Solo-on-a-Scooter on Safari, Pre-Trip Report South Africa, March 2013 About This Page:

[Linnynad]

I just got on board here and am totally caught up. This is an amzing trip you have coming up and I just love your moxie on diving right into this!!!
I am so excited to hear of your adventures.
I have no real advice on your" staying free of germs plane travel", but I always carry around travle packs of Clorox wipes and the first thing I do on any plane ride is wipe down the ENTIRE area, twice!!! I think they ar 99 cents at Target in the travel section.

So sad to hear about Peaches, that must have been a really sad day at AK.

[dwonderz]

Glad to hear you got some of the health stuff for the trip taken care of!! You can never be too careful!

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by DrDolphin

Glad to hear you got your vaccinations and your Rx for the meds. Good info from the doc. I travel all the time for work (you know that) - and I carry sterile saline spray in my carry on - Walgreens for like $3.00 a bottle. Keeps the membranes happy. I such on zinc lozenges for a few days before the trip - zinc has been shown to shorten the length of colds... but only colds. Other ickys (like flu) no effect. Did you get a flu shot too?

Yes, I get a flu shot every year. I'm definitely going to get the zinc lozenges and the spray.

Originally Posted by pamcarey

Yikes, I always turn on my air vent too! Never thought of that.

I feel like making an announcement on the plane: "Please do not turn on your air vents!"

Originally Posted by Linnynad

I just got on board here and am totally caught up. This is an amzing trip you have coming up and I just love your moxie on diving right into this!!!
I am so excited to hear of your adventures.
I have no real advice on your" staying free of germs plane travel", but I always carry around travle packs of Clorox wipes and the first thing I do on any plane ride is wipe down the ENTIRE area, twice!!! I think they ar 99 cents at Target in the travel section.

So sad to hear about Peaches, that must have been a really sad day at AK.

Thanks for reading, Linny. I'll pick up some of the Clorox wipes. This will definitely be an adventure!

[Colexis Mom]

Glad it was an informative visit!

[shazza]

Good info from the Doctor. I'm wondering if that cough/malaise thing we had in December is a strain of the flu that's going around - maybe you'll be immune to another round I do think of you everytime I see a news story on the flu hitting Boston so hard - and then recently the snow again.

I need to be more diligent about wiping down the arm rests and trays. After traveling so much for work, I think I just got resigned to the fact that getting germs was part of the drill.

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Glad it was an informative visit!

Thanks, Marnie.

Originally Posted by shazza

Good info from the Doctor. I'm wondering if that cough/malaise thing we had in December is a strain of the flu that's going around - maybe you'll be immune to another round I do think of you everytime I see a news story on the flu hitting Boston so hard - and then recently the snow again.

I need to be more diligent about wiping down the arm rests and trays. After traveling so much for work, I think I just got resigned to the fact that getting germs was part of the drill.

I like the thought that maybe we had a mini-flu! I had a flu shot, so I guess it's possible. I'll still continue to take precautions, but that'll be my mind-set now! We did get several inches of snow yesterday and overnight tonight it's getting VERY cold. Not a bad winter so far, though. I think we've had under 10" all season and 2 years ago by this time we'd had 70"!

[honeybee723]

Oh great! I turn on the air vent too. Maybe that's why I'm always getting a cold when I go to Disney. After reading everything you just went through, I really think a trip to Africa isn't in my future. I hate shots!!!

[mommapants]

Hi Laurie

Just signing in. I'm catching up but wanted to comment about the phone in London.
I have the same problem we we visit my sister. We call her from the train station. Problem is most payphones are going by the wayside. just like here in the states. If you find one it will use a credit card. I found a great site however
International Cell Phones & Satellite Phone Rental from Mobal
You actually buy a phone here in the US for like $20.00 and it works all over. Pretty mucg everywhere but the US. (we are on some sort of different system then the rest of the world). Anyway you keep the phone forever and you only pay for whatever calls you make. Rate were farily reasonable as well. We have used it 2 times in England and have not had any problems with it.

One year we trird to rent a phone from Verizon Wireless and it never worked in England.

Check it out and see if that works for you.

[mommapants]

OK all caught up.

Good for you selling some books to pay for your trip. I don't have anything of value to sell. I'm with you I have an old car, old house, old carpet and furniture and still can't get to Disney every year. I'm a single mom - nuff said. My sister and her husband must make at least 3 times what I make and are always complaining they don't have any money. Of course she has a vacation home, new car and a hot tub...

Be carefully if you do get "old" money. I had some old British pounds the last time I went to England to visit my sister and the store wouldn't take them. I was shocked, couldn't imagine that happening here, someone not taking money. She told me I needed to go to a bank to exchange the old money for new money - oh yea like I have a bank in England. Fortunately my sister exchanged it for me.

So sorry to hear about Peaches - what a beautiful animal.

As far as getting sick - or should I say not getting sick. Hand wash, lots of rest and I take Airborne about 30 days before I leave and during the trip too - that's my advice.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by mommapants

You actually buy a phone here in the US for like $20.00 and it works all over. Pretty mucg everywhere but the US. (we are on some sort of different system then the rest of the world).

Now you say that, that rings a bell. I remember being told America is different to the rest of the world for cell phones and I remember being really surprised by that....

