Around the World in 365 days

End of 'this' Adventure....

2009-05-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

After 326 days of travel,

17 countries,
(England, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Vanuatu and China)

76,700 Kilometres traveled (and that's traveling 'as the crow flies' not the winding roads),

89 different beds,

and 29 books read,

I have made it back to Canada.

I have met lawyers, doctors, teachers, restaurant managers, founders of laughing clubs, journalists doing secret stories, traveling seniors and photographers. Kevin talked to me about farming in Manitoba and Pontus was my Swedish expert. I met a group of young people from Rwanda that made me feel young and happy; and an amazing Canadian women who left Canada to start a preschool in Ruhengeri, Rwanda.

I've said many times in this blog that its the people you meet along the journey that makes this whole experience memorable. This year I have traveled with Anne from Canada, Kevin and Dominic, also from Canada, Jonathan from Germany, Lukas from Austria, Kate from Australia, Aidan from England, Pontus from Sweden, Ian from Germany, Sonya from Russia, Michiel and Celein from Holland and in northern Vietnam Hannah and Joe from England.

I feel a little bit like I'm accepting an award but there are many people that have opened their homes to me and included me in their lives, families, fed me and gave me free accommodation. Venters in Johannesburg; Walters and Nedfts in Capetown; Rowes in Nelsprit; My Zimbabwe Family; Cathy and family in Rwanda; Rajam and family in India; Tuckers in Singapore; Clisdells and Chidgeys in Australia and finally Lukas and Xin Xin in Beijing.

Highlights and Strange Happenings
• I was a trillionaire in Zimbabwe and still couldn't really buy much
• I got questioned by a Zimbabwe Customs official. I had claimed 'solar panels and welding rods' on my receipts. He wanted to know why a tourist was buying 'solar panels and welding rods', good question really
• A taxi driver in Tanzania wanted me to back him in setting up a toilet paper business
• I looked after a hotel for a short time in Zanzibar while the guy went to prayers at the mosque
• Camped in the middle of the Serengeti National Park surrounded my lions and elephants, sleeping alone in only a tent and NO FENCE
• I went on a 'Free Rose' demonstration in Rwanda and according to the radio they were glad to have "Canada's support"
• Rafted and swam 32 km of the Nile
• Took one trip from Uganda to Rwanda that included a dugout canoe, a taxi, a car with seven people, and two separate motorcycles... all in the same day
• I ordered a 'cheese burger' of a menu in Varanasi, India, expecting a normal cheese burger... silly me... I got two pieces of bread with a piece of deep fried cheese
• On one day in India, I watched kids playing cricket, went to a Bollywood movie shoot, and had chai tea with three Indian Police officers
• Saw some very drunk pigs in Dalat, Vietnam
• Took a taxi in Beijing that broke down, then took another taxi where the driver kept explaining a story to me about a screwdriver, which he kept waving at me, all of this in Chinese
• Hiked nine kilometres of the Great Wall of China

I've posted a few pictures from China on FB:
Here are the links:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=263490&id=763065018&l=06f3f0c3e7
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=263494&id=763065018&l=183d576214

It has been an incredible eleven month trip around this wonder world that we live in, can't wait to do it all again.

Australia and Vanautu Pictures

2009-05-11T00:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a some pictures from the past few weeks:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256327&id=763065018&l=f3a27994e2

Australia and Vanuatu

2009-05-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it has been over three weeks since I've posted here. I feel like I've seen so much of Australia. From Alice Springs I flew back to Sydney via Melbourne. I booked all my own tickets online, not realizing that I had to change airports in Melbourne. I arrived and started looking for the domestic terminal and my gate, only to soon find out that it was across the city. I had to take a bus into Melbourne and then another shuttle to the other airport. Fortunately I had about five hours, it would have been tight if my layover was only two or three hours. I stayed with an amazing couple south of Sydney at a Baptist camp for almost a week. It was a beautiful rural setting and they were so kind to me. From Sydney I headed north to Coff's Harbour. My university friend from Newfoundland lives there. I hadn't seen her for over ten years, so it was great to catch up with her again. I think she enjoyed having someone to talk to about Newfoundland. From Coff's Harbour I took a bus north to Brisbane, I spent just a few days there. It was in Brisbane that I had a very interesting 'interaction' in a hostel that resulted in my changing rooms for the first time in eleven months. The story isn't really for public consumption, you can ask for details... ;-)
From the beginning of my trip I wanted to spend time in Fiji. I went to a travel agent and we talked about the South Pacific Islands and all the options. Fiji was a bit too expensive for me, so the agent suggested Vanuatu, a small island between Australia and Fiji. I'm spending just four nights on a TINY island off the main island. There is a ferry that runs back and forth all day. Its a spectacular place. Yesterday I went on a snorkeling safari. There was a guide pointing out all the different fish and coral. The colours of fish and coral were just brilliant. I met a great Australian couple here and we hung out for most of the day. In the afternoon we went to the main island and went to one of the local villages. The people are so very welcoming. We tried a local drink that smells a bit like dirt, also looks very muddy. Its a non-alcoholic drink made from the the kava root. It does cause a strange sensation though, it makes your mouth and tongue a little numb. Almost like a visit to the dentist. You drink it in one gulp, its not a beverage to sip that's for sure. It tastes awful.
Last night the place I'm staying at had a feast with loads of food and local music and dancing. It really was an amazing day. I could live here on this tiny little island.

I found this information about Kava from a website..
Kava Root (the only part of the plant that is used) is largely employed as a celebratory drink much in the same way that alcohol is used in the West. It helps mark momentous occasions such as weddings, public festivals, political powwows and holidays, and it is even used in ceremonies honoring the dead. Unlike alcohol, kava does not produce or stimulate aggression. It does not condemn the user to a dreaded hangover, unlike alcohol. Alcohol literally kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, and Kava, when properly harvested, has never actually hurt anyone. Kava has even been known to help reduce alcohol consumption!

Many people find other uses for kava, including many medicinal ones. It’s interesting to note that kava has been shown to help ease anxiety, depression as well as producing a restful sleep. It is used by athletes, businessmen and diplomats to help “take the edge off” and focus concentration. Widely prescribed throughout Oceania and Europe to treat hyperactivity in children, it has also been used to aid children who have difficulty sleeping on occasion.

Uluru (Ayer's Rock) Tour

2009-04-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

I went to visit Uluru (Ayer's Rock) and King's Canyon this past week. Both of which are absolute marvels. I was with a group called the Rock Tour, there were 17 of us with a guide. I thought in the beginning that it was way too big, but the combination of Germans, Dutch, British, Swede and me the lone Canadian worked out very well. The drive from Alice Springs to King's Canyon - the first stop on our tour - was about 5 hours. On the way we saw a herd of wild camels, they're not native to Australia but were brought here by early settlers and have since thrived in the area. King's canyon was beautiful, we walked for about three hours around different parts of the canyon, had some opportunities to look down into the canyon from the edge. It was pretty freaky. The first night we made camp at a 'bush' camping ground, no toilets - just a bush. We cooked our meal over the fire and it was delicious. We slept in a swag. A swag is an Australian creation, its a canvass bag that zips up with just your face out. It has a small mattress and you put your sleeping bag inside. It was a great way to sleep, with your last sight for the day being the amazing southern night sky.
The next day we drove to Uluru. Uluru is the word that local Aboriginal groups have given Ayer's Rock. We arrived at the Rock at sunset, we set up our rolled up swags in a semi-circle and ate supper while watching the splendor of light setting on Uluru. The changes in colours has the sun set were spectacular. The next morning was an early one, we left our camp site around 5:45am, this time to watch the sunrise on Uluru.... also an amazing sight.
I feel like I experienced the outback in a real authentic way with the sleeping outside, cooking over an open fire and seeing the sun set and rise on this very sacred sight.

Pictures from the Outback

2009-04-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the public Facebook link to some Outback pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=245454&id=763065018&l=d764ef8133

Deep in the Outback

2009-04-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

I came to Australia with no plans. I like having the flexibility to decide when Iarrive in a new country. I really intended to go to New Zealand, then I checked out the temperatures for this time of the year. It's COLD there. So, I decided to stay in Australia for my six weeks in the south Pacific. I spent six days in Melbourne, its right in the southern part of Australia, so it was pretty cold there for a few days. I met a guy from Sweden, he suggested going to the outback, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. I kept thinking... sounds like a plan. So after three long bus rides, each about 12 hours we arrived in Alice Springs. We spent one night in a small town called Cobber Pedy, its a little mining town about 800 from Adelaide and that far again from Alice Springs. Talk about being in the middle of nowhere. I stayed in a hostel that was carved out of stone under ground. Many of the houses in this town are under ground, mostly to get away from the scorching summer temperatures, apparently it gets into the 50's. It was a very unique place. Not much to do but unique nevertheless. We arrived in Alice Springs yesterday. The town is pretty much closed today because of Good Friday. We leave on a three day tour of King's Canyon and Ayers Rock on Sunday. We sleep outside under the stars in 5-10 degrees. BRRR. Should be a lot of fun. Funny thing is I thought Ayer's Rocks was in or very close to Alice Springs, its about a 4-5 hours drive due west. Who knew.

