A Holiday in Spain

We left Pamplona amidst much revelry headed towards a place I'd always wanted to visit, Barcelona. We arrived at night to a very hot and quite humid city still dressed in all white from San Fermin. People immediately recognized where we'd been and a few even ventured to ask about it. We soaked up the little bit of status we had been missing since Africa before heading to bed. We awoke the next day without much of a plan. We wanted to ride bikes and see the Sagrada Familia beyond that was bonus. We began riding along the beaches taking in the beauty of the sea before heading towards Gaudi's premiere work the church of the Sagrada Familia. I remember some point in my school career doing a report on this Spanish architect and since then I had always wanted to see his work in person. It did not disappoint. Looking at the building from any angle of the outside could cause a person to forget to breathe if but for a second. It is one of the most visually stunning works of architecture in the world and has been being built for over 100 years. I'll add a picture below.

After accomplishing our goals for the day my bike decided it didn't want to function anymore. The chain slipped and got somehow wedged in between the wheel and the gears. Long story short after making sure my hands were filthy I made the decision to ride the metro back to the shop with my broken bike. After a heated conversation in Spanish neither of us could fault the other with the bicycles malfunction and so we agreed to split the cost of repairs. Not an ideal solution for me but definitely the most just. After that incident we needed a break and so grabbed some supplies and headed to the beach. Best decision we've made all trip. Barcelona, nestled right on the Meditteranean sea boasts some of the best beaches in the world. I spent a nice relaxing afternoon rolling in the waves before heading out on my bike to see some more sights. Barcelona is definitely a city I will be back to, hopefully for much longer than a day.

When we awoke the next morning we boarded a train and headed back to Pamplona where we wandered around aimlessly for a good part of the day before heading to the airport. Onward to Milan!

La Fiesta del San Fermin

Every year Pamplona spends a week honoring their patron saint by participating in some interesting activities including running from bulls, drinking heavily, and dressing in all white. The running of the bulls or El Encierro has been held on the same course for over a hundred years. The Festival is said to celebrate the joy of living so how fitting is it that thousands put their lives on the line in the path of bulls. As for the drinking in the classier parts of town the drink of choice is a nice spanish wine or maybe a beer served in a nice glass. In the parks and city center however everyone is carrying around liter bottles of cheap beer and coke bottles containing a mixture of cola and sangria. It's an interesting mix but not something I would order at home. Somehow people manage to get this mixture literally all over them turning the completely white outfit a almost tie died purple. I have yet to see someone turn their clothing this color but they must pour it over themselves or something. Anyways the official outfit of the festival is white pants with a red belt, a white shirt, and a red neck scarf. It's pictured below.

So it turns out that everything we though we knew about the running of the bulls turned out to be very little and so as we struggled out of bed this morning late because of an alarm malfunction we knew our participation would be a stretch. We arrived to the area where the encierro takes place around 645 and couldn't get in anywhere to run. Kind of disappointing but in my mind for the best. We were unprepared and stretched for time. If only acomodation around here had been cheaper we'd have stayed another day or two and better figured things out. Nonetheless the day we spent at the festival was great. Only at a European festival to a catholic saint would you be served Sangria with breakfast at 9 am. Not a terrible way to start the day. Wash that down with a liter or two of cheap beer and some churros and alas you have a great day.

Anyways we jusy spent the day in Barcelona and now on to Milan....

Culture Shock

I wrote such a good post our way to Pamplona today but it disappeared before posting. I'll try to put the last few days in such elegant prose once again but I can't guarantee anything. Here goes nothing....

No one noticed us as we wandered around the airport attempting to figure out dutch transport. No one tried to sell us anything,  no children yelled "how are you" repeatedly, and no one tried to take advantage of our plight. In fact no one really cared. Our celebrity status had been revoked as we returned to our lowly place as poor college grads seeking adventure.

Our first European experience was a monday night in Amsterdam. We did very little and by that I mean almost nothing and by that I mean we walked for close to four hours, found out the city has more waterways then Venice and that beer in Europe is both plentiful and cheap. The biggest shock of the night however was sitting down to a beer at a cafe at 10 and having daylight. TEN? Daylight? It got dark around 6:30 everyday in Africa. To top it off we had HOT water in our hostel (but we seemed to have forgotten our towels :( ) and didn't have to worry about being targeted for mugging because of our skin color. We blended.

