Two Weeks Back In America...

I keep surfing the TV channels for something good to watch. So far nothing holds my interest for more than a couple minutes. Well, not exactly. I still like Colbert and John Stewart. But even my standby MSNBC and Keith Olbermann can't hold my attention.

And who is this Glenn Beck idiot? People believe in this clown? This guy spells trouble for this country. Like we needed it.

And advertisements (radio AND TV) irritate the shit out of me. What crap!

In other news, Cabrini and I got our visas for China. Here we go!

Back to America

So, wow, what a trip! We made it back to the US on July 1st. And we had ourselves a time. I've added some pictures to kind of summarize our trek from Cape Town to Cairo.

So we started out by going down to Cape Town, South Africa. First thing we did was go shark cage diving with the Great White Sharks. It was like watching Shark Week except those suckers were about six inches from our faces. Intense!

We climbed Table Mountain, visited Robben Island and saw Nelson Mandela's prison cell, went on a wine country tour, kayaked, scuba'd, ate lots of food. Just had a great time in one of the great cities of the world.









So from Cape Town we worked our way north to Malawi. Spent a few days relaxing on the shores of Lake Malawi. We wanted to get some scuba diving in there (it's supposed to have some of the best fresh water diving in the world) but the Dive Master was sick the day we had booked, so no go. Hey sometimes you win sometimes you lose.

After Malawi we went back to Tanzania. Cabrini and I had visited the Serengheti, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar back in January. But this time we had one thing in mind: Mt. Kilimanjaro! So we caught a train (24hours) across southern Tanz, then bused to Moshi where we met up with Bibi and Azizi of Maasai Moja trekking company. They took us in and treated us like family.

Long story short seven days later we summited Kili. It was a beautiful experience! Fifty or five thousand pictures can't tell the story, but one will have to do.



Then it was Cairo. After the obligatory trip out to giza to see the piles of rocks we flew to Aswan for a cruise down the Nile.

We saw some of the coolest temples in the world and an absolute TON of hieroglyphics. Aswan, Edfu, Luxor, Karnak, Valley of the Kings and more that I can't even remember. Of all the temples, monuments and various archeological sites in the entire world Luxor has fully one third. It's amazing.

Finally we fly to Sharm el Sheik on the Red Sea for some great scuba diving. We didn't have a good dive in Cape town (rough weather), and the dive in Malawi was scratched. But the reefs we dove on at Sharm were beautiful. Great visibility, beautiful colors, a gazillion fish. Fantastic.




So we didn't have an underwater camera, but you can see how awesome the water was.


Finally it was back to Cairo. Re-connected with my old friend Hani. Then it was catch a flight to JFK and just like that our African adventure was over.

Two years. Man, where did it go? It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I met a wonderful woman. Saw amazing things. Did amazing things!

I'm going down to Costa Rica next week to see Mick for the first time in almost two years. Cabrini and I have a few things to do in August. But the biggest thing is on August 24th we hit the road again. Well, the skies to be exact. We're going to China. More about that later.

Sorry if the pictures are incomprehensible or out of order. I hope to get back into the blogging routine. If I could just stay off facebook...

Strange Days

Sixteen days and a wake-up. On May 19th I´ll exit Botswana after two years in the Peace Corps. It doesn´t seem real.

Although at times it felt like it would drag on forever now it feels like we arrived fifteen minutes ago. But as they say, it´s all over but the shoutin´.

I´ve been asked if it was worth it. Would I do it again? Would I recommend it?

And my answer is a resounding yes! Or no. Or maybe. (I'll probably need a couple years of psychotherapy to fully be able to answer that.) Was it life changing? Sure. But no more so than four years in the army, 25 years of marriage, a night on the town, or a good steak. It's just a matter of degree.

So what now lies ahead? What is the ever popular "Way Forward?"

When getting ready to come here I was interviewed by the Columbiana Morning Journal and asked "what are your plans when you finish Peace Corps?" In typical smart-assed style I just said "It shall be revealed unto me."