I haven't uploaded many pictures lately, I've been having some trouble with one of my camera chips, I lost all of my pictures from Singapore and Melbourne. I moved onto a new chip. I'll upload some next week of Ayers Rock.

I just finished booking travel tickets home. I arrive in Vancouver on May 27. Hard to believe its time to think about that.

Singapore and Beyond

2009-04-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

I just arrived in Melbourne, Australia. I spent the past week in Singapore. I don't know what to say about Singapore. It was very expensive, especially after spending the past few months in India and SE Asia. Singapore itself is a beautiful city, it looks very 'planned' and 'manicured'. I stayed with a friend in the downtown core for the first part of the week. I think Singapore has more malls than any place I have ever been. It certainly would be the dream of a 'shopper'. For me, not so much. I spent the second part of the week with an old university friend from Newfoundland. It was great to meet up again.

I have no idea what is going to happen in the next six weeks. I had first planned to go to New Zealand, but it is very chilly there now and I'm not sure if I want to end my year of traveling in the cold. So I may head north in Australia and find a good beach.

Lost in Hanoi

2009-03-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last few days in Hanoi. It's a great city to wander in, lots of great things to see. I've been to see Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh is seen as the great liberator of Vietnam and is held in very high regard. The funny thing is, he had requested a simple cremation before he died. His request certainly wasn't heeded. He is laid to rest in a giant glass 'cage' in a monster of a building. Hardly simple. It was interesting to go though, I was surprised to see that I was one of the few foreigners. Most of the visitors were Vietnamese, who visit to pay their respects.

My Friends Joe and Hannah left a few days ago for Laos, it was great traveling with them if for the simple reason I had someone navigating my way. I have been lost so many times in the past few days. This morning I headed out to an area around the lake, and wanted to wander through all the narrow market streets. Once again, I got severely off track and ended up in a completely different area of the city. I know this must sound humourous, but when you suffer from the 'direction disability' it can be very frustrating, especially when you're wandering in hot humid weather.

Tomorrow I'm off to Singapore to meet up with some friends and just a week later to Melbourne, Australia.

Halong Bay, Northern Vietnam

2009-03-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a very bad/LAZY thing, I went on an amazing tour of Halong Bay in northern Vietnam. I went with a great couple Joe and Hannah from England. She wrote about it on her blog and did such a great job, I thought I would copy parts of it. Thanks Joe and Hannah.

I've put some pictures on Facebook again, you can see then with this public link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=234147&id=763065018&l=2930a089f8

At 8am we took a very small (and quite precarious looking) boat to our new home / boat for the next 2 days. Our crew Bin, Tim and Fi, made us feel instantly at home by bringing us a cup of traditional Vietnamese Tea. We sat up on the roof deck, lounging in our reclining chairs feeling like lord and lady muck! Shame the tea had been boiled in the same utensils they use for tea, as it had a very fishy taste! The three of us (Max has come with us, and the 3 of us have a huge boat all to ourselves) dutifully drank the tea, making the correct, polite um and ahh noises until Bin had gone down below, and we threw it over board, hoping the crew would think it was a fish jumping!

We motored out of Cat Ba Town Bay and just went around lots of different islands, each new turn providing a beautiful scene, fit for a kodak moment. Although the weather isn't great (its the low season, a bit cold and misty) it added to the magical sense. After a few hours of lounging about, admiring the scenery, we docked at one of the floating houses. The only other boats we have seen have been local fishermen and their floating houses / fish farms where they keep lots of dogs to amuse them. The fishermen keep fish in nets to fatten them up, an also grow muscles and other shell fish, but it can take 3 years for them to grow so they have a lot of spare time on their hands! We picked up some kayaks and donned our swimmers, before taking off on an hour long kayak tour around the bay we were in to a lovely beach which was covered in purple shells. There were all different types of shells, yet they all ranged from light to dark purple, it was quite bizarre, but very beautiful. There are so many little beaches where no one goes all around this area.

After the feast called lunch (fresh fish, veggies, spring rolls, rice and seafood - which Max ate, he's so happy he's on a tour with us, as he gets to eat all the stuff we don't like!) we once again motored out, the boat is called a junk, but it doesn't have those lovely red sails we were hoping for but its still a wonderful experience. After taking loads of photos, we once again kayaked in the afternoon, this time going though a cave complex (which got a bit dark and scary at one point!) which has been hollowed out of the cliffs by years of erosion, to bring us out into a lagoon.

The afternoon involved more motoring between the small islands. We just relaxed and enjoyed the views, soaking up the scenery. We visited a fish farm in the afternoon where our lads got a fish for tea -so fresh it tried to escape!

In the evening we ate yet another feast before retiring to bed down below at about 8pm! There isn't really too much to say, as most of the day has been spent up top, just relaxing! Perfect!

Day Two on Halong Bay

Arose at about 8 am, (Max rose just after 6:00) and we were promptly fed a lovely fried egg butty by the boys on our boat. Soon after we were underway with Captain Fi and his very cool quiff hairdo pushing us on further and deeper into the huge limestone monoliths. This morning he took us to some floating fishing villages and we all hopped in the kayaks for a closer inspection.

The trip over the shallows was fantastic and we managed to see some pretty interesting coral through the vivid jade coloured waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. The crabs all take on a lovely purple colour as do most of the other shell fish and we loved getting close to the edges of the karst towers to see them scatter away when we paddled near. Once back in the boat we were taken to Thien Cung grotto which is a huge cave complex comprising of three large chambers containing large numerous stalactites and stalagmites. After 40 mins of walking around the caves it was time for lunch and once again it was a feast fit for kings - except the tea we had yesterday was twice as strong and fishy this time!

At about 1 ish we dropped anchor at another limestone tower that had some more interesting coral and a lovely beach and spent a good 50 min paddling slowly up and down the edges taking in the surroundings. Sadly our Halong Bay time was coming to an end and the junk we have been on for the last 2 days set course for Cat Ba island. It took us no time to get back as we reflected on the great couple of days we've just had and we were back at the hotel for 4:30pm. For anyone considering coming here - do it! - t'was superb - maybe check out this website and see what you think - http://www.catbaventures.com/ - get thee to Phong Lan hotel and Mr Tung will sort it!

Vietnam

2009-03-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have been in Vietnam for just over a week. I first went to Ho Chi Minh, it is most commonly called Saigon. I have never seen so many motorcycles in all of my life. The Lonely Planet guide book warns you about getting across the street. You literally have to weave in and out of hundreds of motorcycles. It's crazy. I had no idea where I was going from Saigon, I looked at the my trusty Lonely Planet and found a small 'beach' town called Mui Ne. It was about four hours north, I got there and it was indeed by the ocean, but there was no beach. Apparently the beach washes away for certain months of the year, well March is one of those months. I had a good two days there just the same, I rented a bike and wandered around from one end of the town to the other. It was a very hot day, so I bought a pool pass at a really nice hotel and hung out poolside. From Mue Ne, I took the bus to Da Lat. This town is in the mountains, about 1500m above sea level. You can notice the difference in temperature right away, especially at night. Today I hired a local guide named Vu. He was great, he took me on his motorcycle to all the different areas around town and out into the country side. We were having an amazing day until about 3:00 when it started to rain, 'pouring out of the Heavens' kind of rain. By the time I got back to my hotel, I was soaked to the skin. I've posted some pictures again on Facebook, I figure since I can post the public link on here, it will be easier.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=229412&id=763065018&l=3ce0e

Links for Pictures from Facebook

2009-03-06T05:16:00.000-08:00

For those non-Facebook users, here are the public links to photos that I have posted in the past few months on my Facebook page. You do not have to be a member to view the pictures. Just cut and paste the address. The most recent pictures are listed first.

Cambodia
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=226374&id=763065018&l=a5a55

Thailand
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=225615&id=763065018&l=d2e2a

India

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=221701&id=763065018&l=561cc
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=218680&id=763065018&l=98171
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=217922&id=763065018&l=f47f8
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=215667&id=763065018&l=88cbf
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=210997&id=763065018&l=721e0
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205822&id=763065018&l=640e4

Africa and India

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205231&id=763065018&l=3e75e
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=189016&id=763065018&l=8fafd
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=184785&id=763065018&l=35b7e

Thailand and Cambodia

2009-03-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

The difficulty when waiting a long time between posts is figuring out where the the time has gone since the last post. I flew from Calcutta to Bangkok a few weeks ago. It was strange to be in a city with lanes on the roads and shopping malls. Although I didn't see the insides of any shopping malls. I stayed in Bangkok on Khao San road, it is the backpacker place to go. It wasn't my scene, the street was packed with people, big party atmosphere. I just spent two days here, enough time to do some laundry and sort out my visa for Vietnam. It would have made way more sense to go north and then gradually make my way south through the other countries, but the southern beaches were calling my name. I headed to a small island in the south called Kho Phangnan, it was about 80km off the Thai mainland. I found a little place there called Bottle Beach. It was very isolated, no roads going there, so I had to take a long boat (fishing boat). It had no stores and only a few places to stay. I stayed at Smiles Bungalow. It was a wonderful four days. My bungalow had a great view of the beach and the people that were staying there and working there were amazing. Many interesting people. I was sad when I had to leave and head back to Bangkok. From Bangkok I went east to Seim Reep, Cambodia. Seim Reep is famous for Angkor Wat, its like the biggest church in the world. It's a collection of temples that are spread out over about 40km, some of which are absolutely immense and dating back over a 1000 years. I do tend to suffer from a bit of temple fatigue though after a full day of wandering through them. Today, I'm heading out for my second day of temple gazing. My visit in Cambodia will be short, hoping to head to Vietnam tomorrow. I will try to post pictures soon, I've put some on Facebook, if you are interested.

