Climb for Hospice

So the other day I was walking my dogs around town, and decided to take a new route of sorts. I cut through Memorial Park and I saw a poster advertising a slideshow and talk by El Camino Voluntours owner/operator Chris Bruckshaw. Now, I had seen an article in The Delta Optimist about Chris, and was intrigued by what he was doing.

So, I went to the slideshow presentation.

El Camino is pretty damn cool, if you ask me. A socially aware, big-hearted, culturally significant organization that works at creating vacations with impact. I was very impressed! As soon as Chris started talking about who El Camino is and what they do, I knew that I would be booking a trip with them next year. No doubt in my mind that this is what I want to do.

Basically it’s this: you go with El Camino to Mexico, Nicaragua, or Guatemala and do volunteer work there either building a home for a family, creating water catchment systems, helping build a radio station, or taking part in wildlife conservation. 60% of your trip is volunteer – hard work that makes a huge difference. The other 40% is fun – Chris has set up some great excursions to help you relax and be a total goofball after your volunteering. This is obviously a well-thought-out, creative and thorough organization who have done their research.

I have been looking for something like this for a long time, but haven’t ever found an organization that wasn’t religion-based, or expecting me to pay $3000 for the chance to volunteer… or both.

So… I have asked Chris to come and set up a booth at the Kili Gala and chat with people who may have the same thoughts as I do: I want to go and volunteer in another country, but I’m not a doctor, or a nurse (like the AWESOME Haiti-visiting Melissa Glen!), or have a bazgillion dollars to spend. I know there are people out there like this. I’m right, aren’t I?

How cool it’s going to be to combine travel with a social conscience. I can’t wait for next year!

But first, I’ve got a mountain to climb…

As I prepare for the upcoming Kili Gala this Saturday, I am reading up on all things East Africa so as to awe all my guests with my superior knowledge. In fact, with all the incredible amount of important information stored in my brains at this time, I fully expect a phone call from the U.N. at any moment.

*waits*

*taps foot*

…they must be busy or something.I’m sure they’ll get around to it.

So, what fascinating, scintillating, impressive, important information have I gleaned from my wander through cyber-space and beyond? Well, how about…

Hippos lick crocodiles.

Lions remember. (scroll down for the greatest video EVAR.)

I totally want a baby giraffe.

Elephants sneeze… then freak out.

Warthogs like rhinos.

Cheetahs have no class. (warning: funny but semi-gross)

I have also learned something very, VERY important: for the love of all that is holy, I am hoping that while on my safari, all the animals are either sleeping or playing, because if I see an animal chase down and disembowel another animal, I will completely lose my mind.

*shudder*

Ok, ok, ok. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again: BETTER STILL DAY SPA KICKS BUTT!!

Yesterday, spa owner/operator Laura Gardiner presented me with a cheque to the Delta Hospice Society for $423.40 – her entire collection of tips for the month of May. Isn’t that just so phenomenally fantastic? I am still humbled by the generosity of this community, and this is yet one more reason why. A home-business making a start, and being thoughtful enough to make a donation like this. You know what? Better Still Day Spa deserves the attention, don’t you think?!

SO… if you’ve got it in your head that you need to treat yourself (or someone else!), than take it from the heart and call Laura at Better Still. You’ll be so happy that you did.

In other news…

I attended a volunteer meeting at the Delta Hospice the other night, and was given a Residence Volunteer Handbook to look through. It outlines what you’d expect: dress, decorum, scheduling, and the like. But something caught my eye and almost made me snort out loud, disrupting the meeting…

The Delta Hospice site is a lovely, well-laid out facility with gorgeous gardens. And, as you may recall, they have bunnies. Lots and lots of bunnies. They didn’t mean to have bunnies, but the bunnies did the ol’ ‘Build it and They Will Come‘ thing, and as soon as all those tasty flowers, plants and grasses went into the ground on the site, the bunnies made the Hospice their Mecca. Hoards of bunnies flowed across the street from the Leisure Centre grounds, and fluffified en masse the Hospice gardens.