Here is what has been revealed thus far:

On the 19th Cabrini and I hop a bus for Johannesburg, South Africa, change buses there and move on to
Cape Town. Gonna spend a couple weeks there. Check out Robben Island (UNESCO World Heritage site), where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during Apartheid times, go diving with Great White Sharks, climb Table Mountain, drink some nice wine, eat good food and get out of there before the World Cup starts. Then we'll fly north to Malawi. Spend a week or so along Lake Malawi, hoping to get a dive or two in what's supposed to be some of the best fresh water diving in the world.

Eventually we'll work our way north back into Tanzania. Our goal is to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, th tallest mountain in Africa (19,350 feet) and the highest in the world climbable without specialized equipment. And yet another UNESCO WH site...

Once we finish that little workout we basically plan on flying to Cairo to complete the Cape Town to Cairo trip. After visiting the ancient piles of rocks outside Giza it's back to America.

At least that´s the general plan. We might get sidelined by gorillas, guerillas or some other offerings of Afreaka. But all in all looking for an early July return. Then it gets interesting.

I haven't seen my son Mick since December '08 and he's now in Costa Rica doing HIS Peace Corps bit. I'll be zipping down thataway for a couple weeks. Otherwise I'll be frantically re-connecting with friends and family as Cabrini does with hers in New York...

...until mid-August. One of our fellow Botswana volunteers is getting married out in Montana on August 14th. Cabrini and I will re-unite to attend the nuptials.

THEN its back to NYC in final prep for our non-stop flight on August 24th, JFK to Beijing. The plan is to spend upwards of a year at Mt. Wu Dang Taoist Academy for the martial arts. Its located on yet another UNESCO WH site. Gonna learn my self some Tai Chi.

After that? Well, kinda back where we were a little over two years ago. "It shall be revealed...yada, yada, yada."

An Homage to Shortness

I woke up this morning and nearly broke my neck falling out of bed. It felt like the floor was ten feet below the mattress. "What the...?!" And then it hit me.

Today I am officially (and for the second time in my life) "short." Not the kind of short you may be thinking of. Granted I stand 5'6", tall for a short man. And I mean no disrespect to little people.

But as of this moment I am a two-digit midget. My time left in Peace Corps Botswana is rapidly drawing to a close. The last time I experienced this phenomenon was 1976 in Korea. US Army. What a difference three and a half decades make.

By May I´ll be parachuting off a curb. Ninety-nine days and a wake up. Giddyup!

Happy Turkey Day (Unless you´re the bird)

Peace Corps policy is that we don´t get the day off for American holidays. So today is just another day in the Kalahari Desert. (if you work in Peace Corps headquarters you get both American AND Botswana holidays off. A total screw job in my opinion.)

Anyway, it doesn´t bother me. Although some yams with butter and gravy would go down pretty well. Maybe some fresh blackberry pie. And another slice of the bird. Don´t care if its light or dark meat. More gravy...

Where was I? Oh yeah, also Happy 62d Anniversary to my parents. I like to think they are living "Happily Ever After."

In other news: Monday, December 1st is World AIDS Day. Exactly two years ago on that date I received notification from Peace Corps sending me on my way.

I´ll be traveling up to Kasane on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border for the national commemoration. I see where the spread of AIDS worldwide appears to be stabilizing...except in southern Africa. Fifty percent of maternal deaths in Botswana are due to complications of AIDS. One in six children is an orphan. It´s a perfect storm.

Be of good cheer!

And Then There Was One...

It was 1977. I´d gotten out of the Army the previous year. Was single. Twenty-seven years old. Getting fat.

I had tried playing racket ball to stay in shape. But there were few courts in Athens back then and court time was tough to get.

One day, while waiting for a court to open up I decided to jog around a bit to warm up. And thus the die was cast.

It wasn´t bad at first. I built up to three miles and stuck to it fairly well. Wasn´t looking for much more.

Then one day I was getting a haircut at Max Carsey´s shop down on Court Street. He had a copy of "Runner´s World." That did it. I was hooked.