The next day we travelled to Brussels where we spent the early afternoon trying to interpret some more dutch and some french in an effort to find our hostel. After some hiccups and stumbling upon some beautiful sights we found our hostel situated right in the center of historic old town. We spent the rest of the day sampling local cuisine and by that I mean beer, fries, and waffles. We visited the Delerium Bar known for having more beers at any one time then anywhere else in the world. It set the Guiness world record in 200r for offering 2004 beers at once. It was insane. Some of the best beers in the world for less than the price you'd pay for them in a store in the US. Capped off with a nice Carl made breakfast of ham, bacon and eggs our stay in Brussels was short but sweet.

Onward to Zaragoza where we had our first couch surfing experience (www.couchsurfing.com check it out). We stayed with a guy named Angel in his small but very centrally located apartment. The night we got in he took us out with his friends to some tapas bars for some food and cerveza. As we walked back to his apartment that night we passed all of the major sights we would see the next day. He lived a stones throw away from Zaragoza's central plaza that houses remnants of a roman wall, two major cathedrals (one in the renowned mudejar style and the other gothic) as well as several museums housing paintings of Goya. The river Ebro weaves through town one block from the square creating a picaresque landscape complete witha old stone bridges and parks along the water. As the capital of the Spanish region of Arragon and only two hours from the major cities of Barcelona and Madrid it would seem that Zaragoza would see quite a few tourists. However this gem of Aragon is definitely worth the visit. It's low prices, location and friendly people make it a great place to spend a day or two. As for couch surfing, its the best way to travel. Getting an overview of town from locals proved most beneficial and we managed to make a few new friends along the way. Check that out too....

Here's some pictures of these cities in no real order:

Leaving Kenya

I'm sitting on an airplane headed towards Amsterdam, almost seven weeks in Africa behind me and the rest of my life ahead. The people I've met taught me things I couldn't have imagined learning and afforded me experiences beyond any I could conceive. Africa is a land of opportunity and I'm thankful for the people of Kenya for giving me the opportunity to come and learn from them.  This continent has so much to see and experience. I've seen breath taking sights that cause my heart to skip a beat. I've seen one of the seven wonders of the natural world from the ground and from the air. But I've also had my heart break almost everyday. I've seen children, babies covered in flies who couldn't even cry. I've watched as people found out they would have to live with HIV for the rest of their lives. And I saw boys not even old enough for puberty living on the streets begging and sniffing glue. These weren't easy things and won't be easily forgotten. I wish I could've done more while I was here.

This has been a sobering and humbling experience and much more deeply personal than the last time I came here. I forged so many relationships that have forever changed me. Maybe thats why I've always been so drawn here. Africa has a way of attracting people for a myriad of reasons and returns them home much changed from when they left. But alas it's off to Europe and to the next part of this journey.

It's about the people

I have less than a week left in Kenya. It's hard to imagine that. I can still remember sitting with Carl in a computer lab at Penn State over Christmas break and deciding to go to Kenya. I remember so many days of planning, searching for flights, and still managing to not actually have anything set in stone until we actually left. It's been a crazy, fun, adventurous, frustrating, and rewarding five weeks so far. The ups have greatly out numbered the downs and I've had the privilege to spend time with, talk to, and work with some amazing people. I met a Zimbabwean university student on a bus to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe that made enormous sacrifices for his education. I shared a room at Victoria Falls with a British Medical student who wants to work as an optometrist somewhere in the developing world. On our train to Dar es Salaam I met two South Africans headed to climb Mt. Kenya on a sustainability mission. They carried all of their climbing gear, around 80 kg each, and only travelled by public transport. You can check them out at www.kape2kenya.com . We shared a cabin on that train with a British university student and a 40 something Swiss man who lives in East Africa. Our first night in Kenya we met a Canadian MBA student who loves baseball so much that he recreated the 1986 world series with kids in a Nairobi orphanage. The video went viral and was featured on MLB.com,  ESPN, Yahoo Sports, the NY Post and the Toronto Star. He didn't stop there though, he set up a website to raise money for these kids. You can see it here along with the video:  www.behindthebag.com . For the last three weeks we've been sharing a room with two soon to be nurses from Philadelphia in the house of a Pastor wholives never ceases to amaze us. Without the two of them our experience wouldn't be the same. We've dealt with a lot of frustration together, we've laughed, played hearts, and drank tusker. We even cooked italian food for our host family together. We couldn't have imagined better people to spend our free time with. Back to the pastor, he's incredible. He goes to school, he's working on a degree in theology, he farms watermelons so as to not be a burden to his church, and supports 116 families living in a garbage dump. He seeks sponsors for their kids to attend boarding schools around Kenya (let me know if you're interested), his wife teaches the women how to weave bags that are then sold in the US,  and when he has the funds he pays for fresh water to be trucked in. We spent the weekend on safari with a guy named Travis travelling the world just because he could and he completely sold us on the idea of making our next vacation destination Utah. Travis, through talking about his travels taught me the importance of wonder; of being amazed by the littlest things in this world.

