A day in the life...

So today was a very interesting African day. Got up and had two visitors before 7.30!! No time is private time!! I found two mosquitos in my net, both of which were tested for internal content and both were full of human blood.. Not the best of omens!! But as always I did some chi gung, hoping it will make a difference. Then I went for a run with moses (neither of these are typical african though!!). Of course though on the run I wanted to see a specific area and of course didn't!! Then I was supposed to meet with Mak, the rugby coach and head of athletics for the northern province. Found out later that his phone was off as it was out of charge.

I went instead to the internet place and it was not working. Its at the posh hotel that all the foreigners stay at, so I set up shop near the pool/bar area and started to write. There where two (i think british) business men all geared up, obviously on a mineral type profit making mission, then in came my crew of young african progressives - educated and trying to make a difference. Of course here was me (idealist) and then a youngish scotish ngo women, several random africans, and another american ngo/writer type. All meeting up in the same place. People that in other lights would never be in the same room. I of course struck up convo with the ngo types - and the next group of for profit guys to come in - which ones do you think I got along with!? Anyway, out of it all I might of gotten a free two day trip to a far out village next week, and also an invite to a conference on disabilities next weekend.

From there my next appointment fell through. So I headed home where dinner consisted of "bush cat". Not sure what it was, tasted good, but stomach a bit off. I think it is the oil in everything i'm struggling with... Then I waited for the first meeting's person again and eventually pushed off to tomorrow and headed to meet up with two peace corps volunteers for a little conversation. Headed from there to look at school for the disabled. Part of the school and housing are in an old slaughter house. What!? It was the first thing here that made me angry. Appalling conditions, packed into rooms, in a place designed for killing (though apparently never used). I need to go back in day light to get some pictures. From there we headed home on a motorcycle and called it a night.

Woo.. what a day. Got nothing done I set out to do, but saw some incredible things, met some interesting people, and got some other things done that I didn't intend to do... But hey, this is Africa.. Amazing place. ;)

Time Within Ourselves

About a mile or two into the journey yesterday, I came to a very definitive point.  There I was completely on my own, walking through the middle of 'nowhere' surrounded only by the beautifully fresh air.  My thoughts were running to wherever they wanted to.  Life, jobs, women, hobbies, meaning, whatever...  And I realized that this is really what Western civilization is missing - time within one's self.

Our days are so full of everything.  Families, jobs, dreams, wants, desires, obligations, stresses and worries...  But life is only as complicated as we make it, and we in the West have chosen to make ours so incredibly complicated.  Not that this is in itself a drawback for our lives, but something that should be recognized and worked with and through.  One of the things that I like best about meditation or running is that it clears your mind and body of many worries.  But it was amazing that hiking like I did yesterday went even further, it was a whole day, alone with myself, amongst nothing but fresh air, blue sky, and nature's own creation.  It is a clean place, there are no memories in a new forest, there is no baggage.  Only the things that you take in with you - and fortunately for us, the kind of mental and emotional baggage that we carry with us throughout our daily lives is something we don't have to carry out of that forest.

I just wish that we as a society would take more time to stop and be alone with our selves, alone with who we really are.  Not the 'you' that you present to the external world on a daily basis, that we show other people who's opinions we already care way too much about, but the one in the mirror that we need to find the most comfort with - ourselves.  

Appalachian Trail II

So... as I sit here icing my feet, which is %@%$@ cold by the way, I can't help but think that 16 miles first day out in Vibrams was a bit ambitious.  Maybe a month or so ago when I was out and about everyday wearing them it would have been fine.  But as it is my feet just aren't in shape to have a weighted down backpack on and go that far on that kind of terrain.  I definitely have some work to do to get my feet in shape to use the vibrams and do the milage I want to in Sierra Leone.  I probably should have just gone about ten miles today, I would have been fine.  I started feeling a bit sore at about 6 miles in but I was only two miles from the shelter and really wanted to gage my time over a specific distance (plus I always er on the side of ambition!!)  I rested my feet for over and hour though, and thought it would be ok.  I however exacerbated the scenario when I started having other issues and got ambitious again.

