This thread is an awesome read. The closest I’ve been to Africa is the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World. 
Now I want to go, animal tracks and all! I hope you have a* fantastic* time,** floaty**!
I have earplugs packed but mostly for other humans, especially on the (very long) plane ride. I’m really hoping to be kept awake at night by loud, scary animal noises.
Well I think I’m just about ready. Today I purchased my travel insurance - nothing like leaving it to the last minute! I felt like something was missing from my clothes so I bought a pair of those cargo pants that zip into shorts. I’m pretty short and they were incredibly long on me so I went to the tailor and had her hem them and add elastic cuffs. I also bought a buff.
Binoculars. Very useful for wildlife viewing.
As for scary night sounds, I don’t think you are allowed to camp in any parks without an armed security guard. In India, his rifle had a rusty octagon barrelll, but still . . . .
Hopr I didn’t spoil your anticipation of adventure.
An amusing one told to us by friends. They had got it into their heads that leopards will pounce upon you from the trees. They were staying at a tent encampment that was situated among trees, so were a bit nervous that first night. During the night, the husband woke up and heard rustling from above (likely wind). Becoming increasingly edgy, he thought he would go over to his wife’s bed and climb in with her, not knowing that she was also awake and hearing the noises. When he attempted to climb into his wife’s bed, she exploded into defensive action, screaming, punching and kicking. He said it was the worst beatdown of his life. 
Hahaha So funny!
Tomorrow’s the big day! Well not too big, I’m just heading down Island to stay overnight at my cousin’s and then we head out early on Sunday.
Today I have to pack, do a big clean on the budgie cages, write out budgie and aquarium instructions for my mom and hope I haven’t forgotten anything.
All will be fine. Africa tour companies have been doing this for a very long time and will anticipate your every need. Time will likely stop for you while you’re out in the bush. After a couple of days, we forgot what day it was and relied on the touring company to keep us moving whenever the time came. They beat on drums to let us know when it was time to eat. Trust me when I say that this will be the vacation of a lifetime for you, barring any odd mishaps or snafus. I’ve been over a good portion of the world and seen a lot of things I never thought I’d see, but nothing has ever come close to the safaris we went on.
Well I’m at my cousin’s for the night and we head out first thing tomorrow! If I’ve forgotten anything, it’s too late now!
Hasta la vista!
At the airport checked in all the way to Nairobi. I can not believe I’m actually going to Africa :eek:
Bucket list item - check!
Cue “Africa” by Toto.
Don’t mind me. I’m just watching rhinos in Ngorongo crater. This afternoon I saw the wildebeest migration. No big deal.
Great! How’s the weather been for you?
I’m glad you checked back in with us! Hope you’re enjoying the shit outta this trip!
The weather has been superb. Couldn’t ask for better. I’ve lost count of how many lions we’ve seen. A pride of 15 took down a Cape buffalo, cheetahs took down a Thompsons gazelle. Easier to say what I haven’t seen than what I have. So so many birds. And Love Birds!
Well, hell, man. You must be back by now and have photos posted somewhere. Interested folk want to know all about it!
I’d sure like to know how it went! 
I am indeed back. And do I have stories!
The safari greatly exceeded my expectations as far as the animals and birds we saw. It’s like a fairy tale. Or being in a documentary. For instance when we were watching the cheetahs eating the gazelle, after a while I looked behind me and I could see wildebeest, all sorts of gazelles, giraffe, elephants and buffalo.
I thought “where am I???”
Just about every day was like that - more birds and animals than I could imagine - all kinds of hornbills, bee eaters, rollers (so many rollers!) barbets, elephants everywhere with lots of babies.
All night long I could hear hyenas and lions. One night I had a Cape buffalo that slept under my window all night. I slept like a baby knowing Africa’s most dangerous animal was guarding me
But the poverty. We think we know about poverty in 3rd world countries. We have no idea. I saw a ditch full of excrement, garbage and a dead dog with a little bit of filthy water flowing at the bottom and an old lady scooping it into a container.
Once, out in the middle of nowhere, we approached a little bridge going across the road and there was a group of men with machetes blocking the way. Quietly our driver said “close and lock the windows/doors”. The men stood around the car and there was an exchange in Swahili with lots of gesturing before our driver shoved some money out a crack in the window and they let us go by.
I have lots of pictures, of course. I’ll post some in the next day or so along with more stories.
Brings back great memories for me. I’m surprised that you were stopped by road agents, though. Where did that happen? It was common in outlying areas of Uganda, but we never had a problem in Botswana or Tanzania. I agree about the poverty; it’s shockingly bad in many areas, but in most places, it’s just called “life”.