I can't even begin to talk about the wonderful people I've spent the last four weeks working with at the clinic. When I'm in the VCT I'm amazed by Irene's ability to counsel people and look on them without judgement regardless of their HIV status. She's confronted with that painful ten minutes I described in a previous post multiple times a day, five days a week and still manages to keep a smile on. During our downtime we had some enlightening conversations on the differences between our countries and just life in general. Speaking of smiles, Chris, one of the lab techs, is always up for a laugh. He's a guy that makes work a fun place to be and helps the time to pass quicker for workers and patients alike. Just today he taught me how important it is to do even the smallest of things for others without question because ultimately, to borrow from Old Crow Medicine Show, we're all in this together. Whenever Chris randomly leaves the lab, Evelyn, the other lab tech, and I have great conversations. She treats me like a son and has taught me so much about Kenya, its shortcomings, its highlights, and how it will look in the future. She's the most professional Kenyan I've met on this trip and its because of the persistence of people like her that this country will continue to improve. The time we spend talking each day is always a highlight. One of the nurses in the clinic, Catherine, is one of the hardest working ladies I've ever met. Each day she shuffles back and forth between her patient load in the TB office and giving vaccinations and immunizations to children. Any time there is a hole somewhere she manages to fill it without shirking any of her other duties. I'm going to miss this place and all these people more than I can adequately describe. I never thought I'd have formed so many meaningful connections in so short a time.

I came here to help and to serve and that stuff means a lot to me but these people mean more. It seems all these people that I've mentioned are working for the same things. They're all seeking to understand something foreign, something strange and different in order to improve the world in some way. The best part is they're all doing it by utilizing their own passions. Their using baseball, humor, smiles, and climbing to change the world. Mother Theresa says to find the place where your passion meets the worlds greatest need and I think these people do this everyday. They've given me great examples to live by and (as seems to be the theme) I can't put words to how thankful I am to have met them. As this experience wraps up I couldn't be happier with it,  frustrations and all.

Development in Kenya

We're pretty settled in and past the halfway point of our stay in Nakuru. Sorry for so few posts. My phones been broken and finding/using internet can be a chore. Anywho new post:

Kenya finds itself in a very crucial place of its history. In 2008 violence marred the post election climate driving thousands from their homes and costing some their lives. Kenya has come a long way politically since then. In October 2010 they passed a rewritten and updated version of their constitution which greatly increased the individual rights and freedoms of the people. Since I was last here in 2010 many improvements have taken place. Roads that I travelled in 2010 that consisted mostly of broken concrete and dirt have recently been paved drastically decreasing the transit time to major cities. New buildings have been erected and are currently springing up everywhere. Wireless coverage is found everywhere and 3G data can be found in most populated areas. Sanitation is improving with squat toilets being replaced with washrooms with running water. Farmers have begun using drip irrigation to conserve water and large scale farms even use GPS assisted planting. This country is improving rapidly and the people play an active role.

Last Friday I went out into the community I work in with a Public Health and Safety Officer. We went to lumber yards and restuarants to check for permits and safety certificates as well as to check working conditions. When a place failed to meet minimum standards a formal citation was written and issued. Rechecks are done two weeks after the citation is issued. Their standards are high and closely resemble western ones especially for restaurants and bakeries. We had to close a restaurant because of poor sanitary conditions. In order to reopen the proprietor would need to install washrooms, raise the roof in the kitchen, and have some sort of running water. These are very expensive changes and at first I felt a bit frustrated with shutting this man down for lack of infrastructure. The office however explained to me that by being tough on one person it softly coerces others around to improve their conditions. Doing development this way allows for a more gradual adaption of new policies. While one person suffers others can learn from it and plan for these new improvements. If left to their own devices people would not spend money on improvements.

In the same way the clinic we work at is improving. The national government employs two of the clinic workers, a lab tech and the public health officer; the rest are employed by the local government. The federal employees are well versed in updated policies and procedures and have a certain air of professionalism about them. These are the individuals being used as examples for the other nurses and techs. They uphold high standards and aren't afraid to reprimand those who don't. Improvements in much of the public sector are happening top down. The national government is training the most able bodied individuals and sending them out to the provinces to be examples to everyone else.