INdia ... The Conclusion

2009-02-17T23:51:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that it has been six weeks since I arrived in India. India was amazing, some parts were very easy, others very challenging. Overall it was a very good experience. My last week in India was spent in Varanasi and then Calcutta. Four days in Varanasi is not enough. I spent my time there wandering the ghats. It seemed like they were different every time you walked them. There is just so much activity. They form the core of everything that happens in Varanasi. One day in the week a ghat is devoted to laundry. It was cool to see all the shirts, pants and sarees spread out on lines and on the ground.

From Varanasi, I took a train to Calcutta. I only spent two days here. I lived on Sudder Street, this is the 'tourist' area. Calcutta really surprised me, once again my western notions were shattered in a good way. I think most people think of Calcutta as one big slum. Well, it is far from that. It has theatres, malls, a theme park and huge water park. I'm sure it has the same social issues that any big city has but it is far from a slum. I had a great time here. I met these two ladies in their 50's from Ireland and a guy from Burma. We had a lot of fun together. Only when you travel can you find combinations like that.

India in brief....
- The rule of the road.... there are no rules.... get where you need to go however possible.
- Banana leaves are often used for plates and place mats, new ones every meal.
- First question ALWAYS to me, how many Children do you have? Then, are you married?
When I say no, Why? How old are you and usually how much money do you make. You don't really have to know someone well to be asked these questions, I've been asked by rickshaw drivers many times.
- Men and women will not sit next to each other in public places, on buses or trains. They will always re-arrange seating to accommodate this.
- Getting on a public bus is 'CRAZY', the people literally just storm the door, with elbows flying.
- If you are in an Indian home, you are constantly being asked, 'Are you ok?' 'Do you need anything to drink/eat?' You are treated very well.

Sarees on laundry day

From the back of my rickshaw, its difficult to capture on camera just how crowded the streets were.

Here I am on the ghats in Varanasi.

Laundry day

This temple is seriously leaning.

Varnasi, the Sacred City

2009-02-11T00:05:00.001-08:00

From Kodaikanal, I went to the east coast of India to a city called Pondicherry. I've been in India since January 7, and this was the one place that I couldn't get out of quick enough. I was there for two nights, my accommodation was expensive and very dirty. The people working the front desk were unfriendly and not very helpful. This place has been the exception in my travels in India. I went searching in my Lonely Planet for another place to visit, I had about two days to spare. I found a little town about two hours north of Pondicherry called Mamalanapurum. It was a great little town by the sea. I stayed right on the beach, not a 'sun bathing' kind of beach. It was a true fishermen working kind of place. I loved sitting on my deck and watching them mend their nets and going out in their long boats. I got up one morning around 6:00 to watch the sun rise and see all the fishermen doing their morning routines.

This was taken from my deck. The temple in the background was amazing. The location was very different, a temple right by the sea, it was called Shore Temple.

I think the cows like the beach as much as the people. There were always herds of cattle roaming the beach.

This is a Hindu temple, they are like nothing I've ever seen. The colours are amazing.

I took a taxi very early yesterday for my 7:30am flight to Delhi, then on to Varanasi. I've now been in a lot of cities in India, so far I think Varanasi is the most crowded. Getting from the airport to my guest was a feat in itself. The airport is more than a 30 minute ride from the city, an expensive taxi ride, but the guy I was sitting with on the plane was in Varanasi on business and offered me a ride into the city. Then I paid for the taxi from his hotel to the area in the city where I was staying. My place the Shanti Guest House couldn't be reached by car, its down this very narrow lane. From the taxi I had to hire a 'human powered' rickshaw. It's a tricycle with a seat propped up on the back for passengers. The street was full of them. Although I have to say I was quite guilt ridden riding on this thing, the driver had to work so hard. There were times he had to jump of the bike and push it. It kind of worked in his favour though, I paid him twice what he was asking for. The last portion of the journey to Shanti I had to walk. As soon as I got off the rickshaw a man said I will take you to Shanti. I usually refuse these offers, but seeing the maze of lanes in front of me, I accepted his offer. This was a good thing, I would have been lost for days. Another 10Rupee tip and I finally made it to my guest house.

It is on the river Ganges. This river is a very sacred place for many religions but Hindus in particular. The western side of the river is lined with 'ghats'. A ghat is a set of steps that leads down to the river. The ghat that I live near is the main burning ghat. Hindus cremate their loved ones near the Ganges and send their ashes down the river. Most all the cremations happen just about 100 metres from my place. There are buildings in between us so I can't really see it happening. This morning I went down to the river. You would not believe the activity. I first went to the burning ghat. There are about 4-5 fires going at any one time and they are going all day long. Providing the wood has become a huge industry here. I didn't stay for long, it kind of felt that I was imposing on a family funeral. Although there were littering hundreds of people all around. Just a short distance from the burning ghat, people were bathing in the river and also washing their cows. It really is a all purpose kind of place.

Funny note... I ordered a cheese burger off the menu at the restaurant at Shanti, expecting of course a 'cheese burger'. Silly me to expect that. It had two pieces of bread with a patty made of cheese... no beef in sight. Which isn't too surprising I guess given that the cows are revered here.

From the Beach to the Sky

2009-02-03T21:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy week. I spent most of last week in the Kerela region in the southern part of India on a beach called Varkala. Its a beautiful beach surrounded by cliffs. All the places to stay are on the cliff side. It was a very chilled out place. I found great accommodation for 300 Rupees, about $6.I ate my meals here most days, it was called the Sunshine Restaurant. The servers were amazing, happy and very welcoming.

I left Varkala last Thursday and headed to Tirunelvelli. It was two train rides and about a 6 hour journey. I visited with a family in Tirunelvelli. It was an amazing experience to spend a few days living with an Indian family. They were so kind to me. Always concerned about if I had enough to eat and drink. The father and mother of the family are Salvation Army pastors. On Monday I got an opportunity to attend a wedding that he was officiating. It was another of those experiences that you can't believe that you are in the middle of. First the Groom arrived at the church being led by a band that consisted of three drums, cymbals and a saxaphone. The bride was next to arrive. After the meal we were fed some great food. The 'heat' in the food made me sweat but it was great. It was all very festive. I felt very priviledged to be a part of their day.

The 'happy' couple.

During the wedding, all the people sat on the floor. The colours of the ladies' saris were amazing. Its difficult to capture it in a photo.

Trains in India is the main mode of transportation. I always choose sleeper class, which is just one step up from the bottom. Its cheap, but very basic. The long rides can be back breaking and it seems that all the rides are very long. A 150km journey can take up to six hours.

I left Tirunelvelli yesterday (Tuesday) for Kodaikanal. Sometimes getting around is a challenge. This was a train ride and a four hour bus ride. The region is Tamil Nadu and the main language is Tamil, the problem is that they have a different alphabet. Signs are most often in Tamil, so reading street signs and travel information is almost impossible. I arrived at the bus station to catch my bus to Kodaikanal. Again all the information was in Tamil. I talked to a lot of people, with everyone giving me different information. There were two Indian guys that were travelling to the same place, so I stuck to them like glue. Eventually I ended up on the right bus. Kodaikanal is 2100 metres above sea level. The climb up the mountain was interesting. The view from the top is amazing.

This is my view out the front door at Kodaikanal.

Hampi Pictures

2009-01-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

The rivers in India are always a busy place with laundry, bathing and just general socializing.
We broke down for petro, had to get more to make it back to our guest house.

Look at the eyes on this kid, they were bright green.