Looooooooooong story short this morning my three mile jaunt brought me to mile number 99,999 lifetime. (I don´t count runs done in high school gym or Airborne shuffles. Just ´77 onward.)

Thirty-two and odd years. Forty marathons (Best- 2 hrs, 39 mins flat; Columbus 1984), 17 Bostons. Fastest mile- 5:03 (pedestrian), best 10Km- 33:42, best ten miler- 56:19, half marathon- 1:14:40.

In one eleven year stretch I recorded 44,000 miles, over 4,000 miles per year. I wonder how I was able to do it.

But tomorrow morning I´ll make my goal. A hundred grand by age 60. With weeks to spare.

Don´t think I have another hundred thou in me. But I still have a few. And the next day I´ll start on them.

Five Years On...

Those who follow this blog know the significance of this day. Five years ago Jan, my wife of 25 years, passed away. And every year I post something on this date about her, about me, about what it´s like.

In the past year I´ve begun a sort of metamorphosis. I´ve written this post out on that topic about five different ways now. And none satisfy what I want to say.

But basically it boils down to this:

I´ll always love her. I´ll always remember her. But it´s time to fully engage in this life. I can´t continue to measure time by how long its been and what has been lost.

This blog is the Best of What´s Left. Not the Best of What´s Left Behind.

This is my last "Anniversary of" post. Of all people she would approve.

Paradise in the Indian Ocean

Just got back from nearly two weeks in Mauritius. Got re-certified in scuba after 36 years. With me is Cabrini. We had a wonderful time! Nuf said.

Artsy Fartsy

I did this over the weekend. From looking at my last post you can see my immediate inspiration. It was a combination mosaic/water colour (get that UK spelling?)with salt, Thokolosi salts (don't ask) and some kind of beans (mung?).

There's one part I'm particularly proud of. I posted this directly on facebook and no one got it.

Wild Kingdom Lives!

This was awesome. John John Kempf, the Afrikaaner guy who took us all out into the CKGR, was driving alongside these guys (or were they running alongside us?). I was laying on the roof of the Range Rover snapping away as we rolled over the plain. He was yelling "Are you getting this?" I'm yelling "Yahoo! Keep going! Keep going!"

It was a moment.

It's Not All Donkeys, Goats and Cattle...

I'm having a terrible time posting pictures on blogger. Hope at least this one comes through. Saw this big guy a few weeks ago when camping in the CKGR (Central Kalahari Game Reserve). He wasn't overly thrilled about giving ground. But we were two vehicles and he apparently didn't like the looks of us. We were a bit gamey at the time.

I Am Not Dead

Reliable sources inform me I have not posted here since April 29th.

My excuse is I have no excuse. Just haven´t heard the muse.

Sorry.

So...I´ve been in Peace Corps 14 months as of tomorrow. The day-to-day is pretty unremarkable.

Oh! I have started teaching reading at Rethuseng, the local Junior Secondary School. Forms two and three. That´s like 9th and 10th grades. About 30 and odd kids in each class. Once a week.

So far I´ve done it once. It was fun. Their reading level is below what I´d expect for kids that age. But that´s just me. Overall they seem nice. It´s something to do that feels good.

I´m closing in on 100,000 miles run lifetime (not counting the army). I want to hit that milestone by my 60th birthday. Got less than 500 miles and about seven months to do it. Shouldn´t be a problem.

Starting to think about life post-Peace Corps. Got some ideas, but don´t want to discuss them here yet.

Otherwise everything goes well here.

Jiminey Cricket!!!

This is a Corn Cricket. They are huge. Apparently when the Corn Crickets appear that means the end of the bug season. I've been seeing them all over for more than a month though. And there's still a lot of bugs around.

This Is Teaspoon!

The happiest dog in the 'ville of Charles Hill. Teaspoon started life as the pet of a former Peace Corps volunteer in nearby Karakubis. When she left her boyfriend moved to Chuck.