[lsugirlinutah]

You may have already had the flu...I just got back from the doc and I tested positive for flu, but he was very surprised because I looked so healthy. So he figures I have a mild version. I have a sore throat, coughing, fever, congestion, a lot like what you posted on your TR. There may actually be two types: a severe and a mild version. That, or I caught on to my symptoms very, very early.

[Ashli]

Originally Posted by honeybee723

After reading everything you just went through, I really think a trip to Africa isn't in my future. I hate shots!!!

Don't rule it out! It really depends on where you go as to what shots/medicine you have to get. I went all over the southern coast of South Africa, up through the central plains, and into the northwest and we didn't have to get any shots or take the anti-malaria medicine. It's primarily just the Kruger area in South Africa that requires meds.

[Ashli]

Interesting that your doctor told you NOT to turn the vent on... I've always heard it helped circulate the air more quickly and was helpful. Check out this article: Does airplane air really make you sick? - Travel - Seasonal Travel | NBC News It talks about turning the vent on in the "Get Moving" paragraph. And this article: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/st...1213901&page=1

[disneydani]

Originally Posted by lauriep

Thank you, Danielle! (How was your ABD trip?-- a mini TR, maybe?)

Because you asked....here goes....

I had an awesome PTR ready to go...until I was struck down by a severe viral illness...five days before the ABD trip....and under doctor's orders not to travel as they wouldn't even let me on the plane...

Danielle

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by honeybee723

Oh great! I turn on the air vent too. Maybe that's why I'm always getting a cold when I go to Disney. After reading everything you just went through, I really think a trip to Africa isn't in my future. I hate shots!!!

I am now revising my opinion about air vents due to Ashli's post! And she's also correct about shots for South Africa. None needed except for the northeast corner of the country.

Originally Posted by mommapants

Hi Laurie

Just signing in. I'm catching up but wanted to comment about the phone in London.
I have the same problem we we visit my sister. We call her from the train station. Problem is most payphones are going by the wayside. just like here in the states. If you find one it will use a credit card. I found a great site however
International Cell Phones & Satellite Phone Rental from Mobal
You actually buy a phone here in the US for like $20.00 and it works all over. Pretty mucg everywhere but the US. (we are on some sort of different system then the rest of the world). Anyway you keep the phone forever and you only pay for whatever calls you make. Rate were farily reasonable as well. We have used it 2 times in England and have not had any problems with it.

One year we trird to rent a phone from Verizon Wireless and it never worked in England.

Check it out and see if that works for you.

This is great info, Holly! I checked out the website and the phone will work in both England and South Africa. I'm still not sure if I need it for this trip, since other than Cheryl & Mark I don't need to stay in touch with anyone. But it looks like a good thing to have, so maybe I'll get one.

Originally Posted by mommapants

OK all caught up.

Good for you selling some books to pay for your trip. I don't have anything of value to sell. I'm with you I have an old car, old house, old carpet and furniture and still can't get to Disney every year. I'm a single mom - nuff said. My sister and her husband must make at least 3 times what I make and are always complaining they don't have any money. Of course she has a vacation home, new car and a hot tub...

Be carefully if you do get "old" money. I had some old British pounds the last time I went to England to visit my sister and the store wouldn't take them. I was shocked, couldn't imagine that happening here, someone not taking money. She told me I needed to go to a bank to exchange the old money for new money - oh yea like I have a bank in England. Fortunately my sister exchanged it for me.

So sorry to hear about Peaches - what a beautiful animal.

As far as getting sick - or should I say not getting sick. Hand wash, lots of rest and I take Airborne about 30 days before I leave and during the trip too - that's my advice.

Fortunately, the friend who's giving me some coins was just in London last month and these are left over from that trip.

Originally Posted by chezp

Now you say that, that rings a bell. I remember being told America is different to the rest of the world for cell phones and I remember being really surprised by that....

Weird, isn't it?

Originally Posted by lsugirlinutah

You may have already had the flu...I just got back from the doc and I tested positive for flu, but he was very surprised because I looked so healthy. So he figures I have a mild version. I have a sore throat, coughing, fever, congestion, a lot like what you posted on your TR. There may actually be two types: a severe and a mild version. That, or I caught on to my symptoms very, very early.

I bet it was the flu!

Originally Posted by Ashli

Don't rule it out! It really depends on where you go as to what shots/medicine you have to get. I went all over the southern coast of South Africa, up through the central plains, and into the northwest and we didn't have to get any shots or take the anti-malaria medicine. It's primarily just the Kruger area in South Africa that requires meds.

Correct! I got the tetanus shot just because I'd never had the one that also is for pertussis, but just to go to South Africa (if your flight doesn't stop at any other airport in Africa) you don't need any meds at all for most of the country.

Originally Posted by Ashli

Interesting that your doctor told you NOT to turn the vent on... I've always heard it helped circulate the air more quickly and was helpful. Check out this article: Does airplane air really make you sick? - Travel - Seasonal Travel | NBC News It talks about turning the vent on in the "Get Moving" paragraph. And this article: Myth: Airplane Air Makes You Sick - ABC News

I hate it when experts give conflicting information! I'm going with your advice, though, Ashli because I went to several different sites and it was confirmed and also the physics of it all just makes sense to me (like I'd know!!) So, my revised advice:

USE THE AIR VENT! Point it towards your face so that any floating germs are deflected away by the air currents.