Not surprsingly when on safari in Maasi Mara last weekend I had 3G data coverage. I tweeted a picture of a lion from the middle of a game reserve. It's tough in that area to get a cold drink or a hot shower but not wireless networks. The mobile infrastructure in Kenya has led to many new innovations, most notably MPESA. MPESA is a banking program that works through text messaging. With it people can transfer money between accounts, pay bills, give money to friends and family and even buy more phone credit. In 2011 an estimated 20% of Kenya's GDP was transferred through MPESA.

The improvements in Kenya are not going unnoticed in the international community. China and a host of European countries are investing heavily in the area. By 2016 the world bank estimates Kenya will be a middle income nation boosting it out of 'developing' status. What an awesome time for Kenya.

Maasi Mara

A few weeks ago we went on Safari. I wrote this and never posted. Enjoy.

Feet away from our van sit four lioness silently stalking their prey. In the distance sits a majestic Tope, perched on a rock, looking out for his children and women as they grazed. The lions kept their distance and creeped into formation. Everything was going according to plan until a van moved exposing one of the lions to the male Tope. He ran and his herd followed. This is life in Maasi Mara. A place where humans can come and interact, albeit from a distance, with extraordinary wildlife. Humans can at the same instant provide cover for a hunting animal and completely ruin its plans of attack. These lions seemed to shrug it off easily enough and regrouped, scanning the plains for another potential meal. As the sun began to fall between the mountains we had to wait until morning to see if these lions had any success.

We didn't come across this pride the next day but saw at least three others including one napping next to the carcass of a wildabeast. The day started with a search for the ever elusive cheetah. As the fruitless search wore on we found ourselves mere feet from a pack of giraffes, some hyenas, and large herds of gazelle. By mid morning we had moved into the heart of Maasi Mara characterized by large swaths of open grazing lands in the area between two ranges of hills. Here we happened across a herd of elephants intent on protecting a new born from our sight. As we drove on the elephants watched with ears at attention ready to force us away. After eating a surprisingly delicious boxed lunch we walked along the banks of the Mara river viewing countless hippopotamus almost completely submerged. As we approached a bend in the river a 7 foot crocodile slid off the bank and into the water. This bend will play a crucial role in the annual wildabeast migration that begins in July. It's at this junction where predators sit and wait for easy prey. The rest of the afternoon provided more of the same; a relaxing yet exciting ride through one of earths greatest natural environments.

Early the next morning we set out for our final game drive. We reached the park in time to see the sun emerge from behind the distant mountains. As we drove away from our first view point our driver noticed something perched on a far off hillside. These could be cheetahs. I quickly took a picture zooming in on the image as far as I could. Confirmed, we headed fast in their direction. We were the first van to arrive. The morning air was cool and these cheetahs looked hungry and ready to hunt. Cheetahs shy by nature and once more vehicles showed up they disappeared into the tall grass. Upwind from where the cheetahs disappeared sat a large herd of gazelle. We waited between the tall grass and gazelle for the predators to emerge. After thirty minutes, nothing. We moved on. Not so long after we stumbled upon a large pride of lions, twelve strong lying in some tall grass. They were hunting. Some Buffalo anxiously stood guard in the distance. Before we could see a kill however we had to head out. Our created world beckoned and we had to leave this raw, untamed nature behind.

Ten Minutes

I sit listening trying to understand the conversation going on beytween the two women in the room with me. I'm in a VCT. A girl named Gloria has come to be tested. Through the occasional english that breaks through the rapid swahili I learn her age, she's 19, and her fear, a positive result. The pre test counseling runs longerthan usual as the anticipation builds. Her feet tap nervously, she shifts repeatedly in her seat, and with a sign rubs her eyes. The worry is palpable. I can't do anything but sit there expecting the worst and running each possible scenario runs through my brain. She's 19 and could be HIV positive. Nineteen. What would the rest of her life look like? Will she be alone? Will she ever have children? Is this the just consequence for her actions? The woman in the white coat abruptly pulls out the testing supplies dropping each piece to the table with a forceful thud. Gloria wipes a bead of seat that has formed off her brow. Her finger is swabbed and pricked. Her index finger on her right hand. As the blood is being pipetted on to the test strip she gazes out the window before putting her head in her hands. It's time to wait.

