EASE

We are back and I am trying to put together our life here. Thus far the thing that strikes me is the ease of it all....aisles of food, smooth roads, hot showers, happy freinds and family....but still it is odd. Not a poor person in sight...many huge cars....people with no sense about how the rest of the world lives....just striving for the next better car, TV set, house etc....
Talk is all about the economy....I wanna scream WHATEVER....people have no idea what it means to live with NO money....eating the fruits and vegetables from your own land...
In the three days home....already three references to Africa as a country....embarassing.
I'll write more when less jetlagged and overwhelmed....but damn if my vanilla soy latte wasn't good this morning....

It Ain't Easy.

It ain't easy this idea of wrapping up our life here in 6 duffle bags. But one of the main lessons I have learned in my life is that, the great stuff is usually learned and attained through struggle. Of course, this may just be my personal path through life.....struggle struggle....reward...struggle struggle reward. The most painful and difficult things have brought me the most personal growth. I think of my Dad's death by brain cancer...watching and incorporating each step closer to his inevitable death....the lessons that taught me about living in the moment, appreciating the important relationships in our lives and weeding out the toxic ones....and that really, this is it...one chance....seize it. I never could have imagined at the time that his death could have had such a profound positive effect on me. Divorce....similar, but really more a test of what I learned from my dad's struggle. I had choices and could implement what I had learned. Only get one chance at this...do I spend it mired in the mess that was my marriage or try to live a life that reflects the fraility of things for my kids. Try, in my own way, to live a life that reflects the lessons I hope will equip them to be productive members of society and live true to themselves. Parenting is so humbling and I just hope and stay in the moment and do my best....but it ain't easy.
Leaving Tanzania ain't easy....I have a constant lump in my throat. I try to avoid all conversations about "when will you be back?" "why do you have to go" both questions I can not answer. Tomorrow we have a goodbye assembly at school....certain kids have asked to say some things about Nell and Pearl....just the idea makes my eyes fill with tears. They have so loved it here....their school experience could not have been better if I scripted it....
Then Wed...the day we fly home, the Tumaini Center kids are throwing us a lunch....oh bring on the kleenex...that is going to be painful. It ain't easy to think the only way our Swahili will be saved is if we use it as our private language as we plan....it ain't easy to say good-bye to all the people who have supported us in so many ways...
It ain't easy.

comin home

I have decided to rip the bandaid off quickly and make our plans to come home. I have been in full denial about the fact that we would be flying back and going to our home and settling back into our lives there. On one hand I/we are ready....sometimes we muse over who we can't wait to see or what we can't wait to eat....or about our beds...or toys. Other days we are just thinking about what/who we will be leaving and giving up to come back to our home. Pearl put it best " I am sad, happy, excited, nervous and surprised" Yep...why can't we be feeling all those things at once....we are...it's new thing....we'll see how it goes. To those of you in Chicago...see you in 10 days.

Mt Meru and More

So...it's been a while....always a good sign if you are wondering about my state of mind. If I write often it can be deduced that I am brooding over things that are probably pointless and will change soon enough anyway....instead...I have been climbing mountains again. I climbed Mt. Meru about a week ago with two 'mama's" from the kids school. I already loved and admired these women but there is nothing like hiking for 14 consecutive hours and clinging to rocks in the dark to solidify a friendship. Meru is steeeeeeep and technical and somewhat scary in the most exhilarating kind of way. I LOVED it....but to anyone who cares or who has climbed Kili it is harder. Kili has great altitude and one usually feels drunk or sick as a result....but Meru has huge rock cliffs, with dizzying drop offs....when the sun comes up and you are headed down...the realization of what you did (in the dark) hits hard. Nericia, my friend, choose to tell us that this was her first experience hiking...while we were in the dark....oh and that she was afraid of heights...needless to say she summited...asking me to take her picture at the summit with Kili looming in the background. When the sun decided to rise during our ascent it came up directly behind Kili...we had to sit...and take it in. ONCE AGAIN I was reminded how freaking beautiful this country is....and how I will be forever changed by having a year of mountain climbing, running on dirt roads, hiking with my kids to waterfalls, seeing monkeys in the trees....ahhh....the list goes on and on. It was glorious.

Then...however...this morning...the reality of where we are on the otherhand sunk in again...as is life here. After droppingthe girls off at school and strapping on my running shoes...I encountered many people on the road near a car. when I got close I saw a woman lying in a pool of blood. She had been hit by a speeding Daladala (local bs/mini van). I don't know if I have mentioned the crazy reckless speed of these vehicles before...byt they have caused me to cringe oh so many times. Seems this woman ( older mama) had been simply walking down the road....and bam...so strange to watch people's reactions....the Tanzanians have a way of just reacting, but not showing any emotion in comparison to my friend elaine and her husband who were trying to load the woman into their car. Elaine was horrified beyond belief ( understandably) and was crying and shaking...strangely no one else was....their calm and acceptance of horrible events struck me. So many struggles for the people of this culture...hard to even react to others pain. Must get these bananas to market so my family has food tonight...must get these jugs of oil back to the shamba(farm), must get this huge bundle of sticks to my home before it rains again and the firewood is wet.

WHEREBAYLESSBE>BLOGSPOT>COM

I messed up last post....not wherebebayless....but wherebaylessbe.blogspot.com

Bayless

wherebebayless.blogspot.com Check out our mother's Day story!!! Just got down from Meru...hurting....more later.

