tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155712948003423122024-02-19T08:48:18.466-08:00One hundred storiesJess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-15423864414162357682020-03-07T17:26:00.001-08:002020-03-07T17:26:36.176-08:00Protective Custody<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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For most of our lives, the words “protective custody”
brought to mind images of FBI, U.S. Marshals, and others in law enforcement
helping crime victims or those who are about to testify, escape retribution
from violent criminals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the past
few months, as we traveled through Europe and watched the human drama of asylum
seekers, experienced a virus outbreak, and studied the rise of fascism, the
words “protective custody” brought new and disturbing images to our minds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MCCX93TcMDE1EIDenZrNXO2mm6MxScJ0CRcR_4duKk_7hW3JxXB0uHZ1nUaBdY6iLTPfUYEhH4SdzHGUjMHfVOXI8pzUNvIdMurdkkxRaX91rdpdeNlAD37woEtLZ7GZtsD4uT2oblE/s1600/Greece.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MCCX93TcMDE1EIDenZrNXO2mm6MxScJ0CRcR_4duKk_7hW3JxXB0uHZ1nUaBdY6iLTPfUYEhH4SdzHGUjMHfVOXI8pzUNvIdMurdkkxRaX91rdpdeNlAD37woEtLZ7GZtsD4uT2oblE/s1600/Greece.jpeg" /></a>In Greece, we were occasionally engaged with locals in discussions of what to do with the asylum seekers flooding the country from places like war torn Syria, as they funnel in through Turkey and across the water to Greek Islands.<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The country has a history since the time of
Greek and Roman gods of being a gateway to immigrants moving north and eastward,
their faiths and ethnicities merging and shaping new cultural and agricultural
practices throughout Europe.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Currently, there
are camps on Greek islands where refugees are held in a type of “protective
custody,” not allowed to move on toward a new life in distant lands, but unable
to move back to war torn violence with all infrastructure shattered and homes
destroyed.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Days turn to weeks and months
to years in these camps and many locals, once welcoming, </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/world/europe/greece-turkey-migrants.html?referringSource=articleShare" style="font-size: 12pt;">have
had enough</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There were those who defended
Greece’s positive immigration history and supported the continuation of
welcoming the refugees and those who wanted it to stop to protect the culture
and community that now exists.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the space
between those views, thousands are held in “protective custody” within camps.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8meuCInFHN3xAZu4e17J4h4WWz96CTcg-yyQp9BWil4rCMxMTP_vreF-oM9uktgEqOgFa96cOPYnn36Ou-hOWrL-7Y40GqgzP_dr8zhxCCMyqN7s5xyKYQN0tO57loWxFgdrvWiRz38/s1600/Lawyer+and+SS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8meuCInFHN3xAZu4e17J4h4WWz96CTcg-yyQp9BWil4rCMxMTP_vreF-oM9uktgEqOgFa96cOPYnn36Ou-hOWrL-7Y40GqgzP_dr8zhxCCMyqN7s5xyKYQN0tO57loWxFgdrvWiRz38/s200/Lawyer+and+SS.jpg" width="200" /></a>The parallels to our country’s origins and current debates
were strongly on our minds as we considered both of our own family’s immigrant
roots and the roots of those we love and admire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drifted from Greece back to Italy and
toward Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Germany and found ourselves following
the rise of fascism in the 1920’s and 30’s that led to not only World War II,
but an unimaginable holocaust initially disguised as bringing those who were
increasingly politically targeted for hate into “protective custody” (the term
used at the time). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jews, Roma Gypsies,
political enemies, homosexuals and dissidents were arrested under the guise of
new policies and laws and brought to Hitler’s expanding network of concentration
camps as an emboldened government, supported by business and increasingly by
its citizens, began a campaign of genocide that would test the world’s resolve
and ability to fight against fascism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvpZH98uAAuWizCVPcDY_te0JggHanoCOIIPoKV_ElQb-f6toMUA5qxLsBYGt8Zx4XW_lP5nO3WOikkC6d1UzEqWj_E0cEgshMtwE360yroV5EVdHcmFiZNFzGwaOELqTm4DAO3XJn28/s1600/unknown+prisoner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvpZH98uAAuWizCVPcDY_te0JggHanoCOIIPoKV_ElQb-f6toMUA5qxLsBYGt8Zx4XW_lP5nO3WOikkC6d1UzEqWj_E0cEgshMtwE360yroV5EVdHcmFiZNFzGwaOELqTm4DAO3XJn28/s200/unknown+prisoner.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A
quick search for definitions of fascism describes it as a form of far-right,
authoritarian ultra-nationalism characterized by increasingly dictatorial power, and forcible suppression of opposition. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Contemporary ideas on how fascism grows and spreads is that it is
promoted through hateful rhetoric, fear, propaganda and a deliberate smashing
of institutions associated with truth.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We spent hours in a document museum in Munich and the Dachau
Concentration Camp memorial nearby, looking at the rise of Nazi Germany that
led to Hitler’s ascension into power in 1933 and the rapid, unimaginable
changes taking Germany from a democracy to a brutal, fascist country in less
than 5 years.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_ZmFTfg_gt5umR5W2nAOrxw2Zv2U2SWp3RP-3N93bt0gxFx6Pvbbj6wusc_agx2GzJCGtpkeC00BO-4M4Z-WD_doP2iUC-9yZSM57aGkhBL6PYCLJUR7gfBJ5I0WpPfSGjBC5mcIxOA/s1600/Hazard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_ZmFTfg_gt5umR5W2nAOrxw2Zv2U2SWp3RP-3N93bt0gxFx6Pvbbj6wusc_agx2GzJCGtpkeC00BO-4M4Z-WD_doP2iUC-9yZSM57aGkhBL6PYCLJUR7gfBJ5I0WpPfSGjBC5mcIxOA/s320/Hazard.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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As we pondered our intended journey from Munich to Prague,
Poland, and ultimately Berlin, following the rise and fall of the Third Reich,
disturbing news of lockdowns, forced detention, and people being refused
service based on race or origin began to flood the news and internet with the
arrival and spread of the coronavirus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Increasingly, fear of disease disrupted the flow of transport and goods
rocking a world where increased nationalism and rhetoric about “others” has become
common rather than rare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quarantine,
medically recommended, is an important tool for reducing epidemics but the fear
that has emerged is clearly pandemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
two healthy adults, it was not fear of coronavirus that made us wonder if it
was time to come home, but fear of fear itself as borders closed, flights were
cancelled, and neighbors were sending unfortunate victims hate mail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9Mx3a1VLy-rZEfAWOGNdsDqoHda-KZKrenVXY6kRU4BKJDAPvmsxyJwZ0AiUvfEcIfECJmKXj0Esk1eyfXJvrF7U3hM8zj687IUDEaGlRk_hen34SnxWYvUCnL8iXRuTE4dEXqERopk/s1600/Home+of+the+free.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9Mx3a1VLy-rZEfAWOGNdsDqoHda-KZKrenVXY6kRU4BKJDAPvmsxyJwZ0AiUvfEcIfECJmKXj0Esk1eyfXJvrF7U3hM8zj687IUDEaGlRk_hen34SnxWYvUCnL8iXRuTE4dEXqERopk/s200/Home+of+the+free.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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We arrived back in the United States a couple of days
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As policies change by the hour on
campuses and in communities, we are staying away from our campus, from those who
are old or immune vulnerable, and waiting 14 days till we have confidence that
we will not bring unintended challenges to our communities and country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We read the news and increasingly worry that
the conditions that have given rise to global nationalism are now ripe for
those who use fear to gain power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
coronavirus, like World War II, has made it clear the degree to which we are
globally connected and the degree to which fear influences us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is unclear is the degree to which the
disease will unite rather than divide us all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Images are from a Morningstar news article about Greece
Refugee camps; of the sad beginning of a new fascist era in Germany 1933 (image
from the Document Museum in Munich); the Unknown Prisoner Memorial from the Dachau
Concentration Camp Memorial; Workers in full contamination suits outside of Notre
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</span>We have no idea why. And finally, of Sally gazing at Ms. Liberty in Paris. </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Posted from a place of refuge in Arizona.</div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-6294536057893607792019-03-23T07:29:00.001-07:002019-03-23T07:29:49.302-07:00And still they come...
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aMrDDhyphenhyphenAwPdCsW-QYV5l3w5I5zBxM9EYKB7OTAfA2Vvav_opZb0WjevN95IuFrf4nwVX4XMPIGaIcWmMMNOr3Gz8nI4A9zsgUveLvCt8FlXKvnc7dn3FGgDSj__lmAZFig5EaNVmWrg/s1600/IMG_1996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aMrDDhyphenhyphenAwPdCsW-QYV5l3w5I5zBxM9EYKB7OTAfA2Vvav_opZb0WjevN95IuFrf4nwVX4XMPIGaIcWmMMNOr3Gz8nI4A9zsgUveLvCt8FlXKvnc7dn3FGgDSj__lmAZFig5EaNVmWrg/s320/IMG_1996.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Faith.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">As we pondered
what we sought to learn by embarking on extensive global travel a few years
back, we surprised ourselves.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We knew we
wanted to see the natural and cultural wonders of the world:</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">gaze at Mt. Everest, wander the jungle
temples at Angkor Wat, watch lions prowl at sunset in the Serengeti, bathe in
the sea with whale sharks, and taste the sweet burn of street food in
Thailand.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What was a mystery to us each
is that we also wanted to participate with and observe how people worshipped
throughout the world.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Neither of us
would consider ourselves religious at this point in our lives, but would
believe we are, at times, spiritual.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Raised like so many in our nation as one type or another of the vast
branches of Christianity, we had long since left the formal religions that
constrained us as women and lesbians.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">While things have progressed, so much of what we believed was good about
our identities was often at odds with the practices and expectations of the
religions of our youth.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy42K76LWVn7KS_wAcyTE3xLNxMuJGGrVgiLKE7EY-EV06X3D6nn6fBfWKgfMfy0menubmjMHDryGmXMU4FsoTNlRAH7fz0TQpZ9ucAy_kFf32OhyphenhyphenjRYWEyThDWrwxSa-0evZajV_Sg5g/s1600/IMG_1793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy42K76LWVn7KS_wAcyTE3xLNxMuJGGrVgiLKE7EY-EV06X3D6nn6fBfWKgfMfy0menubmjMHDryGmXMU4FsoTNlRAH7fz0TQpZ9ucAy_kFf32OhyphenhyphenjRYWEyThDWrwxSa-0evZajV_Sg5g/s320/IMG_1793.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So why was watching others practice their own religions
something we wanted to explore and understand?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps it is the beauty and terrible danger that we see in those with
deep faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it is the vision of
planes flying into buildings or bombs going off in crowded spaces or simply a
few minutes of evening news anywhere in the world, we see the terror of
extremists transform and inhibit people’s lives across the globe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently during our travels in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hindu dominated India, Muslim extremists from
Pakistan bombed a military convoy, killing 40 soldiers and tipping these two
nuclear nations into a conflict wrought with danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we scrambled to get away from an area in
which jets were now firing on each other near the border, we learned that the
deep root of this conflict was… faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the late 1940s, when the country finally cast the colonial cape of England
from its shoulders, a majority of leaders at the time (not Gandhi) felt there
must be two nations where there once was one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Muslim Pakistan and Hindu dominated India emerged from the agreements and
a great forced migration occurred. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tens
of thousands were attacked and murdered as they lost land on one side or the
other of a hastily drawn border and fled from those who were once neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The deep division of one nation under many
gods led to uncertainty of which nation controls Kashmir to the north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the ground that three wars have
contested and where religious extremists strike out in guerrilla attacks.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOIXEE77zQ9aHZTsQTHLyVPPkJCXkwP1KVqZSUSJkkIlMC9QXYYf-raIrVVwEjrjTRQ4jSc_NeWhDspm-dy-XlTA34QufO07uoWO_mBHKIaEYdPBljY5Mz4RzaLFQGistWd0XhlKXYYo/s1600/IMG_2114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOIXEE77zQ9aHZTsQTHLyVPPkJCXkwP1KVqZSUSJkkIlMC9QXYYf-raIrVVwEjrjTRQ4jSc_NeWhDspm-dy-XlTA34QufO07uoWO_mBHKIaEYdPBljY5Mz4RzaLFQGistWd0XhlKXYYo/s320/IMG_2114.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Yet India is also the same nation where the world’s largest
peaceful gathering emerges every 12 years.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Kumbh Mela is one of the most amazing experiences of our travels.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Over 100 million Hindu pilgrims make their way
to the waters of the holy Ganga River where three rivers merge. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Ganga and the Yamuna meet with another,
unseen and of the spirit world, as they collide in a place where drops of
immortal nectar were purported to have fallen from the sky as gods battled.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Here, the pilgrims take “the dip,” submerging
themselves multiple times below the polluted waters to cleanse themselves of
their sins much, like the Catholics do in confession booths.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We were graced by the gift of living for four
days with a local family who had eight giant private wall tents right alongside
the Ganga.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There were hundreds of
thousands of tents placed on the sands and metal plating built to hold an
impromptu city.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There we experienced the
modern wonder of an organized infrastructure built on a sandbar the size of
Manhattan that would, once again, be under water in a dozen weeks when monsoons
drove the rain rich river to rise.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Water, electricity, sewage, cell service, and even free WiFi were
present, as well as a dozen temporary bridges all built to carry and support
the pilgrims and their Sadhus (Hindu holy men) into a small area on the banks
of the Ganga where they would walk in, fully clothed if women, and immerse
themselves alongside tens of thousands doing so at the same time.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">All patiently waited hours for a turn on the
three most auspicious days of the month long festival.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The government shuts down the freeways and
streets to vehicle travel on those days, and we marveled at the steady, continuous
flow of humanity of all colors and classes walking toward us and to the
river.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">After three days, we could only
utter in wonder “And still they come…” There was no fighting, no stealing, no
pickpockets in this crowd of millions, rather a sense of faith in a sea of
saffron colored Sadhus and naked Naga holy men.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">While many pilgrims had resources, most did not. They simply slept where
they could find a place to lie down and those with food or wealth fed those who
had nothing to share with others but their faith. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Tears streamed from our eyes as we watched
three elderly sisters, who, for each morning for 28 days, had walked slowly
together to the shores of the Ganga, supported by grandchildren and loved ones,
to hold each other’s hands in a triangle of matriarchal strength and dignity, and
immerse themselves 11 times under the gray waters of the Ganga.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Why did we cry?</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Like the sight of our first glimpse of
Everest or the improbable breaching of a blue whale, we glimpsed something
beyond our abilities to comprehend, but we saw in it beauty.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“It is wonderful, the
power of faith like that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old
and weak and the young and the frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon
such incredible journeys and endure resultant miseries without repining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I
do not know which.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter what the
impulse is, the act is born beyond imagination, marvelous to our kind of
people, the cold whites.” </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Mark
Twain an the Kumbh Mela, 1895)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Written in Majkali,
India<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Images are from the 2019
Khumbh Mela near Allahabad, India<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-23318700962412539332017-02-23T05:47:00.000-08:002017-02-23T06:00:21.368-08:00Why Wait?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZc_xfLE3xL9kXNZFlqqArvyDXFmXBbtt6T0_XtPJiooX6_uI-FRfBTZILAVl1e25ld_7rWlliG86k8SlkLnh2Yk1IT0Ukpp4cqNSNSrlkdGwqwK6ALW_m8NYhbTHuPeTDl_z6AVUy38U/s1600/IMG_2065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZc_xfLE3xL9kXNZFlqqArvyDXFmXBbtt6T0_XtPJiooX6_uI-FRfBTZILAVl1e25ld_7rWlliG86k8SlkLnh2Yk1IT0Ukpp4cqNSNSrlkdGwqwK6ALW_m8NYhbTHuPeTDl_z6AVUy38U/s1600/IMG_2065.JPG" /></a>One of our favorite ways to travel is by foot or
trekking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you who are
unfamiliar with trekking in Nepal, we would like to share some insights into
this wonderful world of adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have trekked along the awesome and majestic two week route to Goyko Ri, <a href="http://jsoutofbounds.blogspot.com/2014/03/little-steps.html">taking
little steps</a> to climb to 17,500 feet and gasp at the 360 degree view surrounding
us, including Mt. Everest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have risen
for the short sunrise walk to view the Annapurna range during our first five day
<a href="http://jsoutofbounds.blogspot.com/2014/03/hurts-so-good.html">Poon
Hill trek</a> warm up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have wandered
for a week among Tamang villages pondering the ways of those who descended from
immigrants of nearby Tibet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have eyed
nervously the landslides of the Langtang Valley where people still seek
tourists to help them recover from the 2015 earthquake as they sit in new, but
lonely, teahouses, and we have climbed for a few days to gaze at Mt. Marti
Himal, a quiet, weeklong journey away from the Annapurna Circuit crowds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all of these, we have found peace and
contemplated life as each footstep took us closer to Himalayan giants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So many of our friends and colleagues tell us that they want
to come trek in Nepal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We encourage you
to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make your first contact with <a href="http://www.shivaexcursion.com/">Shiva Excursions</a> today as soon as you
finish reading this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why wait? You
can make a real difference in the lives of people who need social and
environmentally responsible tourism to recover from the devastating earthquake
in 2015, and they will make a real difference in your life in return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We honestly believe you cannot return from a
Nepalese trek as the same person who left your life back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This blog posting is for those of you who have been waiting
to take the “leap” and begin a trek in Nepal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Below are some tips and contacts so that you can move from saying you
want to come to having the experience of a lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we write this blog, flights to Kathmandu
from the west coast are less than $700 roundtrip!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you waiting for?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjqvsTha46_4cgKt4Aa2ZTlgjOQEtLBVSM8hmeYeaDxLO6YlcEGsMTxuH5PUeK-PixKRFR1IrPnsnKh1jqAzFw1ETacyThAspqPGsAfYI05P3wPv53r5M79X0NXvC-OTk__mTlQ-SkPY/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjqvsTha46_4cgKt4Aa2ZTlgjOQEtLBVSM8hmeYeaDxLO6YlcEGsMTxuH5PUeK-PixKRFR1IrPnsnKh1jqAzFw1ETacyThAspqPGsAfYI05P3wPv53r5M79X0NXvC-OTk__mTlQ-SkPY/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" /></a>Contacting a reliable and trustworthy guiding company is the
first step to ensuring that the trip will be enjoyable, safe, and
unforgettable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, we will put in
a plug for <a href="http://www.shivaexcursion.com/">Shiva Excursions</a> here as
the owner, Arjun Nepal, is amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have now traveled and met guides in over 45 countries, and he is one of two
who stand above all of the rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arjun will
treat you as valued friends as he brings his more than two decades of experience
in the field forward to help you decide where you want to go, how long it will
take, what types of things to bring, etc. depending on the experiences you desire
and the time you have to trek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
types of landscapes do you want to see (high mountains, rolling hills, vast
open landscapes, etc.)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you want to deeply
experience different cultures?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How long
do you have to spend in Nepal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind
of physical shape are you in?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
the makeup of your group (family with kids, friends, person with older parents,
etc.)? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much can you afford?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In general, for our treks, we have had all
expenses (transport, lodging, food, porters, guides, etc.), except for bottled water
and other drinks, covered for $65-150 USD per person per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some treks with expensive flights
or permits that may cost more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
also been trekking in shoulder seasons so high season could cost more as do
camping treks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have generally done
teahouse or homestay treks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Please understand that the amenities you have at home are
usually not going to be available in Nepal, and you must be willing to adapt to
the environment in which you will be “living” for the time you are here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, there are no sit down toilets
available, and you must squat over a porcelain hole in the ground to “do your
business.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rare sit down toilets are
a welcome surprise and generally only in areas close to the beginning or end of
your trek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The expectation is that you will use your left hand to wipe then wash your
hands afterward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trash is difficult to
dispose of so there will rarely be toilet paper supplied in the primitive
outhouses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ladies, you may want to learn
about <a href="http://www.backpacker.com/gear/gear-review-female-urination-devices">these
products</a> so that you don’t have to “take life sitting down.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIV6KAbhO7B4BjUesxME-aJcUgT_8WtzBpVEHWJxSTEMCWo6O7h9VF69MGk3V4Zl2r3nwZ_hfpT8NtxQ2HbcFB7sTsUOvtEN4P9StKR4f0iTeyaHN6MjWReRwEqDTQbO5bukXPCg1G_A/s1600/IMG_2049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIV6KAbhO7B4BjUesxME-aJcUgT_8WtzBpVEHWJxSTEMCWo6O7h9VF69MGk3V4Zl2r3nwZ_hfpT8NtxQ2HbcFB7sTsUOvtEN4P9StKR4f0iTeyaHN6MjWReRwEqDTQbO5bukXPCg1G_A/s1600/IMG_2049.JPG" /></a>Rooms in the teahouses are very basic, consisting of a bed
or two with a simple length of foam for a mattress on each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coverings may get washed once a season so a
liner is a necessity, not a luxury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blankets
are generally thick and warm, but we recommend carrying a good sleeping bag
with you, especially if you are trekking at higher altitudes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can rent one in Nepal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no heat in the rooms and generally no
electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plug ins for recharging
devices can be found in only a few teahouses, so do not count on this
convenience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may want to bring a <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/best-portable-battery-chargers/">rechargeable
battery</a> for your smartphones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wifi
is nonexistent and cell coverage spotty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1u4qgiJKPNPiNlzV_mAC0bKyRGYqkDlqzrDZuRcJ1FNTrt4os_QqtjZx6Xq8n1KqYEvqxfxayaVflZrHMIrG0qa4Ly1tgJXCysaGrFqpVdPurYE252AsSm02G4QnerkWLV8dfgZNNAc/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1u4qgiJKPNPiNlzV_mAC0bKyRGYqkDlqzrDZuRcJ1FNTrt4os_QqtjZx6Xq8n1KqYEvqxfxayaVflZrHMIrG0qa4Ly1tgJXCysaGrFqpVdPurYE252AsSm02G4QnerkWLV8dfgZNNAc/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252814%2529.jpg" /></a>Meals are served in a common room, usually with a wood
burning stove in the center. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will be
offered a menu with similar selections everywhere for your meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dahl baht is always a great choice and a
filling, nutritious meal! Though the stove is lit at night in some locations,
wood is not easy to get and is expensive, so be sure to have a nice warm coat
with you to stave off the cold as you eat your dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We generally changed from hiking clothes into
dry, warm clothes as soon as we arrived each afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cold water is the order of the day, so hot
showers are usually not available, but when they are, it can be a luxury beyond
belief!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chamois like pack towels are great
for multiple uses as there are no towels, washcloths, etc. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clean, fresh water is not generally available without
boiling or purchased as bottled water at teahouses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nepal is overrun with plastic bottles so try
to use boiled water whenever possible or bring a water filter capable of
filtering viruses. Meat usually has to be transported by foot or by beast in
these remote mountain areas, and it may take several days (without
refrigeration) for it to reach its destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We always go vegetarian on our treks to decrease the odds of serious
food poisoning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure that all
vegetables are cooked, boiled, or peeled before eating them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dress in layers to adjust to the changing weather conditions
and temperatures as you hike up and down the trails. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always have a good rain jacket and rain pants
as well as warm gloves and a warm hat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have found that one of the most useful pieces of gear to keep you
warm is a neck gaiter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good, sturdy
hiking shoes are a must as are good hiking poles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a saying among guides “Nepalese Flat.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we say the trails are up and down, we do
not exaggerate!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walk slowly and carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drink plenty of water (3-4 liters per day), and
have a few Ibuprofen and/or Aleve with you for minor aches and pains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carry some blister medication and pads, and do
not be shy about applying sunscreen liberally before and during your trek. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can burn on cloudy days easily at these
elevations!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bkHlXD_wCotBmPYIKM_xjIwlcuIAMKuYXCZBgzIG4iJQdAuBvKL6AIEC89NJR6iGAeQVq41ToG1bfzXljPFCipZMX-kxqf2NWQsNVXEcqRIuq7zqKjaa4lZ39y7PLiXowpkxfZYeNS0/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bkHlXD_wCotBmPYIKM_xjIwlcuIAMKuYXCZBgzIG4iJQdAuBvKL6AIEC89NJR6iGAeQVq41ToG1bfzXljPFCipZMX-kxqf2NWQsNVXEcqRIuq7zqKjaa4lZ39y7PLiXowpkxfZYeNS0/s320/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Trekking is physically challenging but despite our modest
fitness, even in our 50’s and 60’s we have done it and ended up fitter than
when we started, stronger than we anticipated, and blown away by what we have
seen. Take time to enjoy the world around you as you trek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenery is some of the most spectacular
you will ever have the opportunity to see!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Enjoy the people and how they go about their lives in the villages as
you pass through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take time to sit on
the teahouse verandas during your trek and sip homemade lemon ginger honey tea.
