tomorrow
oooo, I found fairly inexpensive internet access!!
Tomorrow I am heading to Hluhlue-Imfolzi game reserve for a day long safari. This is the oldest game reserve in South Africa and the one credited with saving the white rhino. So, I am hoping to see 4 of the “big five” - lion, elephant, buffalo, and the rhino. The 5th is the leopard but I don’t think I will see any of them as they are difficult to catch even under the best conditions. I am excited beyond belief!
The logistical issue I was having today is that I needed a hotel room for tomorrow night - when my friend Jackie booked the room she didn’t realize I was staying an extra night. I went to our hotel desk on Wednesday and the lady said they are booked full, check back tomorrow. I checked Thursday, still full. I checked this morning, still full. I couldn’t really wait any longer so I booked a room at the Tropicana which is where I stayed in Durban on at the beginning of this trip. No big deal - but I have to leave my suitcase all day long tomorrow with the hotel I’m currently staying at and pick it up tomorrow evening after the safari and catch a cab to the other hotel! Oh well, at least I have a bag I have to go pick up!! The Tropicana is also along the beach - I’m hoping the weather is nice enough on Sunday to spend the day on the beach lounging and reading. Today is pretty overcast and chilly, no rain luckily and I’m hoping this all passes for the day tomorrow.
The conference has really been much more rewarding than I expected. The big news of the day yesterday is the announcement of the location for the 2010 conference - Brisbane Australia. Which is ok, but I’ve never really wanted to go to Australia much. I think I’ll make my travel portion of that trip in New Zealand and then go to Brisbane for the conference. I was really hoping it would be in Kuala Lumpur but no dice.
Durban has turned out to be mostly better than we thought. It still is NOT a safe place, no walking around alone or even in small groups - so taxis have been the mode of transportation which has gotten really old. The beach front area during the day is fine but anything beyond that and you are risking getting mugged. I heard that a few librarians had that experience during the conference. But I can imagine that in its heyday Durban was quite the place.
I’ve really enjoyed watching the ships coming and going - at any given time we can see about 15 ships either leaving or entering the port of Durban (our hotel room faces the beach/ocean :-)) I’ve also really had a great time watching the surfers! The waves had died down the past few days but it seems they are picking up with whatever weather system we have coming through.
No stories for today. I’m pretty tired - there has been no sleeping in at all on this trip, I plan on sleeping late on Sunday. I had two meetings this morning and I am finally done. Oh did I mention at all that I am now the secretary for the Government Information and Official Publications committee of IFLA? I am. Jackie is at a meeting right now and then we are going down to the waterfront for dinner at the Cargo Hold where apparently they have a giant fish aqarium type thing with some sharks in it 
Unfortunately I missed the trip to the oceangraphic institute yesterday due to me mixing up times so no sharks :-(Â But anyway it has been a great conference - learned many new things and met lots of great people.
Off to do other internety things! See some of you next week and talk to the rest of you soon!
August 29th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I accessed the Internet via WIFI from the conference venue using my laptop (was a last minute decision to bring my laptop along to Durban, and was glad for it!) Yeah, the threat of crime was a shame. A librarian I know told me he knew of 14 cases of delegates being mugged. Sheesh. South Africa is a beautiful country, and I’ve found most of the people at the hotel and shops very friendly. Even the cab drivers were genuinely friendly, I found. But really too bad about the lack of public safety.