On Geographical Ignorance

So I had a conversation with a very nice lady here in DC who I told about my trip to Tanzania and Kenya. I guess she was trying to be cordial, but she said, "well I just love South Africa." I found myself irritated, because its like telling someone you are going to visit Mexico and them telling you how great their trip to Washington DC was.
Anyway, geographical cluelessness aside, I am getting more and more excited everyday! But right now I feel so focused on tieing up all my loose ends here.