Learn to slow down, disconnect from your daily life and your devices, and enjoy
the world in which you find yourself, because it is amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may find that you need less than you
imagine, care more than you understood, and that the issues that trouble you
are small when pondered in the shadows of Himalayan giants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Posted in Kathmandu, Nepal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Photos above are of Sally trekking in Nepal, Mongol carrying our extra gear, a teahouse simple bedroom, dinner in our warm jackets, Arjun and us as we head up to view Mardi Himal and Fishtail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photos below have taglines!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 16px;">Walking away from Mardi Himal as the clouds roll in. This was a great 6-7 day trek in the Annapurna area. We drove to Pokhara and then started the trek about 45 minutes away from the city.</span></div>
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We were gazing at the glaciers in the beautiful U shaped valley at the end of the Langtang trek. We added this trek to our Tamang Heritage Trail trek for an almost two week experience in one of the cultural centers of Nepal. </div>
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During several treks, but especially during the Tamang Heritage Trail, we saw Mani walls and Chortens.<br />
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We had a great time visiting with different kids along our treks. </div>
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Getting out of the way of Yaks is one of the fun parts of trekking above treeline!</div>
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As we said above "<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 16px;"><i>You may find that you need less than you imagine, care more than you understood, and that the issues that trouble you are small when pondered in the shadows of Himalayan giants</i>."</span></div>
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Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-27907704638056413132017-02-12T08:21:00.003-08:002017-02-12T17:17:16.383-08:00Immersion<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogV7GYs_3K463Up29_eMpVZGUSx8CpV_vE8K5dEnNV87lj_vj8eUSMvk_Um74sAvqY9__OAdAvM-j6DgJ5pzYFeoOY0vfEr3is-G7Q4IzH4fB9ATPmiQ27giz3aeLxRm2ETf0YYq7orA/s1600/IMG_1390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogV7GYs_3K463Up29_eMpVZGUSx8CpV_vE8K5dEnNV87lj_vj8eUSMvk_Um74sAvqY9__OAdAvM-j6DgJ5pzYFeoOY0vfEr3is-G7Q4IzH4fB9ATPmiQ27giz3aeLxRm2ETf0YYq7orA/s1600/IMG_1390.JPG" /></a>For most of us, experiencing other cultures while we travel
is much like skipping a stone across a pond or river to the distant shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with the rock, we tend to dip and skim
across the surface, reaching the other side without fully exploring the
depths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But occasionally, when we are
lucky, we plunge deeply into new cultural waters, immersing ourselves in
different beliefs, traditions, foods and places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have had the chance to do so in Nepal, one of
the first places to which we have returned on our journey that began almost
five years ago with our goal of learning with humility and, where possible,
giving with grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH_mxX4kS2G1k0h8PKOnmQLEVUxpEYTsQ4d-Cb7ShMlywAscVfveoYjSPNH02Vny4FWy8BOXuMVWy4RBTPycdNNobTkvMMNENe1YBI_3nt9dnfFPYwt-7Rrp2HJ9XVl6ahaIVhkyWvo4/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH_mxX4kS2G1k0h8PKOnmQLEVUxpEYTsQ4d-Cb7ShMlywAscVfveoYjSPNH02Vny4FWy8BOXuMVWy4RBTPycdNNobTkvMMNENe1YBI_3nt9dnfFPYwt-7Rrp2HJ9XVl6ahaIVhkyWvo4/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25287%2529.jpg" /></a>Arjun Nepal (yep, that is his last name) and his family have
been inviting us for more than two years to return to Nepal and to visit the region
of his youth, Marpak, where his parents and many of his relatives still
live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His voice became even more
compelling after the devastating earthquake in 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of our family and friends supported his family
and friends as we reached across the ocean to try to show how much people care
during such natural disasters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arjun’s
village was destroyed and to this day, the school where children from dozens of
villages walk two hours to attend is a row of tents with hand held chalkboards used
for daily lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC8xKOmB5nYoVYVS1rpYbIooDDjR4RnjUpXLe22qFQ5M1w3CEIejCcWcl42tXJBcFPEzem3edGc9Yz7-OK_uAftcnleCw-h5e_f9f-aIptgq_WKiPgHGFsQ-tTgd6EL3_SubDU2G-6Ng/s1600/IMG_1340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC8xKOmB5nYoVYVS1rpYbIooDDjR4RnjUpXLe22qFQ5M1w3CEIejCcWcl42tXJBcFPEzem3edGc9Yz7-OK_uAftcnleCw-h5e_f9f-aIptgq_WKiPgHGFsQ-tTgd6EL3_SubDU2G-6Ng/s1600/IMG_1340.JPG" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWecHRsc-9tWaMrWg5ccqCMPibngNXtEPk_aFRhx4tAdGO-wHvmtIJ5gTeVB-nSz0I-e9-JUWNhztGDy6z1B7n-MepKGJAP0ewS63BgXtLWyj3BW7prH4dRbptJm0AmISNbhAiF-P531Y/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWecHRsc-9tWaMrWg5ccqCMPibngNXtEPk_aFRhx4tAdGO-wHvmtIJ5gTeVB-nSz0I-e9-JUWNhztGDy6z1B7n-MepKGJAP0ewS63BgXtLWyj3BW7prH4dRbptJm0AmISNbhAiF-P531Y/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25289%2529.jpg" /></a> <span style="text-align: center;">The Nepal family group (parents, uncles, sisters, etc.) has
about a dozen households in the small village where most depend on what food they
can grow/raise to eat and to sell to supplement their diet of dal baht.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Two times a day, the family gathers around
wood fires to eat rice, lentils, curried and pickled vegetables, and occasionally
indulge in some mutton, chicken or goat.</span><span style="text-align: center;">
</span><span style="text-align: center;">Dal baht is the national food in Nepal, and it is delicious.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Each time we ate it, it was subtly or overtly
different, and we love it. </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Loving it
turned out to be a necessity as the Nepalese tradition is to provide a plate of
food that would easily satisfy three teenage boys and then continuously add to
it as one attempts to finish everything on his/her plate.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Arjun’s mother had a special gift for doing
so, and as we quickly learned Nepalese words for “full” or “thank you, I have
enough,” she gave us an unbelieving look admonishing our wimpy appetites while slipping
food into our bowls and plates if we left them undefended or became distracted
for even a few seconds.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">She was equally
skilled at ensuring that between meals we were fed and constantly provided
drinks of milk tea and fresh water buffalo milk.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Each night, even if we had fallen asleep on
the woven rice stalk mattresses beside Arjun’s daughter, son, and father, she
would wake us with warmed water buffalo milk to be drunk under her watchful
eyes.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">Sometimes she would also bring us
hot water to drink which created some entertaining fumbling a few hours later
as we sought to quietly sneak through 6-8 others and find a place to pee outside
in the moonlight.</span><br />
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After a few days and kilos of weight added to our midriff,
we were relieved to learn that we would be fasting during the upcoming Puja, or
Hindu celebration, we would be attending with the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that time, we assumed fasting meant being
without food, perhaps even without drink, and so it seemed from Arjun’s
explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet his mother viewed the
concept of a “fast” for us as one in which we would consume the allowed items
(fruit, tea, and water) as “fast” as we could swallow them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each had more than a dozen bananas,
countless tangerines, apples, milk tea, and hot water every time she spied us
with our hands free and/or our mouths empty!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The puja, itself, was an incredible ceremony, and we felt
incredibly blessed and lucky to witness, and then participate, in this sacred
Hindu ritual. Preparations began before we arrived and continued while we were
there with special leaves shaped and made into countless bowls, food items and
colorful powders arrayed in them, and butter lamps and pieces of wood carefully
prepared along with more mysterious items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The one room we all shared for living and sleeping space was transformed
as rice mats and platforms were dragged out and the floor, considered a sacred
surface, was cleaned with cow dung, water, and a special soil, after which patterns
were drawn on it and sand drawings (mandalas) created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bowls containing the powders, food items,
and other offerings were placed on the carefully prepared sacred surface and
eventually, a large fire was set in what had been our bedroom. We were allowed,
at first to watch, and as the day stretched into the afternoon and night, the
family and two priests drew us closer, blessing us each time the bell was rung
to alert the gods, praying with and for us, tying ribbons and strings on our
hands and around our necks to protect us and bring us prosperity, and finally,
connecting us to each of them in a human chain, one hand on each other’s back
or shoulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was during this day that
Arjun’s mother, when learning our own parents had passed, began to call us “Churi”
or daughter, making sure that we understood who our brothers and sisters were and
where our place was in her heart and family. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was almost three weeks later that we found out that one
of the items we drank from the palm of our hands during the Puja included the
piss and poop from the family’s sacred cow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While that may sound strange to those of us not raised as Hindus, it
probably would equally sound strange to them to explain that a weekly miracle Jess
participated in each Sunday involved eating the body and drinking the blood of the
Catholic’s god.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsHnRXL8gH6y2EpF591vE4rRgo5Vqi-X-oEMZQy9JUn0TmPjLyq6Sgg9e-7bboDeaO5Zl5ZD54OZvDrVMMxho90qvUcom0aq66MNXbzV4jKRthDodPSZEIh5hx5MiKaD3erzG04SorDs/s1600/IMG_1690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsHnRXL8gH6y2EpF591vE4rRgo5Vqi-X-oEMZQy9JUn0TmPjLyq6Sgg9e-7bboDeaO5Zl5ZD54OZvDrVMMxho90qvUcom0aq66MNXbzV4jKRthDodPSZEIh5hx5MiKaD3erzG04SorDs/s1600/IMG_1690.JPG" /></a>Immersion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent
only one week of our life in Marpak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Walking to local schools; begging Samundra, Arjun’s amazing wife, to allow
us to help with chores; helping cut up the yield of a crop of turmeric, turning
our white skin a gorgeous shade of yellow; learning games from local kids and
teaching them a few of our own; attending a village meeting about a new <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bridge as more than a dozen men watched us comment
in their building log; gazing intently at the monthly butchering of the one
goat being shared by a dozen families, each of which would supply their own goat
once a year; being invited and accepting tea in houses wherever we wandered;
learning to make leaf bowls and rings of rice bread; but mainly listening to
and living as family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each night, we
would fall asleep next to Sushma, Arjun’s daughter and our new friend,
listening to her grandfather tell elaborate stories in Nepales to her little
brother Shiva who shared his platform bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We would awaken to the same voice as he enticed his grandkids awake, to welcome
the new day with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immersive
experiences are very different than skipping across the surface of another
place or people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a stone sinks, rings
spread from where it entered, eventually touching far shores and connecting
them all as the waves hit, then slip back into what is familiar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Posted in Kathmandu,
Nepal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Images are of Jess and Shiva, us with Arjun’s
father, Samundra making a wonderful treat for us, Arjun and Sushma during the Puja prior to the fire being set, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jess cutting turmeric with Arjun's mother, and the careful division of the goat.</i> <o:p></o:p></i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-30304183198744820232016-04-06T08:12:00.001-07:002016-05-08T18:02:49.903-07:00Just Another Day<div class="MsoNormal">
We are often struck dumb when friends or family ask us how
things went on our trips. The reality
for us, in part, is that each trip, even each day, is often indescribable. For this blog posting, we are going to try to
describe a typical day or two from our most recent Madagascar journey. In the end, they were… just another day like
so many others.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSffhkFhX6pU6wZRWJdDUtmjBOWcV5wlgxkVDVhEeHIRY3MVU6_P4fHb3NfhPrq3WTAdG01hp3DKHI2q3ksXtqKmomofQ10jr-KdGEYSHCFyaERvthjq4j1QZS05PODyGWf3ye4KStnk/s1600/bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSffhkFhX6pU6wZRWJdDUtmjBOWcV5wlgxkVDVhEeHIRY3MVU6_P4fHb3NfhPrq3WTAdG01hp3DKHI2q3ksXtqKmomofQ10jr-KdGEYSHCFyaERvthjq4j1QZS05PODyGWf3ye4KStnk/s1600/bridge.jpg" /></a></div>
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We began the day in darkness, not only because of the early
hour, but also because of the power outage that hit our hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being seasoned to such, our headlamps are always
by our bedside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We slipped them on,
packing our bags for the last few hundred kilometers of a 1500 kilometer
journey across Madagascar to see a giant jumping rat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Madagascar has some strange wildlife and one
of the strangest is this creature found only in the west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the rat is not all we expected or
hoped to see, but we often smile at which sights drive us forward along the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the lights came back on, so did the
internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now had 30 minutes to do a
wire transfer, make a skype call, answer emails from a few of our students and
friends, pay a few bills, gulp down the daily Madagascar breakfast of dry bread,
butter and jam, and hit the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
headed out, behind trucks and taxi-buses bellowing poisonous black clouds of exhaust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before long we were bumping along a highway,
dodging the many people, carts, zebu, dogs, chickens, and children filling the
streets as well as numerous potholes the size of small canyons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a holiday weekend, Easter and
Independence Day together, and the crowds are epic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At every river, the narrow, one lane highway bridges
are blocked by thousands massing for their traditional family picnics, food and
games. Our vehicle inches through, literally an inch at a time as the crowds
squeeze in around us, some revelers expressing their displeasure by thumping on
the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alcohol is flowing and there is
a palatable sense that the roads are no longer owned by those who drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBLNlYLumvVXKBWali27W5oftX9dJVthEQxHllsVIO2hyphenhyphenSCxLqHJ6APVUwRnPCnn0xmL3MqSIav6wAYKLOwfoPWPxe2SJkskDYU5ai4MzSQiccinyBZRJrenmhxTN3ChAqwjHzGOc9xw/s1600/Panning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBLNlYLumvVXKBWali27W5oftX9dJVthEQxHllsVIO2hyphenhyphenSCxLqHJ6APVUwRnPCnn0xmL3MqSIav6wAYKLOwfoPWPxe2SJkskDYU5ai4MzSQiccinyBZRJrenmhxTN3ChAqwjHzGOc9xw/s1600/Panning.jpg" /></a></div>
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We move through landscapes of deep red and verdant green
once populated by forest, but long denuded of trees by the French decades
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The erosion is stunning, and we are
not surprised an hour into our journey to find it at an abrupt end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road has been swept downstream, and
people are on each side of the chasm, staring across a makeshift bridge more
than 100 feet long that the military is building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have been stuck here for more than 24
hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wander about, looking at the
women and families below in the newly cut stream channel as they pan for gold
in the freshly uncovered land flushed with turbid, murky water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids, as they always do here, begin to gather
and follow us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time it is primarily
a group of boys, wanting us to take their picture as they play by the bridge,
its steel girders placed on wooden blocks not yet secured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We eye the structure wondering how and when they
will secure it when the army soldier beckons us forward…to cross it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our driver carefully aligns us along two
planks as we hold our breath, wondering if the the 30 foot drop into the new
river channel would be better experienced with or without seatbelts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we are over and on the other side, the
driver and guide clearly as relieved as we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_qOchrZWkFQmN7f7P5hv-8ybp2aBwwR0KpSpxUhabzIJq3UctMICP66ulozO0r2we1E-xUZbUqq4_gVrNd2H4JO2xusO6szQBmY9ntvP4UWOFe-9Iezq7y1DwZ0RIKQFaBV9h6Qs8rY/s1600/jumprat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_qOchrZWkFQmN7f7P5hv-8ybp2aBwwR0KpSpxUhabzIJq3UctMICP66ulozO0r2we1E-xUZbUqq4_gVrNd2H4JO2xusO6szQBmY9ntvP4UWOFe-9Iezq7y1DwZ0RIKQFaBV9h6Qs8rY/s1600/jumprat.jpg" /></a></div>
We are hungry as the hours pass by our windows, but there
are no hotels or restaurants along this route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We stop to buy an avocado, finding a simple place for our driver and
guide to get rice as we ask for a spoon to share our green treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We buy water as it becomes more expensive and hard to come by where we
are going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are headed for the fabled
Tsingy, a geological wonder found only in two places on the planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is now boiling hot, and we hide under hats
and wrap-a-rounds to avoid the direct sun in the un-air conditioned car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the traffic on the road is Zebu cart
and foot traffic; few vehicles pass here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, late in the afternoon, we arrive in a small town and must now
transfer to the 4-wheel drive that we will need for the next three days’
journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is one small
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our new vehicle and driver are
nowhere to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Day slides into
dusk and it gets dark as our guide calls and eventually locates our transport
and new driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving in Madagascar at
night is risky and we are not thrilled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are bandits and the roads are so broken and challenging that
accidents at night are common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
vehicles have suffered the effects of the poor infrastructure and are quick to
breakdown as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We start down the
dirt road for the supposedly 40 minute journey, the vehicle slipping in and out
of gear, and two hours later find ourselves at a small preserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are happy to get out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far, we have eaten only half an avocado
each and shared some dry bread, but we are not to eat dinner yet…instead, we
start our much delayed night hike in one of the most intriguing forests in the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see much in the next two
hours, with one of the many highlights watching a newly discovered lemur
species, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Madame Berthe’s</i>, the tiniest
primate in the world, as it stares back at us with impossibly large eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get back, famished, and just as we begin
to eat our pasta, our guide rushes to us and beckons us into the night… the
giant jumping rat is close. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stalk it,
looking for all the world like Elmer Fudd from a Bugs Bunny cartoon, as our
guide turns to us, puts his finger across his lips for silence, and tip toes
forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We surprise one and the chase
is on as we follow it to its mate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giant
jumping rats crossed off the list, we can now rapidly consume our bowls of
pasta then head to our cabin for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We turn on the shower water, hopefully, and nothing comes out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The windows are unscreened holes in the wall,
the boards thin, and the entire shack is falling apart, chunks of wood hanging
from the roof and sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We climb onto
thin pallets with thinner frayed foam mattresses under mosquito nets showing
real wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as we begin to drift off,
it becomes clear we are only visitors, not the real property owners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something in the roof above our heads has awakened
and it begins the night with a screeching fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All night long, it and a likely mate drag
sticks across the bamboo thatching above our heads, raining debris onto the
beds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a long, relatively
entertaining, but almost completely sleepless, night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisP7uIF6XOyo_Hgl0q_GX_6fbM8HRzBt_nRF2xWuPm7dDmKvLQ3degQjQsGYquMhKQE0SEsY0_AIHwq3UTtuNHiSOsuhG_Rl8z8k-DeeuqCRksePxAJh-SdbA4d_83uOsdKTIf4w9Pm6E/s1600/pull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisP7uIF6XOyo_Hgl0q_GX_6fbM8HRzBt_nRF2xWuPm7dDmKvLQ3degQjQsGYquMhKQE0SEsY0_AIHwq3UTtuNHiSOsuhG_Rl8z8k-DeeuqCRksePxAJh-SdbA4d_83uOsdKTIf4w9Pm6E/s1600/pull.jpg" /></a>We head out for another hike in the morning, the lost sleep
forgotten as chameleons, waking lemurs, and butterflies greet us. Too soon we are back in the 4x4, which navigates holes in the road large enough to swallow it, slowly making our way north.Several
hours later, we stop along with a few other vehicles at a flooded water crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see village people taking advantage of the
new waterway resulting from rains up north by boating their goods downstream. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we cannot see the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will be the first of three crossings,
our guide tells us…the next two have vehicle ferries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The driver and our guide are nervous and talk
to local people, one of whom hops into our vehicle to guide us through the hundreds
of yards of water filled road and ravines. We tell our driver that we are OK
turning around, as we understand that the vehicle is his livelihood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he goes forward. It becomes clear to us
halfway through that while our driver and guide think our Nissan Pathfinder is
a submarine, it is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not surprised
when the engine floods as does the vehicle when the driver opens his door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hike up our feet, crawling onto the seats,