I couldn't resist, had to break out a yoga move.
The Elephant Stables

The Queen's bath

Hampi, Karnataka, India

2009-01-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a great week in India. I left Goa on Monday and headed inland to Hampi. This town is known for its amazing temples. Many dating back 400-500 years. I hung out this week with two new friends, Kate from Australia and Lukas from Austria. We were on the same bus from Goa to Hampi and then stayed at the same place, the Sai Plaza. It was affordable, good food and views of the temples from the eating area. I was together with Kate and Lukas for most of the week. We spent two days touring the temples, one of the days we hired a rickshaw to take us from one temple to another. On the last day of temple gazing, we came upon this one that had a great sitting area, I could just picture people sitting there and chatting over the past 500 years. We sat there for ages chatting, it was very quiet with only a few people around. The landscape in Hampi is very unique, someone in Goa told me it was like landing on the moon. It reminds me of the Matobos Hills in Southern Zimbabwe, scattered boulders everywhere. On Thursday (maybe Wednesday) I think it was we rented little mopeds. It reminded me of riding a lawn mower. It had very little power and maximum speed topped out at about 50kph. We were told at the beginning of the day that we had gas for about 75km. We were riding for many hours, and the odometer did not work, so it was hard to tell how far we had gone..... you know where this is leading.... on the way back, Lukas and Kate's moped died. He took mine and went to get gas, which wasn't much of a problem and we were soon on our way back to the guest house. It was a great day of wandering through 'small town' India. Although riding on the road was a bit of an obstacle course, we had to maneuver around, people, goats, cows, pigs, rickshaws, motorcycles, cars, the list just goes on and on, but it was a great day of fun. Yesterday I left Hampi, leaving Kate and Lukas behind and headed for Mangalore en route to Varkala in the south.

Aranbol Beach, Goa, India

2009-01-15T01:25:00.000-08:00

I have been in Aranbol, Goa for the past three days. It is on the western side of India on the Arabian Sea. I'm feeling kind of stuck here, I don't want to leave. I come up with a new excuse every day on why to stay another day. My excuse for not moving tomorrow - it's Friday and many people will be heading to other beaches and therefore I might not find any place to stay... that sounds reasonable doesn't it. Aranbol is great, it is a very 'festive' beach. Lots of music and entertainment all day and well into the evening. The water is amazing, I've been swimming at least three times every day. I have to fit the swimming into my rather hectic schedule of reading, walking the beach, massage, eating, yoga and napping. I have a rough life. I think I will head to the southern part of Goa on Monday and then on to southern India after that. I expect my 5- 6 weeks in India will be spent in the south.

I'm staying in a great little beach hut, and it is just a hut. Nothing but a bed, mosquito net and a fan. The temperatures have been really nice at night, not too hot.

I've been bumping into people that I've met along the way. Yesterday I was walking the street and bumped into a guy that was in my hostel in Mumbai. The strangest occurrence was when I arrived in Mumbai and bumped into a traveller that I stayed with in the rural parts of Uganda in Africa, what are the chances of meeting someone on another continent in among 16.4 million people.

When I was on my way here today to the Internet cafe, there were two guys doing tricks on the beach with a cow. Seriously, they had the cow decorated, and one of the guys was lying on the beach and the cow was standing on him with one leg, meanwhile the other guy was playing music. Only in Goa.

This is not the 'trick' cow, it was just lying in the sun on the beach. There are many of them all over the beach.

Mumbai, India

2009-01-09T04:35:00.000-08:00

I have arrived safely in Mumbai. I got here at 3:00am, what an awful time to arrive in a new city. I waited in the airport until 6:30am before getting a taxi into the city. The drive in was interesting, even at 6:30 in the morning it was pretty busy with people and cars. The other noticeable thing is the abundance of smog, its making my allergies go crazy. I'm staying at a Salvation Army hostel in the Calaba area, it's right across the road from the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It's a great location, just a five minute walk to the water. Yesterday I took a boat out to Elephanta Island, it was a nine km ride. Elephanta Island is famous for its temples that are carved into the side of huge rock faces.

Here are a few photos courtesy of Google Images. I did take loads of pictures, just haven't uploaded them yet.

Today I had to make my way by foot to the train station. Again my sense of direction (or lack thereof) kept me wandering for a while. What was supposed to be a 20 minute walk turned into a hour and a bit. The process of buying a train ticket is in itself a little mesmerizing. First you find the reservations area in a very chaotic station with 1000's of people, then you have to find the name of the train you want (there are many) , then you have to go to a particular window (also many). Fortunately for me there was a 'foreign traveller' window. Yeah for that. Tomorrow I have to take a 7:10am train to Pune, about a four hour trip south of Mumbai. Apparently there is a 'gas strike', so I may end up walking it again tomorrow. I think my next trip I'm going to buy a GPS to keep me on track.

Leaving Africa

2009-01-03T01:19:00.000-08:00

It has been six months since I left Vancouver and my African leg of the journey is almost done. I have just four days left before heading to Mumbai, India. It has been an amazing six months. Here are some of the places I've visited:

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Tshelanyemba, Zimbawe
Francistown, Botswana,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Cape Town, SA
Mossel Bay, Knysna, Jeffrey's Bay, Port Elizabeth, Coffee Bay, Durban, Nelspruit, - South Africa
Mbanbane, Swazliland
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Stonetown, Zanzibar
Paje, Zanzibar
Moshi, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, Arusha, Mwanza, -Tanzania
Kigali, Ruhengeri, Butari, Gisenye all in Rwanda
Kampala, Jinga, Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi - Uganda

As always Africa has a lot to teach you about yourself. Volunteering in both Zimbabwe and Rwanda has been amazing, I always need to settle down for a few weeks and unpack. Traveling to a new city every few days can be tiring. I know I will be returning to some of the places that I've spent time in since July.

Now comes India. I know this country will have challenges for me. I still haven't set out a firm itinerary, that will come. I fly into Mumbai on January 7. I hope to keep you all updated on here.

Christmas Eve Update

2008-12-24T02:39:00.000-08:00

This morning we went up to the school. It wasn't a normal school day, but the neighbourhood knew that we would be visiting. There are normally about 130 students, this morning there were 245 people at the school. They all got a piece of bread, a glass of juice, the youngest ones got some sorghum and they all got a candy. They were all incredibly happy, it was as if we had given them the best Christmas present ever. What an amazing way to spend Christmas.

Merry Christmas From Rwanda

2008-12-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

I really do lose track of time on the road. I got back to Rwanda a few days ago after spending 12 amazing days in Uganda. What a beautiful country, I will go back there again one day to see more of it. After rafting and a few days in Jinja, I headed back to the capital city of Kampala. That is one crazy city. In the downtown core, you can barely move for taxis, buses and people. You have to literally push your way through. Funny thing is people here don't expect 'Mzungus' (white people) to be pushy but sometimes you have no choice. I intended to visit Murchinson falls in the north, but it was a long drive and was going to be costly, so I ended up heading south to Lake Bunyonyi. This was better because I had to head south for Rwanda anyway. Lake Bunyonyi was stunning, I got dropped at the dock and then had to get a ride in a dugout canoe to where I was staying. It was on a tiny island called Itambira Island in the middle of the lake. I met up with a great group of people, an Australian, British, American, Russian and two more Canadians. We had a great time playing cards, even late into the night when the solar power ran out and we played by candle light. Getting from Lake Bunyonyi back to Ruhengeri was a bit of a feat despite the relatively short distance. First there was a boat to the mainland, then a mini bus to Kabale, a 80km car ride with 7 people (four in the back seat... not comfortable) over very bad roads to a Kisoro, a motorcycle ride to the Rwanda border, and finally another motorcyle to Ruhengeri.... whew... I was tired and dirty.

It's hard to believe that today is Christmas Eve. It really doesn't feel the same here. People celebrate with a meal with their families. We have a lamb for tomorrow's Christmas dinner. It's getting 'prepared' today. I did get in the mood a bit last night wrapping gifts for the people I'm spending Christmas with. No colourful paper here though, it was all wrapped in old newspapers. I wish you all an amazing Christmas with your families.

Rafting the Nile

2008-12-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

I traveled to Uganda on December 10. It was a ten hour bus ride from Kigali (Rwanda) to Kampala in Uganda. My Ugandan friend Jonathan was there to pick me up from the bus, its always nice to enter a new city with a familiar face. I stayed with him and his girlfriend that night. On Wednesday I made my way east to the small town of Jinga. It's about 80 km from Kampala and famous for it white water rafting. I stayed at a great hostel in Jinga called the Nile River Explorers, they also have a place about 8km from Jinga. I transferred to the place outside of town the next day. The setting was amazing. It was on the banks of the Nile. The restaurant and hang out place was on a huge deck with priceless views.

On Dec. 12 I went rafting. There was a short orientation on land and then more in the water, including flipping the boat and getting back in. Rapids are graded from 1 - 6, rapids that are rated a six are usually only done by kayaks and not rafts. We did a series of 1 - 5. The first few rapids were pretty tame, but even those are a bit tricky sometimes. There was one five called Overtime. We got stuck in the middle on a rock, we got to look over the edge of a eight foot drop before we went down. There were a few anxious seconds. Here is a picture of Overtime, I can't take credit, I found them on Google Images.

