Lost in:

Dood, I haven’t been away from internet that long in a long time. This post is going to be kinda short, since this keyboard sucks, and I’ve got a lot of stuff still to do before I run out of time here.

First off, I’m not dead. Three climbers (americans) were killed on the mountain (kili) last week, a couple days after we finished. I know I sent the itinerary to a couple people, but some of them (dad) have an amusing ability to mix up ideas. the climbers were on the western breach, a much cooler trail (or so donovan tells us) where you camp much higher, including one night in the crater itself, before waking up for about an hours hike to the summit. Our trail camped lower than that. Much lower.

But yeah, rockslide killed 3. Kinda scary to think about.

Oh, and for the record, I didn’t summit. I’ll fill it in later, along with the rest of the last 2 weeks, but I don’t gots the time right now, so anyone reading will just have to wait.

But yeah, I’m back in moshi, my feet almost healed, with a burning disire to never ever ever go on a car/ truck/ land cruiser/ whatever safari ever again. I have never spent so much time in a car in my life.

It was really cool, tho.

I’m just gonna put two or three up, so I don’t miss anything important. That would be bad.

So yeah, flight to nairobi. almost missed my flight. Airline insisted I didn’t re-confirm, yelled at me a bit (in a very polite sort of way) and let me on the plane. Well, there was more, but that just about covers it. Might I point out now that I totally understand why people hate cairo airport? it’s not that it’s a pit, it’s not in too bad condition, but it’s a bit scary. Ok, so it’s a lot scary. They don’t announce what security checkpoint to go through, they don’t say when to go, they don’t say when you can go, the check in is inside the first security, everything is inside that area, and you can’t get in. They close the doors early, and on and on and on. It sucks. A lot. Yeah. So, nairobi, not that tough. the airport wasn’t that bad in addis. Not bad at all, easy to find way around, but a bit weird, it being africa, and all.

Yeah, nairobi. I flipped out in nairobi, got totally scared. I think it’s because I was tired and hungry. I don’t think I’m staying at the same place going back, it wasn’t expensive (not too much, anyway) and it wasn’t too bad, kinda cool, and all, but the internet was closed, and no one knew what was going on. Then I over slept my shuttle, and they had to come get me in my room. Yeah. Not my fault, they said 8, and it wasn’t even 7.30. Ah, well, whatever.

So, bus ride was long, lots of people trying to sell me stuff I didn’t want, lots of overgrazed land, and stuff like that. Cool, but lots of hungry people.

And now I’m in moshi, staying at a religious hotel for… about 9$ a night, private bath, and two beds to choose from. Heck, there’s even running water. I think I like tanzania. I need to find somewhere cheaper, though, because I need to eat, too, and I have to pay for two more nights here at least. ouch, yes?

but a coke cost me TZshillings 250, or less than 25 cents, so I’m happy. Now I just need to find something that I can eat, and I can go back to my hotel, take a shower, and wash my now *very* stinky shirt.

Caught up, yes?

j.

Well, my password was.

Promise I’m not really dead, although I’m so tired, I might as well be.

So, to update- Cairo= crazy, me= tired, taxi= expensive.

Ok, so maybe that’s not really an update. How about this:

Right, so Last I recall, I was posting about getting ready to leave. Since then, I’ve played with a transit strike (almost doubling the cost to get to NYC), wandering around amsterdam, hanging out in a cyber cafe in a’dam, eating yummy very expensive food in a’dam, taking train back to airport. Unfortunately, when I was there Either the rembrant museum was closed, or I just couldn’t find the entrance. Found the skating rink out front no problem, but other than that… Yeah. And by the time I got back to the airport, I didn’t have time to visit the free one in the airport- which reminds me, if you’re ever in amsterdaam, visit the free museum in the airport, it’s supposed to be really great.

Then I got on my KLM flight to Cairo, arriving at some ungodly hour of the morning. By the time I got my visa, and passed passport control, and visited the friendly forex at the airport it had to be almost 2 am. So I grabbed a cab (and probably paid too much- 61, or less than $10- oh, and tips for just about everyone- like in NY), and like the bad little girl I am, went straight to one of the most expensive hotels in the city. The Nile hilton, which was great. Does that mean I can’t belong here anymore?

The hot hot shower was great, the bed was huge, the balcony had a great view of the egyptian museum, and there were plenty of towels and big fluffy pillows. I liked it. I could easily live in that hotel. Forever. Never leave.

Inside the hotel were some wacky x-mas decorations, lots of mirrors, a mall, and a casino, as no 5* hotel is ever complete without a casino. Did I mention the bed? I just showered and crashed. There was no way I was gonna stay awake any longer- didn’t check in ’till after 2. Coolest of all was that everyone there- and I mean everyone, even the people in the cafe, where I snacked after wandering around outside most of the day, called me by name. I almost have to wonder if there just aren’t that many tall fake-red headed americans in Cairo. No, nevermind, I don’t need to wonder at all. I know there aren’t many tall fake-red headed anyoine wandering around cairo. Like, dood- even the housekeeping guy knew my name. Oh, yeah, there were like, no women working there, except in higher positions, like reception, and management. Kinda odd.

So yeah, left my bag at the hotel, tried to re-confirm my flight to nairobi, and took off wandering around the building, which is inside the same big high wall as the arab league building, and so more than expected surrounded by security. Lots of security, with big guns, and stuff. Lots of big guns and stuff. It was cool.

The museum was cool, too, but in a “wow, my hair should be up, Ishould have on long skirts and a corset, and be escorted everywhere, at least by a maid” kinda victorian, kinda dusty, kinda hasn’t been changed at all except for electric lights in the last hundred years kinda way. But for 8 bucks it’s not bad. Only saw the first floor, and I rather wonder if there’s anything left in any of the tombs or pyramids, or any of that. Yeah, cool.

Then I went back to the hotel and killed about 4 hours between window shopping, internet, and eating. Lots of eating. At the hotel. I am scared of what my amex bill will look like.

Well, I’m not lost in preps, my preps keep getting lost.

First was two or three days ago when I found out my school in NZ never got my big pile of loan application papers. I know I sent them long enough ago that even if they had to swim, they would be there by now. So monday I have to find, print, fill out, and mail all that stuff again.

Today, because what I really want for christmas is a heart attack, I got an e-mail from epedia about a “significant change” to my itinerary. So I called them, and the guy asked me all sorts of questions (name, phone number, age, size of ears, business or pleasure, beer consumption) then looked my problem up for a couple of minutes. Then this lucky guy told me he had to call ethiopean airlines because – wait for it – The airline never confirmed my flight, so I really don’t have one. I’m not really happy about that, since I paid for the ticked, and actually had to pay money to have them print out and send me a real paper ticket, because ethiopean doesn’t do e-tickets. Unfortunatly, they only take phone calls 9-6 m-f. So monday I have to call expedia back, so they can call the airline and find out what the heck went wrong, and how the heck I’m getting to and from nairobi.

Oh, yeah, and I’m leaving on a trip to Africa. For the Kili trip, actually. On monday.

So on monday I have to- do my loan stuff, fix my ticket, pack, clean, dump my extra stuff, open a bank account for when I’m at school, hang out with my mother, re-pack, do laundry, check everything I’m bringing with me, and then at about 3pm, I have to go to the airport, check in and leave. Lots of great, relaxing, pre-really freaking long trip fun. Yippee.

Can I shoot me now?

Welcome all people who actually read this.

Background on me- goofy, not old, funny looking, read too much, quit a lot.

Hmmm.. yep, that sounds like me.

Now what I’m up to now- Moving, getting ready to travel, getting ready to go to school on other side of earth.