People in Botswana typical treat dogs with the care and tenderness usually reserved for rats in your pantry. To show kindness or affection is somewhat akin to pure lunacy.

But Teaspoon was weaned on Americans. And she LOVES to run with the other PCV in the village and me. She can't understand why we can't keep up with her. Naturally she was spayed early on. So her teats don't drag in the dust like most feral dogs around here. Also she mightily enjoys showing off her speed when she goes after various goats, cattle, chickens, donkeys and other quadrupeds.

If I happen to be out at night Teaspoon comes along for escort service. Of course I have to give her a reward.

Just one of the treats of African village living.

One Year In Peace Corps (Amended from Yesterday)

So today marks one year since I pulled out of Columbiana, looked across Arrowhead Lake for (what I hope) the last time and headed to Cleveland for the short flight to Philadelphia and the Peace Corps..

So today marks one year since I pulled out of Columbiana, looked across Arrowhead Lake for (what I hope) the last time and headed to Cleveland for the short flight to Philadelphia and the Peace Corps..

Ordinarily I do my year in review on January 1st. But this is a more significant date.

So what has transpired in the last 365 days?

First, the raw numbers:
Miles run-978 (My lowest since 1977, yet still on pace to hit 100,000 miles by my 60th birthday. I only have to average 2.5 per day, not as easy as it sounds, but eminently doable.)
Countries visited- five (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and Swaziland, in that order)
UNESCO World Heritage Sites visited- Squat. (Not a good year for cultural and historical edification.)
Books Read – 113 (Not bad. Lot’s of alone time. Also explains why my Setswana is so bad. Ga ke bua Setswana sentle!)
Times I’ve ALMOST sold my house- Three (Last time was close. Within five days of the closing the buyer lost his job. Curses!)

So what else? Phew! Lots!

The reason my companeros and I came here is to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I doubt any of us had much of an idea how hard that thing is. You know, as bad as it was, AIDS in the US was brought under “control” relatively quickly. Certainly it could have been handled MUCH better (Read “And the Band Played On…”). But the Grim Reaper no longer hovers over every potential sexual encounter like he did in the late 1980s-early 90s.

Would that it were so easy here. We are up against so many variables it boggles the mind. Every couple months it seems a new focus arises. ABC (Abstinence, Be Faithful, Condomize). Circumcision. Multiple Concurrent Partners. Sexual Networks. So far no magic bullets.

BILLIONS of Dollars, Euros, Yen, Yuan and Pula have been poured into this over the last 20 and odd years. Yet the problem ceases to go away. Or even get much better. Whole bureaucracies have sprung up around the banner of HIV/AIDS. I can’t even begin to keep track of all the NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations).

I can’t be expected to understand it all and/or what it will take to make any difference.

I have to self-censor this blog because Peace Corps monitors blogs and what we say. But here is my current opinion (subject to change tomorrow. Or even this afternoon.):

First of all one must recognize that historically Africa has been a hard place to survive. I often say for untold millennia Africa has been a pretty easy place to wake up dead on a given morning. Bugs, snakes, Africanized bees, malaria, dengue, Yellow Fever, wars, big animals that like to eat you. Africa has it all. For 200,000 (or is it two million?) years evolution here has been developed to ensure survival of the fittest. I don’t want to go into everything I think that entails. But suffice it to say it’s a life-pattern significantly different from what we in the west call “normal.”.

The influence of the western world in Africa has only been for around 150 years, give or take. Most countries here were colonized by the “Great Powers” in the late nineteenth century. Independence came to Africa barely fifty years ago.

Two hundred thousand years vs. 150.

I speak of Botswana, because that’s what I know best. But I also think much of what I say can be extrapolated throughout alot of sub-Saharan Africa.

Things here may APPEAR familiar to us. The clothes are basically the same. The cars are the same, except for the whole “driving on the left” thing. Television pumps American style entertainment into living rooms. Internet, though not ubiquitous, exists. Coca-Cola is Coca-Cola (only with REAL sugar, not corn sweetener. Big difference!) Over all it kind of LOOKS like us.