The Last rapid of the day was called 'A Bad Place', and with good reason. The first part of the rapid was graded a six, so we had to walk around that part and get into the Bad Place half way down. It was no less wild looking. We had a few girls in our boat, they opted to leave our boat because we wanted to take the 'hard line' down. We ended up with six people. We got part way down when our raft literally stopped on what is affectionately know as a 'washing machine'. We were kind of surfing a wave and not moving, meanwhile we were getting battered. It was kind of what I imagine its like to ride a mechanical bull. Four of the guys got tossed from the boat right away including the guide, with only me and another guy left. We still weren't going anywhere, so I decided that I had to dive into a grade five rapid. I was tossed around like a rag doll and got quickly shot down the rapids. There were safety kayaks all around, so one of them came and got me.
This is the 'Bad Place"

It was an amazing day, so much fun and its very cool to say that I've rafted on the Nile. There were some flat places in between the rapids, we often got out of the boat and swam for those. The water was very warm and it was exceptionally hot for parts of the day, so the water felt great. The guide joked with us earlier that all the crocodiles in this area were vegetarian. There were six people on the boat, three of which were Canadian. Dominic from Toronto and Kevin from Brandon, Manitoba. We ended up staying at the hostel and hanging out for a few day and also returned to Kampala together. Its always fun to bump into a few Canadians on the road.

You tube video

2008-12-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this will work or not, my connections here in Rwanda are much too slow to ever watch at video. This is a link of a video taken by an American guy that was with me on the gorilla trek. It shows two gorillas running towards us, giving us quite the start. If it works for anyone, let me know how it looks. Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSrhc814Bik

My 'Less Hairy' Friends

2008-12-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

William and Kevin showing off their 'Rasta' hats.

At the end of every morning all the kids get together and sing and dance, ending with the Rwanda National Anthem.

Just experiementing with a few settings on my camera.

They call this kid Budda, I thought it was so cute that he had a Canadian Jersey on, so of course I had to get a picture with him.

This is the group that went to Butari last weekend. Cathy on the right is the lady from Maple Ridge that started the school. Kathy on the left is an American Volunteer.

My Hairy Friends

2008-12-06T04:40:00.000-08:00

Here are a few gorilla pictures. Enjoy

Museum, university and gorillas

2008-12-03T02:58:00.000-08:00

It has been another great week in Rwanda.

I left last Sunday and took a bus with a group to Butari. The group mostly was of young guys, most in their last years of high school and my friend Cathy and another American volunteer. We had a great time. We visited the National Museum and also the University of Rwanda. Some of the guys hope to be attending there in a few years. It was nice to see another part of the country.

I'm heading to Kampala this coming weekend. I'll be spending about two weeks in Uganda, I'm hoping to do some white water rafting on the Nile. That sounds so cool... rafting on the Nile. I'll be heading back to Rwanda to spend Christmas with friends before heading to Mumbai, India on January 7.

This morning was certainly a highlight since I've arrived here in this country. I got to go treking in Volcanoes National Park to visit the Silverback Mountain Gorilla. It was an amazing experience. I got very muddy and stung by stinging nettle, but it was all worth it to spend a full hour visiting the Amororow family of gorillas. We just stood off to the side and they slept, groomed each other, the kids played and the teenagers were a bit rowdy. There was one time at the end of the hour when the teens were screeming at each other and they came running towards our group, the guide said in a very quite voice, 'don't move or run'. When two gorillas are running towards you with teeth bared, it is hard to stay still. We all managed to though, I think some in the group might have needed a change of underwear after. If ever you are in Rwanda it is worth the money.

Pictures

2008-11-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

The pictures are in no particular order, the uploading went a bit 'sideways'. Enjoy.

Food time is always a fun time for the children. Hardy bread and milk with sorghum.

Today was the day to give out goats to needy families. We gave away ten goats. (opps I just noticed that one of the goats is peeing in the picture)

In the past few months there has been a number of babies 'found' by the road side. This is one, he was very little. Fortunately a number of people have come forward to take them into their families. The school supports them with food and soap.

Ruhengeri has 100's of these bicycle taxi. We usually take them home from school every day. I think its about 8-10km ride and it cost 200 Francs. That's about 40 cents. They work very hard.

This is supposed to be a rest time, as you can see there is little rest happening here.

The kids are just amazing at the school. They are full of fun and always want to hold the hand of the white man.

This is one of the partially completed classrooms, Cathy is still raising funds to put a roof on the school. So, if you have a few thousand hanging around, it will get some children out of the rain.

My first African protest with my new friends Manwell, Kevin and Pacifique.
Arriving at the Rwanda border after a long journey.

Rwanda Continued

2008-11-20T05:58:00.000-08:00

I went to my first African "protest" yesterday. The whole town marched in support of "Rose". She is a Rwandan politician that went to Europe and was promptly arrested for her supposed role in the 1994 genocide. Specifically she was arrested for shooting down the then president's plane. Rwandans say that she had nothing to do with this and is totally innocent. So, yesterday I had my 'FREE ROSE' banner on and marched with several thousand people. It was quite the experience. I went with my friend Cathy who lives here, she thought it was completely appropriate that I show support. There was also an American visitor that marched with us. We got a lot of attention. We were talked about on the radio and pictures were taken for the press. While travelling in most African countries you would run a mile to get away from such an event, but somehow it seemed different here. It was all very peaceful.

I've been spending my mornings at a pre-school that was started by Cathy. She is from B.C. and is married to a Rwandan. She is an amazing lady, the things that she has accomplished in her short time here is remarkable. The pre-school has about 130 children, ranging in age from 2-6. Cathy is also involved with other areas of education and community initiatives. Of the 130 Children, only the youngest get bread and milk enriched with sorghum. It would be great if she had the resources to feed all the children at her school. I am hoping that the Silokwethemba Project (www.silokwethemb.org) might be able to assist her in that. We will see what happens.

The school itself runs mostly outside. There is a school building being built, but still waiting for a roof. Cathy also provides some medical support for all the student's bumps, brusises and cuts, the occasional parent also shows up for medical support. Its an 'all-purpose' kind of school.

Rwanda has had a tragic history in the past 20 years. Its very complicated with many different parties involved. Here is what Wikipedia says....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda_genocide

The Long and Winding Road to........ Ruhengeri, Rwanda

2008-11-17T04:07:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting week. I left Arusha, Tanzania last Thursday making my way to Rwanda. Arusha and Kigali (capital of Rwanda) are relatively close, maybe 500-600 km 'as the crow flies'. Roads in western Tanzania are few and far between. So my journey began last Thursday with a 20 hour bus ride via Nairobi, Kenya. That brought me to the town of Mwanza on Lake Victoria, back in Tanzania. I arrived there on Friday. Mwanza is a nice town. I hoped to catch a bus to Benaco on Saturday, but none were available, so I spend an extra day in Mwanza and caught a bus to Benaco on Sunday. Benaco is the nearest border town in Tanzania to the Rwandan border. The bus ride from Mwanza was in itself an adventure. We had to take a short ferry ride across part of the lake, it was over very rough roads and my window kept opening. By the time I got to Benaco I was filthy, absolutely covered in dirt. I met up with two Swedish guys on the bus that were also going to Kigali, so we shared a taxi from Benaco to the Rwanda border. It costs us about $2 each. Immigration went very smoothly. African 'business men' can see a 'muzungu' "Swaili for white man" coming a mile away. We were approached by several people on the Rwandan side wanting to take us the 150 km to Kigali. We settled on a mini bus that said he would get us there in 3 hours. Almost six hours later we arrived in Kigali. Needless to say I was tired, also dirty and hungry. My new friends and I found a hotel and went for dinner. Funny thing is one of them was complaining that he didn't get to celebrate his birthday on the day before, also my birthday. So, we had a birthday dinner. I was getting closer and closer to Ruhengeri, which was my final destination in Rwanda. I said goodbye to the Swedes and headed to the bus station... again. This bus was great, it was a short two hour ride. So, after about 28 hours on a bus, a boat ride, two days stranded in Mwanza, a taxi ride, a 6 hour minibus ride, another night in Kigali and a final two hour bus ride.... I MADE IT. I get to live here for the next three or four weeks.

Rwanda is a stunningly beautiful country, first impressions are very good.

Seregenti continued....

2008-11-12T03:04:00.000-08:00

Just a few more pictures from the Serengeti. Sorry for the little ones again.

I will have a whole new appreciation for the 'Lion King", Did you know that Simba is Swahili for Lion?

The Serengeti has 1000's of wildebeast. They migrate from parts of the Serengeti to the Maasi Mara in Kenya. They are constantly in search of grazing land and water. We got to see a part of this migration. There were wildebeast as far as the eye could see. It really was amazing.

Serengeti Safari

2008-11-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

Finally I get to upload a few pictures, its costing $5 US a hour, which is about five times the normal amount, but its all good.....

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Paje, Eastern side of Zanzibar.
This place was out of my budget, but as you can see the view was well worth the $25 a night

Steps of a Mosque, there are many in Stone Town, one was directly across from where I stayed. Every moring the call to prayers was at 5:00, it was like the loud speaker was in my room.

One of the many alleys

Seregenti Safari

I couldn't resist this picture. Notice the background.....

What an exciting few days. After much negotiation with many safari companies in Moshi, I settled on one. I just got back to Arusha yesterday. I spent four days, three nights on safari at Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro Crater and the Serengeti. It was an amazing four days. I think the highlight was all the big cats, lots of lions, a few leopards and cheetahs.