trying to bag up our luggage and vulnerable electronics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out our window, flat bottom canoes and kids
floating by on logs stare in at us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
are in trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse yet, we are in schistosomiasis country and prolonged exposure to water allows the parasites access to
softened skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wiggling their way
through, they will cause blindness if left untreated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuNIrnaaScbWUpSNOchoI00PlgS_RdheGWtUET7ZHTPKYMqX2qbMGz9ZlUbg3bLgfAtnDht-gDkJ7tQbJwDM-_6xfkzgVJ-Wf8EMa6dd9jqUkeSvR9x0dmqIhoAHwpxEaJ6eR050unVY/s1600/ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuNIrnaaScbWUpSNOchoI00PlgS_RdheGWtUET7ZHTPKYMqX2qbMGz9ZlUbg3bLgfAtnDht-gDkJ7tQbJwDM-_6xfkzgVJ-Wf8EMa6dd9jqUkeSvR9x0dmqIhoAHwpxEaJ6eR050unVY/s1600/ferry.jpg" /></a></div>
Eventually, a group of boys gather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They range in ages from 8 to around 15, none
very large, all very curious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With our
guide, they begin to rock our vehicle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It does not move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it does,
but they are trying to push it uphill, through clay and sand and a couple of
feet of water toward a dry island a few dozen feet away in what is now a vast lake of
muddy brown water with river currents swirling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For what seems like an eternity they
fail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then a strap somehow magically
appears and some of them pull while others push, one with an old fashioned
radio hanging from a belt around his neck to provide tunes and a beat for their
efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remarkably, inch by inch, they
succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are stunned and appreciative
but our attempts to thank them with money results in friction in the group that
was so seamlessly together for the past hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now on a small patch of dry land, with curious locals watching from the
far shore, our driver and the local guide begin to take our
engine apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the damage was
too great, the challenge too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
vehicle is not going anywhere, and….the water is rising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys find a ride for us, a giant ferry
without a motor that people pull through the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will have to cross quite a bit of the
water to get to the ferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We head
backwards, the way we came rather than toward the Tsingy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next crossings are worse and the news is
that the area we have been heading toward for the past four days of driving is now inaccessible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will have to go
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We look at each other, our
luggage, our gear, and the rising river, wondering how we are going to navigate
this watery world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boys come to our
rescue again, carrying our bags, one on each side of us grabbing our arms,
telling us Mora Mora (slowly, slowly) as they help us get to and up the ramp onto
the ferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They then get out, wading
waste deep, pushing the ferry to the distant shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rent a truck, clambering into the back
with our bags, and head to the nearest village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It represents the abject poverty we have seen all along the road on our
journey----no electricity, shacks built out of discarded boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A small porch with two stools and a “store,”
a 3x3 space to sell soda and a few sundries with a curtain hiding the bar in
the back----it is the only place of refuge. Men drink the local rum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we had driven toward this place in the
past few days, we had seen "rum runners", men with barrels of the
distilled sugar cane running across the road, avoiding the frequent police
stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is illegal to transport the
rum and the police stop every vehicle, in hopes of small infractions or finding
bottles of moonshine so they can pocket small bribes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgiLYfrdrtZUrt_ah9DVl56Ecs0ES9pz1X4cT2u4MN5MsKEcSsypDHcm1aNVIKllmqVLe1AjzKLik3aQFEOJCPcjo9DDXonPHvLJSPZPRvPCPvINL56I2FEce6gFU6cgzQmeRH5ciPrM/s1600/cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgiLYfrdrtZUrt_ah9DVl56Ecs0ES9pz1X4cT2u4MN5MsKEcSsypDHcm1aNVIKllmqVLe1AjzKLik3aQFEOJCPcjo9DDXonPHvLJSPZPRvPCPvINL56I2FEce6gFU6cgzQmeRH5ciPrM/s1600/cookies.jpg" /></a>We get cokes which allows us a stool on which to sit and a
thatched roof over our heads. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It begins
to rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children gather, first a few, then more than
two dozen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They cannot help themselves
as they keep moving in closer until they can brush against us, touch our
strange clothes, giggle and whisper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
have little clothing of their own and none have shoes or sandals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have no toys, playing with nails and
round pieces of wood they carve by rubbing on the only concrete in the village,
a well installed by an NGO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shyly, one
asks us for a coke bottle cap, and they pounce on it playing with their new toy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take our empty bottles later, briefly arguing
among themselves for who might get the prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most are ill, and their coughs rain down on us as they press in,
surrounding us for hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flu has
been ripping through the country and clearly this village has been struck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hungry, we are too embarrassed to bring out
our emergency food for us to eat, but purchase some cookies for our guide to
give the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They line up, carrying
their smaller siblings, eyes round with anticipation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The company is sending out another vehicle to
rescue us and take us back, but the hours pass and once again dusk approaches
along with the new truck, our ride to a safer place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The villagers are friendly at first, but the
holiday and drinking causes some to confront us, and we have grown increasingly
uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are grateful to get
into the vehicle, even if it means driving at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our headlights expose men carrying weapons, hunting
other men, Zebu rustlers, who will be beaten and hung if caught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three times carts full of precious and
illegally harvested hardwoods are moved aside for our truck to pass, the men driving
to oxen carts ducking down so their identities cannot be known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not safe but have no choice but to
move forward.</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-Hkw9LnhaqiSSRJiEYZiKzrxsVbAPivqtd4L-hJ7Wktb0fjYtbxFkayTZW4MH3qb-KUpiUknOjGEF2WdyqgtUxtqmNjms94npfltEcKrqPrcIrZw3BGK_tZ81pmysTxu9INcQIgoU_M/s1600/wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-Hkw9LnhaqiSSRJiEYZiKzrxsVbAPivqtd4L-hJ7Wktb0fjYtbxFkayTZW4MH3qb-KUpiUknOjGEF2WdyqgtUxtqmNjms94npfltEcKrqPrcIrZw3BGK_tZ81pmysTxu9INcQIgoU_M/s1600/wood.jpg" /></a></div>
Finally, we reach a port town on the coast, arriving at the
hotel where we were to stay four days from now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first driver we left behind greets us and along with the ever present hotel guards, helps
us get our bags inside locked gates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We enter
our hotel room, and while insufferably hot, it is a safe haven and we don’t
even mind that the electricity is off and the air conditioner is long unused
and not working. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is bland food for
dinner, a couple of long overdue gin and tonics, and beds without previous
occupants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our room comes with a flush toilet and two buckets
full of water to provide manual flushing during the power outages that prevent
water pumps from working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We look at
each other and grin, adding soap to one bucket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have a chance to do some laundry and strip off our river clothes,
soaking them in the bucket, rinsing them in the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hang clothes around the room like a family
preparing Christmas decorations, every surface covered with a bright color or
piece of underwear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 90 plus
degree heat, they will dry overnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
last, we settle into the stifling hot bed, cover it with the mosquito net and
wonder if we will be able to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have no idea where we will head the next day, our trip forward is no longer
feasible, but we are fine with the unknown destinations before us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have eaten good Malagasy food, our laundry
is drying, our bodies are cleaner, and the day is done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just another day on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While these two days were typical, the next one
was kind of challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that is a
different story.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i>Written in Antananarivo, Madagascar; posted in Johannesburg, South Africa. Images are of the road washed away and make shift bridge, families panning for gold below; a giant jumping rat, the young men pulling our vehicle to safety and our ferry to shore; kids gathering for a cookie at the village; and a daytime image of illegally harvested hardwood from the preserve. </i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-31552682955309166122016-03-25T12:06:00.002-07:002016-03-25T12:06:42.449-07:00Washed Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiGCOpj_jwFzRZ72MmyG75IEyuYMg0qn9DHVWgh8gnFcR0X1n0MdHxmdKyMVEjXxT3SdGdQfmS7OP4Cb7ikE4u5LohGxlyaF0oOmVJxTY0KerH8qggCToL3rM5g2zTx9y5Bhb_we9oak/s1600/Boy+and+money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiGCOpj_jwFzRZ72MmyG75IEyuYMg0qn9DHVWgh8gnFcR0X1n0MdHxmdKyMVEjXxT3SdGdQfmS7OP4Cb7ikE4u5LohGxlyaF0oOmVJxTY0KerH8qggCToL3rM5g2zTx9y5Bhb_we9oak/s320/Boy+and+money.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We stare out the windows of our car, traveling thousands of
kilometers around this other worldly place, at first marveling at the green
landscapes then looking deeper at what is being lost or washed away. We arrive in new places, sometimes rainforests,
other times in desert landscapes reminiscent of our own red rock canyons and
national parks, not understanding at first that the rainforests have been
selectively logged. The desert grasslands, so beautiful to us are a sad
reminder to our guide of the time the horizon was full of trees, filled with
the animals that no longer visit.
Special pools and oases have filled, plugged with the sand and silt of
lands washed free of soil in the higher elevations. The land everywhere we visit is dissolving,
carried forth in thick, muddy waters. We
gaze at the ribbons of chocolate brown as they weave through verdant green rice
fields. We see them as gorgeous
contrasts, as we snap photographs of traditional Malagasy ways of life centered
around their mud and brick homes. We visit remnants of forests and grasslands,
awed by their unique</div>
<br />
ness and grandeur, not really considering what once existed
and is now lost. We are unable to relate
to or comprehend the poverty that led to the forest being cleared, the need for
wood and charcoal to cook rice three times a day. Women sit by the roadsides, small piles of
charcoal before them, knowing that the the three cents they receive for each
pile will not cover the cost of water needed for that day. They know only drought or cyclones, not the
gentle rains or temperate climates of other distant lands.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0leMpismLx8iVMJmICcvyWzBfcpC2-IU08rxmvzDINymg2HFv3EQXCkot7XcZcmjuHU_ZMrlfnCxvU_OhlG7qDyE852hgliLS_SS8Y3KOpM58DsEK3AHkfXKDOMyh_04YyCcYh4bPwE/s1600/sapphire+mining.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0leMpismLx8iVMJmICcvyWzBfcpC2-IU08rxmvzDINymg2HFv3EQXCkot7XcZcmjuHU_ZMrlfnCxvU_OhlG7qDyE852hgliLS_SS8Y3KOpM58DsEK3AHkfXKDOMyh_04YyCcYh4bPwE/s320/sapphire+mining.JPG" width="320" /></a>We drive over a bridge toward our next stop at first
wondering why so many children and women are in the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pause, watching them pan for tiny remnants
of semi-precious stones from the discarded tailings of a nearby mine, sapphires
and other objects valuable to people from distant lands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town is full of trucks, each one overflowing
with young boys, most of whom have just passed the age of 11, the average age when
most kids in Madagascar are finished with school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some boys look even younger as they hang on
tight to each other and the jostling sides of the trucks, more than a dozen,
perhaps even two dozen in each truck, heading for a day of hard physical labor
in the open pit mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without education,
in such a dangerous environment, we feel their future slipping by like the many
grains of sand washed away by the women and younger children searching for shreds
of sapphires among cast-off stones.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRGX-Nf7x76-Bdv9Vu7SDKoS6WpQxIoNLbd-WZwRjJPJlmnjXl13ywf0CNfNeri2lhKSfjEyhP3fHlZs3QQYGXHCO3EJvm8Z7sIeUbHib5qlEU2q9oma7g73KpRLtrZZvvAbVggOG9Z4/s1600/Erosion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRGX-Nf7x76-Bdv9Vu7SDKoS6WpQxIoNLbd-WZwRjJPJlmnjXl13ywf0CNfNeri2lhKSfjEyhP3fHlZs3QQYGXHCO3EJvm8Z7sIeUbHib5qlEU2q9oma7g73KpRLtrZZvvAbVggOG9Z4/s320/Erosion.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Madagascar is an exotic destination, a lure for the traveler
wanting to venture to more hidden corners of the planet, and it is easy to
admire what remains of its special places, the 2% currently preserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its people are genuine, quick to smile, and
culturally as diverse as the wildlife. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are treasures as is so much of this
richly diverse land described in our “Other Worldly” posting. We typically post
the fun pictures, the beauty of the places we see, and this country deserves to
have its treasures shared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But like so
many places we have seen, we are reminded that the treasures are being lost at
a rate that was not unlike our country’s own as we settled the east then
ventured west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like so many visits, we
can become captured by the moment, by the surface of our views, but when we
look deeper, we always find greater complexity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each society, including our own, struggles with its ideals and its hopes
in the face of change, individuals seeking to create opportunity while maintaining
values.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Americans who have traveled
much for the past few years, we have come to deeply appreciate our own
opportunities realized in a place of significant freedom and the democratic
ideal that regardless of ethnicity or gender, all could be welcomed as
contributing members of society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of
us were taught the importance of showing compassion for others, regardless of
our “tribe” or origin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we reflect on
what is stable and what is being lost in Madagascar, we cannot help but wonder
the same about our own country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
international and national press is keenly focused on the election and this
one, more than most, may tell us which of our own country’s values continue and
which will slip through our fingers, lost hopelessly downstream…..washed away.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Posted in Antsirabe, Madagascar. Images are of a young boy begging for money after filling holes in the highway with dirt, erosion below rice fields, and women and children panning for sapphires near the llakaka boomtown.</i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-20705937299328888262016-03-25T12:06:00.001-07:002016-03-25T12:06:27.857-07:00Other Worldly<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_IOYGEKVbrG2r6yMHIF-6nfqQEG0a5u-IzElMevkBS-Qe_jfQbwR5eXPc-U9FsTZ8ixpD_0_Pm9K0-_1bIi321P8dHKnAHmwfJ5-u8bnSwovTwqtYW9lUlZ9CCMduQyQ-tizMizB3AM/s1600/Tenrec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_IOYGEKVbrG2r6yMHIF-6nfqQEG0a5u-IzElMevkBS-Qe_jfQbwR5eXPc-U9FsTZ8ixpD_0_Pm9K0-_1bIi321P8dHKnAHmwfJ5-u8bnSwovTwqtYW9lUlZ9CCMduQyQ-tizMizB3AM/s320/Tenrec.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If something is so different, so strange, so utterly bizarre
and foreign that it elicits exclamations of “that’s weird” it may fit the
definition of “other worldly.” We have
travelled to many other countries where we have seen things unlike what we have
in the U.S. and have watched as various cultures have shown or described beliefs
that are dissimilar from anything we have known. Here in Madagascar, we have found that “other
worldly” applies to something, be it plant, animal, or cultural beliefs, on a
daily basis.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHfDACC3xMh_eTLh1L4GEuGRwnOY_zTPM2UWAXmxtsrdhIEyYjAouPNR8smcfnFaGKPsKndAs5b4UeZryVR2XNZMsscC4IdjbP3dwWQk3COVIDdO3R6Hck2aFnmKuw_cSJ4VVQO9a4EI/s1600/Spiney.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHfDACC3xMh_eTLh1L4GEuGRwnOY_zTPM2UWAXmxtsrdhIEyYjAouPNR8smcfnFaGKPsKndAs5b4UeZryVR2XNZMsscC4IdjbP3dwWQk3COVIDdO3R6Hck2aFnmKuw_cSJ4VVQO9a4EI/s320/Spiney.JPG" width="320" /></a>On this large (1000 miles long by 350 miles wide) island, ecosystems
were isolated from the rest of the world for nearly 150 million years as the
land mass drifted away from the continents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have likened portions of the landscape and certainly the wildlife to
that of the Galapagos Islands, but with that said, we find it stranger and more
jaw-dropping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Spiny forest, where we
spent two mornings this week, is like a page out of a science fiction novel
describing a new planet, not the one we call home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the species we see <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Over 98% of its mammals, reptiles and amphibians, as well as 90% of its
plants are found nowhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we
stare at several species of ancient baobab trees that have been described as
trees turned upside down and stuck back into the ground, and the octopus plant
reaching its thin, spined arms toward the southern sky, we see flora that has
adapted to its environment over millennia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surely the hollowness of the baobabs, which store water during the dry
part of the year, and the cactus, which guides lost locals by indicating a
direction, are part reality as well as the basis for many myths in this
isolated corner of the world. <o:p></o:p><br />
here are endemic,
found only in this one place in the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S5t0aKGOOhT25-Q37xGkVIWzsjqtJrdg535cYh7ro6L98uLTa584wU-bWoltjXCfP_X-OtJ03vuSuUnEJAPjtmamW0ACh8GddxPQGYRfUSXnZMuf7uqIN3nZXLqOnC03YIoAbjgHfZ0/s1600/Chameleon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S5t0aKGOOhT25-Q37xGkVIWzsjqtJrdg535cYh7ro6L98uLTa584wU-bWoltjXCfP_X-OtJ03vuSuUnEJAPjtmamW0ACh8GddxPQGYRfUSXnZMuf7uqIN3nZXLqOnC03YIoAbjgHfZ0/s320/Chameleon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The fauna is bizarre, to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pull leeches off our our ankles as our
local forest guide helpfully describes the four times the small, black, wiggly
creatures got behind his eyeballs, causing him to shed tears of blood until the
satiated leeches went their way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
chameleon watches us through eyes that rotate 180 degrees separately, one
looking forward as it finds its way, the other staring backwards at us, all the
while not moving its head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It moves
slowly forward as a person climbing a pole, one leg gripping the branch, then
another with its oddly pincher-shaped feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It stops and sways gently, forward then backward, as it imitates the
movement of a leaf moving in the breeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lemurs stare at us with huge, round, unblinking eyes as they grunt then
jump gracefully at lightning speed from one tree to another, stopping to snack
on bamboo and other foods. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are over
100 species of these distant primate cousins, found only here in
Madagascar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are quite large,
others brilliant white, and some small enough to fit into an eggshell. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colorful grasshoppers the size of cigars sing
to us from the numerous bramble bushes, while night crickets rise up on hind
legs to box as we touch them with a stick, ready to deliver a fatal blow if we
are unwary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tenrec, a family of mammals
also found only on Madagascar, are represented by several species; the one we
encountered rolled into a tight ball, like a hedgehog, with perfectly
interlocking spines protecting its vulnerable head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We held it, gazing at an evolutionary
experiment in a land 10,000 miles away from our Colorado home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMnAGUjJx6TeOvQSaIbu-00v3Gq2vtPgDCo5Ep6rdTjHGBsPqntoVTj6GCRZgs5Fiq1uoodu3nTJAixpAnW0XP34oLUVHFqNR8cGy0ikyRr7J-yH9B4OvfMZbRidWomAII-ZsNv4_YdM/s1600/SifikaJPG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMnAGUjJx6TeOvQSaIbu-00v3Gq2vtPgDCo5Ep6rdTjHGBsPqntoVTj6GCRZgs5Fiq1uoodu3nTJAixpAnW0XP34oLUVHFqNR8cGy0ikyRr7J-yH9B4OvfMZbRidWomAII-ZsNv4_YdM/s320/SifikaJPG.JPG" width="320" /></a>Certainly, there are plants used by the various tribes as
remedies for many common ailments, but when bitten by a poisonous insect, if the plants do not work in two days, it is time to visit the tribal witch doctor. Cooking fires used in house
kitchens are vented through windows, as chimneys are believed to be gateways
for evil spirits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The practice of
<i>razana</i>, a celebration of the life of dead ancestors, is ongoing and a rich part
of all of the different tribes’ culture on this island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Death is the beginning of the best part of
existence and the dead ancestors are considered to be a real part of current
family life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Fady</i>, the the belief that actions
related to food, activities, or days of the week are risky or taboo is
practiced, but it varies from tribe to tribe and family to family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While all of this sounds interesting, it is
made real when we meet the newly adopted twins, abandoned at birth, who are
considered evil omens as is the fate of being born in December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past, such babies were placed before
herds of Zebu to be stamped to death or in a forest as the mothers sadly walked
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today there are orphanages and
other pathways for those who are feared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We talk on the long drives with our guide, who explains patiently the