But those things lie only on the surface. Underneath the skin “Survival of the Fittest” still calls the shots. Behaviours that ensure propagation and survival of the species still reign supreme.

We think we (Africans and westerners) are all driving together on the same road in the same direction. But my feeling sometimes is we are in opposite lanes, going opposite directions, both hoping to arrive at the same place at the same time. We will never understand each other. We CAN’T understand each other! The cultural gaps are too wide.

I seriously doubt that our two years here will make any critical kind of difference. Even the six or so years since Peace Corps was reintroduced to Botswana hasn’t seen much improvement. Most likely 20 years here wouldn’t make much difference. Am I sorry I came? To the contrary. I HAD to come! How else would I learn? It is in the best efforts of evolution that we try to help our fellow humans survive and thrive.

How will this all turn out? I don’t know. I’m a doomsdayer. I see the potential scenario for Apocalypse in every society, ours included (I had a ball with Y2K. Of course I was wrong!).

What happens if/when the HIVirus mutates and the Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) drugs lose effect? Or the Botswana government, in the current financial crisis, can’t pay for the ARVs? Or Zimbabwe melts down (even more) and war spills over the borders. What if. What if? What if!

Maybe a cure will be found. That would be a HUGE monkey wrench in a lot of careers! Sometimes I think history will judge us from a distance of a century or so and say “Those blind fools! Couldn’t they see how stupid they were? If only they had done X or Y or Z!”

I don’t write this as an indictment. My service here is no better nor worse than if I was digging irrigation ditches in Mongolia. I’m glad I came. Sometimes we must tilt at windmills. Don’t read this and say “Oh, Wigal is unhappy. He’s sorry he came.” I am very happy. I have learned a lot and have found my happiness here. Four years ago I was at the nadir of my existence when I happened to fly into Beirut, Lebanon and my life changed immeasurably (Yes, Joseph). For the better I think. Botswana also is having that same effect.

One of the very few things I can say in Setswana is “letsatse le langwe kwa Paradise!” Don’t worry. The Motswana never understand what I’m saying either.

Look what I Found

I'm sorry it's taken so long to post. We just got internet in the office I work. It is VERY slow and I have to keep refreshing the page.

A couple weeks ago we had a music/drama tour of the sub-District. Ten villages and settlements in five days. It was a whirlwind tour.

Later I'll try to put up more pix. For now I'm just hoping these will fly.

The one without the baby was of me and some of the crew. the baby was just a random cute kid who hitched a ride with us one day. The mom hitched too. But we let the little guy ride up in the cab.

If You´re Going to Play Around With Facial Hair Now´s the Time to Do I

If it´s sideways I´m not gonna fix it. I´m trying this with my Nokia E90 cell.
The reviews are mixed. But the Motswana women almost uniformly hate it. Ergo, it has a good chance of staying.

I Should Do A Caption Contest With This

From L to R: Me, Ebony (Bots 7, Palapye), Brian (Bots 6, Gantsi)
Taken at GLOW (Guys/Gals Leading Our World) Camp last week. All of us in our official GLOW Camp T-shirts.

The look on Ebony's face is priceless. I don't know what Pearl of my wisdom I am saying, but her expression pretty much sums up the response of all the women I've ever known.

The Rainy Season Is Upon Us

We've been getting some rain here in Chuck Hill lately. The pictures don't do justice to the scene of massive storm clouds rising over the Kalahari. The past couple days have seen downpours create a river in my front yard. But of course it's desert, so the water sucks into the sands almost as fast as it falls. The lightning show is spectacular! After almost six months without a cloud in the sky it's a treat.

So...mom...how's the leg?

World AIDS Day

One year ago today I opened my mail and learned I might as well give up my Arabic lessons as I was headed to Botswana. Hard to believe a year has gone by already. Commemorations will be held all over the world this day. We remember those who have died, those who live with HIV/AIDS and those yet to succumb to this terrible disease.

Are we making a difference here? Hard to tell. We may never know. Still we must try.

It's what makes us human.