The first day in the Seregenti we drove all day through just a portion of the park. The park itself is over 14,000 sq. km. It's huge. We stopped for the day at around 7:00. The camp ground where we put our tent was in the middle of the park. NO FENCES. During the night I could hear animals all around. The situation was so unreal, it didn't bother me that much and I actually slept. The next morning when we left camp, we were less than a km when we came upon two huge lions on the side of the road. The next night we spent on the 'rim' of the Ngorogoro crater, again lots of animals in the area. We could see buffalo and elephants from our site. The view out over the crater was amazing. The elevation of the rim is about 2400 metres. During breakfast the next morning the cook told us that an elephant has wrecked a tent the night before, fortunately there was no one in it. It was probably a good thing that I didn't know that the night before.

I will try to upload a few more picture in another post.

I am Canadian

2008-11-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

Today I went to search for a new book. I just finished reading 'What is the What', it's about the Lost Boys of Sudan. Amazing read. I went to the library, asking where I can find a book store, the lady misunderstood and looked at me rather surprisingly and said in her broken English, 'we don't sell our books'. She pointed me up the street to a nearby store. It was more like a news stand, but the seller said he had many 'good' books inside. I thought I would take a look. He had one John Grisham book and one by another author and about ten German books. He was rather dismayed and a bit surprised to learn that I didn't read German.

I have been asked many times if I am American. For many Tanzanians anything in the west is American, that is partly true for many areas in Africa actually. Once they find out that I am Canadian, without fail the next question is..... Toronto?

I never did find a new book.

In the shadow of Kilimanjaro

2008-11-06T23:40:00.000-08:00

Internet here can drive you absolutely crazy. I booked one hour to write on this blog, I now have 12 minutes left. I am just now getting on.

My two days on the eastern side of the island were amazing. I stayed in a small town called Paje. Cheap accommodation was impossible to find, so I had to cave in and pay $25 a night for a place on the beach. I know you're thinking, that's still pretty cheap but for the past month I had been paying $10 a night. It was worth it to stay on this beautiful beach. I met a great group of people there. We all ate and chatted late into the night. American politics and the presidential election was on every ones mind it seems. Even though there was only one American in the group.

I left Paje, Zanzibar two days ago. It was 48 hours of travel. Wednesday morning I got a ride to Stone Town from a great German couple I met at the hotel. I caught a late ferry, The Flying Horse to Dar es Salaam, it left at ten at night, getting me into Dar at 6:00 on Thursday morning. The trip itself didn't take that long, they anchor somewhere just off Zanzibar and spend the night. Ferry operators think it is too dangerous for people to show up in Dar in the middle of the night, so they delay the arrival until 6:00 am. Once in Dar I got a taxi to the Scandinavian Bus depot to catch a ride to Moshi. The bus was a 'luxury' bus, I use the term luxury loosely. The ride took ten hours and for a large portion of the trip there was a 'mixed cd' on the stereo, playing Micheal Bolton, Air Supply, Kenny Rogers and Celine Dion. It was on repeat for many hours. At some point in time it became a part of the noise.

Walking around Moshi was interesting. It was as if I had a t-shirt on saying, "I want to go on Safari". I was approached at least 15 times in the first hour on the street. The funny thing is I am looking for a safari. I guess they could tell by the look in my eyes. I have a few prospects for trips leaving in the next few days to the Serengeti. I have to decide today.

Moshi is the place that people come to if they want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I had an interesting chat a few days ago with a Tanzanian about climbing Kilimanjaro, he said no Tanzanian would ever think about climbing it unless you were a guide. They think the foreigners are crazy to want to do it. I have to admit, crazy or not, if it wasn't so expensive and if I was prepared, I would definitely think about it.

Its pouring raining today here in Moshi.

I have had great intentions with posting pictures on here. I've tried about 5-6 times in different internet cafes, none of them have a connection fast enough to upload them. It will have to wait.

It's not the heat, it's the the humidity......

2008-11-01T06:54:00.001-07:00

I arrived in Tanzania on Wednesday from Johannesburg. I could feel the humidity immediately after stepping off the plane. I landed in Dar es Salaam at about 9:00 on Wednesday, I was delayed leaving Johannesburg for over two hours.

It seems that you have to bargain for everything in Tanzania, I went outside the airport to get a taxi. The driver said that it was 25,000 schillings, about $20US, I said that was too much and immediately he cut it to 20,000. I was too tired to try to get him down any further. I stayed in "Dar" for just Thursday and left for Zanzibar on Friday. I was warned about 'touts' in everything I read about Tanzania. Touts are street people that are constantly trying to sell you something or to make a deal of some kind, most of which are suspect and sometimes illegal. All day Thursday I was constantly being bothered by touts. One wanted to be my 'guide', another wanted to take me to the ferry in his car even though it was only a km. So, I was happy to get to Zanzibar. There are still lots of touts but the charm of the place pays up for it. I use the term ' charm' loosely here. I'm staying in a hostel called the House of Abdulla, it is in the very historical Stone Town. Stone Town is a maze of alleys, streets that are about 7-8 feet wide. Only for people walking and mopeds. People hang out sitting in the alleys, chatting and socializing. Tomorrow I will get lost in the maze and try to find my way out. For people that know me and my sense of direction, ( or lack there of) I might be lost for a while.

Today I went on a tour of a spice farm, it was great. Seeing where all the spices that we use come from and smelling them. We also got to sample many different fruit. In the afternoon we spent about an hour at the beach, swimming in the Indian Ocean. It was beautiful.

I'm staying in Zanzibar for at least five more days. I'm heading to the eastern side of the island on Monday, then back to Dar on Wednesday before heading west to Moshi.

Kingdom of Swaziland

2008-10-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should apologize for these tiny pictures. I tried uploading the 'medium' image and it was taking forever. These will have to do for now.

It has been a restful week after spending two weeks on the road, going from one hostel to another. I've been in Nelspruit for the last few days. Nelspruit is a city in northern South Africa, in Mpumalanga province. I spent two days this past week in Mbabane, the capital city of Swaziland. Swaziland is a kingdom with a king that rules that country. He has final say about everything that goes on. He appoints people to government positions. He has 13 wives. Every year there is a big cultural celebration called the 'Reed Dance'. All the eligible women from around the kingdom come and dance for the king. Then he chooses a wife. He doesn't pick one ever year and obviously someone caught his eye at least 13 of the past 22 years since his coronation. Swaziland is a beautiful country. When driving along you notice that the trees are very 'organized'. Apparently, Swaziland had one of the world's largest 'man-made' forest, covering over 7% of its total land area. That is a lot of trees and they are all in perfect lines.

Like most African cities, Mbabane (Swaziland) has a central area, where a lot of commerce happens. This picture is taken just outside of a mall. It is one busy place, it is also the taxi stand where literally hundreds of vans line up for different routes around the city. It is most often the only public transit in many cities.

This is the train car hostel that I stayed in a few weeks ago, you see the very colourful bunk-house just below.

These are beach huts in Cape Town. I thought the colours were cool.

Next week, I'm off to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, I'll likely be spending a few weeks in Tanzania before making my way to Rwanda and Uganda.

I expect to have regular internet access for most of the time now, so feel free to send emails.

Wild Coast

2008-10-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Another day... another city. I have been on the road for about 12 days now. Staying in most places for a day or two and sleeping in a different backpackers hostel every night with different roommates. So far I've shared rooms with people from Malayisa, Thailand, Reunion Island, France, England, Italy, Spain, Germany, and South Africa.... many very cool people.

The southern area of South Africa is amazing. The first part is called the Garden Route, it is very well developed. Much of the Garden Route is built up around tourism. Once you leave Port Elizabeth, you enter what is called 'The Wild Coast'. There are huge stretches of rolling hills and some very dramatic landscapes. I stayed for a few days at Coffee Bay, it is on the coast. Another surfer's paradise. My hostel was called the Coffee Shack. On the first day, it was full of young college students, it was just one big crazy party. The second day was much more chilled. The place is full of hippies. Young local people on the street and beach approach you offereing to sell you magic mushrooms and pot.

If anyone is thinking about going on a backpackers trip, South Africa is such an easy country to do it in. I've been travelling on the Baz Bus, its a 20 passenger bus that travels from one hostel to another. There is a very convenient book in all the hostels that list every backpackers in South Africa. I've been bumping into the same travellers now for over a week. It's kind of nice. I have yet to run into any Canadian travellers. Well, I did meet one couple of Canadians but they were teaching in Cape Town. Funny thing is she was a teacher from my school district in BC. What are the chances....

Today I go from Durban to a city in Swaziland, its about an 11 hour ride. I'm not looking forward to it, but I've been reading an amazing book called Tandia, set in South Africa during the Apartheid years. So, I'm sure the day will pass by quickly. On Saturday I will be meeting up with some Canadian friends in Neslpruit. That is in northern SA, near Kruger National Park.

South AFrica

2008-10-07T12:02:00.001-07:00

It has been two weeks today since I left Zimbabwe. I spent the first week in Johannesburg and this week in Cape Town. It was so nice to be near the ocean again. I love Zimbabwe but I do miss the water. I'm a 'coastal boy'.

