Trip Preparation.

As I sit down to write this, it's chilly and snowing outside so the thought of 85 degrees and white sand beaches is sounding pretty good right now-even if it's a working trip to Africa.  Preparation started several months ago, and like most long trips, there's a lot to do before leaving.  Tony and Ann (T&A),  with Mercy Corp have been doing most of the organizing.  It's like being on a tour with someone else taking care of the details.  They send long email telling me what to do, what to pack and what to print out to take with me. I have letters from Mercy Corps stating that I'm  part of a team working at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Banjul, the Gambia Immigration Department with an entry Clearance, a Letter of Acknowledgement from the Gambian Ministry for Health and Social Services welcoming me to Gambia and thanking me for providing humanitarian support to the people of Gambia.

Also needed was a trip to the travel clinic for immunizations required and recommended for Gambia, in addition to antibiotics for a plethora of bugs that are common in Africa as well as the usual flu and respiratory infections that we can get anywhere.  Gambia is Sub-Saharan Africa so I needed shots for yellow fever and  typhoid, in addition to having polio, tetanus, DPT and hepatitis A & B  up to date.  I will be taking doxycycline for malaria prophylaxis while I'm there and for awhile after getting back. I didn't elect to be immunized against were meningitis and even though there is a cholera outbreak in that part of Africa, the immunization for cholera has not been approved by the USDA.  That would have meant a trip to Canada where it's readily available.

 T&A also made my reservation to fly to Banjul, Gambia from London, and provided me with the name of travel insurance for people doing humanitarian work that is much cheaper than anything I could buy and it has good evacuation insurance! They have also graciously answered some pretty stupid questions from me and  others.  

All the supplies and equipment for surgery are being brought by us, so Thomas Cook Airlines has given all participants permission to have an extra 20 kgs of "charity baggage".  Someone packs these bags in England and they are delivered to us at our hotels in London.  We need to look inside--there are people that feel the need to repack them-- so we can tell British airline agents that "yes, I packed all of my bags and know what is in them".  I'm also taking lots of stickers, coloring books, pens, pencils and writing tablet plus some outdated medical supplies from work.

So, I'm prepared and ready for this adventure!