Bon Voyage!

Yesterday we had a fabulous bon voyage party with family and friends, and promise to post a couple of photos, especially of the cake because it was absolutely beautiful with an old-world map and picture of the Explorer. Tomorrow we leave at 6:00 am for BWI and will arrive in Nassau in the afternoon for a day of fun at the Atlantis. Hopefully we will eat dinner at the Cafe of the Great Hall of Waters and Megan will take the leap of faith down the Mayan temple because she loves sharks so much! Heather on the otherhand will take lots and lots of pictures until Megan proves that the sharks are actually not interested in the tasty human treats passing through their tank, and of course she will admire the temple because of her interest in Precolumbian history. Tuesday morning we will board the ship and begin the adventure! We will post shortly after, so stay tuned...

Oh, one more thing! A big thank you to Karen, Teresa, and the Brooks' for your thoughtfulness, treats, and generosity.

Out of Africa

"If I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plows in the fields and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me? Will the air over the plain quiver with a color that I have had on, or the children invent a game in which my name is, or the full moon throw a shadow over the gravel of the drive that was like me, or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills look out for me?"

~ Karen Blixen

What beautiful scenery coats the canvas of the television screen like a fine watercolor or superb photograph. The wildlife and people seem as close to real as possible without ever really truly being real. And yet, the dramatic cinematography and extensive vistas offer a perspective of Africa and its landscape in poignant detail that is so amazingly moving we cannot wait to be surrounded by the very elements on the screen. To step through the television and enter into the savanna - the smell of warm dirt, so dry during that season that it floats into the air and coats houses, animals, skin, every surface imaginable; the blue of the sky stretching on and on and on with no end in sight; the sunset kissing the horizon, and perhaps for us one of the most anticipated, the panorama of lions, elephants, and giraffes from a hot air balloon. Watching this movie has augmented our desire to witness first hand the beauty of Kenya, and of this world. After completing the remainder of the packing, some final clothes to be ironed and folded, we will be ready to board the plane that will take us to Nassau, the M.V. Explorer, and the start of a grand adventure.

We are ready to return to school as the days in the month of August come to a close. The excitement of relating what we learn to the environment around us will be more rewarding than at our home campus. We have ordered, perhaps our final purchase for the trip, a book Megan has read in the Art Library at the University of Maryland College Park. It is by Gavin Younge, whom we will meet hopefully in South Africa called "The Art of the South African Township". Surprisingly, the Foreward to the book is written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu whom we will now have the pleasure of meeting as well. We are filled with excitement to all of the possibilities awaiting us.

Pom-pom Fiasco

Last night we made pom-pom's for our luggage in red, white, black and gold (University of Maryland colors). We will attach them to our bags so in the airport we will be able to easily spot them (We had blue and gold for our high school before and they worked perfectly). There were bits of yarn and fuzz everywhere though!!

We both packed one of our two pieces of luggage. In them are school materials, toiletries, first aid items, snacks, laundry materials, and some odds and ends. In the other rolling luggage we will pack clothes, shoes, journals, blanket and mogu pillow. The carry-ons will contain some essentials for our day in Nassau.

We relaxed at the pool this afternoon and the UV index is high today so it didn't take long to feel the effects. Neither of us can wait to be on the Explorer and our minds seem to be a circus of thoughts. For now, here is the rest of the packing ABC style...

V - vacuum sealed packing bags (We heard these work fantastic for clothes, but we'll let you know as soon as we have used them ourselves).

W - water camera (If you plan on spending anytime in the water, snorkeling or scuba diving, you should bring at least one. We have always had amazing photos from underwater adventures in the Caribbean).

X - x-tra pens (okay, so a bit of a stretch on the alphabet...but we heard they can be used in markets or trade. You can even donate them).

Y - yourself (hehe! Just don't forget your passport, yellow book, ID and anything else).

Zzzzzz...Zzzzzzz

Wake up! Are we there yet?

The confirmation for our pre-sale trips came in the mail today:
LAG03 Grand Intro to Caracas - Group A (FDP)
LAG10 Margarita Island Discovery (We've been to Isla de Margarita once, but wanted to go back)
MOM08 Four-Day Safari to Maasai Mara
MOM09 Hot Air Balloon Ride
CHE26 Delhi/Agra/Taj Mahal - Group B


Ten days till Bon Voyage Party!!

Twelve Days of Packing

S - sunscreen (SPF 30 for your face. Might seem like a bit much but the anti-malarial medication could affect your sensitivity to the sun).

T - towel (Because you cannot remove your cabin towels you should think about bringing one, as well as a washcloth).

U - umbrella (For precipitation less than cats and dogs).

T Minus Two Weeks

We have finally started loading our suitcases and pulling out all of the things we have bought for the trip since October.

P - ponchos (The disposable kind for when it rains cats and dogs, flannel or any other form of precipitation).

Q - q-tips (Huh? What did you say? Supposedly clean ears help maintain equilibrium which is key to avoiding sea-sickness).

