Paperwork

Most of my family/friends know I make a binder for almost every trip we go on. For me it is part of the enjoyment of preparing for the trip itself. It is nice to have EVERYTHING in one place to refer to when traveling as well. I keep a couple copies of our documents and I also carry all our information on a USB drive - just in case. I like to be prepared so WHEN not IF something doesn't go quite as planned, I still feel prepared and calm. Being flexible is a big part of enjoying any trip - IMHO. 

Anyway, this time we have a comprehensive travel packet including a binder from Ya'lla but it is smaller than a standard binder. I want to take what they have given me because it is so compact and I believe we will enjoy taking it with us each day as we tour. Yet, I don't want to take 2 binders! So, I have gleaned and rearranged my standard binder into a folder and we will just carry that and the Ya'lla binder - all set!

Packing - Etc.

All along I have been gathering and ordering little things we might need on our trip from Amazon, etc. We are getting close to actually putting things in our suitcases! 

I also heard back from Lisa about  the size of our tour - It will be quite intimate with just 6 people on both Israel and Egypt! That could be positive or negative I guess. It is positive because we will no doubt get personalized attention and the logistics of traveling from point to point will be simplified and faster with a small group. The down side would be if these others are not "fun people" to travel with! Of course, they might be thinking that about us right now as well! 

Today John figured out all of our "tip money" so we will have the appropriate amounts in US Dollars at each stage. It is easier if the trip just charges more and takes care of the tips for us, but that is not the case here. We've only been on one other group tour with Rick Steves, which includes "tips" in the cost of the tour. It is quite simple in Israel because we will have the same guide and driver everyday so they can just be given the gratuity at the end of our time in Israel. This is not the case in Egypt where we go several places including a cruise on the Nile. Other than Cairo, we will have a different driver and guide every day (I think). Anyway, we have it figured out and if worst comes to worst we will find an ATM and pay tips with Egyptian Pounds when there. Things always work out!

Getting very EXCITED! 

Time - Weather - Money

Time: Israel +10 hours 

Time: Egypt +9 hours

Weather: Israel

Weather: Egypt

Money: Israel, 1 Israeli Sheqel = 0.26 US Dollar
Money: Egypt, 1 Egyptian Pound = 0.11 US Dollar

GREAT NEWS!!!

We are beyond thankful today to hear back on John's tests. He is doing well, some of his "numbers" are even in the normal range! Dr. C gave him the go ahead, even adding a personal note on his lab test. He is such a pragmatic man, his personal note both touched and surprised me.  Feeling VERY blessed and thankful!

On The Grid

Which plug you might ask? We have about 50 plug adapters for various countries (we found a great sale once, so we bought two sets!). But I am unable to find definitive information on  the internet about what plug(s) to take. It's nice to have a travel agent from Ya'lla to call on for this! Two pronged, round plugs like we use in Europe is the answer to the question! In addition, our power converters are ancient so I knew I wanted a new one, even though most modern devices have an internal voltage regulator, who knows? I also wanted a power strip that had USB ports for some of my devices since we will carry Kindles, Fitbits, cameras, phones, and my new travel laptop/tablet. One cannot escape the grid that we have a love/hate relationship with! While we may not always have Wi-Fi I feel confident I can write and save my blog for later posting along the way. Now we have updated electrical paraphernalia to carry with us! 

Reviewing...

Reviewing all our documents and getting excited about this trip! Yesterday we got our Typhoid injection and this year's flu shot. I've ordered the suggested insect repellent and reviewed our packing list. Lord willing, this is really going to happen!!! We are just praying John stays well and feels energetic enough to really enjoy this longed for trip. 

Vaccines, etc.

So today I finally called the travel clinic. Things have changed and we don't need to make an extra trip into the doctor, we scheduled and had a telephone appointment today! All we need to have is a typhoid vaccination for this trip. It isn't really needed for Israel but it is for Egypt so we will get that along with our annual flu vaccine and some meds for traveler's diarrhea. We always carry that - only needed it once, but when you need it, you need it! The Travel Nurse is sending us the full update and instructions and we have an appointment to get the vaccines on Monday. She cautioned us about rabies, of all things! I did read something about that in the travel information already. Anyway, there will be NO petting cute little dogs we might happen upon. Being with a group tour I don't think it will be likely anyway. Mosquitoes are another caution and to use insect repellent in the evening hours. We are re-reading the travel information now and feeling excited!!!

Ups and Downs

John has been sick, in and out of the hospital with his PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis), and we thought we would need to cancel this trip. However, he has improved and we are planning to go ahead with it. This is his choice and I hope we can enjoy the trip even though he tires easily. We are positive and hopeful!