Number 80

Yes folks even though I have been slacking big time (explanation following) this is indeed the 80th blog of Sasafrica. I am proud of myself...because when my ghost writer (Josh) gets a hold of it for the book, he already has at least 80 pages to work from. (Does gooogle own a publishing house somewhere?)
So...the excuse....same one I usually have for most things....having too much fun, in the moment, lost track of time, "I was at the library". Life has been great...I went through a bit of a down turn at the end of March, but am now happy to say back to fully loving it. I wonder if this is the normal progression for life abroad...now that the end is in sight, I really really really don't want to come home...all looks new again. Everything that I love about this place is working her magic on me. This week alone, for example, Nell goes hiking in the rainforest tomorrow as the culmination of her unit on rainforests....Pearl attended and completed an entire yoga class on a platform over a river with monkeys swinging overhead....and I leave to climb Mt. Meru on monday. Another reason for not wanting to leave is the simple fact that I finally
"get it" .....it takes a long time and a lot of patience to understand and get comfortable in a new culture....we finally have a handle on the language, I've learned the customs of doing business here and we have made some deep and dear friends. It's hard to look at what we have done and figure out how to leave it....hoping most of the things will continue on?! Will Mappy complete his education? Where will Millin go to university? Will Tropical Ice really send all their mountain trips to us as we are working on? Will the porter training kids continue on in their tourism studies? Will we be back to have tea at Nericia's tea garden? etc. etc.....it goes on and on...
Then comes the thoughts about what the heck I'll do at home? Set up an office to continue this work? It won't possibly match the office here with the batik curtians and Shawna's art work. But...I will have consistent power, a printer (UG), internet, reliable phone connections etc...hmmmm.
Lots to deal with...but for now we are really enjoying and taking every chance to soak up this beautiful place and people.
Love and Peace,
Sarah

8 hours and 27 minutes

That's how long it took Simon Mtuy to RUN up AND down Kili. He holds the record. To day I finally met and had a meeting with Simon. I am trying to convince him to hire some of the porters we trained in the Fall. He was so excited about what we did and the philosophy behind it....it was thrilling. He loved the idea of women porters....that these were kids that were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS....he lost his brother to the disease. The thing that struck me the most was just his physical awesomeness....tall lanky confident and compassionate. It felt like being in the presence of greatness...
The other exciting thing that happened is we now are the proud parents of 7 healthy 3 week old baby rabbits. Our (smart) gardener decided not to tell us until they grew a bit...but boy are they cute. We are trying to apply all the things we have learned through our other escapades with animals this year...now i think we will get it right....and they will make beautiful parting gifts to all Nell and Pearl's friends....
Good Africa day.....stimulating and exciting!
Peace,
Sarah

Chairs vs. Men with Shovels and Big Rocks

You know that Chicago tradition of saving parking spaces with chairs? I have found the Moshi/Tanzania equivalent. Yesterday after getting stuck for the third time ( i did mention the rain, right?) I was attempting to once again get down the road to our house. This time I was stopped by the men with shovels who had placed big rocks in the road while they "fixed" it. They asked me to donate to the road fund...."any amount would be enough"...after giving my 100 TSH (10 cents) they removed the rocks and I was on my way. I had that same "can they do that" feeling I get when I find a folding chair in a parking spot.
YOU must check out the blog called thatskeen.blogspot.com It has a great U-Tube video of Sara Wright''s visit here...amazing. I love it.
I'm gearing up to climb Mt. Meru in May....the second highest in Tanzania...word on the dirt road is..it is more beautiful...more technical (than KILI)and has seven fake summits. I am doing it with some Mom friends from Nell and Pearl's school should be great.
Hope all are well!
Peace,
Sarah

Still Raining

And raining and raining and raining....and raining....but I actually quite enjoy it. There is something very cozy about wanting to be inside after all this sunshine and heat. I'm sure those of you in Chicago have no sympathy...but really heat and sunshine drones on too. It's interesting to for the weather to be getting colder and moving toward winter as you all are getting ready for Spring....but the good news....I got our tickets home...June 12th we'll be back. seems like a very short time considering what I still want to accomplish while here. I can however feel my nesting instinct settling in....I ordered new curtains from India (so cool, so cheap) and am having a new bed made to emulate the ones in a safari camp i love...I'm picturing myself in my old environment again...getting ready.
Girls are giggling under their mosquito nets right now...that i'll miss....out simple quiet early evenings...
we'll be taking full advantage of our time here but feel the creep of time heading us back across the world.
Peace,
Sarah

Top of the Roller Coaster

As I have tried to expand on before, Africa has a way of taking one on a ride....there are high highs and low lows...it is a continent of extreme beauty and wide open spaces juxtaposed to searing poverty and corruption. The daily ups and downs...give and take...learning and relearning can be both exhilarating an exhausting. Before coming to Lamu I had had it...with everything and everyone...down on America and the possibility of taking my girls back, down on Tanzania and the idea that I had to be there one more day....just tired and over it all. NOW, I feel so utterly refreshed and ready to reface the challenges and adjustments of daily life here on this continent. I have been able to take a relaxed look at our time here thus far and think deeply about what we have learned and gained from our time here. It has been such an amazing life changing time...
Lamu is gorgeous...put it on your must visit in this lifetime list...it is an island filled with wonderful characters. I have been so enjoying Carol the owner of Peponi Hotel where I am staying...we went snorkeling with her girls (15 and 17) and she cooked fresh fish on the beach while we drank "shandy's" ( Sprite and Tusker Beer) all the while the baboons peering at us waiting for the leftovers. The sea was filled with bright blue and green irridescent eggs implanted in the many colored coral...I have never seen this before and still can't get a answer as to what kind of eggs they are...but just beautiful. I have missed my girls this week but am so glad they are spending time with their dad on Zanzibar....a lucky lucky life we are leading. I look forward to getting back to Tanzania...several trips are coming in the next two months (hard to believe that is all that is left of our time here). The girls will continue at their wonderful school with field trips and many interesting units still to come....the rainy season will continue there for the next two weeks ( it is a month later here in Kenya) so we can continue to watch the fields and trees transform themselves from their parched states.
Peace...
Sarah