R - red Terp blanket (Go Terps! Bring something from your home university like a beach towel or blanket. We are not bringing a sleeping bag but decided our Terp sweatshirt blankets would be perfect for sleeping on deck).

ABC's Continued

Today we are going to BJs to pick up some of the last items on our list, a couple of snacks and rajor blades. After this all we have left is one or two things from Target and makeup from Clinique. Later if the weather is still nice, and being as hot and humid as it is, we will relax at the pool.

M - magnets (If the walls really are as magnetic as they say they are...bring LOTS! Also bring a lot of pictures of friends and family).

N - neosporin (Going back to the idea of a good "pharmacy" while on the voyage. Better safe than sorry).

O - overnight bag (For all of your trips into the port city. It could be your carry-on luggage as well).

Suitcase Army

Being from the University of Maryland College Park, we purchased large, red, duffel suitcases that roll on wheels for easy transportation (Maryland's colors of red, black, gold, and white). We have pom-poms made for them as well so they will not be hard to miss when picking up luggage in the airport terminal. With two red suitcases, two black, and two red carry-on bags an army of formidable force has taken over the basment, study, and bedrooms. As they slowly accumulate more inside of them with the folding of clothes and organization of toiletries, school supplies, and other items they are becoming giants. Rolling them through BWI and Nassau will be quite a battle.

J - journals (You guessed it!! What else would "J" be? If you love writing like us pack plenty. Our journals are made from recycled banana, coffee paper, and adinkra cloth).

K - Kubler (Okay, we admit, "K" was not on our packing list, except George Kubler's "The Shape of Time" and respectively we thought this would be an ingenious method of introducing a "pack-ahead" idea, sort of like just-add-water. Think about what types of material you have utilized on your home campus and if there is one, or two, that you find yourself returning too often, think about bringing it along, especially if you are taking classes where it might be beneficial. For papers all you will have to do is just add the information. Kubler is perfect for us because we are non-western art history majors and the text is only 150 pages in paperback. We also photocopied several articles by Olu Oguide, Kwame Anthony Appiah and Uche Okeke, among others. Even if we don't use them, they are fun to read).

L - labels (small round labels will come in handy for your many purchases in port. Once you wrap and pack the item the small label can be used to write on what and where the piece came from, possibly for whom you bought the gift as well. Our grandparents used this method and it has helped us identify where the pieces came from years later).

Getting Closer

G - ginger pills (You guessed it!!! As long as it is ginger, anything goes. Ginger ale and ginger pills but don't forget sea-bands, dramamine, and prescription patches for sea sickness are also a good idea).

H - highlighters (A necessity for class and study).

I - Immodium (Only thing on the six page packing list that begins with "I" and having a good "pharmacy" of medication for any occasion is ideal).

D...E...F...initely Excited

On with the packing tips...

D - disposable toothbrushes (Great for the two-five day trips into the port cities and countries and easy enough to throw into the trash at the conclusion. Any extras you could easily donate to an orphanage closer to the end of the voyage. Keeping those pearly whites clean is a must).

E - extra memory sticks (Digital camera food...what can we say, your camera needs to eat something and without them storing your pictures would be down the drain).

F - flashlight (Good for a variety of purposes in dark situations...on deck, in the jungle, or on a safari. Things always seem much brighter with a little light to guide the way).

Merry Packing!

ABC's of Packing

With nineteen days before we depart for Nassau and Atlantis the packing list is finalized!!! In an attempt to stimulate and help others who might happen to come across this weblog, every couple of days we will post three items we have included on our packing list. So here goes...

A - antibacterial hand sanitizing wipes (We bought Purell, but we're sure there are other brands. This will certainly come in handy on field programs into the countries and any not so clean circumstances we may encounter).

B - bug spray (The Travel Clinic at the University of Maryland suggests a product with a high percentage of deet.)

C - chargers (For all electronic devices including but not limited to digital cameras, dell dj or ipod, and laptop).

Countdown to Bon Voyage Party - 17 Days :)

A Bad Day at the Beach...

Beats A Good Day at Home!!! Well...actually the weather was not even condusive for relaxing and basking in the rays of the sun. Regardless, just being near the water was nice. Suffolk, Virginia is close to all the entertainment and activities imaginable. From Virginia Beach, navy ships, crepe myrtle trees lining every street blossoming in pink, salmon, lavender and white, and the biggest Cheesecake Factory we've every seen!! Our cousin, Shannon, moved into a townhouse that is situated in the most beautiful area, with golf course, pool and a Coldstone Creamery shop right around the corner. Vanilla with chocolate chips, brownie, and cookie dough comes highly recommended!! As Shannon was apt to point out about the weather, it was raining "flannel."

flannel (flan'el) n. a rain heavier than when it is raining sheets and brought on by humidity; heavy woolen material; a soft cotton cloth but lighter in weight

Unfortunately the only picture we took during the weekend was the first day with the two of us (outsides) and our cousin Ashley (middle) as we sat together in the car during our grand tour.

Depending on the weather we might go to Ocean City this weekend where our family has a condo and spend a couple of days at the beach.