South Africa - Botswana - Namibia - Zambia

I should really space these places out but my photos are not all coming up on the screen so I can only choose some of them to publish. This means I need to be jumping all over the place. So hope it makes some sense, the thing is....its all good!

Well, I have now caught up on a few things and I will be putting more photos on here but for the moment I thought I would give you a bit of an insight in to what my 'Humanitarian Tour' has consisted of. It has started off with a group of 9 people coming together with 'team leaders' in 'Dan' and 'Paula' who should really have their own reality tv show they are just too funny together. Dan was born in Zambia and has been through loads in his life, 'Paula' is from California and was a bit of a hippy chick of the 70's and she and Dan are constantly at each other for something, Paula is always annoyed at him and everything in her vocabulary has a swear word as pronoun or verb! But they are besotted, just a really entertaining couple of people. In the group there is the oldest...ie me! The rest of the group consists of Matt who is an electrician from England and is pretty quiet most of the time in the group as we are mostly girls he does not get a word in edge wise! Then there is my 'tent-mate' Susan from Canada who is the Canadian sarcastic equivalent to me! We have Sibohan or 'Chevron' as we call her from the South as well (Southport) - she is crazy and has a comment for everything. Paula and Sarah are travelling together from Canada, Paula loves to pose and take pics when she 'thinks' the subjects of her photos are not looking! Sarah is a little quieter and has a calming influence on the people around her. Helen and Jessica are a couple of 19 year olds travelling together from meeting on a previous project (both from England), Helen is a pre med student and loves drinking games and watching 'hernia' operations. Jess is a slim girl with a very large appetite, always first in line for food and eats off everyone else's plate, she is also very sweet. Then there is Tim or Timmeeeeeeeeeeee as he is known to the group, he is the baby of the group from Scotland, he always has the same expression unless he is really hyper about something..like sitting on top of the land rover or swinging over a gorge, usual stuff really!

We have the opportunity to be sleeping in tents for this month we are spending together, and most of the time we have been eating outside when Paula tells us our food is ready. We have ate mainly the 'usual' kinds of food with a few African dishes thrown in for good measure, and I must say it has all been pretty fantastic. And so again from losing some weight...her it is piling on again! We have stayed first of all in a camp site near Kruger Park in Phalabora in South Africa, on the river there we got to see some 'game' - elephant, giraffe, crocadile and hippos mainly oh yeah and Buffalo. We were also 'told' that during the night at our camp site hyeena, buffalo and hippos wander about. I did not get out of my tent to see that! Another Camp site we went to in Botswana was called 'Elephant Sands' and we did have the opportunity of seeing an elephant drink by the watering hole near the camp which was awesome but I would have loved to see it during the day! We went on a 'game drive' there and were promised we would see 'loads'...we saw nothing...our guide even started talking about ants and how big their brains were at one point as they can organise armys - and? They told us it never happens that you don't see anything and so they have promised us that on the way back to South Africa we can go to another game drive with them for nothing! And we BETTER see something! Dan is getting a bit worried as all other groups have seen lots of 'game' by this time, we have saw hardly anything. Although the group was on a boooze cruise the other night in Livingston in Zambia and they saw a little family of elephants - why am I not a drinker???

Ok I don't want to go on all day so I will tell you what we have been doing in 'Mwandi' a small village in Zambia where some church's have set up a hospital and some schools for the local people as well as an orphanage/school. We worked there for just over a week teaching in the school for the young teens, the children in 'Stella's school' - Chief's grandaughter went there! Also went to a place called the 'OVC' - Orphans and Vulnerable children who teach as well as provide food and support for the kids, some of them get support to go to high school as well which costs them a lot of money. There was also work in the hospital and Jess and Helen were helping at one of the 'births'. Apart from that we worked at out patients weighing people and taking temperatures and helped paint one of the missionary buildings - Kudu house, which is now used like a guest house and generates some money for the mission. It is actually a Scottish couple who do a lot of the work there, Ida works in the hospital and Keith in the school, they are protestants and work really really hard to get things done there. Always trying to raise funds and appealing to their sister organisations in other parts of the world to help them. I really admire them for their work.

And so it was a great experience working in Mwandi and meeting so many lovely people there including Mwaka and her little girl Ruth who gave us a gift of a pumpkin. She was so sweet. We also went to a funeral of the 'chief's' daughter, who was said to have committed suicide by throwing herself over a bridge and then we found out the next day that she was in fact...alive. A very intesting experience, never been to the funeral of a live person before!