Bouncing, happy, fat bunnies flit through the gardens, their bellies laden with expensive greenery planted by soon-to-be frustrated landscapers. However, the general consensus at the Hospice is this: we’d rather have bunnies than flowers. And so, the bunnies get to stay.

And as cute and snuggly as these little soft bags of bunny goo are, they tend to leave a not-s0-fantastic trail of… ummm… well… poop.

SO! In the Residence Volunteer Handbook, one of the doodies duties for volunteers to undertake  is “Bunny Poop Patrol”.  That just made me laugh like a schoolgirl when I read it. Man, I am totally going to get a jacket made for that volunteer. Instead of  saying SWAT TEAM on the back, it’ll say BUNNY POOP PATROL. Maybe I’ll donate a broom, too! One that can fit into a holster of some sort! The volunteer can swagger around like a security guard, deftly sweeping unwelcome poops off the sidewalks, before spinning the broom and putting it back in the broom holster attached to their belt.

Awwwwwwwww, yeahhh…

Wheeeeeee!

Yesterday I was looking into obtaining travel Visas, given that I am traveling in two different African countries: Rwanda and Tanzania. I know that I need a Visa for Tanzania, but wasn’t sure if I needed one for when I land in Kigali, Rwanda. Wanted to make sure I had all that in place before my trip snuck up on me – it’s amazing how fast the time is whipping by!

So, I go onto the government Travel Information site, and pull up Rwanda’s info. This is what I see:

The level of Travel Warning in this report has not changed.  Sections 2 (grenade attacks in Kigali on May 15) has been updated. Exercise High Degree of Caution.

wut.

Travellers should be vigilant at all times. Although uncommon, attacks by rebel groups and incidents of violence occur from time to time. Grenade attacks have occurred in a number of areas in the country, including in the Southern Province and Kigali in 2009. A number of similar attacks have been occurring in Kigali since February 2010. The attacks usually occur at nightfall. A main central roundabout, a busy bus station and a restaurant at the center of Kigali were targeted in previous attacks, with the most recent one occuring on May 15, 2010. Casualties have been reported as a result of these attacks.

I send the info to Ali. She reads it and responds that upon speaking with a friend of hers in the area, she learns that there is actually an election taking place (only the 2nd election since the Genocide) in Rwanda on August 9th. That’s 5 days before I land in Kigali.

Now, I’m  not the most experienced nor the most confident traveler, and as you may recall, I tend to be a rather adept Disaster Magnet. I don’t think these are fantastic qualities to be in possession of when traveling to a place where there are grenade attacks happening at random.

I have a decision to make.

I go back to Marlin Travel, and ask to change my flight. I will not be going to Rwanda.

I must admit, I do feel like a bit of a wuss for this. Like I’m quitting, or giving up, or backing out… but I’m just not comfortable going to Rwanda. I haven’t ever been 100% sold on the idea, but I wanted to experience something totally out of my comfort zone. However, sitting in a Rwandan hospital with limbs missing is just a tad beyond my comfort zone, really, so hey… that’s that.

Sure. I know I have an over-active imagination. I fully realize that, and take total responsibility for my occasional freak-outs of gargantuan magnitude. And yes, maybe I’m totally blowing this whole “grenade attacks” thing out of proportion. But I’m willing to look foolish over this. I’d much rather be proven wrong than have my parents pick up a pine box at the airport back home.

So, I am now flying from Vancouver to Dar es Salaam. This will then give me the opportunity I have been looking for to spend some time exploring Zanzibar. Yes, I’ll miss seeing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda this time, and yes, I’ll miss out on doing so with Alison, whose dream is to see those mountain gorillas.

And yes, that does hurt my heart.

I feel like I’m making the right decision, but that doesn’t make it any less sad that I’ll miss out on witnessing  a good friend achieve her dream.