Robert hesitantly shakes hands with the three of us he has joined in the cream colored room. As soon as   he sits his white Pumas begin nervously tapping the floor. His fists lay clenched in his lap. Counseling begins. He admits to having many partners, to drinking heavily, and to not using protection. He's at risk and knows it. I'm nervous for him. Before counseling is through he believes he has been infected and requests the drugs rather than a test. He's sure he's positive. As the testing supplies come out he calms slightly. His palms lay on his lap and his feet lay still. It's obvious he's still nervous as his hand constantly strokes the scruff on his chin. The test kit comes out. The middle finger of his right hand is pricked. No blood. They try again, this time on the pointer finger of the same hand. Blood flows. The test is prepared. He looks around the room before putting his head in his hands. It's time to wait.

Ten minutes pass before either of these tests could be read. Those ten minutes can be the most impactful period of the testing process. Few words are spoken and the patient is left to reflect on the actions that brought him/her to this point. It's a painful period as the patient reflects. It's evident on their faces how scared they are. HIV changes your life. Anti retro viral drugs become the center of health and wellness. Sexual habits must change. The potential for starting a family diminishes. So many decisions past present and future must be considered. I start feeling awful as I run their life scenarios in my mind and can't even begin to imagine what they must be feeling. Regardless of the outcome of these tests the hope is that individuals will change from unhealthy behaviors. This doesn't always happen. Some people come in consistently, every few months and won't change until they are infected but even then some don't. Gloria had been tested twice before. Twice, and she's 19. The ten minutes is up. The reflection is over. The patients must read the results of their own test before the nurse confirms it. Luckily this time both return negative. I'd expected each to breath a sigh of relief but both left knowing they had dodged a bullet and would have to make difficult life changes in order to never live through those ten minutes again. 

The First Week

It's really hard to begin this post. As I reflect back on the wide array of emotions felt this week its hard to put them collectively into words. I've been excited and optimistic at the thought of new opportunities, I've been frustrated and dissappointed when things haven't gone as planned, but I've alse remained confident (with the help of some of you) in the belief that whatever it is I'm actually doing will someday make the slightest bit of difference to someone somewhere. Or at the very least will provide me with the skill set neccesary to pursue a career in an aid related field. That might be egocentric or undoubtebly American but it provides me with ample motivation.

With all that being said Thursday and Friday made for much better days then the early half of the week. Carl and I worked in the Free Area Clinic, a clinic we came to find that was not free but simply located in 'Free Area'. Ha, only in Kenya. In the clinic our duties change based on the day of the week. Mondays and Fridays are supposedly the busiest days in the clinic however this past Friday was only moderately so.

So as I said the clinic is in Free Area that sits just beyond the fence of Lake Nakuru National park. To get there each morning we need to take 2 matatus (micro buses used for public transport) and it takes about 30 minutes. The clinic itself is not large its a collection of four buildings layed out in a U with the fourth building in the center. The first building houses a reception counter, a pharmacy, the exam room for children, the VCT, and the family planning room. The building directly opposite houses the doctors office and the head nurses exam room used mainly (atleast these last few days) as a dispensary for TB drugs. The building at back is the largest and houses the maternity ward. The center building contains the 'lab' an 8' x 6' room with chemicals in it, and the public health officials office.

This post isn't very exciting so here's a picture of Carl:
(He looks like he's scrubbed in for surgery but that's what we had to wear to fold bandages. We didn't use gloves or wash our hands and we put them in stacks on a dirty table before putting them in dirty boxes. I hope I don't ever need one)

Now the Adventure Begins

*So it's been a few days without a post so I owe you one! Sorry there are no pictures, it has been difficult to find an internet connection better than dial up. Anyways thanks for reading and feel free to let me know what you think.*

So on our first full day in Nairobi we had orientation where we found out we'd be leaving the hustle and bustle of Nairobi for Nakuru, Kenyas fourth largest city situated 2.5 hours outside Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley. Nakuru's claim to fame is its lake that houses over a million flamingos. The national park that surrounds it boasts sizable populations of Zebras, Buffalos, Baboons, and the rare White Rhini. The landscape itself made the placement appealing. Little did we know what awaited us. We arrived on Saturday afternoon after dropping several other volunteers off at their placements. After seeing their surroundings then pulling into our own we had reached the pinnacle of our excitement. Little did we know what the next few days would look like. That night after an unsuccessful scouting mission through town (where within 15 minutes we bought 5 liter containers of water) we returned back to the apartment where we finally met our host family. We are staying with Pastor Anthony, his wife, two daughters, and two people of indeterminate relation. The kids are 1 and 4 and enjoy a good cry. Ha but really they are awesome people doing a lot of great work in the community. So far the time spent with them listening to stories and such during dinner has been the highlight of each day. The pastor told us on Sunday night about our placements for the coming weeks and the more he talked the more our excitement grew. It sounded like we would be doing real beneficial work. Normally during the week Carl and I will be working with a Voluntary Counseling and Testing Clinic (VCT) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and at a hospital with the Red Cross on Tuesday and Thursday. This week would be different and we would be working with the Red Cross on monday as well.

