T Minus One

The packing pile on Friday, before the all-important winnowing, down to…

…two pairs khaki shorts — check. Four tee shirts — check. One pair khaki jeans, two long-sleeve shirts, lightweight fleece, Swahili phrasebook — check.  Plug adapters, tripod, first aid kit, malaria pills, anti-diarrhea meds, toilet paper, flip-flops, one pair Tom’s. Underwear for four days, PJs. Today I weighed the suitcase: 39 pounds, under the limit by 11 pounds. Awesome!

Carry-on is another matter, as I’m only allowed 17 pounds on Turkish Airlines (vs. 30 on US carriers). I’m grateful for my new mirrorless Olympus camera, which is much smaller and lighter than my Nikon. Have to take my laptop, but it’s a MacBook Air. My LL Bean backpack is roomy but light, and my camera bag doubles as a purse and has the added benefit of RFID protection and carabiner-locking zippers. The first weigh-in was 18 pounds, so I removed everything I wouldn’t absolutely need in flight. Final weight: 16 pounds. Good to go!

It’s Sunday evening, and tomorrow night begins the nineteen-hour trip to Tanzania. First leg, Boston to Istanbul, arriving Tuesday afternoon, then landing in Tanzania in the wee hours Wednesday morning. This small-group photo expedition will be led by two people I know, and I’ll be hanging out with two new friends I made in Peru last spring. We’re arriving a couple of days early and have tacked on a few extra days at the end, so I’ll have a lot to write about over the next two weeks — and hopefully some good photos to share. Stay tuned….