Amazing Race - Ha!

Kim and I are both huge fans of the Amazing Race - who isn't really? Contestants on the Amazing Race just have to deal with getting to a place - not getting IN to a place. That is what Kim and I are up against.

Today I pick up our passports - looks good. Arabic stamp is in place, Passport Office embossing in place. Before I leave the Harry Hays Building - I call my Arabic translator Giovanni. (When I told Kim that Gionvanni was going to translate, she made sure I told him that we need a translation from English to Arabic...not to Italian - an appropriate question with a name like Giovanni!) When I first talked to Gionvanni he said he would be downtown on Friday and he could drop by to do the translation. How much better does it get. So I speak to Giovanni - he is almost downtown, he'll be by shortly.

Giovanni arrives at my office and proceeds with the translation. Turns out he was in the "foreign service" for many years in Italy, Vatican and several other places. Today he runs a interpreter and translation business in Calgary, as well as the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Guinea. So if you ever need to go to Guinea...I can hook you up! My new friend Gionvanni departs and I am pumped - everything seems to be in place. I fire off an email to Kim and then to Mike in Libya letting everyone know we are good to go. At least that is what I thought.

Seconds later my phone rings - Mike from Libya. He wants to confirm what we have exactly in our passport. There have been all kinds of "issues" for those entering Libya. He thinks we need to have the Arabic translation "embossed" by the Passport Office. So I call the Libyan Embassy in Ottawa - leave a message. Call Passport Canada (found a better phone number too!) they haven't heard of any details on what is required. Email a copy of the translated pages to a contact at the Canadian Embassy in Tripoli - we'll see if they can add any information. So now we wait to see if there is any clarity on this issue.

People keep asking Kim and I - why West Africa. I had been responding about the French speaking aspect, blah blah blah. What it really is - we have been to all the "pedestrian" locations - we need adventure. All of the above is adventure - flying by the seat of our pants!! Kim's mom won't like that, but we'll have our helmets on Judy!!!

5 more sleeps...