day his grandfather ate the foreskin of his penis after circumcision, placed in
a bit of banana and swallowed whole to ensure his future vitality and
reproductive success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We lack the
courage to ask him if he plans on doing the same for his grandsons!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While we could write novels about what we see each day and
night and the experiences we have had, we think it best to end this blog entry
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visiting this place, a dream of
Jess’s for many years, teaches us, again, that we know so little of the world
and what it holds for all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
“other worldly” experiences have been the norm here in isolated Madagascar as
life drifted across the seas, arrived, and adapted to new environments, what
then is in store for all of us as the world changes and life must adapt to a
warmer planet, a place of greater extremes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ponder what will “other worldly” mean in the millennium to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Posted in Antsirabe, Madagascar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Images are of a lesser hedgehog tenrec, Baobab trees in the Spiney Forest, a blue-legged baby chameleon, and a Verreaux Sifika.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-81243592059515413022016-03-18T09:14:00.002-07:002016-03-18T09:14:26.902-07:00We Never Know<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJxH2AB9Ea0__KcCOgh1g5fzXy8xIxRYICjOcfSZ11Yn9pxTIH65manCUnIpkIm1TJdep7SMEzKUdFrW4W2iJZ5yj2jDZz5YbXdVx_ymjoVuZl2rr_8oNN-MeOplJkbDJa4HFxe8ke_U/s1600/Jess+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJxH2AB9Ea0__KcCOgh1g5fzXy8xIxRYICjOcfSZ11Yn9pxTIH65manCUnIpkIm1TJdep7SMEzKUdFrW4W2iJZ5yj2jDZz5YbXdVx_ymjoVuZl2rr_8oNN-MeOplJkbDJa4HFxe8ke_U/s1600/Jess+bed.jpg" /></a>Oh…OH….<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OH</b>…exclaimed
Jess as the cold shower water cascaded onto her head and shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hot water faucet was, in reality, the
cold water faucet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even so, when turned
on for several minutes, the promised and highly anticipated hot water was
nonexistent!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, therefore, proceed to grit
our teeth and take showers in cold water, again, grateful that there was any water
at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has been the scenario many
times during our travels as we ponder not only the availability of hot water,
but the way we think things are supposed to work and the outcome of many situations
we encounter on a daily basis.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpgbycNX-GSxs2oftpudpra938wB0EeA0MjDwJMWHJ0_mQIOcmXOlLxjej2cZqfWHk9PtWdG9XIZSlOkq2d1by-puj5C4BCjPOPJXyKUKB_QfFn43zlko6lqsdCD_RldLLtXjjW63P8g/s1600/Sally+luggage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpgbycNX-GSxs2oftpudpra938wB0EeA0MjDwJMWHJ0_mQIOcmXOlLxjej2cZqfWHk9PtWdG9XIZSlOkq2d1by-puj5C4BCjPOPJXyKUKB_QfFn43zlko6lqsdCD_RldLLtXjjW63P8g/s1600/Sally+luggage.jpg" /></a>Travel on public transportation, for instance, whether it be
by plane, bus or boat, can be bizarre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why, when we bought plane tickets from one airline’s company, are we we
sent to another airline’s counter to check in, eventually flying on a third
airline (with no explanation or prior notification)? We have yet to fly with
the company we booked in any of the four African countries we have visited this
spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walk to what we think is our gate and
nothing is announced on the speaker system as we watch passengers just get up
and get in line to board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We follow, wondering
if our luggage will arrive at the same place we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we know which queue to join as we
survey the infinite number of minibuses at a chaotic downtown street corner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no schedule and asking a driver gets
a response “yes, yes, this is the bus.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several
minutes later, someone scurries over and herds us to a different bus already
packed to overflowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We squeeze in
with our luggage on our laps and off we go, wondering where we will end up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally that bus is the one that takes us
to our hostel or hotel; other times, it flashes its lights as we are
transferred like cargo to one heading in a new direction and to a new place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watch to see when locals pay and how much
as every place has its prices and systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Boats can be just as challenging as we wade out to one boat and then are
motored to another boat moored farther from shore where we shakily transfer our
luggage and ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rarely do we know
in advance when we will do a wet transfer or a dry one from a dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2E5adpKZSz8kJdgzODoIqtKiHfRoUf0mAxfG72bIhcDKKj-xVVIU4lCpjzgHPralHneMj13LVtr1r8gdWH08abXlTdGmYvpYKI2KoEd96IKJT1eTRNjE3PU9Mi6KhqllgNwQEzp3ALM/s1600/Bedbugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2E5adpKZSz8kJdgzODoIqtKiHfRoUf0mAxfG72bIhcDKKj-xVVIU4lCpjzgHPralHneMj13LVtr1r8gdWH08abXlTdGmYvpYKI2KoEd96IKJT1eTRNjE3PU9Mi6KhqllgNwQEzp3ALM/s200/Bedbugs.jpg" width="200" /></a>In a life in which our residence is changed on an almost
daily basis one never knows when opening the door, if it will feel like a Christmas
present or Pandora’s box!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The simplest
lodging can be some of the most comfortable while the more expensive and modern
abodes can have hidden frights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rarely
have the opportunity to see what we are booking before we hit the pay button on
a website, and we have been surprised more than once, often pleasantly and
occasionally dreadfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often wonder if there will be toilet paper
when the real question is whether there will be a toilet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never know if we are going to get the best
and most comfortable night’s sleep we have had in the last several weeks or
wake up the next morning with 200 love bites administered by bed bugs during
the night. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now carry a UV light to
prevent the latter, but still, you never know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, the scenarios above are not always the case, as
travel in many places has been very smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But we have learned that flexibility and humor are important traits as
we navigate through the maze of everyday experiences in our travel lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is this food that has been placed before
me when I thought I had ordered a chicken and rice dish?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a bit of chicken in it, but it also
includes beef and pork, too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it
that my laundry still smells dirty after having it washed by the hotel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The laundress thought I was saying “no soap”
when, in reality, I was asking for “no softener”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reality of travel, for us, is keeping our sense of humor
and being flexible enough to “roll with the punches”: eat what is placed before
us, smile when we are sent to the wrong terminal, walk from where we land, and
keep our luggage in plastic when anywhere near water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On an almost daily basis, we look at each
other and say “We never know…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, many times, the confusion comes from our lack of local language or our
expectations that things should work in other places as they do back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is one of the reasons we love
traveling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We experience things we do
not always understand and learn to appreciate that our homegrown expectations
should not always be the global standard. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Posted near Ranomafana,
Madagascar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Images are of Jess in one of
our recent abodes, Sally waiting hopefully for our luggage to arrive, and
bedbugs from one of our Tanzanian hotels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-89641762692996956442016-03-06T03:59:00.003-08:002016-03-06T04:00:39.599-08:00Caged<div class="MsoNormal">
When we were growing up, we each had opportunities to look
into the eyes of exotic, caged animals from places as far away as Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it was a zoo, a circus, or another
venue, we could smell the dung, watch the elephants spray water on their backs,
gaze at the unimaginably long giraffe’s neck as it chewed its dry hay, and see
the lioness pacing in her cage driving a path into the barren floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both grew to hate the sight of the animals
caged, and the more we learned about the complex social structures of lion
prides, herds of elephants, the long migrations of the zebra and wildebeest,
the more we rejected the idea that cages, even the largest and most generous of
“habitats,” could ever mimic the open ranges and jungles of their homes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNXj_Oy4uB024sPKHLmmpErNAsKoIbQsL5qJ7EzKFqPadq5Qfi6N19iKp6lH7SKDNXYkH0ewIdodImDjiHa5w-0nq0kFncsmGZVyiF_ly-10ACNwsPZvoA3wAVEJzCFOFAI-LoF8632g/s1600/rsz_img_1294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNXj_Oy4uB024sPKHLmmpErNAsKoIbQsL5qJ7EzKFqPadq5Qfi6N19iKp6lH7SKDNXYkH0ewIdodImDjiHa5w-0nq0kFncsmGZVyiF_ly-10ACNwsPZvoA3wAVEJzCFOFAI-LoF8632g/s320/rsz_img_1294.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Africa we were in the cages; whether they were the high
top Land Cruisers that dotted the landscapes like wildebeest in the distance or
a tent or cabana where we were zipped in for a night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were allowed no more than 10 feet from our
vehicles in stops to “check the tire pressure,” a euphemism for peeing behind
the car, after our guides threw rocks in the brush around us to ensure no
waiting leopard or lions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were the
ones escorted at night by vigilant armed men with AK47s scanning the path to
our abode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked one if they had ever
actually seen lions in the camp area and he smiled bemusedly at us, replying
that the most recent one he had seen had been lying on the porch of our
cabin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4fkPOK1zSJB3EEu40GskgExw29nRSH85JZDWtcVLvKsqeagUCRI3bSlC-ZR_TRno9AqqcNjbNWt1xR302uZvGE5BGzVZO_ZdUwvG9moDgWAn1AAahdOkdZGmCrDzIepYLWH6aCH8Qsg/s1600/rsz_img_2670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4fkPOK1zSJB3EEu40GskgExw29nRSH85JZDWtcVLvKsqeagUCRI3bSlC-ZR_TRno9AqqcNjbNWt1xR302uZvGE5BGzVZO_ZdUwvG9moDgWAn1AAahdOkdZGmCrDzIepYLWH6aCH8Qsg/s320/rsz_img_2670.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We loved our cages, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They allowed us a glimpse into the daily lives of the African wildlife,
unimpeded by our presence on the landscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through the bars of our safari pop-top vehicle we glimpsed a family of
hyenas at a den and watched lions wake up, bathe each other, and play as
kittens do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watched, transfixed, as
one lioness dragged a recently killed young Thompson Gazelle away from another
and as another group of three lionesses tried to catch a zebra.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another sought the shade of our vehicle, lying
at our feet, and the last stared at us with hunger in her piercing, yellow
eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With no cage surrounding her, she
considered the risk of leaping the short 5 feet into our vehicle, and the open
air Land Cruiser with rolled down windows and a popped top suddenly felt like its
“gates” needed to be drawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elephants
meandered by with babies less than a week old trying to walk under the giant
footsteps of their mothers and aunts, ears impossibly big for their size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giraffes chewed their cud, staring
thoughtfully at the strange beasts in the cages below them as oxpeckers dug
ticks from their thick hide, sliding up and down their spindly legs and long necks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheetahs eyed us thoughtfully, moving their
young back a few feet, not sure of the reach of the animals in their iron cages
that had thundered down toward them on the vast plains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles
split apart as we slid through them, engulfed by their dust and feeling their
hoof beats through the floor of the Land Cruiser.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsArDBgdgWFlJPgePR_-eY5e9QoZ7-KiKiVI-hZUEaWOE_FlVEh7dapkkC6LJ51dHtxiweFWRCYHzxWiz3QTnAoS5xKy3mAAnBo4HikSKN47iogKKTeUlSw4meYlwZ1E-BHR7Kst3A5DE/s1600/rsz_img_2337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsArDBgdgWFlJPgePR_-eY5e9QoZ7-KiKiVI-hZUEaWOE_FlVEh7dapkkC6LJ51dHtxiweFWRCYHzxWiz3QTnAoS5xKy3mAAnBo4HikSKN47iogKKTeUlSw4meYlwZ1E-BHR7Kst3A5DE/s400/rsz_img_2337.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We know that it is a rare privilege to enter into the world
of wildlife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have no illusions about
us being there, for there is always some impact caused by our presence, no
matter the attempts to minimize it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet,
we would gladly enter our cages to ensure that theirs are left open; that they
can remain unimpeded, free to roam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
world is becoming more populated and the great migrations reduced in size and
grandeur. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Protected parks in some
regions have lost two thirds of their elephant herds in less than five years
from market pressure and poachers with few other solutions before them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/living-planet-report-2014">World
Wildlife Fund reported</a> that in the last 4 decades, animal and fish
populations have declined by more than 50%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One cannot help but wonder if the
generations that follow ours will see animals only in cages…if at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many organizations, governments,
and special individuals engaged in actions to ensure that such a future never
emerges, but it could if we are complacent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is real human hunger and suffering surrounding these herds as
there was surrounding our own vast animal herds in north America. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our country, it was the wealth of nature
and our natural resources that were the keys opening the access gates for many
Americans. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet our vast herds of grazing
animals are gone as are other species such as passenger pigeons that seemed
infinite only a decade or two before they were driven extinct. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some see ecotourism as a solution for
preservation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, modern ecotourism
tends to benefit only a few, rather than the many who stare at the people and
cars racing by to see their land and animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The question before us is how to open the doors for all rather than
ignoring the cage of poverty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without
solutions, we are likely one of the last generations to see the amazing
abundance and diversity of animals we have viewed these past weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Posted in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Images are of our “Toyota Land Cruiser cage”,
a hungry lioness, and a small portion of the thousands of wildebeest migrating
near the Serengeti.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-91738631996159376822016-02-25T21:08:00.002-08:002016-02-25T21:08:28.287-08:00Comfort Zone<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4xsnf0a2DPGqDEPTCeOTiGru7yzpgbuLixwTOyRacWFjA_1uk1raWaVIa2bwWrj2jmeLTsX-jAOi6qerRgBy-90zilOKMTe_v-FKm4jXCwvTxyaqKkF0INpm-zt7Jde57nxgqqAp3ls/s1600/rsz_1img_1326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4xsnf0a2DPGqDEPTCeOTiGru7yzpgbuLixwTOyRacWFjA_1uk1raWaVIa2bwWrj2jmeLTsX-jAOi6qerRgBy-90zilOKMTe_v-FKm4jXCwvTxyaqKkF0INpm-zt7Jde57nxgqqAp3ls/s1600/rsz_1img_1326.jpg" /></a></div>
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Our “comfort zone” is defined by the state where uncertainty,
scarcity, and vulnerability are minimized and where we feel we have some
control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of you who have
followed our blog and adventures since the beginning, you know we deliberately
choose our path to be, at times, uncomfortable mentally, emotionally and
physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In part, we began this
journey because we were too “comfortable”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We believe it is when we are uncertain, emotionally vulnerable,
experiencing scarcity, and lacking some control that we most grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we started this journey, we have traveled
to five continents and over 30 countries. Africa is a place which tests our
boundaries, our sense of vulnerability, and our physical and emotional comfort.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS886FsDzw6hdZo3d1MJYt_hUzhuxeRhTI5XgSFza_4pmu4fP32SYe1hKXU7x-cw0tHgLBlI9UYwOYHZAqJY2gCxUL818aj4hX9aH6VzZyLtC44dYHsFzb5m8eWMrmwNne8ft5ywoLw4/s1600/rsz_1img_1099_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS886FsDzw6hdZo3d1MJYt_hUzhuxeRhTI5XgSFza_4pmu4fP32SYe1hKXU7x-cw0tHgLBlI9UYwOYHZAqJY2gCxUL818aj4hX9aH6VzZyLtC44dYHsFzb5m8eWMrmwNne8ft5ywoLw4/s320/rsz_1img_1099_1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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When are we in our comfort zone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer may surprise you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent our first few days in a deeply
impoverished area in western Kenya, having our first traditional meal of ugali
and stewed vegetables at a home for orphans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ugali is an important part of the childrens’ meals as the corn meal
mixture (which reminds us of tamale dough) is filling and is used as a “spoon.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A handful of the mixture is taken, rolled
into a ball, and squeezed gently to flatten it a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The right thumb is then pressed into the wad to
make a depression, and the “tool” is then used to “spoon” up lentils or stew in
a large delicious bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before beginning
and after finishing, hands are washed with warm water at the table. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only the right hand is used for forming the unique
tool and for eating as the left has other purposes in a place without toilet
paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In contrast, only a week after
our first taste of ugali, we found ourselves in a top tier five-star resort near
the Serengeti in Kenya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were offered
the chance to stay for two nights in the resort on the edge of Ngorongoro
Crater. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opportunity was a donated
gift about to expire from a silent auction, and our guide sold it to us for a
small portion of the normal nightly rate of $1,500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At The Manor we met our butler Peter, had
truffles laid on our pillows each night, and baths drawn for us with rose
petals floating in the warm fragrant water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our room was far, far bigger than the dorm apartment in Gunnison we call
home, and the dinner place setting with 5 forks, 5 knifes 4 spoons and 4 wine
glasses was as confusing to us as anything we have encountered thus far in all
of our travels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the grandeur, we
had less uncertainty and a greater degree of comfort eating ugali with our
students and their friends than during our five course dinner served with impeccable
style by Peter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Comfort zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Africa, people stare at us everyday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some with friendly curiosity, others with desperate hope, and a few with
hooded eyes or even hostility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In rural
villages, the kids follow us, most shouting habari (“How are you?”), tagging
along, curious. We see few women or kids in bigger cities. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are absent, rarely seen, and we walk from
place to place in a sea of men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In most
cities, we have been warned not to go out at night and our normal freedom of
small town Colorado and our love of walking is limited to the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an unexpected feeling for us and one
that is not comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So where have
we found our comfort zone?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC3IVZghN90GtzrRHKl5ZrwDRi18oh6jOfvbycF1diLh15-q2gCJBxfI8MBODqA6TLTKYRhDbyxu7V5SJMnM0iRoD9_UlvAyIAnXlItReEstJ89FZaXrgwzz3P_3h43n_bQNyfJlyRJg/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC3IVZghN90GtzrRHKl5ZrwDRi18oh6jOfvbycF1diLh15-q2gCJBxfI8MBODqA6TLTKYRhDbyxu7V5SJMnM0iRoD9_UlvAyIAnXlItReEstJ89FZaXrgwzz3P_3h43n_bQNyfJlyRJg/s320/FullSizeRender+%25286%2529.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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It is, as it almost always has been, in nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We feel at home as we walk through the
Kakamega Forest or ride on a safari surrounded by nature with teeth and
claws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are far less fearful of the
lion that crawled under our land cruiser than the guys who followed us through Stone
Town. In the backcountry, we search eagerly for cobras knowing it is not the
snakes that are dangerous to us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when
the guide told us not to move as the mother elephant slid by us, inches from
our face, we both felt physically safe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were exhilarated mentally and emotionally
at the wonder of her trunk so close to us that we could smell her breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that the python we watched in a
nearby tree was less likely to swallow us whole than are the dark streets of
Dar es Salaam at night or the slave holding pits below the church in Zanzibar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There we could get lost in the belly of
humanity, swallowed as half a million souls were just over a century ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet it is in these darker places that our
boundaries are tested, our minds stretched, our hearts questioned by things we
do not completely understand and will never know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Posted in Zanzibar,
Tanzania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Images are of our first pot of
ugali being made at the Nduru Children’s home in Busia, Kenya; the elephant
that visited us in the Manyara National Park, Tanzania; and the slave holding
cell in Stone Town, Tanzania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-17530140790676520712016-02-06T14:34:00.000-08:002016-02-06T14:41:01.687-08:00Worlds Apart<div class="MsoNormal">
When we began our journey in 2012, we had no jobs and few
possessions and felt incredibly free to wander with no predetermined
agenda. Our life was “worlds apart” from
the life we had known prior to that moment.