AHHHHHHH.....

Pretty much couldn't be happier right now. I am on the Island of Lamu off the coast of Kenya ( no, war is over, power sharing agreement signed and Kofi Anan arriving for more mediating tomorrow). Lamu is an island that has somehow escaped the progress of time. There are no cars...transportaion is either a dhow (local wooden boat) or a donkey or by foot. The buildings reflect the coastal Swahili Arabic style...just gorgeous..blue blue waters...and get this...the hotel where I am staying has flown in a European sushi chef for the week!!! The godesses are smiling on me. I will write more as I will have time this week between my snorkeling trips and reading any of the 6 books I brought...oh and this guy is teaching me windsurfing...life is rough sometimes....but not now.
Peace,
Sarah

50 cent haircut

Not 50 Cent like the rapper, but I imagine if I had asked for that cut it would have turned out differently. I have the grossest hair these days...bleached out, dry, too long...so I could not take it one more day...went to a barber shop(allegedly "the guy does mzungu hair") Um...I'm pretty sure from the way he a. picked/combed my hair b. didn't wet...or touch it while he cut it, that c. he had never touched a white woman's head before. While one part of me wanted to get up and run, the other just had to see what was gonna happen. It's no secret my hair looks the same since the day I had to let it air dry after swimming in High School...but I like to think there are variations...not so. It looks the same. Just texted Jodi...she said she got her haircut too. her cut cost 60$....I could get 120 cuts for that mess!!! Come on over Jod...I'll hook you up.

Double Rainbows

The girls and I just spent a lazy Saturday afternoon at one of our favorite spots in town. Pearl somehow contracted amoebas and has had a tough time this week. She is very much on the mend and we are all happy about that....today she ate TWO mango ice cream cones....all's well in the world. On the way home from our pleasant afternoon we noticed an amazing double rainbow...I had only ever heard of these...but there it was! We pulled the car over to sit in the mist and enjoy its beauty. Sometimes...moments.....life is just right.

Victimless Crime

Eliot Spitzer.....breathe don't judge....bahahahahahaa.

Kicking and Screaming

I am having time to process a lot lately...and it is needed and good. I have been thinking about one thing a lot. I have felt super judgemental about America, consumerism, people who haven't traveled....people who have no idea about Africa. Now, I am taking a step back and realizing the complete stupidity of this. Tanzania and Africa have touched my soul...I am forever changed...my views of the world for me, for my kids....for humanity have been affected. I am now realizing that my "kicking and screaming" approach is not going to ever share that message. I need to share openly, without judgement, what I have felt and how I have been moved. The greatest teachers of this lesson are the Tanzanian people...they are so open and kind and move slowly with concentration of where they are at that moment. Preplanning doesn't exist...they are in the here and now. I think this happens for a variety of reasons....first and foremost poverty drives their lives...each day they are consumed with food, water....how to pay for school, get ahead....these daily needs keep them in the moment. With this struggle comes beauty....simplicity. Hard to really imagine this I think....we equate struggle with pain and suffering....I am learning instead the benefits and long term benefits of it....we grow, we see...we feel.
I just finished reading the Time magazine article by Bob Geldof (is he single?)on Bush's visit to Africa. I knew before that Bush has given more to Africa than ony other world leader EVER. I knew the staggering numbers associated to this money...for example, in 2003 50,000 Africans were on HIV antiretroviral drugs...today 1.3 are receiving medicines for free. 1.5 are getting Malaria and TB meds...for free. The US contributes 50% of all food aid. One of his quotes in this article was "US solutions should not be imposed on African leaders" But that is where my "kicking and screaming" judgemental side kicked in....I wondered...isn't this true of Iraq too? Deep breath...calm...appreciate the good he has done, think about the future Presidents potential to continue to do good work here. The not judging thing is something I am working on....it's a process right?
Peace and musings from my net.
Sarah

Blog Unrest

First...all....please check out thatskeen.blogspot.com for my friend Sara Wright's reactions to her time here visiting us! She even has pics!
Second....negative comment-er....why? I don't get it....
My mom left tonight...sad to see her go. She has been so open and wonderful this month...we has a great time. Sara leaves early a.m. I am doing my level best to get her to stay!!!
I need to refocus on work and my job here. I am looking forward to getting our next few trips organized. There is a GREAT yoga trip coming in Sept. for anyone interested in a yoga/climb experience. Karen Conter will be leading this trip....she is a smiley positive wonderful human. She would be very fun and inspirational. I think the yoga climb combo will be a great one....more details of that trip coming!
Love to all more later this slow weekend...promise.
Love and Peace
Sarah

