There was a fair amount of preparation work involved in going to Zambia. I had to buy plane tickets, travelers insurance, obtain a passport, receive the proper vaccines, register my travel with the US embassy, and pack.
Plane Tickets
I purchased my plane tickets using [[Orbitz]]. I am flying with [[South African airlines]]; it was recommended to by a coworker who previously visited [[Namibia]]. I found the price of South African Airlines to be reasonable when compared to the other carriers.
I heard that the food is much better on foreign airlines compared to US airlines. This was true.
Passport or vaccination information was not required to purchase the airline tickets.
Travelers Insurance
I purchased travelers insurance through Access America via Orbitz. I felt it provided adequate coverage and was inexpensive at $125. If your not familiar with travelers insurance, it attempts to financially protect you in case of medical emergencies or trip interruptions.
Passport
I found the [[passport]] process to be simple. I stopped by my local post office and picked up the application. I filled it out and got a picture taken at RiteAid. I took the application, my photo, and my birth certificate, to the post office and submitted it. About two weeks later, my passport arrived in the mail.
Vaccinations
Certain vaccinations are required for entrance to some countries, though the CDC may recommend additional ones. To help sort this out, I made an appointment with a travel doctor. The travel doctor advises patients about medicines and vaccinations for overseas travel and living.
My travel doctor recommend the following vaccines and medicines for my trip:
- [[Typhoid]] – I took the oral version of the vaccine. Good for five years.
- [[Yellow fever]] – shot
- [[Tetanus]] – I had not had a tetanus shot since 1998. Shot.
- [[Polio]] – shot
- [[Hepatitis-A]] – shot
- [[Doxycycline]] – for [[Malaria]]. There are other drugs for malaria prevention, but some of them cause mental side effects. A drawback to doxycycline is that it makes you very sun sensitive.
- Cipro – for travelers “number 2”
It was possible to receive all these shots during one visit.
During my vaccinations, I received a vaccination card. The card was yellow and contains a list of the vaccines I received as well as an official stamp for the yellow fever vaccine. I consider the vaccination card to be just as important as your passport and thus, should be kept with your passport.
Aside from purchasing the plane tickets, getting [[vaccinated]] was the most expensive part of the preparation. My employer’s insurance did not cover the costs of any of the vaccinations.
Travel Registration
It’s a good idea to let the [[US embassy]] in the country you are visiting know when you will be there. This way if any emergencies, the US government is able to better provide assistance. I registered my travel online at: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/
Packing
I had some help here. I came up with an initial list and I emailed it to John and Ruth for comments. After a few iterations we had it down to the following items:
- [[TSA]] locks
- Malaria pills (doxycycline)
- #2 pills (Cipro)
- 1 passport
- 1 vaccination card
- cash
- 2 wallets
- 1 insurance and emergency information
- 1,3 person tent
- 1 sleeping bag
- 1 air mattress
- 1 camera
- 1 camera charger
- 1 small bible
- 1 journal
- 1 bottle sunscreen – make high SPF and plenty of it.
- hiking boots
- 1 pair wool socks
- 1 pair flip flops
- 2 ball caps
- 1 pair crappy sunglasses
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair track pants
- 3 pairs underwear
- 5 pairs sox
- 2 pairs shorts
- 3 shirts
- 1 pair glasses (not bringing my contacts to reduce chance of infection)
- allergy medicine
- 2 rolls of duck tape – for John and Ruth
- 1 toothbrush
- 1 toothpaste
- 1 beach towel
- 1 pair swimming trunks
- 1 deodorant
- 1 flashlight with fresh pair of batteries
- 2 headlamps
- 1 bottle aloe
- 1 refillable water bottle
- 1 additional bag to store stuff in
My stuff!
Miscellaneous Items
I had to figure out how to dial a US number from abroad in case I get into a pinch. To do this, dial “00 1” and then US phone number, area code first. Example: 001 814 555 1212.