I hope I'll get some time to write again soon, but for now, here's what I've been up to.

I don't have much time to write here, so here's a quick update.

[10 Aug 2004: Another version of this appears on BootsnAll]

"This one sounds good" joked Elaine as she looked through my Lonely Planet Madagascar for hotels in Antananarivo [aka Tana].

'Hotel Le Glacier in a noisy location...may be worth a look if everything else is full (though it is not suitable for women alone). Dingy rooms with private bathroom... but the ones in the annex are unsafe.'

I thought I'd choose something a little more upscale, so I settled on Hotel Mellis and booked ahead.

I've never had anything like that happen to me before, and I've flown quite a bit.

So I'm getting ready to take off on my fall trip. My plan is to take 3-4 weeks in Madagascar and 4-5 weeks in South Africa, Botswana, and possibly Lesotho and Swaziland. The question is: How do you prepare for such a trip?