Guess I’ll just have to give her an extra hug when we’re standing on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Ladner May Days was in town this weekend, and although I missed out on it for the most part, my dogs Jenn and Luna seemed to really enjoy themselves with all the wonder that the Fair has to offer. This is my impression of what was going through my dogs’ brains as we walked through the park this morning…

Tree, tree, dirt – HOTDOG!? Score! Grass, grass, I know that dog, dirt, tree – NACHOS! With CHEESE! Dirt, dirt – MINI DONUT! Tree, grass – FRENCH FRIES! Dirt – HAMBURGER BUN?! This is AWESOME!

In an attempt to steer them away from all edible, rain-soaked and disgusting things, I walked them through town. Along the parade route…

Plant, flower, sidewalk, plant – CANDY!! Paper bag, plastic cup – CANDY!! Plant, plant – CANDY!! Dirt, weeds, plant – CANDY!!

Needless to say, our 40-minute walk took about 2 hours. In the rain.  Stupid greedy dogs.

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway… Ali and I went back to hike the Brother’s Creek trail yesterday, and we had a lovely time. That really is a great trail, but it’s a bit short. It’s supposed to take 4 hours, but it takes us about 2.5 hours. We have decided to do it twice next time around. Well, that’s what we’ve decided now… given that we’ve forgotten about:

And:

(yes, that’s water cascading down those steps)

However, it really is a beautiful and unique spot. Check out this weird pond we saw:

Cool, eh? Oh! And what about the big, honkin’ trees? Those are cool, too!

And then there are the weird, wonderful, wooly animals!

Ok, so it’s not the best photo, but still… it was a totally bizarre dog. Like a basset hound crossed with a yellow lab. Odd little bugger. Cute, but odd.

And of course, there is the view from between the trees…

It’s a great hike. Not too strenuous, and we did a whole lot better this time around than when we first attempted it. Oh, and no Nazi tree this time! It had been hacked up, splintered and rotted to within an inch of its life. Crazy what a difference 4 months can make in the forest.

And so, we finished our hike, and headed for home. We soon saw that the Lion’s Gate Bridge was at a crawl. We weren’t opposed to sitting in traffic, but as we discussed it, we realized that we shouldn’t sit in traffic because… ummm… all that idling would be bad for the environment. We needed to step up and do our part to keep the planet green! Proudly, we made the decision to turn off before the bridge and to do something for the good of mankind…

Muuuuuuuch better…

Happy beering hiking!

So, I was reading my Lonely Planet East Africa guide last night, and I came across something very… um… interesting:

“In an effort to preserve the natural beauty of Rwanda, the government enforces a strict ban on plastic bags throughout the country. Police are particularly vigilant at border crossings, and you will be searched, and possibly fined, if contraband is found…”

Now that would make for an awkward phone call home:

“Hey mom? Hey, yah it’s me. Oh great, great… really beautiful. Yeah… oh, yeah for sure. What’s that? No, I haven’t seen any rhinos yet. Of course I’ll take a picture for you! Mmmm, hmmm… oh really? That’s good. Say, funny thing… ummm, do you happen to know where the nearest Western Union is? Ok, good. I need you to go there as soon as possible. No, no everything is totally fine! Yah, ummm, could you please just run there and and wire some money to the Kigali Police Department. No, no! I’s all good. But, uh, really, the sooner the better for that wire transfer, mkay?  Yes, I’ll be at the Police Department waiting. In fact, I’m here now. I’m safe, though – the jail cells they have here are far more roomy than I was expecting…”

I think I’m going to go out and buy some water-proof stuff sacks today.

Only one week to go until the Kili Gala!

And then the real worrying begins…

I’ve been fretting and stressing about this Kili Gala since I first decided to actually throw it. I’m anxious, I’m nervous, my face has broken out, I’m jittery, on-edge, and concerned. As has been well documented here, I am NOT an event planner by any stretch of the imagination. It freaks me out! So, as I plan this mondo gala, I’m throwing all my fears and anxieties into it with full force.

How very, very convenient.

Anyone else out there know exactly what’s going to happen as soon as the Gala is over?