And now the group are in Livingston and doing all sorts of crazy stuff. Matt and Helen have done the Bunjii jump, I was petrified for them, they did it on 'no mans land' between Zambia and Zimbabwe off the bridge. Matt and Siobhan went on a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, we also went a walk around there and got soaked. Most of the group went on a day out yesterday to a place they have abseiling, zip wire and gorge swing. I did all of it and was totally scared by the gorge swing. You free fall for a good 4 seconds and oh my goodness I actually stopped breathing at one point I was so petrified. But I did it another 2 times, one on a tandem with Matt and then a last time down myself with my eyes open!!! It has been fun but I have to watch my money and no more activities like that for me! The rest of the group went on an elephant back ride this morning, they were particularly motivated by the full english breakfast on offer! And we have got some 'team t-shirts' coming in today we have designed, we already gave the cash and so we hope the shirts will be forthcoming! Now I am off to the market to do a bit of 'trading' see what I can get for some of my stuff! Now I am so annoyed that I gave away so many of my clothes and shoes to people I could have had so many souvenirs....yeah it was a joke! In fact it was funny yesterday Paula traded her brothers sun glasses for a salad bowl and her socks for a necklace...and yes she was wearing the socks. I love this group they make me laugh, but I think I need a rest now!

Hope you are all good. Take care and all the best...and start planning your travels!

Johannesburg pics

These pictures were taken from arriving in Johannesburg. This computer is taking ages so I won't be putting in my usual 'hunners' of pictures! The first one is a pic of the city of Johannesburg, the second a pic of the Apartheid Museum, then of Hector Peterson killed in June 1976 at 13 years old during a 'peaceful demonstration. Then a painted chimney in Soweto giving an artists rendition of the local culture in Soweto, a picture of one of the back streets in Soweto, of me by the sign and last of all of the ice berg I took a pic of on my way from Sydney to Joburg 33,000 feet up!

All the best. x

Nepal - the situation, from my friend and Guide Bishnu

I asked Bishnu if it would be ok to put his emails on here so you can learn for yourself a little bit of what is like for a person living in a situation like his at this moment. It is important that we are aware and that if we can, that we help each other. Would we not expect it from others if we were in the same situation?

Monday April 24th 2006
I m not sure from where to start, its been like hell, we used to heard cricis in other places like in Africa's country of cource I feel sad for them but now we are seeing it and suffering over it, ever we didn't had this kind of critical time in histry of Nepal.

I know curency is important and when you have loads its power too, so people start to fight, kill each other for to get it. With out realising what is the end?

Unpermonent happiness and love its like just flash of light, being as a human pure love has to come permomently from heart, in human being life,

untill lack of love and compassion to all sentient being then it keep happens like this In Nepal. As we all live on hope one day some thing put to nepalies brain which bring some thing good.


KTM whole country's major cities it is stincking rubber ashes in road, hospital are full of injured people. Dozen of human being have lost their's life. I don't know how much longer nepales people have to suffer with this.

Today it been curfew continouing, when is not and strikes Banda is still there. sortage of everything basic needed despite so many people are in road thousend of thousend. Yesterday we could see helicopter in sky guarding, in the same time firing to the people in land. It looks it wll goes like this for while.

Royal annoncement I m not sure it may be good to start into pave peace pace but seven allince parties and rest of are not agreed, they annonced contioues demo and strike untill they don't get to destination of their agenda adressing with maoist I think I also agree with it.

Today also its already curfew going on. As I couldn't get to touch with people trhough internet I got jump into cyber before curfew time started. I requested cyber owner him to stay for me, now we need to find our way to get home hiding behind security forces or we wait untill curfew finished.

Hey I m alright ok.

Only you have to do is Please keep do pray for us to get out from this hell situation.

Pece and love
Bishnu

Wednesday May 3rd 2006
Probably you know here it been calm down for the moment, I hope it will not happend again like before again to any body dosen't matter where ever in earth.

almost a month general strike and curfew. only could hear firing helicopter in sky, people shouting and black smoke burning rubber tires no shops nothing.
Still people are not completly free from fear but After second time King announced settle down but still many obstacle front of us, only the negotiation is the solustion So its undergoing I hope it will brings some way out.

