The Scramble
“DID YOU GET YOUR TYPHOID SHOT?” newfound Blogreader and fellow traveler Jess asked me one night over sushi, a New York City staple.
“I already had one,” I told her.
“Typhoid’s only good for two years,” she informed me, information fresh in her mind since she was prepping to backpack around Bolivia. “You should probably get another one. It’d be a shame to get [a disease] that’s preventable.”
Upon a little research I discovered she was right. The typhoid vaccination is only good for two years; in my yellow WHO travel health certificate I saw that I had two typhoid vaccines recorded, two years apart. And so I called up my doctor and left a message at his busy family clinic to call me so that I could prevent a preventable disease in Africa. Yes, it would be a shame if I got it.
THE TYPHOID VACCINATION was just one of the many chores left unattended in my preparations for my trip to Mali. The past couple of weeks has been a whirlwind of chores, many of which did not pertain to travel preparation. Between a day job, freelance projects due before I leave, setting up this new blog, pitching last minute articles to newspapers and magazines, finishing up an interview that Filipinas magazine is doing about me as a “celebrity blogger” for the April issue, and a quick weekend ski trip to Vermont (planned by someone else), I haven’t had much time to prepare for another adventure, let alone make a fancy Flash inspirational trailer like I’ve done in the past. I’m paying for it now, the last two days before departure, scrambling left and right for last minute things, and my head is totally spinning and overwhelmed. My doctor was also probably overwhelmed and frazzled with his hundred patients; he had called me back and left me a voicemail which ignored my request for a vaccination and mistakenly just gave me my cholesterol results again.
After a couple of rounds of phone tag with my current doctor (so not like my former doctor before TGT2), I eventually got my vaccination and was all settled—until I realized I should probably get malaria preventatives and went through the rigmarole again. I should probably try and prevent that too, I figured, also recalling that I always thought “Malaria” would probably be a pretty name for a girl if it wasn’t so associated with an infectious disease.
And so, frantically but surely, I’m getting back into the game, hopefully in time for departure this Saturday. I’ve gotten my passport back with a fresh new Malian tourist visa inside (picture above), bought some new gear, and tried to make some sort of a reservation for my first night in Bamako (they never e-mailed back). In the next two days I have yet to finalize some projects, buy more gear, and put out any other fires I need to before I’m AWOL for three weeks.
After the craziness of everything going on in the hustle and bustle of New York City, I definitely feel I need a vacation, which I guess this trek through Mali is—although traveling to an underdeveloped, landlocked non-English-speaking African country on the fringe of the hot Sahara Desert, it’s hardly going to be a day at the beach—but at least I won’t get typhoid or malaria.
THE GLOBAL TRIP CONTINUES…
SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2006.
Next entry: The Red Eye To Paris
Previous entry: One Year Later
Comments for "The Scramble"
Welcome to the new rendition of this new blog! The Mali blog will be
hosted here by Blogger.com; I’ll be using my new blog on BootsnAll for
other rants and raves that aren’t necessarily tied to a trip.Posted by Erik TGT
<http://www.blogger.com/profile/05087591227757317086>
Eric, looks like you did the same thing we did. We’re keeping v. 1.0
over on BootsnAll, but moved over here for the time being. Seemed like
there’s more room to be creative, etc here.
One question...I noticed a “maps” area on the right column of the
earlier Trippin’ blog...how’d you get that there?Posted by Dave and Melody on 03/17 at 06:22 AM
DAVE AND MELODY: I dunno; it was part of the template that Chris had made.
Welcome aboard the new “Fellowship of The Blog"… were you former readers?
Posted by Erik TGT
Finally, something new to read!
Posted by tjw on 03/17 at 09:35 AM
woot! have a good trip. *booksmarks the page*
Posted by PorkFryRice
YAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY. Be Careful! Have Fun! Can’t wait to read more.
Posted by Michelle in Michigan on 03/17 at 10:53 AM
qa and tech support for another blog for 3 weeks...just great (grin)…
Posted by markyt on 03/17 at 12:02 PM
Hey do you have an RSS feed? Makes it easier to know when there are updates.