My Body hates me

Ug...I am lying here in physical pain. Ran the Kili half Marathon yesterday...a glorious not to be missed experience....but today my 42 year old body is reminding me that I just climbed Kili and that she is having NON of this crap. She has advised me to take to my bed....ug.
More later on the amazing experience it was to run 6and a half miles up Kili and 6and a half miles down...all the while being trailed by kids with no shoes but huge grins. I wondered what their impressions of this old white lady running on their streets was??? The course allowed us half runners to view the leaders at several times. They literally flew by going up hill...drawing gasps from teh crowds and other runners. Amazing. The race ended with nell and pearl running with me into the stadium and across the finish line. let me just give you a quick visual....they were the only white kids...barring about 3 others....out of thousands of people...Nell had a Masaai cloth on and Pearl had a sparkly tutu....quite the sight. Love them so much. Ug...gotta go...feel like crap.

PHEW....retirement is good.

I am happy for the concept of retirement...first of all because my Mom is retired and has been able to spend the last 3 weeks with us. She was a wonderful stand in as mom while I adventured with our group. My kids have had an experience with her that will last a lifetime. She was a little shaky about the idea at first but quickly and deftly rose to the occasion and became a Tanzanian bibi (grandma). She has been so focused and present with my kids, I feel so happy for them to have this time with her.
I am secondly happy for retirement because I can use that word to get me out of future Kili climbs. Just for the record...it's hard....really hard. I know by doing it three times it may seem that it isn't but...after watching the faces and hearing the reactions of my fellow climbers this time...I know. This time had a lot of pressure for me...when Shawna got sick, I had a pit in my stomach. How could I go up without my girl...she's the physically tough one...I look to her in triathlons etc. I needed her. When she went down....I had to remind myself that we had recruited these poor souls to get to the top and now it was my job. We did it....but when we got to the summit I had to turn around and go down...didn't feel right to be up there without my partner in crime. So now...I have retired...the only way I'll pull a baseball Micheal Jordan is if Nell or Pearl want to see the amazing glaciers that always bring tears to my eyes. I cried hard while I walked down alone....it is glorious up there...a sight that one can never express in words. I feel lucky for the images that are in my head of this trip....Yong and Jimmy with tears in their eyes...Jamie beaming from ear to ear.....Joanne making it to Gillman's long after all had quit....Leslie and her amazing optimism that just barely flickered out, only to come back in full force bonfire style...
This group was amazing.....a group of brains doing something physical...an interesting combination. Jim M. summitting without his two sick daughters...making them proud, Tara proving that she is powerful in many ways...Julie being inspired and inspiring others....Melissa being growled at every step of the summitt....Anna so amazingly self deprecating while summitting Kili (the two don't seem to go together)....Amy Kaplan...irrespressible and so funny!!! Kay...looking good every step while being quietly sooo strong....a force.
I feel so lucky to have spent this time with these people....life is a bit of a let down right now...but there will be new summitts to conquer. I am ready.
thanks...
Sarah

Elephants can be aggressive

Details are still coming in but it seemed that a large male elephant was either very attracted to or intensly annoyed with Anna and Joanne. Not sure which is more likely. The other travelers were alerted by screams from their Land Rover and turned to see the truck speeding away from a chasing bull elephant. Fortunately for our adventurers, Land Rover's are faster than elephants.

Despite the excitement, the safari was amazing and enjoyed by all. Another highlight was coming upon a pride of lions finishing off a wildabeast kill. While the vegetarians in the group were rather mortified, everyone was amazed when the lions decided to rest in the shade of their trucks, close enough that they could see the blood on their fur. A cheetah and her cubs also made an appearance. Not a bad way to end a trip in Africa.

The team is now heading back to the airport for their return home. Fortunately, KLM is a bit more reliable in terms of the timing of their flights than some of the other African aviation companies. Hope to see them back this weekend.

Traveling-African Style

After two days catching their breath at the beach, our team headed inland. Unfortunately, despite extensive planning, travel in Africa is not as reliable as one might hope. What should have been a short flight to share lunch with the porters and graduates from Global Alliance's job training program turned into an all day ordeal. Drivers arrived late, flights mysteriously left early so ticket takers could attempt to renogiate a fare, direct flights became multi-stop flights and the team arrived in Arusha late in the day. All part of the experience I guess.

These last few days in Africa will be spent in the Serengetti and game park. Its simply astonishing to travel through the park where you see elephants, giraffes, zebras and wildbeast wandering about as casually as we might see people standing at a bus stop.

Home this weekend.

It seems our good friend Josh Sedaris has gone ghost on us. Hopefully, he is not too busy googling to share more of his unique perspectives before the trip ends.

Oh and one more thing. Ms. Wood Prince has denied the report published in yesterday's post that there was any concern about overserving and demanded a retraction of the "smear campaign." The blog has issued a statement standing by its story, stating that "the story speaks for itself."

Kwaheri

R&R in Zanzibar

The hard part is done and our team is safely settled into the beach lodge in Zanzibar. The hardest task now is avoiding sunburn and keeping Sarah from getting overserved.

Report from the Summit

They made it. Our team has returned from their jaunt up the mountain and what a trip it was.

