Men's Singles Quarterfinals, Australian Open 2010

Andy Murray vs Rafael Nadal - Murray won 6-3; 7-6; 3-0 with Nadal retiring injured in the last set.

Was a lot of fun - should have done it years ago!

Score board; nice cool day.

The ball boys / girls

Andy Murray serves

Rafael Nadal serves

Cameraman

Andy Murray serves

The grating Jim Courier interviews Andy Murray

Andy Murray exits

Travel Insurance

I finally got around to it and bought 14 months worth of travel insurance (from World Nomads) - was that too much?

Was tempted not to, but think in this instance it is not something worth risking. Besides, given that I had already spent $500 on vaccinations, what's another $942 right?

Gah.

Flights Booked

It is more real than ever when flights are being booked. Whilst I had booked my China and Japan flight over a month ago, I still had not book my flight to Africa. Though in hindsight, I should have done that first - given it is the World Cup!

In this experience, Flight Centre was useless. The first quote the agent gave was $5,000. In the age of the internet, did she really not think a twenty something year old (a spot on Gen-Y) would have checked out ticket prices on line? Having said that, it must be STA Travel's policy to assume that their clients had, because that was the question their agent asked.

I ended up booking it over the internet for $2077, flying Lufthansa via Frankfurt. In fact, all my flights have been booked over the internet with Zuji. So far, they have always been the cheapest available option - even if comparing with other sites. So let's just hope the e-ticket will go through in tiny little Victoria Falls (well the Falls won't be so tiny).

So it has been locked in and I am set for Africa. Flights and accommodation have been booked. Now all I have left to do is pick a Kilimanjaro outfitter, book the Zanzibar hotel, and apply to the organization of choice for a few weeks' worth of volunteer work. Almost sorted till September 2010!

Vaccinations II

Did I say yellow fever was the big one? I take it back. I saw the doctor the other day and yellow fever has notched down on the big list - I ended up having to get rabies - and that is THREE big ones!

So in all, tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, polio, meningitis, cholera. And then malaria, but that will wait.

Well, two more days of needles! Can't say I feel great about this part of the pre-departure prep.

Vaccinations

Spent the last couple of days visiting the doctor's. Consultation, blood test, needle poking. It wasn't as painful as I'd thought but can't say that needles are my favourite things.

So done and dusted for Hep A & B, tetanus and typhoid. Yet to take cholera oral meds. And then the big one, yellow fever.

Phew.

Travel Review Forums

Have spent a lot time recently on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree - amazing amount of feedback though have to be mindful of the source of both positive and negative comments.

Gets me so excited about Kilimanjaro!