Posted by wallowmuddy
Did not get a chance to say a real farewell but I hope you get back soon
so we can ask you all about it. Or I can check back here ‘DAILY’! Stay
safe and have a blast!Posted by katlovesmojitos on 03/17 at 02:28 PM
WALLOWMUDDY: I didn’t know what you were talking about until I saw your
little instruction manual on your blog. The RSS feed is this:
http://theglobaltrip.blogspot.com/atom.xmlHow’s that work for you?
Posted by Erik TGT
KATLOVESMOJITOS: Will do. Mind the shrimp for me.
Posted by Erik TGT
I have to agree that Malaria wouldn’t be such a bad name for a girl if
wasn’t a disease. makes you think::::Posted by Elisa
Oooh. Good timing on my part in checking back to your site and finding
this! I will be back. Still in awe of your ability to make the blog a
daily thing;I´m about 2 weeks behind in mine. Have fun!!!btw, I always felt the same about Avarice.
Posted by Megan
<http://www.blogger.com/profile/05087591227757317086>
Erik, Dave and Melody AKA “Dave of Sand and Tsunamis”, so I’m a grizzled
veteran of TGT2. I tried to get Melody hooked as well, but she suffered
from poor internet connectivity while out to sea, so she missed out.
What’d they give you for Malaria? Because if it’s Mefloquine, you could
be treated to some of those great dreams...or an untreatable psychosis.
Though that never happened to me (at least I don’t think it has...). And
I agree, it would make a beautiful name for a little girl. “And this is
my son, Ricketts.”
Thanks for the info re: maps. Maybe it’s a new thing they’re offering.
I’ll ask him.Posted by Dave and Melody on 03/17 at 07:54 PM
woohoo! here we go again… REALLY sucks that our timing is off.. i’ll
be in TIMBUKTU this november… but at least this way i can read up on
what i’m gettin myself into! =)HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
..and see ya in NY in may!Posted by bizarro erik on 03/17 at 08:55 PM
Well, blogger, eh?
Fun times. I never got those faboo dreams, although I did get a TON of
pills while in Nicaragua, for SUPAH cheap - good times.
Have fun. I still need to get to Africa in the first place - not just to
a specific place! Hee… Taiwan happens in two weeks.Posted by tallgirl
Congrats on your new trip. Can you believe I still haven’t left yet?!
Can’t wait to read your blog.Posted by anthony on 03/17 at 10:55 PM
ANTHONY: Just wait until I post a picture of iClamp nano…
Posted by Erik TGT
I’m eagerly awaiting reading about your drunken antics and pictures of
toilets.Posted by Office Samurai
Whewhoo! The blog is back
Posted by Liz
Hey eric..look forward to reading your travel blog as you travel
along..Malaria is a pretty name, along the disease theme Typh(oid)for a
boy is not bad!Posted by zoe
Woohooo is right Liz!!!
Thanks for the email giving me the heads up!
Hi Erik!
Posted by Canadian Lisa on 03/18 at 09:49 AM
Only three weeks? Erik, you are such a tease! Great to see your Canadian
followers are coming back! Hey Lisa! We should be hearing from Rose
soon, I know Liz gave her the heads up also. Yoohooo Tdot, where are you?Posted by Janice on 03/18 at 01:25 PM
Well, I’m off… the first entry should be up in time for the WHMMR.
Fans of the old blog can go ahead and tell the new people what that
actually stands for…Posted by Erik TGT
well well my favorite filipino ninja is off to far away lands again. Its
about time!Posted by travelgirltiff on 03/18 at 07:23 PM
WHMMR: Western Hemisphere Monday Morning Rush.......guess we missed this
week’s! Erik, where are you?
Hope you are safe and just can’t get to an internet cafe........Posted by Janice on 03/20 at 09:06 PM
How come none of my Canadian compatriots emailed me?
Posted by td0t on 05/25 at 02:59 PM
Next entry:
The Red Eye To Paris
Previous entry:
One Year Later
This blog entry was originally posted on March 16, 2006 on the blog, "The Global Trip: Trippin' To Timbuktu," hosted by Blogger.com. It is one of eighteen entries that chronicled a trip through the West African nation of Mali in March/April 2006.
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