changes that had taken place in South Africa, and the limitations in lifestyle that had resulted from that (more crime etc.)they jumped at the opportunity.

We have listened in wonderment to all the great stories of their beautiful country and the animals and safaris - thinking it would be the dream of a lifetime to see their country!

Once we had declared that, one thing led to another, they were going to go "home" this fall to visit friends and "rellies" and I'm not sure if we invited ourselves to go along, or they actually asked us - I'm sure it was the latter LOL!

We grabbed all of our aeroplan points and made the plane reservations last August!!! Sounded like heaven with lots of "shits and giggles"!!!

Over the year, as we have gotten together with Gary and Denise, we have made all of the rest of the plans for the trip - routes, where we'll go, accommodations. So, at that time, when we decided we were going I was ecstatic - but my "worry gene" hadn't kicked in yet - that took a year to happen!

YIKES - now it's almost time to go and I am getting MUCH more worried! Remember, I heard all of the stories of crime etc. that influenced them to move here. Also we have many other wonderful friends from South Africa, all introduced to us by Patrick, a radiologist, and Renee, a teacher, who moved here before Gary and Denise. They are from Johannesburg, and I have heard so many stories from them of the crime and dangers that exist particularly in "Jo'burg". Renee comes back from there today, where she was visiting her elderly sick father, but she had cancelled going a few weeks ago because of the danger, but then knew she had to go and see him. She is back here today, so I will definitely be calling her!

I AM feeling somewhat anxious - I don't want to be knifed, and my kidneys sold on ebay! I have been told:
-NOT to wear jewellery
-be aware of your surroundings at all times,
-don't look rich or dress so that you stand out
-don't flash your cameras around
-don't go out after dark
-don't flirt with the Zulu nude male dancers - OK I lied about that - I plan to!

See what I mean - I love adventure, but fear is not an emotion I like!

Also, I don't want to get sick there. Remeber, I have the terrible gut (aka. awful IBS) and I really don't want to have bad attacks there - the kind where you have about 20 seconds to find a bathroom! I mean, where do you "go" when one strikes you in the safari jeep, just as you come upon the lion kill? Certainly not behind a bush! As most of you know, my middle name is "Imodium", so I hope it gets me through!

My game plan is to really avoid my IBS triggers - two of which are fatigue and stress - and eat very conservatively - no warthog, giraffe, water buffalo or crocodile for me. This trip may be the best diet I've ever been on - toast, toast, fish, fish and back to toast!

Well, my fridge magnet says "Worry is the interest we pay on trouble before it comes", and gawd knows I've done that plenty of times, so I'm trying to relax, find good drugs and think that everything will be great and safe!!! I've got Dr. Tommy, Nurse Denise and Tour Guide Extrordinaire Gary with me, so what could go wrong, huh?

I am accepting all words of comfort by telephone, so if you have words of relaxation, please call! Remember farther up in the post I said I thought it would be "shits and giggles"? Now I'm praying for JUST the giggles!!!!