...and we are off!

Hey friends,
We are heading out in a few hours. We are all packed up..w/very full packs in prep for the potential to climb Kiliminjaro, bask on the beach in Zanzibar, marvel at the wildlife, and hopefully to meet lots of new and wonderful people. We have a couple long days of travel ahead of us before arriving in Dar Es Salaam. 5 hours to NYC- JFK and then 13 hours to Dubai, United Arab Emirates where we will stay overnight before our flight on the 3rd from Dubai to Dar Es Salaam. Thankfully we brought some good books and good music! See you all in 6 weeks and stay tuned for more travel blogs.
Here is an entertaining look at my fascinating packing system:

Five days and counting

Our office has become a staging area... we've got our backpacks out and all of our needs for six weeks are piled on top! We are trying to pack light and still be prepared for a possible Kili summit at below freezing and 100 degree weather in the Gombe. Although our trip still seems very surreal, it is becoming increasingly tangible and very exciting. We are both working full weeks, as I am trying to close things with some clients and make sure others have access to resources while I am away and Mike is in Sacramento doing a training. But, we have all of our vaccines, some plans, and lots of room for adventure. We calculated 24 hours of flight time (fun!- heavy sarcasm), though it will take us two days to get there. Stay tuned!

The Plan

Hello friends,
Carol and I depart for Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on July 1st, 2007. We will arrive on July 3rd and depart on August 6th. Plans include visiting the chimpanzees in Mt. Gombe National park. This is the park where the Jane Goodall Institute protects chimpanzees. Visit www.janegoodall.org for more information. We also plan on going on safari in Serengeti National Park. We have yet to decide if we will climb Kiliminjaro. Time, funds, and endurance will make that decision for us. We are making all of our plans through a non-profit based in Tanzania called Terrawatu (www.terrawatu.org). Stay tuned for more information.

Carol and Mike officially enter the blogosphere!