Trepid and Intrepid Travelers

Edy wrinkled her nose. “Why?” she asked. “It will be wonderful!” I exclaimed. “The people are different. The animals are different. Even the countryside is different. It will be a fantastic getaway. We’ll have a great time. Can you think of anyplace better to go?” “Martha’s Vineyard,” she answered. “Someplace nearby. I don’t want adventure. I just want to spend time with you.” Sensing my disappointment, she added, “Why not go to Africa for our first anniversary?” After the wedding and a wonderful trip to Martha’s Vineyard, we relocated. I joined a new infectious diseases division, and Edy worked as a self-employed, real estate title examiner. We began planning our safari to Kenya and Tanzania. Edy would see the flamingos of Lake Nakuru, I the wildlife on the Serengeti Plain. In the months preceding our departure, a New York Times article on political violence in coastal Kenya precipitated anxious telephone calls to the State Department and the US embassy in Nairobi. We ordered DEET, permethrin, a water purification device, and oral rehydration salts. I cringed a little when I wrote a nonrefundable check for the trip. Edy cringed a lot when we received our yellow fever, meningococcal, and hepatitis A immunizations. Mary Jo, the nurse in our travelers’ health clinic, went over a list of dietary precautions. When Edy heard from a friend about mefloquine’s neuropsychiatric side effects, I could not palliate her fears. Mary Jo was able to counsel her. The week before departure, Edy sprayed our clothes with permethrin. Another call to the State Department confirmed no recurrence of political violence. We began