I didn't have any chaffing on the way out, but immediately upon starting back I could feel it, I had changed shorts so stopped and changed back to a similar thing like what I had originally had on.  It didn't matter though, and the worst thing about it all is that I specifically stopped at a bike shop in Pawling, to see if they had any body glide.  That was my third time in there - and frankly, they suck.  All three times I've gone in no one has said hello to me, they have a customer yet don't even acknowledge your presence.  the one time I waited and initiated an interaction.  I looked around, as if trying to find something specific (which I was - body glide and a compass).  I looked under this and under that, not a word.  I left, nothing.  I've worked in that kind of job, it doesn't take much to simply say hello and say they'll be with you in a minute.  Maybe I don't look like I'd be interested in some horrible thing like a sport - especially an endurance one!!  lol.

Anyway, sorry for the tirade...  back to the AT.  So the chaffing was an issue.  I also had trouble with my water set up.  Granted it was really pretty much there for weight anyway.  I had two poland spring 3L jugs (you've seen them if you've been ear me of late), I had them in my bag toward the bottom, but there were books in there and clothes and towels and whatever else I could find to weigh it down.  One jug and then the next got a little hole in it.  Must of been from the bouncing.  I was all but done with the one when it got a hole, but the second was leaking in the bag and on to me.  I ended up having to carry it in my hand for miles, it was mostly full.  So with about three or four miles to go I chugged a bunch of water, emptied the rest, crushed both bottles, tightened up the bag and decided it was time to run.  It seemed like good logic.  Get their faster, be uncomfortable for less time, but it was a chaffing disaster.  My inner thighs and up are raw, red, and painful.  Maybe that is a case in point why most people don't bother with logic!!  

In the last couple miles there was the longest hill of the jaunt, I was spent and it hurt to stretch my feet on the up hills so I had to change my form.  Even with running maybe a mile and a half or two on the way back I still made it back five minutes slower than going out.  I was 2:42 for the first eight miles out and 2:47 back, with about an hour and fifteen minute break for lunch and conversation.

I met some good people, I should have little cards with the website on it, these are the type of people that were interested in what I'm trying to do there.  Anyway, as it is, the icing is done - thankfully - and I need to eat something substantial.  I'll write a bit more on lessons learned and things needed in a bit - invaluable day...

Appalachian Trail

So I'm getting geared up to head out on the Appalachian Trail for what looks like a 16 mile saunter.  Going to go from Route 20 in Pawling to the "Wiley" shelter which is right before the connecticut border.  It'll be an 8 mile out and again back.  Given my experience with hiking like this though I have a sneaky suspicion I won't be able to walk the whole way.  Out and backs just kill me and I usually end up just running back.  When I went to Greece and hiked from see level up a 1500m (4500ft) mountain, and then ran the whole way back down and was back by 1pm.  I think I am just so used to running that walking feels so slow and my mind just gets itchy!!  But I'll be packing up not just a regular backpack.  I'm gonna take the pack that I would take to Sierra Leone and pack it full of stuff to weigh it down.

Just finished a big old american breakfast (yes, I'm cheating - first experiment and all), and am packing up kind of a grazing scenario for eating.  I've got some nuts and dried fruits, left over grilled chicken, some raw broccoli, and blueberries, but I'm out of rice cakes and raw bars.  My local Stop and Shop here doesn't carry either routinely.  Poor planning, but I'll survive.  Gonna take 6 liters of water with me, A, just in case, and B, it will weigh the backpack down!!

I'm going to send messages to the Facebook/Twitter scenario which will feed onto the Walking Lion site.  So anyone with nothing better to do on a saturday (or probably just my mother) can check it.  But anyway, its 10am, and getting to be time to be moving.  I do want to be out there for the hottest part of the day which should be about 3pm.  Actually, I shouldn't be in much of a rush, I must admit I don't 'wander' very well on hikes.  Usually just get after it, A to B.  I used to have a great hiking companion that would pretty much race up mountains with me!!  No more...  Now not sure how it will all work out...  Giddie Up!!