After two days working with the Kenyan Red Cross I can only hope our days become more exciting. Yesterday we had to report for an "orientation" that lasted all of twenty minutes and through it we ascertained nothing more about our work then we knew before but that could have been because of the freakishly loud TV blaring Kenyan soap operas in our ears. Not the day we had anticipated.

Today offered a little more promise as we were to report to the hospital. After another orientation meant to acquaint us with the geospatial location of each ward on the hospitals campus we recieved our days assignment: making large pieces of cotton into cotton balls and cutting up and intricately folding gauze. It's hard to judge our actual effectiveness from today. What should we have accomplished and how much impact did it have? I don't actually know and it's kind of frustrating. We want to help anyway we can and don't mind most tasks but today felt like busy work. It felt like they didn't know how else to use us but didn't want to ask. I'm optimistic this will change and I'm hopeful that things will be different tomorrow at the VCT at the Free Area Health Center.

Thanks for reading

Dan

On Nature and Being

Musings from a few days back...

In our modern society few things remain that leave us feeling small and insignificant. As I gaze up at the mountains dotting the northern Tanzanian landscape with peaks hidden behind the delicate puff of a cloud I can't help but feel just that. We're on a road cut through nature. A natural world that has created things more beautiful than any human being could accurately capture or reproduce. I think back to last week as I watched the Zambezi River spill over a cliff setting one of the most spectacular scenes of the natural world. I think of the double rainbows created by the play of light off the mist that permeated the air around them. Such beauty is foreign to our ways of life. Seeing them reminds us or atleast me of my insignificance in the grand scheme of things. It's comforting though in a way. The clouds will continue to cover mountains without admiration, the river would continue to run without our need of it, and the rainbow would not relinquish an ounce of its beauty if no one watched. So to I will continue on, so will we all continue on regardless of our apparent importance or impact. But there's more to it. Unlike the river, the rainbow, or the mountain, our time here is fleeting. Nature reminds me that regardless of who sees, who knows, or who appreciates I should continue to be who I am in pursuit of who I am to become. Nature doesn't change for anyone but itself, nor should we. 

The 60 hour journey or The uncertainty of African transport

10:30 PM Bus to Lusaka leaves from Victoria Falls
12:30 AM Truck breaks down in the road, dedides the best course of action would be to block most of the road. Other truckers agree that this is a worthwhile idea and begin parking their trucks in the road. The six members from our bus company riding with us decided to leave the bus and take care of the problem. Ten minutes later road clear. We're off.
4:30 AM Arrive in Lusaka on time. The first bus we've been on that has been on time. Meet a British student headed for the same train in Kapiri as us.
5:20 AM A first in all of Africa, the bus leaves ten minutes early!
7.20 AM The bus stops for a bathroom break in an unknown city. We're charged 1000 Kwacha (about 20 cents) when leaving the restroom. Realize that taking money from people after they use the bathroom is one of the worst jobs.
8:30 AM Wake up in Kapiri. Is more of a small town then a city. We catch a cab to the train station and it immediately turns down a dirt road. Didn't know what to think. Arrive at train station to find they won't be selling tickets until 9.
9:00 AM Not selling tickets yet.... not surprised they are on African time. (Besides who arrives for a 42hr train 5 hours early?)
9:45 AM Someone arrives to ticket counter. We find out they don't take USD and need to walk 1.5 km to town to use an atm.
10:45 AM Have secured a second class train ticket with our new British friend Josh.
12:45 PM After grabbing food from town return to find some of our fellow passengers have been upgraded to first class which we were told was full.
01:40 PM After a terribly innefficient process we get upped to first class, a four bed sleeper car.
02:00 PM Our train departs on time. That's a good sign right? We're joined by a Swiss man who resides in Kenya.

First full day of the train ride was relaxing. Slept about twelve hours, drank a few beers in the bar car, and had several great conversations with people from all over Africa and Europe. The food left some to be desired. For lunch and dinner you had the same two choices meat or chicken with either rice or ugali (corn meal).