It seems that this trip had some rather poor climbing conditions. Clouds, rain, sleet and snow left everyone and every bit of their gear soggy and chilled. With the departure of the team's motivational speaker, Shawna, paparazzi Sarah had to step up to the plate. It seems Sarah had a newfound fascination with photography combined with motivation techniques usually reserved for those chasing Brittany Spears. Negative comments were met with a bop in the head from one of Sarah's trekking poles. A climber that needed just that right comment to help push a little farther would hear "hippos are inspirational" or "can you move? can you eat? you've got nothing to complain about." It seems the combination of challenging weather and a sensitive leader created the perfect environment for the remaining team members on the mountain as they all summitted.

The entire team reported a positive, life changing and highly emotional experience. They came from very different places, bonded and accomplished a feat that was both harder and more rewarding than any of them expected. We will have to get most of the details from the climbers themselves but can share two interesting facts. First, Jim has become the first person to summit eating nothing but raw food. Yes nuts and fruit can provide the energy needed to make it to the top. For a meat eater like me, it seems a feat worthy of guinness record book. Second, it wasn't until she was standing at 19,300 feet that Anna shared with anyone her severe fear of heights. Apparently standing on the edge of a volcano rim in a snow storm was enough to remind her. The scree slope was unusually treacherous, but the guides and porters were amazing and made sure everyone made it safely down to camp. The next day left only a short 8 hour hike to the mountain gate and the waiting transportation.

That night the team shared a late dinner and appreciated sleeping in a bed for the first time in nearly a week. After a late morning of sleeping in and massaging sore and bruised muscles, the team is heading to Zanzibar for a few days of well deserved rest by the beach.

Well see if they have time to report from Zanzibar. I hear the power is much more reliable there.

Crickets to the bloggers

It seems our fearless reporters have been a bit too busy to report or maybe their power went out again. Hopefully more details shortly.

Mountain 1, Shawna 2

Mt. Killimanjaro reminded everyone that this climb is not a walk in the park. There's a reason why it takes a special person to attain the summit. After two successful summits, the mountain bested Shawna this year.

It seems the guides are quite strict with their rule that climbers with unrelenting vomiting spasms must go down. It is the cardinal sign of severe altitude sickness. Despite Shawna's protestations that it was just the result of listening to Sara's snoring all night long, that she was fine and up to the task, she was sent down from the Kibo camp with a guide and three porters before the team made their summit push. Unfortunately, her sister Nicole was forced to join her exit by a worsening respiratory infection. Nicole wanted Josh to know that she was certainly not faking. A course of antibiotics for Nicole and a night not at altitude for Shawna seems to have healed their problems. They are planning to rejoin the team as they come off the hill today.

Initial summit reports were that everyone else made the lower summit and the team was doing well on its way to Uhuru Peak despite some fairly nasty and snowy weather. Full summit report coming soon.

While we are waiting to hear more from Mr. Me Talk Pretty One Day, I'll leave with this note from my friend HDT "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected. "

Third Day's a Charm

Looks like Too Tall beat me to the update punch, but I really don’t have too much to add. I missed a call circa 1 a.m. from Shawniqua who apparently had trouble reaching Eric Abdul-Jabaar on her first attempt, so I got the sloppy seconds in the form of a choppy voicemail. It was short and sweet (well, from Shawna, tall and sweet), and here’s what I gist of what she said:

Day 3 weather was cloudy from 12,000 feet as the group was heading towards Mawenzi Lake near the Mawenzi Peak. Seems like everyone is hanging in there, despite a little case of Montezuma’s Revenge plaguing the otherwise happy campers. Two very tall blonde thumbs up re: the porters, who Shawna says are absolutely awesome and have helped make things easier. Sounds like Shawniqua’s sister, Nicole, the Aveda Vixen, developed a slight respiratory infection (I think she’s faking), but she’s getting better (good thing Naughty Nurse Dwyer is on the pleasure stroll up that hill!). As for Sarah, when she’s not wowing the masses with her tales of what she just said ten steps before, she’s apparently Snoresafrica, keeping Shawna up all night (or day?) by sawing some industrial logs. Isn’t it funny how the lowest of all low talkers can make the tent tremble with her louder than loud respiratory raucous?
More to come later tonight…hopefully either Too Tall or I can make live contact so we can extract some greater detail, but the punch line is that all are well and making great progress!

The Trek Continues

Isn't it just like Shawna to promise regular communication and then mysteriously be unable to answer the phone for days. Her story is that clouds over the mountain have prevented phone communication. I suspect they are too busy enjoying the view to call. The clouds cleared this morning and a short message came through. Everyone is doing great and they are halfway to the summit.

SAFE AND SOUND ON THE GROUND

20 hours of travel and our team is safely in another world.  A quick stop in Amsterdam followed by hours of traveling over the Sahara's endless sand.  As they climbed down the 2 story tall boarding ladder and look back, the KLM 747 looks like it landed on the equivalent of a dirt landing strip.  No boarding tunnel, the runway lights were quickly turned off and there sits the massive plane in the dark in the middle of nowhere.  Our travelers moved across the dusty tarmac into a single story terminal with a few tired fans barely moving the hot desert air. Cash obtained visas, customs made a cursory glance at their forms and their African adventure had begun.   

The trip was long and tiring but without problems.  Well almost without problems.  A bag or two was delayed and Amy Kaplan had a little run-in with a lovely KLM flight attendant.  It seems there was a bit of a dispute over some liquid that ended up in Amy's seat.  Amy was insistent that the flight attendant spilled soup while she was gone, it seems a leaking camelback may have been another possible explanation.  It's good to see our climbers well prepared for all contingencies.  By the time the group arrived, these travel annoyances seemed insignificant.  

