This will be our last blog for several weeks. If Steven doesn’t get eaten by a lion (or maybe even if he does), our (well, if I get eaten by a lion, it won’t really be our blog anymore, will it?) next blog will appear soon after March 12 when we will have lots of adventure to share. Never fear, we are bringing notebooks (remember when you had to use a pen and paper?) to record our days because we are likely to forget all the details without reminders. I am looking forward to being off the grid for a few weeks.

We leave early tomorrow morning (WE HAVE A 6 AM FLIGHT !!! Who the hell thought that was a good idea?!?!?) and arrive in Nairobi just before 9 p.m. there. It’s the same time zone as Istanbul, but while we were maintaining a mostly US working schedule (up at the crack of 10 a.m. and asleep around 2 or 3), we will have to adjust to Kenya time for this round of travel. Eek! Up at 6:30, walking at 7:30 to beat the heat. Luckily, there’s plenty of time for a siesta in the afternoon.

Returning to Valencia is culture shock extraordinaire and not just because we can see that yellow ball in the sky again. Istanbul is busy busy busy all the time. As our new friend Lucien said, “Every night is Saturday night.” Valencia is a ghost town by comparison (really, by comparison to many places), especially in the “winter,” when it is only 70 degrees in the afternoon. Yes, there are people drinking an Estrella at a sidewalk cafe, but the streets feel empty. We arrived late Saturday afternoon and it was quiiieeeettt. We’re not in a very tourist area, but it was Saturday night. Sunday is worse since a lot of businesses are closed. There was some traditional dancing going on in the street (somehow related to the fallas festival that starts in March), so that was nice.

Our biggest concern (Well, Steven’s biggest concern. I’ll tell you mine below.) was staying under the 15-kilo (33-pound) limit (including our backpacks) for internal flights, but we figured Tropical Ice (the tour company) knew how to compile the list of what to bring so we would stay under that. We packed this morning and — woo hoo! — made the limit with whispers to spare. Now we’re just counting down to our 6 a.m. flight tomorrow (6AM!!!! WTF!).

My biggest concern: What if I have to pee during the walk? We’re supposed to drink a lot of water and walk for 5-6 hours. This seems like an old lady nightmare!

We spent the last few days in Istanbul doing our usual wandering and picking up the pharmaceuticals and toiletries we need for the trip that are cheaper there. Plus, we knew the stores in Valencia would be closed today. You can never have enough Advil, bug spray, sunscreen, bandaids and Glide when you’re planning to walk 10 miles a day. Plus we bought a lot of nuts and dried fruit for snacks. As usual, we overdid it so if you want some nuts, there are plenty in Valencia.

Istanbul, left; Valencia, right.

Wish us luck.