02:00 PM (5/26) Cross the Tanzanian border. US citizens charged double the European visa price. By now the food on the train has gotten old. But the train overall is relaxing. We buy a pineapple for about 70 cents through the window.

<p>5:15 PM Train pulls into Mbeya where we are informally informed that the train won't move again until 08:00 AM due to some kind of accident on the track. </p>

This doesn't bother us too bad. We've planned for delays and have a few days to work with. We head into town to grab some food and some beers. It was more or less a large African style rest stop on the highway between Zambia and Dar es Salaam. It became quite obvious that not many white people go exploring around here. We had trouble at first finding a place that didnt look as if it would make us ill. We settled on the Safari Inn and ate a couple of plates of this local Tanzanian dish that's a mix of fried potatoes and scrambled eggs. I can't accurately describe just how greasy it was but it sure beat the food on the train. After changing and cleaning up a bit we ended up in a local bar with some live music. What an experience! Carl and I sat back in a corner with our British friend Josh and Swiss friend Mickey taking it all in. We head back to the train later in the evening hoping the train starts moving before we awake.

08:15 AM Wake up on the train and it's still in the station with no engine attached. Get out to investigate to find out from the station master it doesn't plan to leave until 14:00. Again its late and leaves at 14:30.

Spent the day wandering about the station making friends with the people sitting around. I settled a dispute between two old guys who couldn't decide if I worked for the train company or was a passenger. Spent an hour or so talking US & World politics with the well dressed Tanzanian station manager and a young south african climber headed to mount kenya.

18:00 The suns setting on Sunday, our fourth day of travel and the train stops again. This time in the middle of nowhere. We won't move again until morning.

09:00 It's monday morning. We've been travelling since Thursday night at 10:30.... that makes about 84 hours to cover about two thirds a distance that can be driven in 40 hours. The train leaves and we're told 17 hours remain making the total trip over 100 hours. We'll see if this ends up being the case.

11:00 We still have the pineapple we bought two maybe three days ago. We also have a machette. The two pair nicely. It was very enjoyable.

02:30 Stop at a bigger station. We're all very hungry at this point so we grab our stuff, jump off the train, and head towards the crowd of people selling food. I bought this mixture of french fries and eggs served ever so elegantly in a black plastic bag. I also got some oranges, some chips, and a small loaf of bread. I maybe spent $3.

When I crossed into Tanzania on Friday I changed only $20. After three days worth of meals and beers I still have about $7. I could get used to that. Additionally the trains delay has saved us the cost of two nights accomodation in Dar es Salaam.

The night was largely uneventful. We ate more, talked more, and tried to figure out our next moves.

06:00 Wake up early because the last few hours of the train ride go through a game reserve. As the sun rose we thought we had gone through the reserve during the night but soon began to see gazelle, impala, giraffes, zebras, and even a few monkeys.

10:30 Arrive in the station at Dar es Salaam. This stage of our journey has finally ended. I'm thankful for the experience. It forced me into a situation where I needed to exercise the patience, optimism, and calmness in the face of uncertainty that I have been working on of late. Getting worked up and angry would have been too easy at too many points in this journey and would have accomplished nothing positive.

Now I hope this didn't discourage anyone from potentially riding this train. It's not everyday that an accident occurs on the tracks and thus of late a delay such as the one we incurred is an exception and not the rule. I can honestly say that I would take this train again if the opportunity arose and would definitely recommend it.

-Dan

Victoria Falls

<p>"I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not Happy" Ernest Hemingway</p>
<p>What an incredible place. Nature has the unique ability of removing one from themself and extending them into infinity if even for a moment. As I viewed the Falls today from above on a microlight I couldn't help but reflect on my life thus far. An incredible feeling of satisfaction came over me. I felt content. But the feeling was fleeting. As I watched the mighty waters of the Zambezi tumble over the edge and continue its journey to the Indian Ocean the satisfaction that I felt left. Just as the waters of the Zambezi must continue their journey so too must I. One cannot remain content when they reach a precipice because lurking on the other side could be a steep drop. So it goes. As I think about my own journey to this point I'm reminded of waterfall moments, ones where the top of the world seemed within reach only to be snatched away by the sheer current of life. And just as a river running over a cliff we must continue on; I must continue on.

And so must our journey. Tonight begins with a 10 hour bus ride to Kapiri Mposhi where we will catch a 42hour train ride to Dar es Salaam. We'll be in Kenya in a week.

