Itinerary

6/30: Depart JFK, arrive in Kilimanjaro 7/1.
I meet up with Lynn in NYC, and then Sarah and Deb join us in Amsterdam. The 4 of us are on the once a week Wed direct flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro. Ally and Bryan arrive a few hours before us and promise to have drinks ready and waiting at the Impala Hotel. Can't wait to see them. It's been since Jan/Feb when they kicked off their worldwide tour.

7/2 - 7/7: Safari to Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Seregenti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater
We are staying in a combination of lodges and safari camps. Lodges for the comforts, safari camps to be closer to nature. We are hoping that our timing will allow us to see the great wildebeest migration.

7/8 - 7/14: Kilimanjaro climb, Machame trail.
There is an easier route up Kili, the Marangu trail. It is also known as the Coca Cola trail because of the stands set up along the way selling Coke. It is the most popular route and reported to be over crowded and is even paved part of the way. We opted for the slightly more difficult, but much more scenic and less crowded Machame. Wish us luck!

7/15 - 7/19: Much deserved rest at Arabian Nights guest house in Zanzibar.

7/20 - Goodbye to Lynn and Deb. Sarah, Allyson, Bryan and I head down to Capetown. A few days of fun with Sarah in the city and a day trip to Cape Point, and a vineyard tour.

7/23 - Goodbye to Sarah. Allyson, Bryan and I check in with AVIVA to start our 5 week volunteer stint at the Baphumelele orphanage. The orphanage itself is in a township called Khayelitsha. We stay in dorms there half the week and help out with preparing food for the kids, helping them with their homework, cleaning and anything else they need us to do. The other half of the week we stay in the dorms at the AVIVA headquarters in Observatory. They have day trips and tours arranged for us in our non-volunteering times, and we have plenty of time to explore the city.

8/26 - Goodbye to Ally and Bryan and home to NYC.