In the words of my good friend Thoreau "Our life is frittered away by detail.  Simplify, Simplify." 

It seems like things are getting much simpler for our fearless trekkers.  Today they 

got a chance to meet some  the GAA sponsored orphans.  Food, shelter and someone to care about them is all they have.  There are over 8000 AIDS ophans in the town.  Many have no access to something as simple as clean water.  The worries of life back at home and fear about the mountain quickly disappeared when faced with the daunting impact of their fundraising along with a realization of how lifechanging the GAA programs are.

Tonight our team enjoyed their second night at the luxurious Kigongoni Lodge in Arusha located on a historic coffee farm overlooking Mt. Killimanjaro.  Tomorrow they board trucks for a lengthy ride to the base of the mountain.  If you think Chicago has bad potholes, wait until you get a chance to careen down a dirt road in a Land Rover at 60 mph for 3 hours.  At the gate they will join their support team and hike three hours to their first camp.  There they will find sleeping tents, a mess tent, a bathroom tent and dinner waiting for them.  (We are all waiting to hear how our vegan/rawfoodists will enjoy the menu.)  15 of their porters, including 5 women, are graduates of the GAA orphanage and training program.  We have been told that these 5 women are the first female porters on the mountain.  Its been amazingly empowering for them.  The support crew including guides, porters and cooks totals 48 for the 15 climbers.  

Everyone was happy to hear of our chilly temperatures in Chicago.  80 degrees in Arusha today.

More to follow.

Too Tall.  

Sasa by Proxy: The Rebirth

Jambo friends of Sasafrica!

This is Josh, the original ghost-blogger who kicked off this series back in August while Sarah and the girls got settled in their new African digs. Since then Sarah has taken the reigns and delighted us with her daily tales of life in Tanzania, all while subtly instructing us to send clothes, to carpe diem, and to not eat shit sandwiches. Well folks, we’re going to TiVo that stream of red-headed consciousness for a little while as Sarah leads another ambitious group up Mount Kili. In her absence, I and Eric “Too Tall” Schoonveld, the stretched husband of Shawna, Sarah’s co-leader and partner in crime, will be filling in with both play-by-play and color commentary as Fric & Frac lead another group of brave philanthropists up the hill. For those who have grown accustomed to the stylings of Sasafrica, please note that the tone will change a bit. With me, you’ll get a Sedaris-like slant on the events with a light-hearted, but sardonic take on the climb. When Too Tall starts typing, his eloquent lawyerness will come shining through, and suddenly you’ll be Thoreau country. Once the climb is over, he and I will gladly pass the baton back to Ramona Quimby: The Acid Years for her own take on the climb and 2nd semester in Africa.

As for the climbers, welcome to the great journey that is sure to change your life! Sarah introduced you all in previous posts in guest star fashion, reminiscent of the opening credits of the Love Boat. All that was missing was each of your faces in the ship steering wheel and, of course, the Landers sisters, Sid Caesar, and Charles Nelson Reilly. A key pointer: when you’re on the climb be warned that Sasa likes to tell stories…repetitively. When you hear her open up with “Did I tell you…?” quickly cut her off at the pass. Sure, you’ll need the entertainment to get through the grueling part of the climb, but don’t let her think that the multiple climate changes will erase your memory. Demand new material!

I’ve also sent Sarah 7 awesome CDs, so if anyone is short on music, ask Hannah Africanna if you can borrow her collection, then you all can dance a Soul Train line up the mountain. However, watch out for Sarah’s moves…when she puts that iPod on she’s Elaine Bennis with a backpack, and trust me, there have been casualties.

Shawna will be a great resource, particularly if you need to reach the top shelf. Her favorite pastime is laughing (and subsequently peeing in her pants), so if you want to feel like you’re headlining at Caroline’s Comedy Club, grab Shawniqua and let the jokes fly. Knock-knocks had her at hello.

So good luck to the climbers, and happy reading to friends and family near and far. It’s sure to be another successful adventure, so Too Tall and I will do our best to translate the journey to make you feel like you’re right there with them!

Snow and Spelling

First a shout out to all my misspelled words...I type fast and usually never edit...similar to how I live my life...I could use a full time editor....anyone intersted in the position???
Anyway...so I just wrote my group about how the snow on Kili had been going away and then BAM...it's now covered. Yesterday I drove to Arusha and noticed Mt. Meru has also gotten snow (very very uncommon) the second highest portion of Kili...Mwenzi...snow...ug.
I am hoping the unseasonable rain we have gotten of late is almost over as we start climbing Monday. They are mostly traveling from Chicago which I hear has gotten its fair share of snow...
Soon on this page there will commence a bloggins smackdown...in one corner we have Josh...who is a Google exectuive...in the other we have Eric who is a high powered attorney...I doubt they will have misspellings...should prove for some interesting reading while i am away....best to all of you and more when I return on the 23rd!!!
Love and Peace,
Sarah
PS...positive energy our way as we do a Valentine's day summit!!!! LOVE

Intros continued!!!