Thanks for reading. Expect several more posts about the falls, our travels, and interactions after a couple day hiatus.

-Dan

A bus through Zim

We got into Bulawayo, Zimbabwe last night around 10 and didn't spend much time there. We slept at a very over priced three star hotel that seemed to have more employees then guests. Maybe its just the off season. With our time running short between now  and Friday (when we need to catch our final train to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from somewhere in the middle of Zambia) we decided to make the journey to Victoria Falls during the day by bus rather than on a 12+ hour overnight train. What a decision! Aside from being the only white people on the bus we also seem to be the only ones who didn't get the sack lunch memo. Someone around me is eating this stick of unnaturally pink meat that the package advertises as pork. It only smells awful if you both smell it and look at the same time. Aside from that its your typical bus ride. All the overhead space is full, there's a box full of chicks about two rows behind me, and did I mention the bus had a boot on its tire when we got on? Additionally it's one of those buses with five seats across instead of four leaving a very narrow aisle and narrow seats. While on the topic of narrow, whoever built the roads in Zimbabwe didn't think to measure the width of two cars. As two large vehicles approach each other they flash their lights indicating who gets to keep both sides of wheels on pavement. It's pretty artfully done. Our bus has been getting the right of way a lot this ride, presumably because it's travelling somewhat over its alotted speed. Because this post has just been a loosely constructed ramble I'm going to change topics right here. Scratch that same topic. As I was ending that last sentence the bus slowed to a stop outside a school and ten people got on. The bus before this was full and now had some new arrivals. As I write this fifteen minutes after them getting on only one remains standing. Somehow everyone else found a seat. Several narrow three seat rows in the back now have four people.

It should be noted here that since the collapse of the Zimbabwean currency due to hyper inflation in 2008 everyone here uses the US dollar. Our hotel, street vendors, the bus driver, they all rely on this completely arbitrary idea of what a dollar is worth. As a Zimbabwean on our bus yesterday pointed out people here live day to day. They make enough money in a day to get through tomorrow but not next month or even next week. The prices are set accordingly. With this country being as poor as it is you wouldn't expect prices to be high but they are. The import tariffs here for goods like electronics that have no national competition are about 40%. For food stuffs coming from abroad its between 10% and 20%. What effect does this have on an economy that produces very little of its own? I can't help but wonder how little the economy here has changed since the currency collapsed. People no longer need a wheelbarrow of money to buy a loaf a bread (that was a real thing, I substantiated it with two Zimbabweans yesterday) but are they merely restarting a cycle of inflation or is the Mugabe regime making real beneficial economic changes?

What an intriguing and perplexing journey this is. I wish I could spend more time in this country discovering what it has to offer, where it falls short, and how its getting better.

We're about an hour away from Victoria Falls as I finish this. I'm beyond excited to see one of the seven wonders of the natural world. Expect pictures and maybe even a video once I get some solid internet.

That was really long. My apologies if you made it this far. Thanks for reading.

-Dan

When are we?

I'm lost in time. A week ago I started driving to Erie from Texas, on Thursday Karl and I took a greyhound to Toronto, on Friday a flight to Amsterdam, and on Saturday one to Johanesburg. Now today, Monday, we find ourselves on a bus headed towards Zimbabwe and another bus awaits us tomorrow to take us to Victoria Falls. The early onset of the darkness in the southern hemisphere this time of year doesnt help one orient themselves. Its 6:10 and black as night outside our bus. It has been a constant struggle between the reality of the day and my own circadian rhythm. I've slept one full night since thursday. My body doesn't know when it is and I really don't either. It certainly makes things interesting not knowing a very basic piece of information. I never realized how much of day to day life is based on when until I got lost in time.

Away We Go

Well its about that time. Karl and I are headed towards our first border crossing in Canada. After that something like 14 more await us. Its surreal how quickly this came up on us but the timing somehow seems right. We've both just closed two large meaningful chapters in our lives and now find ourselves in the ever so formative liminality that comes in the midst of waiting. We're both waiting for the future to come upon us and for what it holds but the process from here to there is uncertain. That uncertainty holds unlimited potential, within it anything can happen. Thats what this trip is about. Regardless of our careful planning (or lack thereof) the whole of the journey represents uncertainty and our existence within it. Its exciting yet terrifying but has such a vast potential for adventure and formation. The journey beckons us forward. Away we go.

 We're glad you're following us around. We'll keep you updated on our whereabouts and experiences and feel free to leave us some comments or whatever.