As with many of our trips, we stocked up on calories at our local (and favourite) restaurant for breakfast, the Cedar Kitchen in Tottenham. Knowing of our trip, the owners, Lois and Nick, bought us our "last meal"- a ominous sign??
The countdown had actually started some months previous as we tried to arrange for visas (all 5 countries we're visiting require a visa) but because we had to keep mailing our passports to embassies in Ottawa, we decided to get only 2 of the 5 visas required and try to get the rest as we're travelling. One of the countries we don't have a visa for is Benin, which is the country we're supposed to fly home from, so that might get interesting- an ominous sign??.
We also had to visit the Travel Clinic to verify/get shots (Hep A & B, Yellow Fever, Tetanus, TB) and recharge our Dukoral (travellers' tummy and Cholera), malaria pills, and our coveted antibiotics. A lot of medicine corsing through the viens but in addition to the normal risks, West Africa has just gone through the worst flooding they had seen since 1919 and they're now prepping for outbreaks of malaria and cholera- an ominous sign??
We haven't been able to book anything in advance- any emails that I sent went unanswered so we'll be making in up from the minute we land (which unfortunately is late at night in Bamako)- an ominous sign??
DH packed, unpacked, and packed again, and managed to get everything into her backback (she's taking about half of what she did for a 4 day trip to Vegas with the 'babes'). The big secret to her success is to take anything heavy out of her pack and move it over to mine. She also had to make room for Tibra (Titanium Knee Brace) that she needs to wear after her recent knee surgery- her first time in a knee brace on a trip that will be physically demanding- an ominous sign??
And while she was packing all of her stuff into my pack, I was out getting a near buzz cut. For shock value I even had the hair spray painted blue (Halloween colouring that is supposed to wash out easily- but I ran out of time and it's now coming to Bamako with me). Rather than being shocked, Deb actually likes it- I don't know whether or not that's an ominous sign??
More to come.