The feelings of unrestricted freedom were like a long, deep breath of
fresh air! As we return to Gunnison this
spring, our experience will be “worlds apart” from that of the first two and
one-half years as we enthusiastically jump back into the world our graduate
students occupy in the Master in Environmental Management program at Western
State Colorado University. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5M22rhe6YvhlSc50dxu7-fBOYRwoc9FWex2GXFYYqSRbfHB0iMfmYvH4xWkCgfIvIUtLfyt-ZSrIzOGuryreHhEHSrHsdh7niCs6O8fZq4PkPH60mVmbCZjmScjoZWvQ02ue1UkSq5tQ/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5M22rhe6YvhlSc50dxu7-fBOYRwoc9FWex2GXFYYqSRbfHB0iMfmYvH4xWkCgfIvIUtLfyt-ZSrIzOGuryreHhEHSrHsdh7niCs6O8fZq4PkPH60mVmbCZjmScjoZWvQ02ue1UkSq5tQ/s320/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>As we travel, we have relied on technology to stay connected
and current with what is going on in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jess, being a whiz at logistical planning on something as small and
compact as a smart phone, has been the motor at the center of the machine as we
have traveled from place to place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sally, on the other hand, has determined where we are going, be it next
week or in the coming months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of
this would not be possible without the IPhones we carry with us everywhere we
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did people ever travel the way
we are before technology?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it was
possible, but now, the ease of staying connected is “worlds apart” from the way
it used to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we have travelled for the last three and one-half years,
we have found that being “worlds apart” can also refer to the social and
cultural distances, sometimes short and sometimes great, separating us from the
people and places we have visited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Predictably, it can also refer to the mind boggling differences we have
found among not only our place-based cultures across the U.S., but also the
differences we consistently and constantly discover within the same country,
across countries, and between the U.S. and other countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Distances, cultures, ecosystems-----all can
be “worlds apart” from what is common place and comfortable to most of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3I3Pv9jmo_9uxTF3hwVytYWYw2N3H_0LSjYP-ywVd7NTRTxqmiUV9Y9bsnqFVB_iMGZ0SimzbhiNN8PTheYyt_dFGqSficGWB3DMUewCPs7LAUhAJbPIgq-Zmh4_bqUxGpYMg3-T6o0/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3I3Pv9jmo_9uxTF3hwVytYWYw2N3H_0LSjYP-ywVd7NTRTxqmiUV9Y9bsnqFVB_iMGZ0SimzbhiNN8PTheYyt_dFGqSficGWB3DMUewCPs7LAUhAJbPIgq-Zmh4_bqUxGpYMg3-T6o0/s320/FullSizeRender+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>Significant miles of separation were a part of our lives this
time as we began our next travel adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This trip launched in a unique way, with Jess exploring Costa Rica with
a group of WSCU MEM graduate students and Sally recuperating in Arizona after
fracturing her back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Worlds
apart?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It definitely felt that way to
both of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last three and a half
years have been some of the best of our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Living daily, traveling both abroad and in the U.S., and working in a
place and job we both love have been made all the more meaningful and wonderful because we have
been able to do it all together. The
time apart in early January gave us both pause-----time to consider the meaning
and value of separation and the sweet feeling of reunification.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwcmVhVD_XzuFDXM12g-686N2RXRcWHjL3LqkGfBeYhM2JzMdT2K03zAR-D9Q3jHTehxSZK-4L2xxPdKu5mMpXW66hpKMbm-f3_FHJgeWkPIv-fcJhpdn1qXNVmzpaQrcgwNOdtJU4d8/s1600/IMG_8914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwcmVhVD_XzuFDXM12g-686N2RXRcWHjL3LqkGfBeYhM2JzMdT2K03zAR-D9Q3jHTehxSZK-4L2xxPdKu5mMpXW66hpKMbm-f3_FHJgeWkPIv-fcJhpdn1qXNVmzpaQrcgwNOdtJU4d8/s320/IMG_8914.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have joined together again, paused in Europe for a week,
but are ready to travel to a new world, one that is likely to redefine for us,
once again, what it means to be “worlds apart”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We head to Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
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<i>Posted in Barcelona, Spain. Images are of Sally looking out at the Mediterranean Sea, Jess with Western State Colorado University students in Costa Rica and both of us in Besalu, Spain, together again.</i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-91009963891260522062015-04-25T08:24:00.000-07:002015-04-25T08:24:35.751-07:00Once in a lifetime<div>
Sometimes, as we reach for the 25th plate to wash, stick our head into a roasting hot metal barrel in the jungle, or wait for army ants to clear out of our cabina.....our minds go to the Talking Heads' song "Once in a Lifetime". </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh9lIkfbT-38gz8Cx6SA-UgUEuDFEMwaKr8_TO23_IQmmFxX90JFlygjnIUntB2fph8iICnKM950rgIpDTVZXSFCAe2z7EZZ9nZLUTO_paW4OZOyb1HhNQ8yH6TzKc-5WY0PJtkNR5o4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh9lIkfbT-38gz8Cx6SA-UgUEuDFEMwaKr8_TO23_IQmmFxX90JFlygjnIUntB2fph8iICnKM950rgIpDTVZXSFCAe2z7EZZ9nZLUTO_paW4OZOyb1HhNQ8yH6TzKc-5WY0PJtkNR5o4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="400" width="241" /></a></div>
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One stanza goes something like this:</div>
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<i>"And you may ask yourself </i></div>
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<i>What is that beautiful house? </i></div>
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<i>And you may ask yourself </i></div>
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<i>Where does that highway go to? </i></div>
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<i>And you may ask yourself </i></div>
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<i>Am I right?...Am I wrong? </i></div>
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<i>And you may say to yourself</i></div>
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<i>Self! My God!...What have I done?!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRh9lIkfbT-38gz8Cx6SA-UgUEuDFEMwaKr8_TO23_IQmmFxX90JFlygjnIUntB2fph8iICnKM950rgIpDTVZXSFCAe2z7EZZ9nZLUTO_paW4OZOyb1HhNQ8yH6TzKc-5WY0PJtkNR5o4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></div>
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We often ask ourselves "My God, what have we done?" Perhaps the real question is how did we end up without a house, in a distant land, begging for rides from almost strangers or finding the coins to jump on a standing-room only bus to the next town or border. Our lives have become increasingly unusual by most of our friends' and families' standards. For the past five months we have been traveling Central America, mostly for our own education, but also to seek educational opportunities for a few dozen graduate students and to create connections for our university. The results of this atypical life can be hilarious at times. One recent morning that started before 6 am had us rushing from morning duties including smoking about 20 pounds of bacon in the tropical forest, (a task as fun and as hot as it sounds), to a conference call with our boss and colleagues back at Western. The conference call via wifi was briefly interrupted by loud bird calls and our mentioning a snake we spotted a few feet away. Ten minutes later, we were back into deep discussion, squatting on a wood plank bench low to the ground, when we both caught movement out of the corner of our eyes. The snake was rapidly approaching us!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocifdYQYIynfgUTYtA7kMOrNErYm-yrSqR8LFqc3UyqeDthF0W5eiggnGlvxmTDZxmej_zhyphenhyphenwEfGAkkJj4P2vJoQiqqJyoojWzZdtS4nVglbDaoEDONWM1c3-GMcQYbOd9NPXdNaem8g/s640/blogger-image-1218098191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocifdYQYIynfgUTYtA7kMOrNErYm-yrSqR8LFqc3UyqeDthF0W5eiggnGlvxmTDZxmej_zhyphenhyphenwEfGAkkJj4P2vJoQiqqJyoojWzZdtS4nVglbDaoEDONWM1c3-GMcQYbOd9NPXdNaem8g/s400/blogger-image-1218098191.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
For those of you familiar with snakes, you know they typically avoid people they clearly see. This one raced to us, reared up, and struck toward our feet! We scrambled up narrating the situation to our colleagues as we saw that the snake had successfully struck and killed a small rodent which had been hiding in the shade of our feet under the bench. Triumphantly, it held its kill high in the air, weaving between us toward a quieter patch of forest to enjoy its breakfast. We continued our conference call, eyeing our seat, and scanning our surroundings.</div>
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That day was far from over before we retired to our simple cabina of four screened walls with no water, electricity or bathroom to distract us from the cacophony of forest sounds and the rush of water in the river below. We were still to have an afternoon full of meeting guests and serving drinks to an eclectic group of people including those from Ireland, France, Costa Rica, New York City, and a three time Olympian medalist from the USA. After dinner, we both had emails and manuscripts to work on while the Internet was available. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxDAgSa70443ZnyDn37ki0Rg-smBXKFeOevoWWknc_6eOB9LlIdc3T2PkCUBsVIUeua2-VuWbwoQ8E25y5cNw9twubdMaTVzIEZ7zpt0KBdKneVHkwTtfeeRYwvhnVnImUiW3ilhAu-0/s640/blogger-image-1793104094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoxDAgSa70443ZnyDn37ki0Rg-smBXKFeOevoWWknc_6eOB9LlIdc3T2PkCUBsVIUeua2-VuWbwoQ8E25y5cNw9twubdMaTVzIEZ7zpt0KBdKneVHkwTtfeeRYwvhnVnImUiW3ilhAu-0/s400/blogger-image-1793104094.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocifdYQYIynfgUTYtA7kMOrNErYm-yrSqR8LFqc3UyqeDthF0W5eiggnGlvxmTDZxmej_zhyphenhyphenwEfGAkkJj4P2vJoQiqqJyoojWzZdtS4nVglbDaoEDONWM1c3-GMcQYbOd9NPXdNaem8g/s640/blogger-image-1218098191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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While our friends often express envy at the varied and adventurous Facebook postings we submit, we know that many, especially those who best understand the details of our days, think we are absolutely crazy. Yet, for us, the Talking Heads' title best describes how we did get here. We all have one life to live or give. Each strike of midnight brings us 86,400 seconds closer to the new day. We get to use that time only once....once in a lifetime. For us, we want to experience life in other cultures and places while helping to create a more sustainable planet and just world. We want to celebrate that life and explore diversity on the planet, our species' own as well as its other inhabitants. So we find ourselves in some pretty unusual places, seeing incredible things, facing physical discomfort and mental joy, while still trying to give time and effort to people and ideas that inspire us. We really understand that each moment is occurring "once in a lifetime" however short or long that life might be. We have come to believe that personal growth is made more challenging when we are static in our lives and daily activities, so we choose to live the unexpected life that saying "yes" more than "no" has brought us. Ours might be a rather extreme way of feeling the vibrancy of change. You do not have to leave your country and sell all of your possessions to have a more dynamic life. But each of us may need to question whether what has become routine is also satisfying. Did we spend each of today's 86,400 seconds in living fully, working toward our values, sharing our gifts and passions, doing a small kindness or selfless act? There is comfort in routine, but also danger in comfort. </div>
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<i>Posted at Golfito, Costa Rica. Images are of Sally and our jungle smoker, our snake bench, and our simple cabina.</i></div>
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Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-3562589150818710022015-03-27T16:41:00.001-07:002015-03-27T21:33:27.785-07:00Gauntlet<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw6FxZ0IgDg6R8d3fl9gOQefODFCBexLUyqfHPcuTU3uqKdeN-jIWL6BnBTRe2mITu9iCDEff4DZeBr935-9fRsd4gQbtlRd6VetwFN3HFsaqoTUe5Sa3Zf9vehjxGnxQoL8a08jPIIQ/s640/blogger-image--237624691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw6FxZ0IgDg6R8d3fl9gOQefODFCBexLUyqfHPcuTU3uqKdeN-jIWL6BnBTRe2mITu9iCDEff4DZeBr935-9fRsd4gQbtlRd6VetwFN3HFsaqoTUe5Sa3Zf9vehjxGnxQoL8a08jPIIQ/s400/blogger-image--237624691.jpg" width="400" /></a>If you read our Facebook posts, more often than not, our trips many times seem like exotic adventures with incredible wildlife, views, and food. However, extended travel, especially budget travel, has elements that are more reminiscent of running a gauntlet than floating down the river of life. One example of a physical beating came earlier this month as we descended from a mountaintop toward our ferry in a jeep that would be more appropriately placed in the Disney "Raiders of the Lost Ark" ride. The jeep bounced and careened through the jungle avoiding falling trees and giant rolling stones and narrowly missing both wildlife and locals. To add fun to this particular day trip, there were three of us in the narrow backseat meant only for two. One particularly vicious bump broke one of the two seats causing an even more torturous trip. We pulled up, with palatable relief (checking to see if any herniated discs had actually ruptured or any bones had broken), to the realization that our ferry, due to unseasonably high winds, had crashed into the dock and demolished it. The boat, itself, had run aground, was now firmly wedged against the shore, and would ultimately require a tugboat to extricate it. The day was young though, and a series of three more vehicles and a detour around the peninsula in what felt like Sahara Desert heat eventually found us sipping margaritas and watching ladies of the evening troll for tourists in a southern Costa Rican town.</div>
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In Central America, some of our gauntlets have been much more perilous and even a simple stroll from very comfortable lodging to a nearby restaurant can be an invitation for armed robbery. We have been lucky and always ask about the "dos and don'ts" of any given place we stay, but the armed civil conflicts in Guatemala and Nicaragua have left a legacy of guns and people who will use them. In one small area where we stayed in Nicaragua, the situation was deteriorating to the point that locals ran out to warn us not to walk on the road one night, the only road back to our hotel. The road had seen three armed robberies in the past week in the dark, unlit spaces along the route. We ran that gauntlet behind a kind waiter on his motorbike as he zipped us home, one at a time. While there was often such a danger near us, we were saddened by how much more severe the dangers within Guatemala were for its own citizens where one of the least safe occupations has become driving a chicken bus. Over 900 bus drivers have been killed by the gangs in and near Guatemala City and the gauntlets those men face each day are incomprehensible. <a href="http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113293/900-bus-drivers-dead-guatemala-city-worlds-most-dangerous-job">http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113293/900-bus-drivers-dead-guatemala-city-worlds-most-dangerous-job</a>. We avoided chicken buses, for the most part, in Guatemala. <br />
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Other types of gauntlets that are more typical in our travel life are those associated with border crossings. The gauntlet of a border crossing can be a rite of passage rather than a simple step across the imaginary lines drawn and defended by countries all over the world. Our crossing from Belize into Guatamala by boat was one such journey in which our poor herniated discs were tested again by each slam into the waves of the bow of the speedboat. The four young backpackers who had planned to head south to Honduras clambered off the boat with us in Guatemala, unable to take another minute of pain. As can be common at border crossings, a hoard of helpful and hopeful touts surrounded them, as the boat captain warned us of the perils in listening to their plans and pleas. On that day, we had a long, hot climb up a hill, surrounded by men wanting to lead us to places we did not want to go, to a local immigration officer who let two of us in at a time to decide whether we were drug runners (particularly common there) or tourists. <br />
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While boarding crossings can be stressful or interesting to us, they can be tragic for others. As with the complicated immigration issues between the United States and Mexico, Costa Rica affords many opportunities to the people of their poorest neighbor, Nicaragua. The average annual wage in Costa Rica is ~$5,000. While that may not sound like a lot in the USA, it is five times the wage of those in adjacent Nicaragua. Over 500,000 Nicaraguans provide farm labor and menial service to the companies and households within Costa Rica and many cannot do so legally, instead often risking much in false papers and unsafe border crossings. We met one such young women on a bus full of locals leaving the Costa Rican border. Police stopped the bus twice near the border, questioning people closely and scrutinizing their documents. For this girl, probably about 16, the second stop was a nightmare. Her documents were insufficient and she broke down in tears, freezing in her seat, as they tried to lead her off the bus and back to the border. She cried out that she had no money and no place to return to. Local Costa Ricans, or Ticos as they call themselves, well known for their manners and patience, finally started to get frustrated in the metal oven that was baking us all. Kindness prevailed and a collection was taken up for the young girl who gripped the bills in one hand and her basket in the other, led off by a heavily armed policeman who was frightening to us and must have been terrifying to her. These gauntlets emerge everywhere where global disparity in wealth pulls people into dangerous and illegal corridors. So many of my friends and family have strong, often polarizing opinions about these issues, but few of us have had to face this particular gauntlet ourselves.<br />
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As we travel, we experience so many amazing people, we see things such as festivals, and we experience food, culture and authentic friendships. But sometimes, to get to these people and places, we run a gauntlet. In the end, it is not so much our challenges that stay with us beyond funny stories to tell friends and family, it is the daily dangers to others that bother us, disturb us, and make us thankful for our own lives. <br />
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<i>Posted at Finca Bellavista, Costa Rica. Images are of a ride in the back of a local truck to a destination in Costa Rica, chicken busses in Guatemala headed back to the city, and one of the many wet exits from one of the many boat rides.</i></div>
Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-76541337362306067592015-02-16T10:40:00.000-08:002015-02-16T10:40:10.880-08:00Ring of Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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As we begin our trips, we seek to stay open to learning what the earth and its populations have to share with us. We are never sure what will emerge to fascinate us in a given place. So far, this trip, we have been drawn to "the Ring of Fire." About 75% of the world's volcanoes and 90% of the world's earthquakes occur in this aptly nicknamed region where plates collide and the earth shudders and erupts under the pressure of unimaginable forces. We have wandered this region through much of our past two years of travel. We have felt the tremors in Alaska and been welcomed our first night in Costa Rica by our host yelling "come outside" as he ran outside past us as lamps swayed. We were in Peru and Chile for shakes and shudders, but missed the severe earthquake in the Philippines that caught our good friends, the Vopnis, and the lovely people of Bohol Island in its destructive waves of undulating power. In Indonesia we met a team of emergency response planners helping to rebuild areas that had been crushed by the Ring's power in the past and helping to better prepare its citizens for their inevitable future. We gazed on a changed Christchurch, New Zealand, and a still heavily damaged and destroyed Conception, Chile, after their 2011 and 2010 earthquakes, and we pondered the differences in abilities of developed versus developing countries to respond to and rebuild after such incredible natural disasters.<br />
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We are not strangers to this incredible horseshoe-shaped zone which gives testament to the earth's forces and the fragility of our feeble structures and lives when the forces are unleashed. Yet, the volcanoes of Central America have captured us, drawn us in, and fed our imaginations and fueled our curiosity. They loom over much of the landscape, with towns frightfully close to their scarred flanks, many active, some devastatingly so. We gaze upon their shapes, so different than most of our Rocky Mountains whose ages of volcanism are not easily understood in their current dormant slumber. These volcanoes are young and they smolder, puffing out ominous ash clouds with steaming vents creating clouds covering their sides. And, much to our surprise one afternoon while in Antigua, they erupt. The ash that cascaded down on us was acrid and the air burned our eyes and noses. Our hearts quickened to hear the news that some locals thought it was the steaming giant, Pacaya, where we had light heartedly roasted marshmallows the day before in playful tourist activity, with little respect for the power we tempted as we unearthed its lava, young stone created just a year before, to dig deeper into the hot maul of the planet's crust.<br />
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It was, instead, the restless Fuego (Fire) Volcano, less than a dozen miles away that with one "burp" shut down all international air traffic to Guatemala and dusted the gorgeous colonial city of Antigua with grey ash. Antigua, like most Central America capitals we have visited in the Ring of Fire, has fallen multiple times as the earth's plates slipped and slid and cathedrals tumbled while adjacent homes crashed into ruble.<br />
