Safaris are a no-go

We have pretty much ruled out the idea of doing a safari. The part of Kenya we'll be in is rain forest, not savanna. I asked Eden about the possibility, and though she was encouraging, the logistics do seem to rule it out. She said:

It is very reasonable that people want to see the big safari animals if they are spending the money to come all the way to Kenya!! And the Kenyan safari experience is second to none!

What I would suggest is that we add an optional safari either before or after the main programme. The minimum would be three days -- a day to drive to Masai Mara, a day in the park, and a day to drive onward. The cost would be about $750 per person, inclusive of all lodging, meals, game drives, park fees, and transport. It is a spectacular once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I would definitely recommend that those who can spare the time and money should do so.

There's no way to do a safari in less than three days, because of the driving times involved.

The Kakamega Forest experience will be *much* more educational than a safari.

At tonight's parent meeting, we reached a consensus that the extra time isn't something that we can swing this trip (never mind the extra money). We joked that it would be something to do next time...and then realized that that's not necessarily just a joke. But for now, even the kids who were the most excited about seeing elephants and lions in the wild seemed at peace with not getting to do it this time.

Parent Meeting

A couple of people caught the typo. I meant Tuesday, November 30, not Tuesday December 30.

Parent Meeting Next Week

In response to my bulk email, I am hearing back that Tuesday, December 30 (a week from tomorrow) is what will work best for the next parent meeting. I anticipate that the time will be around 6:30 in the same location as last time.

Sadly, I can already tell there is NO date that will work for everyone. We will be deciding as a group when, where, and how to buy the tickets, so if you can't make it and you want input into that, you should contact me ahead of time and/or send someone to bring your input. This is really the only step that needs to be done by consensus. Once we're clear on getting the tickets, we'll shift back into the mode of asking questions and finding out answers, which is much easier.

We may need to have a secondary meeting to bring up to speed anyone who can't make this meeting. I'm happy to meet individually or in small groups with anyone who wants to.

We have an itinerary!

Eden sent me a detailed proposed itinerary and list of activities. Feedback is welcome!

Kakamega Forest

Kakamega Forest would be a side trip for us, but one that Eden says is not to be missed, especially since it is literally in Kaimosi Hospital's back yard.

A few other interesting sites about Kakamega Forest, to whet the appetite of your budding biologists!

http://www.earlham.edu/biology/content/Kakamega/
http://www.mnh.si.edu/kakamega/ProjectBkGnd.html

Malaria medication and other shots

More information from Eden Grace:

Now, about malaria medication. This is really important, and chances are your local travel clinic is not as well informed as they should be. There are three options for malaria prophylaxis. All of them have to be started before you travel, and continued for a period of time after you return.

Malarone (Atovaquone/Proguanil combo) -- this pill is taken once per day. It is by far the most effective for malaria prevention, but it is also very expensive (being a new drug not yet off patent). I'm not sure what the health insurance coverage is, but if you can afford Malarone, it's the one I would recommend. The most common side effect is upset stomach, which is greatly reduced if you take the pill with a full meal.

Doxycyline -- this pill is taken once per day. It is an antibiotic, which means it can also prevent travelers tummy, but will trigger a yeast infection in women prone to such. It is effective against malaria, but not quite as good as Malarone. It causes sun sensitivity, so rigorous sunscreen application is a must.

Lariam (mefloquine) -- this pill is taken once per *week*. This used to be the standard option, before Malarone was developed. Some travel docs still use it as their first choice. Some people like the idea of only taking one pill per week. But beware ... lariam causes psychiatric side effects which can be very severe and long-lasting. Nearly everyone who takes it has frightening dreams. The symptoms get worse from there -- insomnia, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, homicidal thoughts, etc. Even people who have "successfully" taken lariam in the past can find themselves triggered into a frightening spiral on their next trip. In my opinion, no one should take this drug. Travel docs will try to give it to you. Please refuse.

Of course, the very best way to prevent malaria is to not get bitten in the first place! The bad news is that you are visiting an area with an extremely high incidence of malaria, so this is a very real issue for travelers. The good news is that the female anopheles mosquito, the one who transmits malaria, only bites during hours of darkness. Therefore, our itinerary will always have us indoors after dark. A DEET-based repellant can be applied at dusk, and you will always be sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets. Bite prevention is possible, and we will do everything we can to make it happen!

The students will get plenty of opportunity to learn about clinical malaria at the Hospitals -- to see how it is treated and understand how and why it kills 1 in 5 children under 5, and to look at the parasites under a microscope and learn to identify and diagnose malaria. If they want to read up on the complex and fascinating life cycle of the malaria parasite before they get here, all the better!

The other most common diseases they will see in the Hospitals are typhoid, tuberculosis and AIDS. All would be good "extra credit" study topics in preparation for the trip.

Oh, a word about the Yellow Fever vaccine -- technically, it is not required for travel to Kenya if this is your first trip to the 3rd world. However, it is required if you ever travel to another African or Latin American country after having been to Kenya. My recommendation is to get the shot and the yellow WHO booklet (which also serves as an immunization record for all the shots you get for this trip). It is good for 10 years.

Let me know what other questions I can answer!

Blessings,
Eden

Getting visas and carrying cash

Information from Eden Grace:

Re getting visas -- the best and simplest way to do this is to buy the visa upon arrival at the airport in Nairobi. You don't need to do anything in advance. They will give you the application form on the airplane. You don't need to attach passport photos when you are applying in person. The cost is $25.

Which leads me to the question of what money to carry -- The visa has to be paid in US cash. You should also have some cash for emergencies, but you probably won't need to use it. Any US cash you bring should be crisp new bills, dated 2006 or later. Ask the bank teller for new bills. In Kenya they will reject anything old or tattered. Other than visa money and emergency money, you don't need to carry cash. And definitely don't bother with travelers cheques!! If you can even find a place that will take them, the exchange rate will be horrible. Our recommendation is to use your ATM card to draw Kenya shillings directly from your bank account. This gives by far the best exchange rate. You'll need to advise your bank in advance that you are planning to use your card in Kenya, so they don't trigger a suspected theft/fraud and block your card.

Definitely, you can send money in advance. I can take care of paying for all the bookings, and you can cover the cost by sending a check to the FUM office in Richmond IN. No need to wire anything -- FUM has good systems in place for that.