Mali Bound

It's official. I have my tickets, got my shots, and am heading to Mali in January.

So, here's the scoop so far:

Tickets via Royal Air Maroc. We fly through Casablanca with a 15 hour layover... but will be put up in a hotel for the time we are there.

Shots:
Yellow fever
Polio booster
Regular flu shot
Meningitis

Last year I got Hep A and Typhoid, so they are still good.

I also have a prescription for anti-malarial drugs, Cipro for diarrhea and Ambien to sleep on the plane and help with jet lag.

Travel insurance: Check.

Still to do:
Register with the US Embassy.
Pack.
Get some gifts for Sidy's parents.
Arrange for the Visa with the Malian embassy in NY.

I am flying with a couple of other students. We have a few folks planning to join us in Mali. Sidy is going to meet us at the airport and that is a moment I am really excited about, stepping off a plane into the warm Malian night and finding my teacher standing there waiting for us. What a scene.

Allons y!