Going to Kenya!

Hello World!

It's been a long time since I've written in this blog and public outcry has demanded that I update it for my latest trip which I am taking this Saturday June 11th to Kenya. The trip was sprung on me a few weeks ago by my Mom and a Tom Moe, no not the Olympic Downhill Skier, but my old roommate on our last bike trip together to Croatia in 2008. Tom has been to Kenya about 5 times and is taking me, my mom and a group of his old college buddies from Purdue. He's about 53 and lives in Denver as a structural engineer at an architecture firm. One of his main ones there was the Denver Musuem of Modern Art. Check out it if you're ever in Denver. Anywhats, Tom asked my Mom, my Mom said yes, my Mom asked my Dad, my Dad said no, my Mom asked me and I said "heck yes!" A few weeks ago I had to get 5 shots for various illnesses you could catch in a sub-saharan country like Kenya: Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, B, Polio, Typhoid, Meningitis, and Malaria, those I have pills to take 2 days before I leave, the whole length of the trip and then a month after I get back. Fun! I also had to get a new passport because mine expired last year and truthfully, I hadn't expected to do much international travel this year so I put it on my back-burner but then this trip happened and voila! Good thing I did because there's also talk of going to South America and Berlin later this year for me.
Okay, so, here is my itinerary for the trip. There's also an extra 3 days tacked on to the end where we'll be doing more safari. I'd like to say I want to climb Mt. Kenya or Kilimanjaro and I do but just not on this trip. I didn't take the time to acclimatize to altitudes and apply for permits and pack in gear and etc...This trip is part volunteer, part safari, part ukulele jam session with the locals. Oh yeah, they will know who Johnny Cash is when I leave Naro Moru, Kenya!

Here is the itinerary:

June 13th :Nairobi drive to Mt Kenya
June 14th, 15th and 16th:Naro Moru village and volunteer project
June 17th and 18th:Lake Nakuru National Park
June 19th, 20th and 21st:Masai Mara Natioinal Park
June 22nd: Nairobi
June 23rd:Fly to Malindi (the coast)
June 24th and 25th: Malindi
June 26th-29: Kikuyu Safari
June 29-30: Travel safely back to Los Angeles

I will try hard to update when I can and post pics during the trip. Putting up pics might be the toughest because I'll probably be at internet cafes and those aren't always the best places to download and send pics from. Rest assured, when I get back though, tons of pictures will be at your viewing pleasure. Oh, if you can think of anything you want me to do while I'm there, let me know. The sillier and harder the better. Think of it more like things you dare me to do while I'm there.
I've added a picture of all the things I am packing in my backpack. You can see for yourself but a few notables are: ukulele, frisbee, Hawaiian flip-flops, kazoo, Point to-it book, flask, US mags, ASU t-shirt, chico bag, ipod shuffle, GU chomps, Power Bars and Kleenex wet-wipes in case I can't get to a shower for a few days.
Wish me luck and stay tuned for updates!
Joshua Meindertsma June 9, 2011