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These experiences simply seemed to increase our hunger to gaze deeper into these conical forces of nature, and we hurried onward to Nicaragua where visitors can peer into a crater filled with poisonous gasses and rising steam to see the heartbeat of the planet in flowing magma as red lava bubbles to the surface. Even the story from our local guide during the hike to the crater about his experience a year ago on Telica did not dissuade us. The volcano erupted while he and four girls were peering over the same rim! The story, in fact, made us more curious to experience it ourselves. People ask us about health and safety while we travel. We get our vaccinations, take our pharmacy of western miracles with us, and are careful of where we go, who we trust, what places we wander during the day or night. So what draws us to creep on our bellies along side tarantulas and scorpions to the edge of a volcanic crater knowing the power it is barely restraining in that one moment? Why, as we write this, do the cones across the plains outside of our bus window beckon us with their majestic views commanding the landscape?<br />
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We can hear Johnny Cash's lyrics in our heads, knowing that there is truth to the seductive ring of fire. His lyrics are about love, and our experiences are about landscapes; however, both lead to being drawn into something bigger and more powerful than our minds can fathom.<br />
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<i>I fell into the burning ring of fire,<br />
I went down, down, down,<br />
And the flames went higher.<br />
And it burns, burns, burns,<br />
The ring of fire, the ring of fire.<br />
Johnny Cash</i><br />
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Posted in Granada, Nicaragua. Images are of our visit to Pacaya Volcano, the ring of fire map, the aftermath of Fuego's eruption, Sally's first view of Telica's crater and the rubble from Antigua's earthquake.</i><br />
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Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-53684754108826843062015-01-25T16:50:00.000-08:002015-01-25T17:05:40.942-08:00All who wander are not lost<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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While you may think the title of this blog refers to our amazing journey, it does not. Rather, it is the tale of two pairs of Chacos sandals which have traveled Central America without Sally. Chacos are not just any sandals. The strong hiking versions of the brand are almost indestructible stalwarts that are equally effective in the water or on the land. We love ours so much that we get them resoled and restrapped, sending chocolate in our appreciation to the Chacos' repair team. But we get ahead of ourselves in this tale as it really should start with Mary Poppins' bag. Perhaps you remember it? As the children watch, Mary pulls out a hatrack, shoes, plant, table lamp, and measuring tape among other items. When we arrived in Mexico this trip, as our friends Stuart and Karen watched, an amazing assortment of things appeared from our packs. Karen jokingly said she would not be surprised to see a table lamp. With great glee, we showed her our newest gear, an inflatable Luci solar table lamp!<br />
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People have asked us what we bring along for our multi month international trips in our ultra light pack. We each carry two packs, a larger REI ultralight and a daypack and they creep up to 25 pounds. For clothing, we generally have three pairs of socks and underwear, a bandana and handkerchief, three light quick dry shirts, two pairs of zip-off river pants, long sleeve nylon shirt, light pair of shorts for sleeping, belt and money belt, R1 Patagonia jacket, a rain jacket, bathing suit, sunhat, and pair of capilene lightweight long underwear for warmth, snorkeling, or use as pajamas. Our gear includes terrific Black Diamond carbon Z trekking poles, snorkel, mask, and watershoes (and a tiny container of dish soap for defogging), waterproof bag and pouch, headlamp, powerful lightweight flashlight for night safaris, tiny UV light for exploration and finding bed bug residue, Indonesian batik silk bedliners, our Luci tablelamp (you must see them to believe them), mosquito head netting, leatherman, small Swiss Army knives, tiny amount of duct tape, binoculars, assorted stuff sacks, sea bands, exercise bands, small lock and key for hostel lockers, headphones, short hiking gaiters, backpack raincover, ultralight travel umbrellas, neck pillow, key ring lights, maps, thank you cards, and pencil and small pad. For electronics, we have an iPad, two iPhones, and two cameras and the necessary assorted cords. As John Hausdoerffer would put it, we are a walking pharmacy, prepared with an assortment of over the counter and prescription medications and sunscreen (100SPF) and insect repellent. We also have a small first aid kit with blood clotting powder, steri strips for sutures, skin glue, Benadryl, Epipen, and silver bandages. Water and snacks, especially Sally's famous gorp with mint M&Ms are part of our load as well. Nail clippers, toiletries, glasses and contacts are included. Ziplocks and plastic bags are invaluable. When we travel in cold places, we have more winter gear. And then, there are our irreplaceable orthotics, hiking shoes, and beloved Chaco sandals.<br />
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So back to the Chacos! How did not one, but two pairs of Sally's Chacos come to wander Central America, traveling from place to place without her? It started with her selflessly agreeing to carry our laundry during our border crossing from Palenque, Mexico to Flores, Guatemala. We arranged the transport with a company which has different drivers on both sides of the border. It was smooth, until we arrived at Flores and realized to make room for the laundry, Sally had accidentally left out her Chacos. Over the next few days, including three extra ones, we stayed in great hope and yearning, while our hostel owner, two hotel clerks, the sons of two angry Latino ladies, a local guide and countless shuttle drivers blamed each other, called each other names, and all claimed the Chacos were delivered to the next person. Sadly, after a week of perseverance and pleading, we gave up on seeing Sally's trusted companions, knowing they likely had new souls with different soles treading in her old friends. There was a moment of renewed Chaco hope in Guatemala when Jess discovered that a small store improbably in the middle of nearby Santa Elena, sold Chacos. In two years of travel, the only other place we have seen them was in Darwin, Australia at an army surplus store. We were amazed at our good fortune until we realized they had only men's size 11s and larger. Even duct tape could not help Sally reconcile 5 sizes.<br />
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With resignation and a real sense of loss, we ordered new ones sent to Sally's sister. We asked friends of friends in Belize City to receive two packages for us, a new bank card and our FedEx international express pair of Chacos. The $176 shipping charge was a lot, but these are Chacos, after all. There were a few delays, unexpected complications, and bank card issues, but finally, we heard that two packages arrived at Belize City..., a few hours after we left the city to sail down the Belizean coast. Sally wandered the seas in bare feet and hiking shoes coveting Jess's Chacos as we strolled on coral sand beaches. We arrived well south of Belize City to learn to our joy that for a few dollars, a local air service would courier our two packages to a local airstrip. More logistics, the kindness of new friends and strangers and the package arrived. Sally was dumbstuck when what was handed to her was a single, flat envelope, which we were to find out, held two bank cards (the bank sent 4 in the end, another long story and clusterama). Jess found her sitting on the bed in quiet despair staring at the flat Chacoless envelope certain her sandals were cursed. Her sister Sandy offered another explanation, suggesting that the sandals were not cursed, rather just being rebellious and wayward or possibly contrary and recalcitrant.<br />
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Puzzled, we checked online, following the journey of Sally's Chacos across both North and Central America to find they were being held hostage at customs in Belize City. Despite her sister paying maximum expedited international shipping charges, strange messages appeared on FedEx tracking such as "Customer has not paid for expedited customs clearance" and "Contact third party courier" with none listed. Neither talking to nor visiting FedEx online elucidated the issue. But our local friend in Belize City helpfully explained that when she receives packages from DHL or FedEx, they call her for more money to release them. <br />
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So the tale of two Chacos pairs ends with a reunion for one and a peregrination for the other. We received another text, news that there was a package on a plane, and to our delight a new pair of Chacos will walk the Jaguar Reserve at Cockscomb Basin and enter Guatemala and Honduras with us, securely on Sally's feet.<br />
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<i>Posted in Placencia, Belize. Images are of one of our sets of travel gear, our Luci lamp, Sally's surprise at her package delivery, and one of the last pictures of Sally's lost soles.</i><br />
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Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-18927643935195305552015-01-15T17:55:00.003-08:002015-01-16T07:56:32.440-08:00What goes around, comes around.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4v-86OVhUxkJARUrMXTMnRPqfkekHf-Fu2RZvFphDqImw5hdyWOKnqRyJS23ni-MPupyFRGVLpxVb9P5VBJOM2ABGzD-9rqWtb_7a53Hw3JmJ_bI2eRmPaXY39Cl2kS0EgU6cLxT4HE/s1600/image5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4v-86OVhUxkJARUrMXTMnRPqfkekHf-Fu2RZvFphDqImw5hdyWOKnqRyJS23ni-MPupyFRGVLpxVb9P5VBJOM2ABGzD-9rqWtb_7a53Hw3JmJ_bI2eRmPaXY39Cl2kS0EgU6cLxT4HE/s1600/image5.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a>Ruins? Is this an appropriate label for the broken and dilapidated structures dotting the landscape in almost every part of the world? These "reminders" of past civilizations can be mysterious, majestic, unreal, and captivating. In our travels, we have visited some of the most well known of these ancient civilizations: Machu Picchu, Chichen Itza, Angkor Wat, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Tikal, Bagan; and we have hiked, biked, and wandered the lonely trails of many other lesser known but fascinating sites.<br />
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Visiting these ancient cities has given us enormous joy, immense pleasure, and hours of worthwhile and provocative conversation during our <br />
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travels. While we have occasionally been accompanied by those with a rich and local knowledge of sites, we have found we generally prefer to experience and peruse sites by ourselves without a guide. We thrive on the thrill of discovery as we wander into and through the site, finding carvings, stelae, bas-reliefs, faces, murals, or any number of other things ----- characteristics of each individual site that we have usually researched ahead of time. Yet it is not the intellectual research that sends us forward to explore new sites, it is the quiet reflective moments that we share in silent wonder of what came before us and what shall follow. We have stared out over ancient geometric patterns on valley floors, temples rising by the thousands on desert plateaus, secret structures camouflaged in deep canyons, fortresses on mountain tops, and pyramids in raucous jungles. Often, only our imaginations are left uncovered and unexplored as we gaze at the carefully placed rocks and crumbling mortar.<br />
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After considering each site, we have determined that all or most possess some common attributes. All connect us to ancient civilizations but it is the ways those connections are manifested in each of us that make our experiences in visiting them so individualistic. All have been constructed using laborious methods that befuddle our imaginations and precise, exact sciences that we are certain should never have been known during those ancient times. Worship, if our archaeological interpretations are correct, was of the highest importance to each civilization. A class system of some sort was usually how society was structured. War and armed conflict, both among neighboring settlements and other locales many miles removed, were common. Empire building seemed to be a priority as the conflicts resulted in more and more land/villages being consolidated under the rule of one leader or tribe. <br />
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Probably the most perplexing common attribute is that many of these civilizations simply disappeared......or did they? Our knowledge of ancient peoples grows with our knowledge of science. Studies of ancient soils, plants, animals, and weather tell us that severe drought for years or even decades devastated more than one civilization. Other studies surmise that some peoples were simply <br />
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engulfed by a "superior" civilization and their identity ceased. Still other evidence points to the complete destruction/devastation of the local environment and over use of resources leading to subsequent collapse. In these times, the educated and the elite may have been the first to perish and recorded history may have halted although some life went on with locals forgetting their history or heritage.<br />
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When one looks at these ancient societies, it is difficult to avoid looking at ourselves as we exist today. "History repeats itself" is a common saying that should make us all a little reflective about our future. Are "ruins" on our horizon? Are we, too, destined to become another civilization that just disappears? Who will gaze at our relics a thousand years from now? What will be whole and what will be "ruined"?<br />
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<i>Posted in San Ignacio, Belize. Images are of Machu Pichu, Peru; Palenque, Mexico; Angor Thom, Cambodia; and Tikal, Guatemala. </i>Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-80177108517226298582014-12-30T18:09:00.002-08:002014-12-30T18:09:41.516-08:00Living Local, Going Global<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG0Mv_TFlvCaP0OiXHZrTha60j7CYJSWXVLYbcqKSwihuur9-ma72gIypva2esKmCyt2QxBsSO7rrbPhoaTdkG4hqEEgyE47Wc9A6E0wvGc1imviMssrEidDX4MDC2gsO7PCagqaPNE0/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG0Mv_TFlvCaP0OiXHZrTha60j7CYJSWXVLYbcqKSwihuur9-ma72gIypva2esKmCyt2QxBsSO7rrbPhoaTdkG4hqEEgyE47Wc9A6E0wvGc1imviMssrEidDX4MDC2gsO7PCagqaPNE0/s1600/image1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Our lives have changed….again. We began this odyssey over two years ago, climbing volcanoes and snorkeling in seas, finding ourselves, as we blogged last June, coming full circle to Gunnison, Colorado and Western State Colorado University. We have been so lucky to have spent the last six months with a terrific, talented, and dedicated group of graduate students and faculty determined to leave the planet a better place than the one we find today. The previous two years had given us a perspective of the importance of choosing how each hour of the day is spent, and neither of us can imagine a better group of colleagues and students with whom to do so as we “work.”</div>
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Part of our work and self-renewal is to travel. We are in an enviable place where we are graced with meaningful work in an amazing community as we “live local,” and, just as the digits drop to the <br />
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negative degrees, can “go global.” Our first stop was one for which we have hungered during the past two years. We dropped into Oaxaca, Mexico to visit Karen and Stuart, two people we met for what was too short a time in Peru, and have remembered ever since. In part, because of Karen’s kind gesture of sending her hiking socks along with Sally in her time of need, it should surprise no one that Jess is now literally wearing the shirt off of her back. Karen and Stuart are an adventurous and generous duo who have seen much of the world, especially Latin America, and now nestle for part of each year in the arms of an amazing community of nationals and internationals in the gourmet capital of Mexico. Oaxaca is especially well known for its chiles and chocolate, often lovingly mixed into mole. Sacks overflowing with roasted cacao, cinnamon, and chiles are clustered in shops lining the streets as customers give instructions to men grinding pastes of the fragrant combinations and people of all ages line up for chocolate beverages, both cold and hot. Chocolate is the blood that runs through this city’s veins in rich courses tracing its history and forecasting its future.<br />
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We have spent an amazing week in the embrace and tutelage of our knowledgeable and kind hosts, learning about their favorite small restaurantes, or the best stools in the market for guanabana nieve, or local hiking trails and spectacular world heritage sites. And, the greatest pleasure has been learning about the lives of two people we will always treasure as terrific friends. However, the road is enticing us onward and our bus tickets are hot in our pants pockets as we head south towards Guatemala. We will pause to linger in Chiapas, initiating 2015 by staring at canyon walls towering over us then board a bus to the border and onward to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. We will head west toward Belize where we will linger for much of January then slowly turn southward hoping to spend part of February in Panama. For March and April, we will be exploring Costa Rica, six weeks of it as camp hosts and University representatives at the fabulous Finca BellaVista treehouse resort community. As always, we welcome the companionship of our friends looking for adventure and willing to eat fried tarantulas with us!<br />
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<i>Images from Oaxaca, Mexico and are of </i><i><i>Karen gazing at an image of the stained fingers of an indigo dye maker near the Chiapas border</i>; a worker making chocolate paste in one of an incredible number of chocolate shops, and </i><i><i>Karen and Stuart Carter and us in a wonderful Oaxaca Lending Library</i>. Posted 30 December, 2014.</i>Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-87634075836537462782014-06-07T22:10:00.000-07:002014-06-07T22:10:07.674-07:00Full Circle<br />
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Two years have passed. We began our worldwide two year trip on June 8, 2012 and it feels like both yesterday and a lifetime ago. More coincidentally than planned, we have finished it on June 7, 2014. On our last night, surrounded by an old friend and new ones from four different countries, we watched the sun set over a meandering river in Bangkok. During our two year journey, we hoped to learn with humility and give with grace as we answered the question "How do we continue to grow?" Our hope was that the 7 billion souls and the lands they occupy would become our teachers. Each of the 365 days in the following two years was filled with new lessons and experiences. We sought to learn as children do, with few preconceptions, with wonder, with excitement and with passion. We knew some lessons would be harder, some would frighten us, and a few would bring us to tears.<br />
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In the end, we underestimated how special the journey would be. We have cried tears of wonder and tears of pain. We have stood in absolute awe before some of the greatest sights on earth. We have felt the earth tremble as glaciers rumbled across its face. We have watched volcanoes smolder and have seen the footprints of invisible snow leopards in fresh Himalayan snow. We have gazed across salt flats and tundra plateaus possessing unearthly beauty. As we drifted through the darkness deep within the earth, Glowworms lit our way as did the stars of the milky way on the top of Chilean mountains. We stood below the rooftop of earth, not once, but twice, gazing into the <br />
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dangerous crevasses of both the south and north faces of Mount Everest. We have hovered above giant cuttlefish and whale sharks as they swam lazily below us. We have stared mother grizzlies and orangutans in the eye. We have gazed on the faces of deities in over a dozen countries, some living, some surreal. We have walked bare foot through piles of dung and blood-red betel spit in respect for the customs and cultures of those whom we visit. We have been burning hot, achingly cold, and every state in between in almost 20 different countries and on four different continents. In each place, our hearts have been forever changed by the people who shared these sights with us, some leading us to them, others discovering them by our sides. New friends and one special old one have accompanied us in our odyssey. And some of our favorite new friends were not human, rather animals that touched our hearts and souls.<br />
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We are both smaller and larger than we were when we left our jobs, our friends, our family, and all that was comfortable and familiar. While we have learned much about the world, we learned the most about ourselves and each other....and we are not ready to stop learning. In fact, we hunger for greater lessons and new opportunities to grow. The first will come as we seek to help others realize their dreams. We did not know where we would "land" after we sold our house and most of our possessions and began this journey two years ago. Interestingly, we have come full circle and will return to our professional passions and to our community in Gunnison, Colorado, the place we call home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01oWZfM5XBdJ1ENUp2gC1x6zUVQlmiSveSee8-Fk5ak8Tn2FZPCHeQLYbohKqILBaPpYT0i0Uulz3Qi8jAI_wiVL2HbCFgXHTNVKu8YsTBcXgPbJQiweMnImYdqwv-JXVJ_vuOw-XGT4/s1600/image%25286%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01oWZfM5XBdJ1ENUp2gC1x6zUVQlmiSveSee8-Fk5ak8Tn2FZPCHeQLYbohKqILBaPpYT0i0Uulz3Qi8jAI_wiVL2HbCFgXHTNVKu8YsTBcXgPbJQiweMnImYdqwv-JXVJ_vuOw-XGT4/s1600/image%25286%2529.jpeg" height="237" width="320" /></a>For six months a year we have been given an amazing opportunity to participate and teach within a new community of learners. This summer, Western State Colorado University opens its doors and hearts to an inaugural group of graduate students seeking a masters in environmental management. As we have traveled the world, we have seen so many needs and have realized there is little time for humanity to change its path of global annihilation. We grew up in the nuclear age, ducking and covering, afraid of weapons of mass destruction. What we did not know to fear were the consequences of the daily cumulative actions of seven billion people. A stunning percentage of the planet is stripped of its resources, laid bare to the ravages of changing climate, with little local life remaining on the land beyond the poor who have no other place to go. Everywhere we travel, including in our own "backyard" we see environmental challenges that must be met. We are humbled beyond all measure to have a chance to help educate those who are stepping forward to meet these challenges with new voices, important projects, and increasingly sophisticated ideas about how to address our past mistakes and create new futures. For six months of each year, we will be face-to-face with this emerging community and for half a year we will continue to travel, connected to our newest community and building bridges to additional ones in distant lands. <br />