New children home ( orphanage) I m still often visiting and I have been asking to people who are interesred to visit couple groups have donated quit lots of rice and cooking stove and the money you have given me I gave to Chairman to by fuel powder of wood which very usefull and economical.

today I lost my mobile phone, that I was going to one school to sort out ( New children Home's orphanage) education. I have mentioned I been side supporting this orphanage for more than three years for chilgren's Education, fooding stationary playing tools etc, At the moment this orphanage has 46 orphan chirdren. For these children before they had sponsor from one of NGO in Irland but now agreement finished between this NGO and new childrem home in Nepal.
Now children have not registered in school, chairman 've been asking me how we can sort out this problem. So I ask to one of my friend who own school if he can support for two month as a volunteer then in this period we might be able to do some thing as well as some one has given words to chairman after two month he will be able to sponsor to children. Todday we had meeting in my friend's school. Head teacher and school was positive we said we do again meeting tomorow. I hope they will consider for two month. I think I will insist for it to make them to say yes.

I might have one peak climbing group to Lang Tang which about 6000 meter. I hope it will happens.

after that i might go to orphanage for while as volunteer.

Details if you would like to send something to the orphanage or ask them what they might need.

Here is New children's home address.

GPO Box no 15142, KPC 1009

Kathmanudu

Nepal.

Email: nch_ktm@hotmail com.

I m not sure Bikram Chairman he often reach to email.

But you can send emails

Johannesburg - Give me hope Johanna...

Its been a bit of a journey so far! I went to pick up some of my things from Mnt Tabor Trust and dried off some of my just washed clothes as the drier in the yha was eating my money and offering damp clothes at every coin. And so when I was finished the best Mike at the Trust could offer me was a lift at 8.30pm which I took, it got me in at the airport about 9.30pm...my flight was at 6am! And so I decided to make some phone calls for a few hours to pass the time and I read to the end of the book I had picked up in another youth hostel and eventually at 4am bleary eyed I checked in, I believe I was the first person to check in....however...on getting on the plane at 6am I did not have a window seat! It says on my ticket that is my preference and I was the first to check in so I was not happy! How many times am I going to fly from Auckland...not many if any more and land in Sydney flying over the bridge and the opera house! And so in Sydney I waited a couple of hours for my flight then boarded feeling good that yes I was going to have a window seat. But, but but...I found a woman standing at the window and she asked me if it would be ok for her sister to get the seat as she has a 2 year old with her and she would like to have the family together. I was tired and just said...'I wanted a window seat' in a really pathetic sorry for myself tired half asleep kind of way, and then she said, well fine if thats how you feel but you have a 2 year old beside you, I eventually relented, not because he was 2 as I am find with that but because I didn't think I wanted to sit with her after putting me on the spot like that. And so I got to sit in the middle aisle no where near the window. Boy I felt sorry for myself! To make matters worse during the flight I heard someone say that we were flying over these great big beautiful icebergs...I turned round to see the woman and the 5 year old walking up and down the aisle while the 'sister' sat gazing out 'my window'. I don't bear a grudge! But anyway, I wasn't beaten I went to the back where there was a window by the 'toilet' and I looked out that and even got a couple of pictures. And....I sat beside a lovely family who I am actually meeting later on today! The mum is a social worker and she has invited me to see some of the work that goes on around the Johannesburg area especially to do with young mums who abandon their babies in parks and stuff because they are not able to look after or feed them. And so I suppose...it wasn't all bad, but I BETTER get a window seat on the way home and I don't care who asks me to swop...forget it!!! ha ha

Yeah Sylvia get to the point...ok JOHANNESBURG
I got here a few days ago and I was very apprehensive especially as my guide book was all doom and gloom and protect yourself and get a taxi from every A to every B and store money in a safe place and maybe carry a weapon and if you can learn some self defense! Well, I was not feeling too great about that sort of adjustment! But I got here a bit nervous, the family I mentioned asked if I was ok and I said I was as I was being picked up by the youth hostel and so they gave me a number to phone them soon and wished me well. I was asked by several black guys hanging about if I wanted a taxi, conversations struck up, trying to build my trust, 'hey sister', and my reply 'no brother, no taxi needed!'. After a while I eventually found the driver and off we went. The youth hostel is a bit basic and there is not even a lock on room doors but there are lockers and security boxes. But for the lack of security per room, outside it is like a Fort. As I have walked around I have found that most places have heavy investment in tall walls and loads of barbed wire its really scary looking! It seems to be quite an affluent area and you would think that every house harboured a super star!

