A few minor last minute details

Perhaps not so minor and perhaps should not have been last minute. 

So, I remembered that I probably need some money when I get there. I called my usual exchange place.  Nope,  Some other exchange places downtown. Nope.  Oh no!  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  I checked with my bank.  They say I can have Colombian Pesos by Tuesday.  Note, I am leaving first thing on Wednesday and I work on Tuesday.  Best I can do so I ordered it.  If it doesn't arrive in time, I'm sure there is an exchange place in the airport (at 4am).  

I filled out my Gov't of Canada 'Register as a Canadian Abroad' info.  So they know where I was last seen. Because I also read the travel alerts.  Basically, I will be lucky to just get robbed.  Canada is not nearly so alarming as the US info. 

Basically, just reconsider travel, and probably your life choices

I looked up any visa requirements.  None.  Once again there is some sort of form to fill out which I'm sure is not needed.  Why is the necessary form to enter any given country never necessary?  Anyway, this one is online so I will fill out the form, again.  Of course, now I can't find the form but I think I saved it somewhere?.  Maybe I won't fill out the form, again.  

It's snowing here.  Making me extra happy to be heading south.  

To do: Recheck in with the cat sitter who is not answering my texts.  Wonder what to do if he doesn't ever answer my texts?  

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Next day, four and a half days to go.  It is -10 degrees today.  Yes, I'm mentally ready to go.  I'm not packed or much of anything else ready yet, but I do not like the cold so I'm ready. 

Biggest issue is that I am almost out of coffee!  I do not want to buy coffee right before I to to Colombia so I found that weird fig coffee I bought in Morocco and mixed it with that last of my normal, grocery store coffee.  Not as bad as I thought to be honest.  

It's Friday, I leave on Wednesday.  I will pack this weekend.  (hmm, even I doubt that!)

Cat sitter did confirm he will be fine to stay here and tend the cat and house.  

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Next day (Saturday).  Packing.  Going surprisingly well.  Perhaps it helps that I am sick and it is -100,000 degrees (°C) outside so I'm stuck in the house.  

Only issue is that I seem to have lost a sandal. 

Did I mention that at some point in the distant past, I ordered a Lonely Planet Pocket Guide for Colombia.  But I was informed that there weren't any to be had.  And then I forgot about it.  I got yesterday an email that it has shipped.  oops, I forgot to cancel it!  But, alas and miraculous, it is going to arrive on Monday!  So far I am lucking out with timing (knock on wood for the money on Tuesday).

My missing shoe and my arriving guide reminds me how I lost my Madagascar pocket guide pull-out map.  The reason I bought the guide in the first place.  Well, I found it last weekend, in my purse, tucked into a little notebook.  I carried that notebook all over Madagascar and I guess I never needed to make note of anything while I was there.  I made it home unscathed so I guess I didn't really need it.  

Let's go find that sandal.  

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Sunday.  Sandal is still missing.  May have to move on to finding new sandals to take.  

I practice-packed and I have room left in my bag!.  Of course, I still have to add the sandals but I should be good.  One of the things I usually take but am forgoing this time is a bird book.  My brother Paul suggested I download Merlin bird identifying app on my phone.  I just did that.  Umm, this is way better than a book!  I like having a book to tick things off but I guess it is time to move to the late 20th century.  

This has to be better than flipping though 1700+ birds found in the Colombia bird book, let alone the gazillion in my South America bird book.  Plus, it does photo id and sound id.  Crazy! Yet another reminder that Paul is no dummy.  

My hotel in Bogota is offering me an airport pick up.  $22.  Google says I can get into town for $8-10 so no thanks.  

I checked the Colombia plug situation.  No converter required!  For the first time in YEARS.  A tiny bit of space saved.  

My guide book arrived - a day early.  

 I am trying to check out my hotels on the map. It's a slow process...  

again with the annoyed face... 

I had a little collapsible water bottle that I liked a lot so I bought another one.  At some point, in Madagascar, one of them started to leak.  I might have switched the tops but I didn't have time to figure out which top went with which bottom and I didn't think it would have made a difference.  But I never got around to taking them back to the store, especially since I couldn't remember which one leaked.  Anyway, I decided to see if changing the top would work.  It did.  Now I have colour-coded them so I don't end up with a soggy backpack again.  

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Monday.  I have had dealings with Air Canada so you know that's going to be a whole thing.  I will end this one for now and do a whole new post.  One needs proper space for a good Air Canada rant.  

I have not found my sandal. Is it in a hotel room in Madagascar?