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We named this blog "One hundred stories" and hoped to write at least that many during our two year adventure. We have written only sixty so far. It is not that there was a dearth of stories; each day was typically filled with several. We simply found that we were often consumed with living the stories rather than writing them. We hope to continue this blog and plan on finishing a blog posting about travel tips soon! This adventure has finished, but the next one has already begun.<br />
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<i>Posted in Los Angeles, California. Images are of a Nepalese woman telling Sally about her woes, the Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia, and of a poor family trying to catch small fish in Cambodia. </i><br />
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<br />Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-47355879893954857792014-06-06T04:57:00.003-07:002014-06-06T04:57:32.555-07:00Two paths<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFRIqsbeS250e0juXXw3mpiGVTUCQilfwnqXfE6ztFd0F1FJYm_csQyJJEYicxEE8uyjRDuRluzSbRw-z4XxQGX2mComR1HLaGHyD7bbMzmSudK9RwuUUjmM157aGB0mG-1ivkYvQFQo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFRIqsbeS250e0juXXw3mpiGVTUCQilfwnqXfE6ztFd0F1FJYm_csQyJJEYicxEE8uyjRDuRluzSbRw-z4XxQGX2mComR1HLaGHyD7bbMzmSudK9RwuUUjmM157aGB0mG-1ivkYvQFQo/s1600/1.jpg" height="320" width="283" /></a>Two paths lie before communities we have visited in Bolivia and Cambodia. The paths are both physical, having been laid stone by stone, as well as political, involving choices made by the governing bodies. The paths have the same intended goal: to improve a particular area for tourism. However, what makes us reflective is how the process of creating the paths reveals so much about people and place.<br />
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We first introduced our blog readers to Isla Taquile in Lake Titicaca almost two years ago with a story about 17 sheep. Our homestay hosts were saving money to buy enough sheep for their island wedding celebration and were 17 sheep short of the total needed. One element of the a Taquile society we did not write much about was the political structure. Each of the small island districts was led by a senior married male, and there was one overall leader for the entire island. An individual's profession, where they were live, and when they were to marry were decisions made by the male leaders and the male villagers in weekly meetings. Consensus among the married men was used to decide actions important to all. A few years prior to our visit, the community decided to adopt tourism as a viable economic benefit for everyone, and, to assist in that endeavor, built a beautiful stone path from the beach to the highlands that would meander around homes, playgrounds, and small markets. Each family was responsible for constructing and maintaining a 10 meter stretch. These people who dressed with such impeccable pride in traditional hand woven clothes and knitted hats also laid each stone with artistic care. One of the most amazing paths we have enjoyed in our travels, we encountered numerous villagers moving along its many fingers, tipping hats to each other and sharing bags of coca leaves in a formal dance of tradition and greeting. Our host family showed great pride in the project and believed it helped provide for families in a variety of ways. Few tourists have actually tread on the path. We were two of only five for the two days we were there, but people greeted us with smiles and dignified grace as we traversed its stone steps. <br />
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In Cambodia we were, at first, delighted to find a stone walking path along a relatively undeveloped two mile<br />
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stretch of beach overlooking the Bay of Thailand. However, the path precipitated questions, for us, about the repression and inequality in this country. We had read the history of the vast depletion of the resources during and following the period of the Khmer Rouge and Vietnam invasion in the 1970's and '80's. Cambodia had been home to some of the most prized hardwood in the world, but selling the forest became a national pastime for whoever was the ruling authority during that time. Some estimate that, in three decades, 95% of all the native trees were removed. Even when world pressure led to moratoriums, the current leadership would provide favored cronies with "concessions" to plant Eucalyptus trees and remove the native trees. They argued that they were no longer logging, rather, farming trees. If local villagers protested, the army was dispatched to guard the logging operations.<br />
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With a majority of the forest gone, the government turned to a new money making scheme, selling the cleared land to both foreign and domestic development corporations. There was just one minor <br />
complication. People lived on the land. So, for the past decade, the government has solved that small problem by simply removing the residents! Initially, with military personnel acting as enforcers, residents were simply herded onto trucks and dumped elsewhere as heavy equipment bulldozed their small dwellings, usually in a single day or night. During the past few years, however, given the howls of protest and the complexities of dealing with hundreds of thousands of landless refugees, the government has begun to offer small payments to those "displaced" or to build new villages. The unfortunate dilemma is that the confiscated land was usually near resources such as lakes, the sea, or tourist areas, whereas the new village locations are usually the places no one has wanted to live.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sgXJOvIVf6DD3IclxGo7n3uyyFYnJQDxVxy6uFfz3MCxFe2FVHqBSmRmjYwQAUFvIDfXjxIFCTeibu7f2AERHV4-LGtfZB-2AwzWqbk8xfO5Ij3S3YeavjjvtI-15DsQ-r95_7-zVO4/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sgXJOvIVf6DD3IclxGo7n3uyyFYnJQDxVxy6uFfz3MCxFe2FVHqBSmRmjYwQAUFvIDfXjxIFCTeibu7f2AERHV4-LGtfZB-2AwzWqbk8xfO5Ij3S3YeavjjvtI-15DsQ-r95_7-zVO4/s1600/13.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>We were, at first, delighted to have a quiet footpath to walk along the beach until we heard about the villages that were removed from it in the past year. We drove by one of the places, a few kilometers away, where the people had picked up broken wood and tin from the bulldozers and tried to piece together their lives again. The poverty was intense, the scene heart wrenching. <br />
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In both communities, leaders decided that a path would be built. Each community had a political process foreign to us. Yet, the outcomes felt so vastly different. One place had the sense of living the saying "a rising tide lifts all the boats" and the other broadened an already enormous chasm between the ultra rich and the unimaginably poor. For us, one lesson has been to more deeply understand what lies beneath our feet as we tread new ground in places so different from our own.<br />
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<i>Images are of the path being built on Isla Taquile in Lake Titicaca, the path along side Oteras Beach, Cambodia, and the "new houses" of those forced to make way for the progress along Oteras Beach. Posted in Bangkok, Thailand.</i>Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-52653232491686684432014-05-17T20:29:00.002-07:002014-05-17T20:35:28.181-07:00She named him Lucky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0Jr0YEQ6JAzh7yx3EHhMEB7qr_9m5EQIgGaAuBWzZB1tzKcT-n_ZJ3y-8ylMLNWMZMnc0av3jZB0EGrst1z2elY4P-EJkeHza9cmKdfU6thyUhV-9wCeIaL1IdgjokYg_epnj0_85lE/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0Jr0YEQ6JAzh7yx3EHhMEB7qr_9m5EQIgGaAuBWzZB1tzKcT-n_ZJ3y-8ylMLNWMZMnc0av3jZB0EGrst1z2elY4P-EJkeHza9cmKdfU6thyUhV-9wCeIaL1IdgjokYg_epnj0_85lE/s1600/image.jpeg" height="298" width="320" /></a></div>
She named her new born son, Samnang, or "Lucky," an inconceivable choice on the night he arrived sometime in April of 1975. She gave him life, afraid for her own and her family's. No nurses could help her, soldiers fighting nearby could be heard, and within days of his arrival, he and his family were refugees, fleeing the Khmer Rouge. Maybe she had a precognition and knew he would be the only one of her family of seven to survive.<br />
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We met Lucky at our bus station. Our accommodation, the Battambang Resort, sent him to fetch us to their peaceful place among rice fields near the town of Battambang. It was not so peaceful four decades ago as his dad, a local police commander, knew it was time to hide his identity and flee northward with his family. They, along with millions of other refugees, were swept up by the revolution. Lucky's oldest brother was only 12, his three sisters 9, 7, and 5. The family was split up as refugee children 5 and older were sent to distant child labor camps. His siblings worked at making fertilizer by collecting cow dung from the rice fields and mixing it with vegetation. They were worked hard, fed little, and one by one each starved to death. His dad successfully hid his identity for a year and a half, but someone finally recognized and reported him. His previous occupation, like those of teachers, administrators, and doctors, was now a death warrant. He was taken away and never seen again. <br />
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Lucky and his mom were now alone, with his mom required to perform hard labor in the fields each day. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7amDNoPGulR7cxmu79ToB4HLh5JW_m6KqdFOh9AKQbYbgmJlf-WyUsNdnGpi0kHkBYKw-4eFzR_ZCregIyOgETS1_Tt22F0j4OOa572Scv0TBeoCHDbegmOHM4Gvv_nErV_382eIhkk/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7amDNoPGulR7cxmu79ToB4HLh5JW_m6KqdFOh9AKQbYbgmJlf-WyUsNdnGpi0kHkBYKw-4eFzR_ZCregIyOgETS1_Tt22F0j4OOa572Scv0TBeoCHDbegmOHM4Gvv_nErV_382eIhkk/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpeg" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
She hid the young toddler in pits in the ground as the Khmer Rouge soldiers would bayonet crying babies who distracted their mothers from their fieldwork. As the Vietnamese arrived, the now four-year-old boy and his mother escaped to a series of refugee camps, first near, then over, the Thai border. Some had no support, but by 1982, Bangphu, where they ended up along with thousands of other Cambodian refugees, received support and supplies from other nations. Lucky started to realize the meaning of his name at Bangphu when camp workers mistook him for a girl and gave him and his mother two ration cards. Only girls and women received the cards that brought servings of rice and canned fish to the struggling family. He vividly remembers and is forever grateful to the personnel of UNBRO (United Nations Border Relief Organization) who brought food and some stability to his war-torn life. At the camp where he was to live for 9 years, he was able to go to primary and secondary school, learn some English, and eat much more regularly. Despite the hospital there, his mother's bloody coughs led inevitably to her death when he was 14. By 16, he was a migrant worker in Thailand, digging potatoes for a few months. A family of opium dealers took him in to watch their children, promising him a dollar a day which he never received. Leaving them a few months later, he followed others across the narrow trails through heavily land mined forest between Cambodia and Thailand, fearing even stopping to lie down to sleep. <br />
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Back in Cambodia, Lucky was finally reunited with cousins, aunts and uncles he had never met. His life continued to improve with hard labor as a tree cutter then slowly working his way to buying his first tuk-tuk. He practiced English by listening to radio free America and with tourists. With time, he met his wonderful wife and now they have a four-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. At 35, his mother's choice of his <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjba-Kto_2aSjxXTWLJSa339rwmh339NwK1U1tHbKe_PKXhbrNfdclTidGJ5vpBjVxnkL9zfyEo1Rmc7G5Al9Z9myiuiGh0dWE7V5eS042Q-9t1qXVX5_sMFFqcTJKixIK856sfPMoeOBA/s1600/image+%25282%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjba-Kto_2aSjxXTWLJSa339rwmh339NwK1U1tHbKe_PKXhbrNfdclTidGJ5vpBjVxnkL9zfyEo1Rmc7G5Al9Z9myiuiGh0dWE7V5eS042Q-9t1qXVX5_sMFFqcTJKixIK856sfPMoeOBA/s1600/image+%25282%2529.jpeg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
name became fully realized. An Australian family taking a tour with him became interested and invested in his life. They helped him build a nice home and to acquire a new, fancy tuk-tuk when his old one died. He cannot believe his "luck" and pictures of these special friends adorn the walls of his small, but beautiful new home.<br />
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Visiting his home, watching him play with his son, made us remember how "lucky" most of us really are who were born in a wealthy nation with significant peace and prosperity. Unlike our new Cambodian friend, Lucky, we know the date of our birth. We have albums full of family photos. We have never had to face imminent starvation and the despair of being completely alone. Though we may feel like we are walking a tightrope at times, there are no real land mines to face if we misstep, just imaginary ones. We are lucky.<br />
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<i>Images are of Lucky with his new Tuk Tuk, family and having a traditional Cambodian breakfast with Sally. If you would like to contact Lucky he can be reached from the <a href="http://www.battambangresort.com/" target="_blank">Battambang Resort</a> or at +855 12687098 (international) or 012687098 (local). Posted at Battambang, Cambodia.</i>Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-86982820016173428392014-05-04T07:34:00.000-07:002014-05-04T07:34:10.934-07:00Darkness Falls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Gmq_WlLz8UbHb95GzqixD_an5mvJ0pN6wZ57qFZgZdgDSow3hJjB66AWsym4lwUhjyADJCMqh4pAmAvsOiAlIg9gixZkAWHXlLKfXlGAvJgBXEzjbqksl1WNNhm74IpKnAPrY0twF1Q/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Gmq_WlLz8UbHb95GzqixD_an5mvJ0pN6wZ57qFZgZdgDSow3hJjB66AWsym4lwUhjyADJCMqh4pAmAvsOiAlIg9gixZkAWHXlLKfXlGAvJgBXEzjbqksl1WNNhm74IpKnAPrY0twF1Q/s1600/3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> As we travel, we tend to visit the places that make us feel good. We love the vast, mind numbing landscapes; gorgeous and unique animals; pristine or at least somewhat intact ecosystems; exotic cultures; and, most of all, warm, kind people. But part of our journey and commitment to "learn with humility" occasionally takes us to the dark side of humanity, to places where unspeakable cruelty to others or the planet shakes us. Gives us pause. Makes us cry.<br />
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Cambodia has both....significant culture, beauty, and a dark history and challenging present. Most people fly in and visit the unequaled ruins of Angkor Wat, touring sites from what many say were the peak of Khmer civilization now centuries past. In doing so, they avoid the lands, especially those near the northwest and southeast borders, seeded with millions of unexploded bombs and land mines. Cambodia has the highest percentage of land mine amputees in the <br />
world, and it is not just people who lose limbs. We watched an elephant amputee hobble on its prosthetic as well. Everywhere we visit within the country, limbless victims are seeking and needing help. Most of the land mines were laid by either the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970's or Vietnam soldiers during their decade of rule in the 1980's. Other unexploded bombs are legacies from the U.S. and other countries that carpet <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4YZM9LmQKY7lGSA2yoWxTgNpR6ZuB_BTahFcu1o4gME6CfFoyR83NYSo_qymt6MxFKylRsLumqINVzpxLKmikGq8f96YY_abRt-4bA0QLn77IKPRi2MAOrm3zhO91bYwKiH3Ue7TceY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4YZM9LmQKY7lGSA2yoWxTgNpR6ZuB_BTahFcu1o4gME6CfFoyR83NYSo_qymt6MxFKylRsLumqINVzpxLKmikGq8f96YY_abRt-4bA0QLn77IKPRi2MAOrm3zhO91bYwKiH3Ue7TceY/s1600/1.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a>bombed the country in the early 1970's during the Vietnam War. Three decades of war have left a legacy of fear and real danger. Many farmers are still afraid to enter their own agricultural land in small villages as most land mine victims meet their fate in fields.<br />
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This is a country that has experienced genocide during our lifetime. While we were in high school or getting our first jobs after college from 1975 to 1979, Cambodians experienced the massacre of between 20 to 30% of their population at the hands of an extremist Communist group of their own countrymen, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge. Can you imagine one out of every three or four people you know being brutally murdered in "Killing Fields" or dying of starvation or disease? Over one third of the country's population was expelled from homes in the cities and forced to work with little food and no medicine in the countryside. We visited one of the hundreds of mass graves, or killing fields, near Phnom Penh. As we listened to the audio tour, we stared at fragments of human bone and clothing still emerging from the ground. We stood before 9,000 <br />
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skulls while listening to the voices of the actual guards talk about how they would beat the prisoners to death since bullets were too valuable to "waste" on such things. And we broke down a bit when we saw the tree against which infants' heads were smashed. The Khmer Rouge was a brutal, ugly regime that targeted the educated in particular. Even wearing glasses was a sign of being an intellectual and marked the person for certain death. When the Vietnamese invaded in 1979 and subsequently ruled the country for over a decade, they chose one of the the defecting Khmer Rouge soldiers, Hun Sen, as the country's new leader. Despite significant international and UN investment beginning in 1993 and continuing to this day, the same leader, Hun Sen, has been elected lord prime minister and supreme military commander in every election since 1993. He has been the de facto ruler for more than three decades. The Khmer Rouge was a functioning organization almost to the final day of the 20th century and its leader, Pol Pot, died in 1998 at the age of 82 before he could be brought to trial. Today, Cambodians lack educational opportunities, clean water, and basic health care as compared to their neighboring Southeast Asia countries. Many of their current teachers have little education, never having attended more than primary school. Some estimates suggest that over one quarter of the current population is still suffering from PTSD and that domestic violence is actually rising rather than declining.<br />
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Yet, there are heroes. There is light even in this dark place where people suffered so much in the past decades. We met one of the boy soldiers of the Khmer Rouge, Aki Ra, at his land mine museum and <br />
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orphanage. As a child soldier, he laid thousands of land mines. He has now created an organization to defuse and remove the mines, an educational museum for world travelers, and an orphanage to take care of children affected by land mines. We also met people working for The Wildlife Alliance, an organization helping to provide for animal victims of land mines, such as the fortunate elephant we witnessed with its own prosthetic. This organization is also dedicated to strengthening policy measures preventing the habitat deforestation, a practice that reached its heyday with Pol Pot's leaders as they sold timber to Thailand and elsewhere and still continues today. The organization also has an anti-poaching militarized arm to stop the trade of endangered wildlife and pet species. Many of our heroes are less obvious on the world stage. Despite being in a country better known for corruption and bribes, we have experienced kind, caring individuals who have helped us, rather than cheated us, even when such would be easy. We meet young people taking college classes. And everywhere, NGO's are at work, trying to provide infrastructure that has yet to emerge from the government. <br />
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Not all of our lessons are gentle as we travel the world. Sometimes, we venture to places that frighten us, disturb us, and make us want to turn away. Yet these are also places that most need global citizens to better understand them and, where appropriate, to give with grace.<br />
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<i>Posted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Images are of us listening to the horrors of the killing fields; a pile of used prosthetics at the orphanage; the tree used to kill infants near the mass graves of mothers; Aki Ra and his collection of defused land mines and other armaments.</i> <br />
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Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-4610398617706755322014-04-27T06:36:00.001-07:002014-04-27T06:36:14.908-07:00Shangra-Li<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgf4oXPhrCx_rAlQfVrhn-sRaApPPvLOQnj6_oXKtr-Abf5n01ww1KynVjMlAIddx-pfPKybqztFLt37UVPc7rX41jXFRZamY5N1MANR2fjSAdkSohLcoTyi-ySIW-kzcw27Lp_TxkA8/s1600/image(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgf4oXPhrCx_rAlQfVrhn-sRaApPPvLOQnj6_oXKtr-Abf5n01ww1KynVjMlAIddx-pfPKybqztFLt37UVPc7rX41jXFRZamY5N1MANR2fjSAdkSohLcoTyi-ySIW-kzcw27Lp_TxkA8/s1600/image(2).jpeg" height="145" width="320" /></a>When Sally was a child, she watched a black and white movie, "Lost Horizons," starring Jane Wyatt. Back then, there was no color TV and no amazing special effects, so the movies had to be especially well done to capture the imagination. This was the first time she heard of "Shangri-La," the mythical city high in the snowy, remote Himalayas. She was hooked. As she grew older, she continued to explore this mystical land by reading books about the Dalai Lama and his palace, the Potala, in the secluded city of Lhasa high in these mysterious mountains of Tibet. She dreamed of some day visiting this place that seemed so far away and so out of reach. We had always known Nepal was on our travel list but Tibet seemed beyond our reach, like the mythical city of "Shangri-La." We had heard that visas were challenging to get and were unsurprised that the borders were closed to Tibet when we arrived in Nepal. We applied anyway, and found out just 12 hours before we were to depart for Tibet that our visa was approved.<br />