That’s right, I’ll be able to focus my energy on stressing about the actual climb. Until now, I’ve been able to hide behind the Kili Gala in order to avoid thinking about the actual climbing of Mt. Kilimanjaro. But once the music stops, the hall is cleaned up, and the happy raffle draw winners have danced home… well… it’s just me, the mountain and my brain.

It’s not going to be pretty.

SO! Until then, let me keep amusing you with tales of woe and strife surrounding this most epic of fundraising events – the Kili Gala. And since I haven’t revealed a raffle prize in a while, I think I’ll toss a whopper your way today…

Big Sky Golf and Country Club in Pemberton, BC has kindly, generously, fabulously donated a round of golf for two to the Kili Gala Raffle Draw. Let’s see, what does Golf Digest say about Big Sky… “4 1/2 stars!”  and… “One of the Top Ten courses in Canada!”. NICE! What about Fairways an Greens Magazine? …”Top 5 in the west (in North America)“. Not too shabby there, either! “BC Facility of the Year” says the BCPGA…

You getting the picture here? This course kicks serious butt. Wow. What a prize! I mean, it doesn’t get any better than th… what’s that? It DOES get better?!

That’s right, as a way to make this raffle draw prize stuffed incredibly full of awesome-o-rama chunks, The Pemberton Valley Lodge has stepped in and donated one free night’s stay at their beautiful resort to go along with the golf pass at Big Sky.

This raffle prize alone is worth approximately $400*, and you could have it for the price of admission and ONE raffle ticket: $22.  ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!? (of course, buying just ONE raffle ticket for this seems sort of silly, doesn’t it?)

Come on out to The Kili Gala and throw a handful of raffle tickets into the box for the Big Sky/Pemberton Lodge prize. Maybe it’s something you want to win for yourself, maybe it’s something you’d love to be able to give to a spouse/friend/parent/employee of the month… whatever! It’s all yours, baby!

Can’t wait to see you there!  xo

*Just a wee reminder (that I’m sure you wise, intelligent, common-sense-filled people know): NONE of the raffle draw prizes at the Kili Gala can be redeemed for cash, mkay?

I happened to walk past the used book store on the weekend, and I saw a book entitled ‘My Maasai Life’. I went home, looked the book up on-line, and saw that it was the story of a young woman who made the choice to live with a Maasai family in Kenya for a year. The reviews were good, the premise seemed really interesting, and it seemed to appeal to me very much. So, yesterday as I was walking by the same used book store I went in and bought the book.

I started reading it as soon as I got home. I read the intro, read the dedication, read the front and back covers inside and out, and then I began reading the book. Right from the start this young woman’s story called to me. There was just something about it that fit with me, something that made me feel like I could be her, and that I could have written that book. I was engrossed! So engrossed, in fact, that it wasn’t until page nine that I realized that the author’s name was Robin.

Instantly I saw how completely disconnected I truly am.

I need to wake up. If I’m going to experience life-changing moments, I need to be not just open to them, but I actually need to be aware of them.

Something else in this book shocked me back into reality, and made me feel truly embarrassed about myself at the same time. Robin was relating her first experiences with the street children in Nairobi, Kenya, and how she had never witnessed such poverty, such need, such desperation. These children had nothing. Truly had nothing; no home, no clothing, no food, no money, no family. The one thing they possessed was the survival instinct, and that often took the form of violence. These children had nothing.

And as horrified as I was reading her accounts, the one thing that struck me was this: those children, with nothing, in the middle of Nairobi, from wretchedly poor families, growing up in the slums before running to the street… those children spoke English.

They spoke English.

I was instantly ashamed of myself.

My first thought was that I was grateful that there was a good chance that I would meet some English-speaking people in Tanzania and Rwanda that could help me if I needed it. My second thought was that I was such a pretentious North American jackass, that I was happy to assume that people from another country would be proficient enough in English to assist me. For MY sake.

I’m going to THEIR country. My god, shouldn’t I at least learn the basics of their language? Yes. Yes, I should.