I went on a trip the other day to 'Soweto' it was a really emotional experience for me after reading Nelson Mandella's 'Long Walk to Freedom' a few years ago (named my car after him!) I felt a real respect for the black people of South Africa and their stuggle from 'Apartheid'. What they went through I can never comprehend, my only thought is that things like that should never happen in this day and age. And when people are in a position of power they should never never never ever abuse that power. I cannot understand man's inhumanity to man, its deplorable. I have been around the Soweto Townships and also saw that man rich people live in Soweto, even millionaires, and so you have all sorts of housing from big rich mansions to shacks. Very strange. But it all came about because black people were not allowed to live around white people and so they had to congregate together rich and poor black and black! Apartheid is about the separation of colour, sometimes people would even be separated from their family if their brother or sister was of lighter skin colour. Coloureds with Coloureds, Asians with Asians, Chinese with Chinese, Black with Black and White with White. I have spoken to some white people and asked them how they could live knowing what was happening to these people, most answer that they did not know what was happening as their government covered it up. I went to the Apartheid museum and saw how you could not use a white persons water fountain, toilet, train/bus seat, etc...its just so wrong. Separation because the white people were scared the black people who were the majority would one day turn on them. My goodness, I respect the black people of this country who have suffered and now look to the future with hope and not to the past with anger...I think I would want revenge if I had to see my mother man handled because she didn't have the right pass to go to the shop or go to her work or that my sister could not go to school and get an education like another colour of people. So unfair, so upsetting. Thank goodness things are changing, if not slowly. I also went to the Hector Peterson Museum, a 13 year old boy who was killed in 16 June 1976 because he and a whole load of kids did not want to learn their subjects in Afrikaaner the language of their oppressors they wanted to continue to learn in English. It would be very difficult to learn Geography, History, music etc in 2 different languages at the same time plus the fact it was the language of the people they grew to hate. And so the kids of 6 - 18 got on the streets to demonstrate and the police opened fire. Hector was one of the first killed. I cried when I saw where he was shot and the pictures of the kids standing up for themselves, a peaceful demonstration met with the force of an abusive power in the police. So unfair. I so respect these people for how they have moved on, but understand they must harbour so much pain in their hearts. My guide was there when this happened to Hector, he grew up in Soweto and saw these atocities. How 10% of the people got 80% of the land and how the people were treated as second class citizens. And he was around when the police opened fire that day in 1976. Too much blood and tears.

Well I will put some photos on soon. Africa touches my heart very much. I have also heard from my friend Bishnu in Nepal and things seem to be a little better in his country. Why do these things have to happen, why do people have to treat other people as if they are not even human. Remember these people in your prayers and your thoughts...just don't forget.

Sylvia

ps Its now the 8th of May and I thought I would give a wee update. I am in a place called Phalaborwa which is where I will kick off my safari trip and mercy mission. We take food and aid to people in hospitals and schools from here to Namibia, Botswana and in to Zambia, travelling for about 25 days. I am really excited about it as already I camped last night with another girl Susan from Canada who is also a volunteer and we are picking up another 9 people tonight. Yesterday Susan and I got to our 'Base Camp' and we saw some hippos in the distance, to say we were nearly jumping up and down like it was Christmas morning would be an understatement. When we actually see anything close up I think we will probably faint we are so excited! And so, so far we have 'heard' buffalo in the bushes just next door to our tent, saw the hippos and you definitely hear them they are so loud, and also saw some aligators in the river beside us and we have heard by our team leaders Dan and Paula that the camp has also had a visit from elephants and hyeena and on occasion lions as we are right beside the Kruger National Park. Its all so kjduioheri exciting!

Anyway, if you don't hear from me for a while, I am in the jungle...lets hope I come out alive. I have signed the waiver to say if I am eaten or maimed by any of these things not to hold Paula or Dan responsible, I am loving it!

Oh yeah, forgot to say...the family I met on the plane they had me volunteer for the day in the 'Princess Alice' orphanage in Joburg that looks after 25 babies at a time and supports a few mothers who want to keep their babies as well as those who want to give their babies away. I worked from 7am to 4pm feeding babies and rocking them to sleep, they were sooooo gorgeous...I so wanted one!