planning ?!?!

Here things are alright I guess.
I have to say that I am feeling a little restless and in fact to help with this I am looking into a trip to Timbuktu...even just the looking into it is helping some. I have the flight itinary (with cost) of Air Mali between Bamako (the capital of Mali) and Timbuktu on my wall in the office right under a photo of Djenne (another town in Mali very well worth seeing...look it up). ...I am even reading a book (pretty good one actually) about this guy traveling from the coast of Gambia to Timbuktu...but he did it in boats, taxi and things like this. I am unfortunately planning to just fly there.
I tell you if I wasn't a woman I would be doing a lot more stuff like that!!!
Maybe I shouldn't use this as an excuse and actually get cracking on some of the stuff I would like to do, like actually canoeing to Timbuktu! Hey, they have Malaria pills now.....and anyway it certainly looks like I have already had malaria (thought we will never know for sure until I have a blood test).
I always wonder how people plan stuff like that. You always read in the intro that the author dreamt about for years, planned for at least a year etc etc etc...what were they planning? I don't get it, it is not as if you can predict what will happen, and presumably they are not taking months to book a plane ticket and accomodation for the first few nights!! It always make me feel like I am missing something. I should be planning trips instead of just going. Does it make the trip better?
Thought to go to Mali I will have to plan some since i need to get a visa before going. I am so spoiled and so use to just getting one at the border!
Maybe I should use the next 5 months (only 5 months left on the contract) to plan some crazy trip on this continent!!

In a totally different scale for the long week end of Easter (here it is friday to Monday included ....maybe it is everywhere like this but how would I know I never had a job where this kind of stuff matters) so anyway for the long week end I am going to a small town on the east coast of South Africa between Port elizabeth and Durban. I have some friends who have a house right by the ocean there and it is supposed to be a fabulously beautiful place. I am so looking forward to it. I tell you I am starting to know more places in ZA than most South Africans....