My interest in African animals was reinforced by Zoo Parade, a television show hosted by Marlin Perkins, who was then director of the Franklin Park Zoo in Chicago. Later, Perkins went on to create Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the forerunner of today’s amazing animal programs on TV.

Another strong influence was the “True Life Adventure” series of movies, produced by Walt Disney. I’m pretty sure I saw them all at the Saturday afternoon movies but, of course, the one that stands out in my memory is “The African Lion,” which was released in 1955.

However, it was studying British East Africa in fifth grade geography class that solidified my dreams of Africa. (If you remember geography class, you just might be a baby boomer! – with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy)

Shortly after the East African geography lessons, an illness confined me to bed for a month. I asked my mother to bring me books about Africa from the public library. I read Theodore Roosevelt’s African Game Trails, along with books by Carl Akeley, Martin & Osa Johnson, J.A. Hunter and many others. After envisioning the wilds of Africa through these first-person accounts, my passion for Africa was firmly planted.

I also became fascinated by the photographs of African wildlife I saw, especially in the books written by Martin and Osa Johnson.  Of course, National Geographic is the source I remember most vividly, with full color photos of colorfully dressed women in markets and men outfitted in red cloth and adorned with ostrich feathers. And Life Magazine often featured articles about Africa, as well.

To me, they were all treasured images and photos from the magazines adorned the wall of my room. Looking back, I find I have developed an appreciation for the skill and determination of those early photographers.  In today’s world of digital photography, we don’t have to deal with keeping film protected from the elements and lugging canisters of film and gallons of developing chemicals into the African bush.

Because of a project we are working on, I’m again reading the Johnson’s African books. While they come from another time, I find them still fascinating and timely, especially in their concerns about the future of Africa’s wildlife.

In Part 2, we will explore my journey from being  a childhood collector of African wildlife books and images to finally stepping foot on “The Dark Continent.”

Since the great majority of our travelers fly to East Africa via Amsterdam or London, we are pleased to advise our travelers that this travel disruption is a covered event under many of Travel Guard’s policies. It is one more reason we have offered Travel Guard travel insurance to our clients for many years.

I have personal experience with the impact of volcano eruptions on our travels. In 1999, we were also designing customized itineraries to The Galapagos Islands. I had been selected to design a private tour for 42 members of the Board and other friends of the Wildlife Conservation Society, in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the opening of the Bronx Zoo.

In order to reach The Galapagos, everyone must fly into Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador. We had chosen to start in Quito, so our travelers could enjoy a day exploring this remarkable city and learning about its fascinating history.

A few weeks before departure, a volcano named Pichincha (Quechua for “Child”) erupted, sending clouds of ash over Quito. The volcano was sporadic in its eruptions, resulting in a cycle of closing and opening of Mariscal Sucre International Airport.

Our response was to secure backup room and restaurant reservations in Guayaquil and mobilize a second “greeting” team in case our travelers were unable to land in Quito.

As I waited for the flight to arrive in Quito that evening, we were advised that the airport was closed and that the flight was being diverted to Guayaquil. While disappointed they would not explore Quito, our travelers took it all in stride as our backup team met them upon arrival and took them to their hotel. They explored Guayaquil the next day and toasted our Guayaquil team’s  planning and preparation at their celebratory dinner.

In addition, the plugs would also be different and it was recommended that I purchase a kit, which would include the converter and a number of plug adapters. Not knowing which plugs I would find, I packed the entire hefty kit. After arriving in Kenya, I found that only two of the adapters would be needed. I believe traveling light simplifies my travels and now I was carrying a few items that would not be needed.

A universal plug adapter makes it easy to use almost any electrical item you may bring on your safari

Fortunately, today’s technology allows us to pack less to accomplish the same goals. Almost every electrical item you may wish to carry with you on safari is now made with dual voltage capability – eliminating the need for the heavy converter. Before you depart on your safari, please check your device to confirm that is has the dual voltage capability.

Today it is easy to find a “universal power adapter” – one that contains all the various plug adapters in one, lightweight tool. In addition to simplifying our safari, this universal adapter prevents us from losing one of the adapters that used to come in the kits. Because they are quite small, they are easily misplaced or left behind as we travel.

With travel continuing to increase in popularity around the world, we can continue to look for creative products to make our safari life more comfortable and more convenient.

If we can help you with any questions about electrical devices you may wish to take with you on your safari, please give me a call at 800-779-2146.