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We traveled overland with a Tibetan guide and driver who met us at the border. Our route took us along the "Friendship Highway," one of the most fascinating and scenic highways in the world. We traversed several high mountain passes (several over 17,000 feet), viewed spectacular glaciers and stupendous mountain ranges (in addition to the Himalayas along the Nepal/Tibet border) and spent hours driving across the Tibetan Plateau's windswept, barren, and achingly remote landscapes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxPYI2dD993YJRgwHQdW2EYoDd2u1Q3A2cX1sD0TjAKLGcOoIOys-lDNnrJ88WxBJ59wOuhPrP2GMdtQ-TUp8Y9ynysOgTTTzo-qHz-9YW4e4zZSSW573xgHpRiJdoDeGxVjcdOiuRG8/s1600/image(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxPYI2dD993YJRgwHQdW2EYoDd2u1Q3A2cX1sD0TjAKLGcOoIOys-lDNnrJ88WxBJ59wOuhPrP2GMdtQ-TUp8Y9ynysOgTTTzo-qHz-9YW4e4zZSSW573xgHpRiJdoDeGxVjcdOiuRG8/s1600/image(1).jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Surprisingly, in this desolate, bitterly cold, gorgeous landscape, there were small communities of native Tibetans scattered throughout, usually working what appeared to be barren fields. Families worked together to plant barley seed with yaks or ponies yoked to a hand plow. The dirt had to be mixed with a large amount of topsoil transported from lower elevations hundreds of miles away to make a viable planting environment before the plowing could be done. It was very labor intensive, and the cold temperatures and constant, stiff, chilly wind made it seem like an unlikely endeavor. Perhaps it was the blessings given on the first day of each planting season that made the villagers' hard won fight with the earth fruitful. We were invited to eat treats and briefly participate in one such blessing ceremony when we stopped to watch from the road. <br />
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Everywhere we drove, there were prayer flags strung across the highest points along the road. Their colorful ripples in the ever present wind became our constant companion, and we were also encouraged to help string new ones on auspicious days or at special sites. Tibetans believe that these offerings in holy places of power are especially strong prayers which will eventually be carried away by wind and/or water to all sentient beings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmPzb-7K_PQLFPGj0_ISYCqsBmngf-ZKe0jv138Hzi_4Gq-_TPbiPMr8tuwQjnay7vek5OgYP7hKcBrSXNF4LgPER_o74uSD0ExIq9w_8aOe6DsNi_kqxhsOYcWxHzgmYM4YyEAwumt0/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmPzb-7K_PQLFPGj0_ISYCqsBmngf-ZKe0jv138Hzi_4Gq-_TPbiPMr8tuwQjnay7vek5OgYP7hKcBrSXNF4LgPER_o74uSD0ExIq9w_8aOe6DsNi_kqxhsOYcWxHzgmYM4YyEAwumt0/s1600/image.jpeg" height="243" width="320" /></a>We moved "off the beaten path" in our two-wheel drive van on a four-wheel drive road to the Everest Base Camp to get a spectacular view of the Queen Mountain. She is especially magnificent at close range. During the backcountry drive, we encountered small bands of Tibetan nomads. We marveled at the thought of living in these altitudes in their tiny canvas tents placed temporarily next to rock walls about three feet high as we watched the scattered groups moving their yaks to "greener" pastures. The cold temperatures, barren landscape, and the constant, frigid, stiff wind gave us the impression that this was an impossibly difficult life. Yet, these nomadic people were warm and welcoming, sticking out their tongues at us, their way of happily greeting strangers. <br />
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After a week of traveling, drinking gallons of smoky, yak dung flavored boiled water, and staying in some of the most "basic" lodging we have encountered in two years, we finally reached the completely modern, Chinese city of Lhasa which little resembled the Shangri-La of Sally's memories and dreams. While Lhasa was unremarkable as a whole, it had incredibly special places and people which would have fit right into the imaginary city of Shangri-La. <br />
For example, the Potala, home of the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama prior to his exile in 1959, was much more than we had ever imagined. An incredible architectural achievement when it was completed in 1694, this structure is almost as impressive today as it must have been back then. It is enormous, towering above the city at an altitude of 12,139 feet, and the three hour walking tour we took along side pilgrims and tourists allowed us to access only about 2% of the entire structure! We both felt saddened following our tour. The palace is gorgeous but it is an empty and lifeless husk without the presence of its religious leaders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Mhy01oaZbAQRVH-xY6IwG3jrnejnXvNii9Ea7NcaQHY4OWhehnZbgbor4DJDADPDNnSQIcQwRrevyhltf4UmpkGnTvvNA3zXrGJls4-WFtRh0WUnfKU0gNwmwANvI3mE9tDZ2K-dCDE/s1600/image(3).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Mhy01oaZbAQRVH-xY6IwG3jrnejnXvNii9Ea7NcaQHY4OWhehnZbgbor4DJDADPDNnSQIcQwRrevyhltf4UmpkGnTvvNA3zXrGJls4-WFtRh0WUnfKU0gNwmwANvI3mE9tDZ2K-dCDE/s1600/image(3).jpeg" height="235" width="320" /></a>In contrast, the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, constructed in 642, was alive with devout pilgrims, heavily visited by locals and a warm, special place. It is the most sacred and important temple in Tibet. We observed Tibetans here, and at the Potala, walking circuits around the structures once, three times, or 103 times. Most carried necklaces of prayer beads, counting each bead as they chanted a mantra. The hum of soft voices chanting as we joined pilgrims on their dawn circuits will be a powerful memory played in our minds across our lifetimes. Three times we would walk, sometimes in astonishment at what we witnessed from these deeply devout Buddhists. Many of them carried prayer wheels, twirling them constantly as they walked, softly mouthing their prayers. Others were prostrating themselves (from a standing posture, bending their knees and placing their hands on the ground, kicking their legs out behind them so they are lying on the ground, then sliding their hands on the ground to a position above their heads, coming back up to a kneeling position, and then standing with clasped hands held high in prayer). Many do this every day for months until they have done it 10,000 times. We even met a group of Tibetans who had traveled, prostrating themselves for hundreds of miles, as they covered the distance from their home village to Lhasa! We cannot imagine what strength of body and will it takes to accomplish such a feat in this high, cold environment. If we had to describe the Tibetan people with one word, we would say they are devout, much more so than any culture with which we have interacted during our journeys. Despite decades of oppression, torture, and systemic attempts to eliminate their spirituality, they remain strong in their faith. In them, we saw an almost mythical people, the people of Sally's childhood dreams.<br />
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<i>Posted in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Images are of the Potala Palace, the north face of Mount Everest, nomads near Mt Everest and Buddhist pilgrims at the Jokhang Temple prostrating themselves 10,000 times.</i>Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-70072687004564632042014-04-23T23:12:00.002-07:002014-04-23T23:12:48.606-07:00Censored!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The smiling young Chinese border guard asked us "Do you have any books?" We paused, as the enormity of the question drove home what we were about to experience for 10 days. We have crossed many borders during the past two years. In some, guards are searching for drugs and, as in Bolivia, the body searches can be very complete. In others, such as Australia, guards are seeking to prevent introduced species from wrecking fragile ecosystems. Almost all are seeking to exclude dangerous weapons such as explosives or firearms. As we stared at the young uniformed man before us, we realized with dawning sadness that books, ideas, and access to global social networks are the most dangerous imports into Tibet.<br />
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Tibet, or the rooftop of the world, has an interesting history including periods of jostling for independence from Monguls, Chinese, Thais, Nepalese and the British. While it has experienced war, during the last two to three hundred years, it's people were better known for their study of philosophy, meditation, sentience, and the nature of existence. Prior to 1950, Tibet was an autonomous nation with a rich Buddhist culture where most families had at least one son or daughter who were dedicated monks or nuns. Thousands of monasteries existed; even small villages of a few houses far away on the vast Tibetan Plateau had their own small monasteries or nunneries decorated with prayer flags, food offerings, and incense. Tibet had a history of isolation which led to a very strong and unique cultural identity which was only gradually allowing change in the middle part of the 20th century. All that changed when 40,000 armed Chinese invaded in 1950. By 1959, the embodiment of their God of Compassion, the 14th Dalai Lama, had to flee to India, in all probability never to <br />
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return again. Even possessing an image of him is illegal in Tibet. Most of Tibet's senior religious leaders are exiles. Tibet was particularly impacted by Mao's cultural revolution and for a decade beginning in 1966, almost every one of the tens of thousands of monasteries were destroyed, monks and nuns were killed, imprisoned, or forced to marry, and people were forbidden to practice their faith. In the decades that followed, there has been a slow return to allowing some freedom of religious expression; however, Tibet is now occupied by hundreds of thousands Han Chinese immigrants who have been encouraged with significant salaries, interest free business loans, and prominent positions to help modernize the "backward" Chinese province. Meanwhile, most Tibetans continue to experience many barriers to economic, political, and cultural power. The Tibetan quarter of the almost mythical city of Lhasa currently occupies less than 5% of the capital. Lhasa is a modern Chinese city with scattered hints of its past cultural prominence.<br />
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We were surprised at the level of constraint and monitoring we observed. In a trip of over a thousand miles, we rarely traveled for an hour without multiple stops by Chinese police and military who examined our visa, passports, and our guide's and driver's identification papers. Getting permission to visit Tibet can be challenging with the country's borders frequently being closed to all foreigners. When open, the rules change each year about which country is allowed visas, what group compositions can be allowed, which areas may be visited. We asked one day to deviate from our approved path by 1.6 miles and were told how we could <br />
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not as the police would stop us. Passports are required to access the web from internet cafés or to check into hotels or visit tourist sites such as the Mt. Everest base camp. Getting on the Internet, where email and other communication is monitored, was not very productive. All social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Words with Friends, YouTube, etc. are blocked. Chillingly, so are education sites with web addresses ending in .edu. Uploading photos, documents, or credit card payments are all blocked as are downloading items. No Amazon Kindle books here! Cameras were everywhere, as were the riot police, police guards, metal detectors, and plain clothes agents. Taking photos of the police, soldiers or guards is a serious offense in Tibet and could lead to a visitor's expulsion from the country. The result is very disturbing for people raised in a free society. We found mainland China to appear to be a freer society. The decades of oppression are obvious as current Tibetan culture is a fragment of its former glory. Our guide's language was peppered each day with the phrase "That is impossible" and we were to come to realize how limited his possibilities were. While we faced censorship, he faced a lifetime of constraints. However, he thought of himself as lucky, knowing his parents had faced much more.<br />
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In the end, despite more than 6 decades of Chinese occupation, we met some of the most passionate pilgrims, free nomads, and kind souls we have encountered on the planet. Our next blog entry will describe the wonders that remain embedded within the people and place known as Tibet. <br />
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<i>Posted from Siem Reap, Cambodia. Images are of a Tibetan pilgrim completing a circuit in Lhasa; monks from the Sera Monastery who are currently allowed to practice their Buddhist religion; and of the ever present Chinese riot police marching below the silent and empty Potala, home of the exiled Dalai Lama.</i>Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-68810099804706629962014-03-31T04:38:00.004-07:002014-03-31T04:48:10.695-07:00Little Steps "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ~Lao-tzu<br />
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How do you reach an altitude greater than 3,000 feet above the highest Rocky Mountain peaks? Little steps. Each day, you make small leaps in elevation going 1,000 to 3,000 feet higher. Each physical step you take is spaced carefully apart, slowly, regularly, conserving energy as the oxygen diminishes from the air you breathe to less than half of what you are used to. Up and down valleys you travel with these small steps. At first, you are in the crush of those heading toward the Everest Base Camp, but after three days, you turn aside toward Gokyo on the road less travelled.<br />
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And as you trek, you walk carefully on cliff edges alongside soaring raptors and wander in the shadows of geological giants, following in the footprints of snow leopards. The omnipresent sound of bells give warning of approaching yak trains all day. Yak dung coats your pathway and feeds the fires each night in tea houses providing you some measure of warmth. Its smell is always present, sweeter than your own body odor after days without water for bathing and showering.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUr4iPHDSqGtSyr-_XDfqRMQZQgtT562M5ruW5smbU-mm6IWurcZX_SmxUTGRjSI55ZAwlnUtvXG36DBi6YP3UO4KYrvopb6u4aWaRERvArml1Hgg8hkVGLJBxtUXIqjhTXMwX9jQTLE/s1600/yak.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUr4iPHDSqGtSyr-_XDfqRMQZQgtT562M5ruW5smbU-mm6IWurcZX_SmxUTGRjSI55ZAwlnUtvXG36DBi6YP3UO4KYrvopb6u4aWaRERvArml1Hgg8hkVGLJBxtUXIqjhTXMwX9jQTLE/s1600/yak.JPG" /></a>Each night you sleep under heavy blankets in rooms with temperatures indistinguishable from the outside frigid air. You place batteries, devices and water in your bed with you so that some remains unfrozen for the next morning's hike. You carefully maneuver through the black ice surrounding the squat toilet as you void the gallon of water you have consumed to prevent altitude sickness. Your room is lit by a dim solar light which fades as the battery charge diminishes long after you have fallen into a deep sleep. Each morning's bitter coldness is staved off by hot tea and trekking. You breathe through your nose and neck gaiter carefully conserving your warm moist air as you take each step. You nod in greeting to those locals struggling under loads larger than you have ever carried in your life as they move from one small habitation to the next, bringing goods and trekker supplies along the way. Their steps are large as they carry loads of over 100 pounds to places several days' walk from the nearest road or airport, accessible only by foot or by the all too frequent rescue helicopters.<br />
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While the way is challenging, the rewards are momentous. Landscapes of Mother Earth's greatest peaks surround you, engulfing your mind, commanding your eyes, and filling your soul. Your mind, stretched by the surreal vistas before you, can never return to the same state. You are forever changed by what you see and what you attempt to comprehend. Each little step has added up to the journey of a lifetime and takes one to heights never imagined before. As you stand at the summit of your journey, you see that it has been each little step of life that has led you to these persons, this place, this time, this peace.<br />
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<i>Posted in Namche Bazaar, Nepal. Images are of our ascent to 17,575 feet in view of Mt Everest; a typical black ice toilet experience; one of many yak dung fires to keep us warm; and one of many views along the trek.</i><br />
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<br />Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15571294800342312.post-69893163643934865092014-03-16T19:37:00.002-07:002014-03-16T19:37:31.181-07:00Hurts so good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our legs shook and buckled as we headed down a short flight of stairs in Pokhara, Nepal, after our first "real" trek. We have had the opportunity to participate in commercial treks in many of the places we have traveled. There were the Great Walks in New Zealand, the W Trek in Torres del Pine, and the Inca Trail in Peru. For various reasons, we either could not or chose not to walk with companies and guides in these situations. Sometimes price or timing was a barrier; other times, one of us was sick with food poisoning or some other foreign (or not so foreign) ailment. In Nepal, however, we opted to "go for the gusto" and booked with a local Nepalese company to take us trekking.<br />
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Trekking, as we understand and define it, is walking significant distances over several days. There is an <br />
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element of weight to carry on one's own back that can make or break the entire experience. As we approached the Himalayas, we were hopeful we were up to the distance and time requirements of our first five day trek, but we knew for certain we could not carry all of the gear we would would need for temperatures varying from quite warm to below freezing. We have both injured our backs in the past and are limited to 20 pounds of weight at a time. A commercially supported trek solved this dilemma for us. While we each carried from 8 - 10 pounds of gear, our porter carried the rest (40 - 50 pounds total) for us. This included his gear, our sleeping bags and down jackets, an extra change of clothing for each of us, our "pharmacy" and snacks, and toiletries for each of us. We loved our time with our porter and our guide as we listened to Nepalese songs, learned phrases in the language, and exchanged cultural tidbits and teasing. Their presence brought us so much more than logistical support.<br />
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As we trekked, we stopped nightly at simple tea houses along the route. Some were more comfortable than others, but all were basic, even by our evolving standards. Rooms were sparse with the beds consisting of a thin piece of foam on a board. Some had no electricity at all, not even a simple light. None had heat. Bedding and a pillow were always supplied, often including a thick top cover to keep out the cold at night, but in colder regions such might be washed only once a season, not day. We knew we were living the high life when bathrooms were on the same floor and contained western toilets. Such was a rarity with squat toilets often being a hallway and floor away. None had toilet paper and few had nearby sinks. A couple of places had showers if you were hardy enough to take one. The food was plain without much spice, but it was nourishing, especially the dal baht, a Nepalese dish consisting of lentil soup, rice, and cooked greens. Drinking water was always available, sometimes boiled, sometimes bottled, and sometimes both! <br />
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The first trekking we chose to do in Nepal consisted of walking up, up, up starting from about 7,000 feet to around 11,000 feet. Sometimes (rarely) there was some relief to the upward slog, and always, what goes up<br />
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must come down. During our initial 5 day trek, we spent the first 3 hours hiking moderate hills feeling pretty good about ourselves and our abilities! Then we hit the final 3 hiking hours that first day and faced 3,200 stone steps which wound straight up the mountain. Our days became blurs of steps, either up (which became preferred) or down (which was frequently icy and torturous), often for hours. The steps here are like those all over the world ---- not created for trekkers; rather, historic trade routes in tough terrain connecting rural, mountain communities. We were humbled as local people, hustled by us with loads twice as heavy as our porter's or with the intention of walking in hours distances we would need days to achieve. One reason we loved our trek was the glimpse of remote village life it gave us. A shy smile, a murmured "Namaste" were gifts given to us as we watched water buffalo and loose lines of mules being driven by us, loaded with goods such as chickens, propane canisters, and building materials.<br />
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When we returned from the trek, it took our legs about 3 days and a good Swedish massage to fully recover. "Hurts so good" was what we said to each other as we tripped and stumbled our way up and down steps around the town of Pokhara. Our next trek will test our muscle strength and endurance again and especially our ability to withstand the effects of altitude, as we will attempt to climb to about 18,000 feet. But the rewards include the chance to stare at the "rooftop" of Mother Earth... Everest.<br />
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<i>Posted in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Images include us taking a break with our guide, a line of pack mules, Sally in our first tea house room, and the view from one of our tea houses near Gorka, Nepal.</i><br />
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Jess and Sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12981491150822319954noreply@blogger.com1