Ok...so...next we have Jimmy Masterson...Jimmy has been interested in doing this climb sense the first time I came here 4 years ago. He had that look in his eye as if to say "I want to do that" way back when . He and his wife Beth ( who will join us for the second half of the trip) generously sponsored me for that first climb! They are parents to 5 great kids...who I hope they are inspired to bring back in the future. I look forward to spend ing this time with both Jimmy and Beth!!! Then there is Yong Myong....he is the father of three great girls. Yong has traveled all over the world so he will lend an experienced sense of this adventure. yong is checking out the climb for his wife and first born daughter who also want to climb with us in the future (right cathy????)
Julie Newman is a business woman from Chicago...a very very busy one who I imagine will have a challenge slowing down to the pace of Africa. I doubt she will flinch on the mountain as she is a courageous independent soul.
Anna Loftus and Joanne Jorgenson are the other respesenting lawyers on the climb. They both owrk for the same firm but in different regional offices. Joanne hails from Utah...and has been hiking at altitude...she'll be leaving her its and her Army employed husband....now it's her turn to leave the country as he spent time in Iraq. Anna I don't know as well and really met briefly at our last meeting in Chicago...she strikes me a a bright vibrant addition to the group....she's tiny...and looks very fit.
Melissa Guierrez is the youngest member of our group. She is a veteran traveler mostly in South America...I'll be happy to introduce her to Abu one of our drivers who is fluent in Spanish. A few of our Tumaini trained porters also speak Spanish...I like Melissa's enthusiasm and will appreciate it onthe mountain!
Last but not least....it is our lucky luck to have Jamie Dwyer labor delivery Nurse extrodinaire. She was supposed to climb with our group in dec. but contracted Dengue Fever in South America...she has been here in Tanzania for the last few weeks traveling and visiting her sister Sam who is a GAA employee. She is great....I am SOOOOO happy she will be joining us!!! Nice to have a nurse along as well....especially if anyone goes into labor!
Ok....more later my mom needs some more training! HA....
Love to you all....see you climbers soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah

Climbers Continued

So next on the list we have Amy Kaplan...spitfire this one. She has raised the most money thus far! When Amy gets something in her head she is determined...this will serve her well on Kili. She works for Capitol Records so she is taking the word of GAA into another arena! Amy is a mom of two beautiful kids who will be cheering her on from home with their dad Eric.
Then there is Tara Goff Kamradt, I always want her on MY side. Tara is a partner in a major law firm in Chicago. Her manner exudes strength and determination...she too will be served well by this on Kili. Tara and I share the role of happy single mom's....she is mother to Harrison who is the same age as Pearl. I appreciate a knowing glance from Tara at school...in the years we have known each other. Tara is bringing two important people with her...first her sister in law Leslie Goff who I have yet to meet. Tara tells us she is amazing woman and mother. She has three young children and one with special needs. She has focused very hard as a mom and career woamn and is finally taking some time for herself. ( notice in doing so she is fundraising fo other kids!). I look forward to meeting Leslie and I'll tell you more about her when i do! Tara is also joined by Kay Raso. Kay is also an accomplished athlete and a lover of Pilates. She recently moved to Colorado so she has been lucky enough to do some training at altitude. Kay rode in a super long bike race this summer ( I can't remeber the distance) it was over a several day span and covered a lot of feet up and down. Kay is leaving her Buff husband at home.
So I will finish the line up tomorrow...off to finish the details of our trip!!!! Starting to finally feel real!!!!
Love to you all.
Sarah

Fundraising-o-rama

So as a reminder let me tell you that my job here is to plan and execute fundraising trips that support the various programs of Global Alliance for Africa, a non-for-profit located in Chicago. We are now working on a trip from Georgetown University, Loyola University, a bike trip, and yoga trip and an Art Camp. Those 5 trips will be coming before July....thus far this year we have had an Art trip and a Kili climb with another arriving in less than two weeks. We have a lot of momentum going...our goal was 6 trips this year...and we will easily surpass that. This trip coming in February is by far the biggest fundraisng group of the year. Shawna and I have both been working with this group since early last year. It is a wonderful mix of highly accomplished people with a drive to both help GAA and climb to the roof of Africa. I want to give you a bit of background on the group because this blog will be the home of their journey. We plan to document their ascent (and descent) up Kili. and give descriptions of their journey. You can log in here to see how they are doing and where they are on the mountain. So I am going to introduce each of them over the next few blogs to give their journey a more personal feel.
First there is Shawna, Shawna is my great great friend and a wonderful supporter of Global Alliance. This will be her 3rd attempt on Kili...she was successful in her first two tries. She does triathlons, skis, bikes....and I would say is generally happiest when outdoors. She is a leader on this trip. Both Shawna's sister Nicole and her father Jim will be joining us this year. I already feel emotional at the thought of the three of them doing this together. Kili brings out a lot of different emotions in people and for them to share this wih each other will be very powerful...Jim has been trainig really hard and has set the bar high for the rest of us. Rumors of his efforts have already come to Africa....ankle weights, heavy backpacks...he's gunning for this mountain!!! Nicole is an accomplished althlete and a natural runner. She is leaving behind her husband and beautiful daughter to join us. As I've told her and the other parents on the trip...the effect their climb will have on their own children is as powerful as the effect it will have on the kids here.
I'll finish my focus on our line up in my next blog so stay tuned....there will be 15 of us doing the climb beginning on the 11th of February....this group leaves Chicago on the 8th and will spend a day getting ready and visitng the programs of GAA...for a littel pre-climb motivation.
My mom comes this Sat....she willbe staying wth my kids while a travel with this group...this is about the 10th trip she has taken this year. She's been in Indonesia, Brazil, and many other foreign locales...so i think she'll easily adapt to our life here....we can't wait to see her!!! Yeah Gamma!!!
More soon!!!!
Sarah

