I am in the final stages of planning. Hoping the Visas arrive this week. I cannot buy plane tickets until we are assured that Rebeka will be able to travel with us.
It is now up to Tanzania to grant her an entry visa. Spent last evening looking for
tickets we can afford. It is amazing the wide span of pricing. I found tickets, round trip, that range from $1790.00 to over $3000.00. Why the vast
discrepancies? I also found a place that arranges for Missionary flights. I should hear back from them tomorrow. I am sometimes reluctant to make too many connections via
Internet though. Who, exactly, am I dealing with? This is not my money, it has all been donated by other people, and I have to be very careful how it is spent. God forbid I make a connection with some unscrupulous person. I have never heard of the agency that offers the tickets for $1790.00 so I checked them with the Better Business Bureau. They seem to have a clean record with them.
Speaking of money, I have another
dilemma. I have been buying Travelers
Cheques. I went in on Thursday to purchase some more and the bank discouraged me from buying them. Seems some overseas locations will not honor them. Stan and I do not use credit at all so a credit card is really not an option. I do not want to carry $5,000.00 in cash so I feel kind of bewildered as to what the solution would be. I plan to call the
embassy tomorrow to see what they
recommend.
It is Monday, I started this on Sunday. I called the Tanzanian Embassy and they told me my package was being sent today. Could or would not tell me if all three of us were granted visas. Also asked them about the money issue. Their solution was for me to carry cash!!! I told them that I did not want to insult them or their country but there was no way I was going to walk around with huge sums of money on my person.
My husbands solution is for me to sew two pairs of panties together at the legs and part of the waist and put the money between them. I may have to do that if I cannot find a better solution. Could be pretty uncomfortable to sit on.
I will have a money belt to wear under my clothing, but people are wise to those. If someone was intent on robbing me they would ask for that.
My girlfriend who travels extensively told me to go buy baggy shirts so that the money belt will not show under my clothing. She one time carried $150,000 in cash strapped to her body for the company her husband worked for. She took it to Egypt. She also said she was scared to death.
Oh so many decisions and so little time.