It has been an interesting time in South Africa. I've noticed more this time than my previous visits the preoccupation regarding race relations. Apartheid ended here in 1992, but some of the issues are still prevalent. There are still very few mixed race couples. Although I've stayed with two of them here in Cape Town, both Canadian wives with 'coloured' husbands. That word 'coloured' sounds somewhat inappropriate, but that is what they are called. Its a race of people that is not black or white. They are NOT a mixture, they are their own distinct race. I have wonderful friends here in Cape Town, although I didn't reallly know them too well before this visit. Now I feel like they are famliy.

Its seems like race enters into a lot of conversations and you hear about racial slurs that are made from one group towards another group. Its all very unsettling. BUT, South Africa has come a long way from when white and non-whites had different bathrooms, taxis, buses, the list goes on. I visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. It was quite a moving day. There is so much to learn.

Tonight I'm staying at a hostel in downtown Cape Town, I'm heading east tomorrow.

Friends

2008-09-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Artwell, he was my 'card playing buddy'. He is one of the many exceptional nurses at Tshelanyemba Hospital

This is an amazing group of young people. Dr. Dawn Howse (front right) decided to put off a play for the yearly Salvation Army Congress. It was based on the book of Ruth from the bible. They practiced every day for weeks. It was performed outside in the evening. They did a great job.

This is my friend Anne, she came with me to Zimbabwe to assist in the Silokwethemba Projects. I think her month stay in Tshelanyemba had an impact on here that she won't soon forget. She plans to return next year. Thanks Anne.

The kid next to me is Jabulani, everyone calls him Jabu, he is one very cute kid. He is here with his friend.

This is the Senzeni Kids club. They are a group of local performers. The Silokwethemba Project bought them some fabric for their new costumes. They came to perform for me on my last week, they looked absolutely beautiful.

South Africa

2008-09-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you about a trip I went on last week. It was with the weekly hospital trip that goes to town for business. It was in a 15 passenger van, we start the day at 5:30am. Atleast that is the intention, on that day it was well after 6:00 before we got started. The van would not start. Once we finally got going, the van was filled to capacity and more. We were supposed to leave town by 4:00pm, if anyone has ever been to Africa, you will know about 'Africa Time'. In other words, nothing EVER happens on time. I'm sure many of the Zimbabweans that I interact with think I'm rather preoccupied with time. Very few people here wear a watch, so showing up somewhere on time is unheard of. Anyway. Back to the trip. We finally left town at 6:30pm. The ride home was one event after another. I think we had about 19-20 people on the van, one of them had a live chicken. Then we stopped to pick up more people, there were two police officers hitch hiking, and in Zimbabwe you never pass by police officers. One of them had the worst body odour ever, it was absolutely overwheming. Fortunately she only rode about 30 minutes. We went a bit further and we saw a massive bush fire up ahead. The night sky was totally ablaze. No one seemed to be too worried, so we drove straight through it. There was fire on both side of us. It was just one of those days. We drove on, only to hit a small animal of some kind. I didn't even see it, but the driver insisted on going back to look for it in the dark. I asked why, his answer was, "We don't get much meat and that animal would make a good meal". We didn't find it, no meat for supper again. We made it home at 9:30pm.

Yesterday I left Zimbabwe. It was a day of mixed feelings. It's always sad when I leave Zimbabwe, it really does feel like my African Home. I went to a mall today, had a normal lunch with fries and went into stores with goods on the shelves. I have to say I was in a bit of shock. I'm staying with friends here in Johannesburg. I'll probably be here for a week.

Apparently some of you have been trying to leave comments. I've changed the settings on the blog, I think it will work now if you'd like to leave comments.

Hoping for Change

2008-09-19T16:25:00.002-07:00

My time in Zimbabwe is down to its last week. It has been a challenging time. It's hard to recognize the desperation of people unless you live with them. Even that's not a fair comparison, I know I'm leaving here. It's been heartbreaking seeing people cling to hope for change. People are hungry, poor and unemployed. Can you think of a worse combination of circumstances? Zimbabwe made history this week, it's the first time in 28 years that President Mugabe has decided to share power. I was with about 100 people on Wednesday watching the news conference on TV of the signing of the power sharing agreement. People in the room were cheering, one older lady was weeping. For Zimbabweans, this is the hope of change that they have been waiting for. It's going to be a long road back to economic recovery for this country.

Last week I got to take part in a few surgical procedures. I use the term 'take part' rather loosely. I didn't cut anyone or even hold a retractor. I was the theatre 'runner.' I got to open sterile gloves, place needles and scalpel blades on the sterile table. I know it all sounds easy, but there is a particular process you have to go through to maintain a sterile environment. OK .... it wasn't a real important job, but someone had to do it and it was fun. The procedure was a c-section. Dawn asked me if I wanted to take the baby, I said 'NO WAY' ... it was all slick, imagine if I dropped it.

This will probably be my last blog from Zimbabwe. I appreciate all the emails of support.

Road Trials

2008-09-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Francistown, Botswana yesterday. It was an eventful day. I was driving on the way to the border, and was going through a very rough patch in the road, and the truck just stopped. I thought first I stalled it. When I went to restart it, it was DEAD. In the vehicle was myself, Dawn, and three others. All of which are about as mechanically inclined as I am. We lifted the hood and fiddled with the battery and amazingly it started. We made it safely to Botswana. We are camping on the lawn of a big hotel, I know it sounds kind of funny but it happens here all the time. Once we set up our tents, I went to move the truck.. same problem. So, this time we got all serious about the problem, taking the contacts of the battery and cleaning them up with sticks. While reattaching them to the battery there were a few fire works, but we had a doctor and two nurses with us, so I'm sure someone could have resuscitated us if anything went wrong. Once again we fixed it. We were all puffed up, thinking we could handle just about anything. THEN we lost the keys to the truck. I was convinced I gave them to Dawn, she was convinced that I didn't. So, we looked everywhere. I climbed in through the back window of the truck just to see if they were in the truck. NO LUCK. We eventually found them in one of the camping bags, where Dawn had dropped them while putting something away. We were all very relieved. Then it was time to eat, when we realized that we had left all the camping utensils, plates, mugs in a crate back in Zimbabwe. So, it was 'finger food' all the way. WOW... what a bad first day.

I'll be leaving Zimbabwe on Sept. 24. I'm visiting with some friends in Johannesburg for a week then taking a train down to Cape Town. From there, I'm not sure, I think I'll just wander around the coast of South Africa all the way east to Durban. I'll likely spend about 4 weeks in SA before making my way to Tanzania.

It has been a great stay in Tshelanyemba, Zimbabwe, as it always is. Lots have happened. The situation in the country hasn't improved any. The government is now setting up stores where they will sell good using forex. Imagine going into a store and not being able to use the money from your own country to buy things. Seems ridiculous. The big problem is that the 'regular' Zimbabwe doesn't have any US dollars or South African Rand, so once again they are left out in the cold with nothing to eat or buy. They are resilient people that remain hopeful.

Money Matter

2008-08-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

I have been without internet and phones for over two weeks now. The hospital is doing fewer trips into the city because of diesel shortages. I did get an opportunity to send e-mail last week from the local police station. I had to ride a bike that wasn’t functioning properly, it was stuck in one gear and the chain fell off. To top it all off the ride was often in sand. Have you ever tried to ride a street bike in sand, it isn’t easy. But I made the 8 km ride without any serious incident. The police men couldn’t have been more accommodating.

Money matters continues to be a huge struggle. The general hands at the hospital made 5 trillion this month, which sounds really good. The bus ride into town to get your money cost 3 trillion each way. It serves no purpose to save your money, because next week it will have drastically reduced in value. Also, the bank this week was limiting your withdrawal to 3 trillion each day, so you really couldn’t get enough out of the bank to pay your way to town. Many transactions are done in foreign currency, people work with the Rand from South Africa, Pula from Botswana, the Pound from the UK and the US dollar. Conversions from one to another and into the Zim dollar is boggling even for the most astute math mind. Just to add to the confusion people are preferring the old currency to the new currency, I guess you feel richer having 100 billion rather then $10. Even though they are valued the same.

The weather seems to be changing, although the official beginning of ‘spring’ isn’t until Sept. 21ish, temps in the middle of the day often hover around 30 and above, night temperatures still go down to around 14-15 degrees. My kind of ‘winter’.

Africa Border Crossing

2008-08-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you have crossed borders between countries before, but until you've crossed an Africa bush crossing, you've missed out. When returning from Botswana, we went to a 'bush crossing', it really was in the middle of nowhere. Getting into Zimbabwe was easy but took forever. Both Anne and I had to buy visas again, so they made us wait about 20 minutes, so they could process everyone else. When we finally made it in there, we got our visas, by this time there were more people lined up behind us. So, he made us wait again to get our receipts. We were sent off to customs to make out our claims for goods that we were bringing in. On my claim, I had food and electrical listed. The customs agent asked me what electrical I had, I said a solar panel and some welding rods. His response was, 'what's a tourist doing with a solar panel and welding rods', it was a good question. Dawn Disney, the hospital Bursar was there to assist me in saying that I bought them for the hospital, which in itself is also 'illegal'. You're not supposed to purchase for other people. The Customs guy was great, he just jokingly said, "I caught you". Then we had to go back in line at Immigration to get our receipt. All of this took place in a little shack that was seperated by a door with a string across to differentiate between Customs and Immigration. The whole thing took about 90 minutes. I love traveling... African style.