Shit Sandwich

Let me preface this blog with the fact that I know I am swearing and there is swearing involved...hope no one takes offense.
While hiking on Sunday, I had an interesting conversation with Pearl. She had recently seen a movie called Gracie. (this movie was left behind by my Christian friend) The movie is about a girl whose brother dies. She tries to replace him on the soccer team. She has to work and train very hard and eventually wins the game etc. She struggles a lot to get to this point. At one part of the movie she is having a conversation with her mother and her mother basically tells her that "women have to, at some point, take a bite of a big shit sandwich" that it is part of our inequality etc. Gracie was discouraged by her mother's attitude and vowed to prove her wrong.
Pearl asked me if my mom had made me take a bite of a "shit sandwich". I know she doesn't know what shit is and doubt she grasped the metphorical aspect of this comment. But it did lead to a great conversation about how "no, I was raised pretty equally to my brothers and always encouraged to compete". I told her under no circumstances would she ever be made to take a bite from me...hopefully not from other influences in her life. I told her I was raising my daughters to be humans....in a global world and to understand that we can all be equal and should be compensated as such. May have gone over my 5 year olds head...but she was trudging through the mud nodding...listening...
When I reflected on this later...I realized I have to vote for Hillary. I have to vote for her for no other reason than to have a woman in power, for that to exist in my girls lifetime. Of course I LOVE Barack...loving African men....but I never want my girls to take a bite of the shit sandwich.

Waterfalls and Banana Beer

Today Nell and Pearl and I and three other friends went for an amazing hike up to a glorious huge waterfall. The day began with a slippery drive (me driving) up towards Kili to a village called Uru. It was lightly raining which made getting up there in my sedan type car a bit of a feat. Then we fond some local kids to take us into the area where the falls are...
I need to first tell you what a typical Sunday is like in a village like this. Sundays start with church in the villagers Sunday finest and end in a drunken stumble home. Pretty hilarious....so while we were hiking in, many people were just leaving their services...in heels and nice shoes in the sloppy mud. These people use leaves as their umbrellas. The Banana trees are so huge that one leaf can provide shelter for two or three people. This sight alone....the bright bright green mixed with the bright colors of the church clothes was a sight to absorb....the people greeted us happily. As is the norm...Nell and Pearl are the center of attention. People stop them...want to look at them....talk to them...they are mini rockstars here. By the time we were hiking out hours later, the entire village had consumed a lot of banana beer. Even the old "mamas" were wasted....it's pretty funny to see these people stumbling down the path. Add to this spectacle the HUGE snail Nell was carrying on a banana leaf and you have a sight to behold. the villagers were essentially falling down laughing (drunk) at the sight of this Mzungu (oh so very white one) carrying a snail. what they didn't know is that she named it Gary...ala Sponge Bob. I didn't mention that Nell did the entire hike barefooted...very much like every other Tanzanian kid we saw...that child is made to be outdoors! Pearl in the meantime was charming everyone by picking up a few Chagga phrases and greeting the parties as we descended...she spent most of the day on someones shoulders...mainly mine. They were both such a pleasure to take on this adventure and always add to everyone elses humor. Neither complained being in the mud and rain....they loved the mud squishing through their toes...being free etc.
Great great day!!!!
Peace,
Sarah

We're baaaaaaack!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhh.....that's a huge sigh of relief and appreciation I feel at being back here. I just cannot express how strange it was being home...on so many levels. Probably the hardest thing was the question "how is Africa"....how do I answer that....usually I said "great" a la Nell. But we have been so changed by this experience....but it seemed strange once we were back in our familiar city. In some ways nothing had changed....but us. I think also the fact that we were home at xmas, was an added intensity factor. So much consumerism and excess. I felt like I was constantly at odds with my surroundings and many times the people as well. How should I appreciate the huge lighted xmas tree when I know 90% of the people live without power here everyday....how do I answer the questions about financially protecting my children when they are already set....how do I not squirm at the waste, the packaging, the excess....the fatness. I really struggled with how to feel comfortable in that environment. Don't get me wrong....I ate about 75 Filet o Fishes....had room service brought to me many mornings....slept in warm beds with nice sheets....I enjoyed myself...but always with a sense of what others don't have. I am not so much annoyed by the people who have....just those who have and don't appreciate or get their place in the world. I now know that Nell and Pearl get it.....their comments were amazingly insightful and on target. Coming back here felt like a relief to all three of us. Our life is simple...has a purpose that we all believe in. We feel life in it's rawest form....not the drama's that rich bored people create. Yesterday our rabbit gave birth to 6 babies....they all died...it was a hard time for Nell especially who had been anticipating their birth....she watched the whole thing happen. She cried and then buried them....she has been experiencing the life cycle here....sees that we are mortal....life is short.....enjoy it in whatever way gives you happiness and inner calm...whether that be a new marriage....an acceptance of your sons' brothers' exhusbands' choices....whether it be moving to a 3rd world country.....finding new love....sharing it with your family and friends....it's all individual and i am rambling....
Just wishing everyone an inner peace that the girls and i have expereinced here and a hope that we will be able to incorporate it in our life at home.
PS....there is a new girl in Pearl's class.....named...Pearl.
Love to you all!
Sarah