Almost time to go!

Two days to go! Flying out of Denver at 8 a.m. Wednesday means VERY early rising for Irv and me since he’s taking me to the airport. Then the great adventure begins. I meet Mal and Judy  — our good friends and seasoned travelers who have been to Africa 12 times and are my guides — in Dulles Airport. After a four-hour layover (hopefully we’ll be able to rest in the United lounge), we head for Johannesburg.

As many of you know, I am a student of Mussar, Jewish ethics, and I am planning to be mindful of, practice and write about the soul traits as part of my trip log. So the long flight should be a great opportunity to practice patience! My tablet is full of books, podcasts and music to help pass the time. Sleep would be welcomed too. We will be spending the first week or so of the trip in five different camps around Kruger National Park, South Africa, which is as large as the state of Massachusetts. Then we fly to Malawi and spend several days visiting villages, kayaking and seeing the wildlife before driving to Zambia, where we’ll stay in Flat Dogs (their word for crocodile) Camp in South Luangwa National Park. Since the camp supports a local school,  the grandkids and I bought some school supplies for me to bring along. Selam picked out the most colorful pencils she could find. (Hopefully a lesson in the soul trait of generosity.)

Below is a map that includes the three countries we’ll visit.