My internet time is running out.... sorry if there are spelling mistakes........

How Many Zeros is that?

2008-07-31T00:35:00.000-07:00

It looks like the only internet time I will get will be while I'm on the road. Today we are in Botswana buying supplies for the widows in the Tshelanyemba area, also stocking up on peanut butter for our project and buying hospital supplies. Francistown is a beautiful place. Botswana is a relatively stable prosperous place and compared to Zimbabwe it is booming.

I finished doing the school visits this past week, thats 35 schools in just over three weeks. That is a lot of gravel road, about 500 kms. I use the term 'road' pretty loosely here, many were just paths through the trees. I'm always amazed that people can find their way around in the bush. Our driver Reuben was amazing, he knew every short cut. The situation in all the schools is absolutely desperate. In many of the schools, there was one teacher looking after all the children, sometimes two or three hundred. Teachers would go to town and get stranded with no transportation back, many have left for South Africa and some just don't show up for work, because they don't get paid enough to live. Their wages are pretty meager, they make less than $40 US a month, just to give you some idea of the cost of thing, I bought a bunch of carrots in Bulawayo a few weeks ago and they were $2 US . Needless to say it is impossible to live on $40 a month. There are people that make a lot less than that, some of the general hands at the hospital make about $2 US a month.

Our process when going to schools... we would meet with the Headmaster when they were available (which was rare), then we would go over the school fees for this term, which was always in the billions. We had a set amount for primary schools and a different amount for secondary schools, when they were writing receipts for us, without fail,,, all would say, "Two trillion! How many zeros are there?".

When we were in Victoria Falls last week, we checked out the price of a cheese burger at the Wimpy, it was 1,300,000,000,000, thats trillions. We didn't have a burger......

The Zimbabwe Government has decided to chop ten zeros off their currency, so what was one trillion will now be 100 Zim dollars. This is to be done in the next three days, can you imagine changing your currency in less than a week. Technically they aren't changing their currency, even though they will come out with all new bills, people will have just a few days to get their old money in the bank.

Never a dull moment.

On The Road

2008-07-25T04:21:00.000-07:00

Its been just over two weeks in Zimbabwe. Things are changing daily. I've been out doing school visits this past week, I've visited 26 schools with 9 more to go next week. The situation is the same for many schools, many of the Heatmasters have left since last year and in many cases the teachers have also gone. We visited several schools where there were over 300 students with just two teachers. Needless to say they have been very receptive to the donation that we left at the schools. We've paid school fees for 20 students in each primary school and for 25 students in the secondary schools. We also made a substantial donation to each school over and above the school fees. The headmasters were all very appreciative. I gave credit to the many caring Canadians and others that have supported the Silokwethemba Project.

My friend Anne is also visiting now from Vancouver. She leaves next week. If you are familiar with Zimbabwe, you know that you can't come here without a visit to Victoria Falls. So, we left Tshelanyemba yesterday at 5:30am and drove the 7 hours to Victoria Falls. We are staying at the Victoria Falls Backpackers Hostel, I've stayed here before. Its a great place. Six of us travelled here. We are off to visit the falls this afternoon.

All is well here, it appears that the politicians are talking to resolve the situation that has plagued Zimbabwe for the past few months. With regards to personal safety, we have no worries.

I'm heading to Francistown in Botswana next week. Hopefully I'll get another opportunity to update. Take care everyone.

Back in Africa

2008-07-15T01:12:00.000-07:00

After days of travel, four flights, a 15 hour layover in London, a six-hour layover in Johannesburg and hours of sitting with a 'droopy' head, I have arrived in Tshelanyemba. Overall the trip was uneventful, even the Zim customs were relatively easy.

It's great to be back in Zimbabwe.

It was just over a year since I was last year. Things have gotten progressively worse since that time. The common sentiment is 'our country has collapsed'. People often mock their own currency and its fluctuations. The last time I was here we exchanged money at $28,000 to one USD, today it is changing at $50,000,000,000 to one USD. YES that is nine zeros as in 50 billion and rising. I am now a 'Trillionaire' and by weeks end maybe a Quadrillionaire. I changed $200 on the day I arrived and got 6 trillion dollars in bills of 50 billion. Prices change daily , and the stores are empty. Even if you have money there is nothing to buy.

I visited the local high school a few days ago to get some indication of school fees. The prices went from 3 billion on Wednesday to 150 billion on Friday. Parents are expected to pay the 'top up' so their children can stay in school. In an environment where there is 80% unemployment this is almost impossible. Life here is very hard. Despite all of this people will always greet you with a smile and welcome you to their country.

We are still without phones in Tshelanyemba, actually there are no phones within 50 km. E-mail will be sporadic at best. I am in Bulawayo today, so I can check email.

I know some of you are concerned about the political situation in Zimbabwe. It is on the minds of everyone here, all are wondering what the final outcome will be. Let me assure you all that we are safe in Tshelanyemba. We are not taking any chances.

I hope to update this blog at least once a week. Feel free to send email to maxwellvincent@hotmail.com

Zimbabwe

2008-04-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Zimbabwe has become my third home. This week my home is experiencing some unrest. There was an election there last Saturday, still no official results. Zimbabwe needs change.

I just purchased my first ticket, I leave for Africa on July 7. It feels strange buying a one-way ticket, I've never done this before. I generally like to have a plan. Not this time. Still trying to sort out my itinerary. I think I've added Uganda to my plan. I was inspired by my friend Pat who spent some time in Uganda, he has an amazing blog, if you're interested you can find it at: www.pmolon1.blogspot.com.

My Africa

2008-03-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

My first trip to Africa was in February of 2000, this coming July will be my ninth visit. I say this not to boast about my travel experiences, but to tell you what an impact Africa has has on my life. I think from my first visit there in 2000, I felt the 'pull'. I have a rewarding job here in Canada, but the rewards I feel there are different. To see the courage it takes for a person to live day by day, not knowing where tomorrow's food is coming from, or school fees for their children... it just has a very profound affect on you. Then to see these same people welcome you into their home and feed you, AND give you a gift before you leave, saying ' this is our culture', wow.... I can't even explain how it makes you feel. I'm not sure if I would be so kind given the situation. I'd like to say that I would be, but I'm not sure.

While in Zimbabwe, I stay in a tiny rural village called Tshelanyemba. At the centre of this village is Tshelanyemba hospital. It offers health care to a population of about 35,000 people. It has one doctor and many amazing nurses. For some people living at a hospital would be depressing, I'm often uplifted by the many experiences I gain there. More than half of the patients in the hospital suffer from AIDS/HIV, or some related illness. Living in Canada, we are often so far removed from the whole issue of AIDS, its something we read about in a Maclean's magazine. I've been often overwhelmed and sometimes brought to tears to see the 'face' of an AIDS sufferer. I have a friend in Tshelanyemba, her name is Mavis. She was diagnosed with HIV in 1994. She has lost her husband and her 11 year old son to AIDS, if anyone had a reason to be bitter, it would be Mavis. This is not the case, she is a very strong determined woman, never shying away from telling people about her status. She made the very bold move of starting support groups for people living with AIDS/HIV. There is a huge stigma attached to you if you tell the community that you are HIV+, Mavis took the chance and it has had a very positive affect on many peoples lives. She really is an amazing woman.

Silokwethemba Team 2007

2008-03-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

Here is my plan

2008-03-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

I've just bought the first tickets, this will get me to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Got it from a very southern guy in Kansas, of all places. My plan is to be very flexible during my year of travel, only booking one country ahead. Most of my time in Africa will be spend traveling over land, so thats easier to plan (sorta). The flights on the other hand take a bit of planning. I hope to have a ticket booked from Kenya or Ethiopia to India over Christmas before I leave Canada. I know myself, and if I don't have a 'bit' of a schedule to keep, I'll get stuck in a place that I like. Which I guess isn't really a bad thing, but I want to see other countries. So, the Christmas flight to India will force me to move on. From January to June, most tickets will be booked on-line. Although I'll probably have to have at least one flight booked to the next city, many countries will not let you in if you don't have an onward ticket, so we'll see how that works out. A friend that has travelled a lot told me you can often 'talk' your way out of this.

2008-02-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here is the proposed itinerary

Planning

2008-02-24T23:06:00.000-08:00

Some people say that half the fun in traveling is the planning. I am in the process now of putting together an itinerary for 12 months of travel. Needless to say, I am very excited about the prospects of the next year. I have four months before I start my journey in Zimbabwe. Hopefully, this will be the place where I can keep everyone updated on my plans. Once I get 'on the road', I hope to update here often.