Today I am going to contact a woman who teaches Swahili. Not everyone in Tanzania and/or Rwanda speaks Swahili, but at least I’ll be able to get by somewhat, and I’ll feel more like a human being who has respect for other human beings. What right do I have to simply assume that others should speak MY language in THEIR country, simply for my comfort?

I have a lot to learn…

Last night as my dogs ran around like maniacs in the park, a group of us dog owners stood around chatting to pass the time until our dogs eventually got tired and fell over. The subject of my climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro came up, and I got the requisite, “why?!” question. I explained why, and someone else responded with, “why?!” Someone then said that climbing Kili was on my “Bucket List“.

I do have a ‘Life List’, and I can guarantee you that climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is definitely NOT on it. I wrote the list in 2002, and I may not know exactly what’s on it anymore, but I am sure that the word ‘Kilimanjaro’ does not appear anywhere. Actually… what *is* on it now? Let’s find out!  Hmmm… well, it’s about 4 pages long (it’s point form!), so I’ll pare it down a bit.

Wow – I haven’t looked at this for a very long time. There’s a lot of traveling I want to do, apparently! This is really interesting for me because I wrote this list truly thinking that I’d never achieve the things I put on it. They were all just far off dreams. But I can actually say that I’m able to tick some items off this list! I’m going to highlight the things that I’ve actually already done.

Walk a Red Carpet, Own one pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes, Go to LA, Learn to Salsa, Speak fluent Spanish, Conquer Fisher Peak, Own my own home, Own my own car, Make love on every continent (with the same partner!)…

Travel to South America, Smoke a cigar and play poker, Take a tropical vacation, Try snorkeling, Own a set of good knives, Pay off all of my loans, Take Yoga classes on a regular basis, Sleep in a beach hut, Take a vacation touring wineries, Bungee jump, Buy myself one really beautiful piece of jewelry…

Spend one night at The Banff Springs Hotel, Visit Haida Gwaii, Walk Rodeo Drive, Visit The Florida Everglades, Act on-stage again, Go to Disneyland!, Write a novel/collection of short stories/poetry, Experience Romance everyday, Buy a house with a yard, Stay at the W Hotel in the Maldives, Go to Australia…

Go on a Safari, Stay at the Chateau Marmont, Own a BMW, Go to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Spend time on a Wolf reserve, Make donations to charity every year, Kayak in Ladner, Spend a weekend in Las Vegas, Take the train across Canada, Learn to snowboard, Go to India, Be someone’s muse, Steal someone’s heart, Be kissed every night, Fall in love.

Well. There we go. I think I’ve done pretty well so far! And hey, I’ve got a whole life before me yet.

Hmmmm, I wonder what’s on your “Bucket List”?

I was asked an interesting question last week about my trip. A lot of people ask how I’m preparing myself to go to Tanzania, physically, mentally, emotionally… but no one has ever asked how I’m preparing myself for coming home.

I have no idea. I’ve never thought about it. But now I can’t stop thinking about it.

How can you prepare to recover from what you have no idea that you’re going to experience? To say that I’m going to experience Culture Shock in Africa is a wildly fantastic understatement.  I’m already apprehensive, and I haven’t even started packing yet! I’m apprehensive, nervous, scared, bewildered, unprepared, ignorant, and terribly frightened of getting off that plane in Kigali.

I won’t be ready.

I’m also excited, hopeful, mesmerized, awed, moved, awakened, and terribly aware of getting off that plane in Vancouver. It’s going to come so fast, I just know it. I’ll be back on home soil before I get a chance to remember the taste of African soil. I have to return to my own country, and my own culture – one in which I, at times, disdain. The consumerism, the pessimism, the ignorance… it’s all too much sometimes. And after scaling the world’s tallest, free-standing equatorial mountain, and staring at the curvature of the earth at sunrise… I have to come back to stop lights, grocery stores, flush toilets and line ups.

I won’t be ready.

My friend Matt takes great pleasure in trying to freak me out. Case in point:

I recently posted a wee blog about swimming and math (now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say), wherein I attempt to calculate how long I would need to swim in order to replicate the physical exertion I will be expending as I climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Matt responds thus: