Our plan for an African safari vacation to celebrate our reunion had been 6 months in the making, and arranging it was no easy task amidst my job change, moving, and the new home buy. Beyond the hotels and flights, we had to account for visas, malaria prophylaxis, mosquito repellants, safari clothing, wildlife photographic gear, pet-sitting, and importantly, cost. Fortunately, our friends in Zambia helped us obtain local rates for the pricey game lodges, and before we knew it, we were on our way. Our flight departed from SFO, which gave us an excuse to dine in Millbrae. The painfully slow service at Hong Kong Flower Lounge led us to forgo our last dish and left us little time to park, forcing us to leave the car in a questionable spot in the airport hotel lot. The mood lighting and lounge music from Virgin put us at ease aboard our red-eye to JFK, where we shared a Shackburger before our connection to Johannesburg. On arrival, our jolly driver Collin took us to the Melrose Place hotel. There, we enjoyed a quiet breakfast amidst the tranquil suburban locale, then headed off into the bustling Soweto for an afternoon tour. Our first stop at the Apartheid Museum provided vivid though confusing insight into the evolution of race and culture in South Africa, with a terrific special exhibit on Nelson Mandela. The rest of the tour was disappointing, as our guide mostly pointed out the township sites from inside the car like an urban safari. We wrapped up with the local lamb stew and pap at Moyo for dinner. Our one-day layover in Jo-burg was ho-hum, but ultimately, was a mere prelude to our adventures ahead.