So I (well, we, between me and my brother) have worked out a preliminary itinerary. I love doing things like that, I get very excited. Some things are still being worked out, as we asked him to take the lead on arranging some of the things. I like everything planned well in advance but he just does things on the fly and it drives me nuts! I like to know what I am doing, when I am doing it and how long and how much! He is still working out our hotel in Capetown. He did send an itinerary for the days on safari in Kruger which sounded good. I, of course, had to take it a step further and work out the times we would be doing everything! I can’t help myself! I also want to be able to work out the times I will be able to call and Skype home. I want to talk in some format at least once a day. My brother just called me (in response to my call checking in) and told me that one of his friends called him about an experience you can do where you walk with lions. How great would that be?! I told him I would do it singing “Born Free” at the top of my lungs! He said the lions would just look at each other and ask someone to pass the ketchup and mustard. He’s not adventurous like me and Mom!
So for my own sanity to see where I am with every little thing, here is my itinerary thus far (I got real specific with the safari since the times are so specific for them, as far as when the game drives are, when the meals are, etc):
Fri -1- Fly out of Dulles 5:40PM
Sat-2- Arrive Joburg 4:30 PM (10:30 AM in US, call or Skype home to let them know we arrived safely)
Sun-3- Sandton/Mandela Square
Mon-4- Aparteid Museum? -- FREE TIME
Tue-5- Fly to Capetown 9:00AM (arrive 11:00AM) - Camp's Bay (Hermanus)/Cage dive?
Wed-6- Table Mountain/Cape Point (Cape of Good Hope)/Robben Island
Thu-7- Stellenbosch/Wine estate tour/V&A Waterfront for dinner
Fri-8- Fly back to Joburg 10:15AM (arrive 12:15PM) -- FREE TIME
Sat-9- Soweto (Nelson Mandela museum?)
Sun-10- Brunch -- FREE TIME
Mon-11- FREE TIME – Theater to see Dreamgirls
Tue-12- To Bongani Mountain Lodge/Kruger -- Arrival mid afternoon (afternoon game drive at 4:30 pm or relax??), then dinner
Wed-13- Kruger/Bongani -- Coffee 5:30 am, then Early Morning Game drive (6:00 am), breakfast 9:00 am, lunch 12:00 noon, relax poolside for the afternoon, tea at 4:00 pm, then dinner later (8:00-ish)
Thu-14- Kruger/Bongani -- Breakfast 9:00 am, then Krugar National park all day (lions??), dinner back at Bongani
Fri-15- early game drive (6:00 am) then leave for Johannesburg -- FREE TIME
Sat-16- FREE TIME - Fly out 9:40PM (3:40 PM in US, call home to let them know we’re in transit again!)
Sun-17- Arrive Dulles 10:00AM
So it’s all falling together. The only really unsettled part is what we’ll be doing what days in Capetown. I would like to organize this myself, but I am too far away and not familiar enough with the country to do that all from overseas. I told my brother what we wanted to get in and that we wanted organized tours, so now I have had to leave that all in his hands, which is making me nervous (after all, he wanted us to just get tickets on a hop-on/hop-off bus – in a foreign country with no idea of where we are, and a 69-year-old mom!). I prefer to plan things out myself, then I know they are going to go the way I want. But I will have to give up the reins on this part. I just want to make sure we fit in all the things we want to see and do. It’s not like we’ll be coming back anytime soon, so we have to make the most of our time! OK, OK… relax, breathe. This is coming up in one week and I want everything to be perfect. This weekend, I will start packing. I want to allow myself enough time for forgotten things and to pick up a new bathing suit! Friday is D-Day. Cyn has offered to drive me to Harrisburg and pick me back up, which I thought was really sweet. So we’ve decided we’ll just get up that day like we’re going to work, get dressed and ready to go (maybe pack the car the night before). We’ll go out to breakfast and plan to be on the road by 9:30 to be in Harrisburg by 11:00. Then, it's me and Mom for the next two weeks!
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