HMMMMM...from a sectional rider this year who did the ride last year

More interesting words of encouragement!!! GULP!!


"I didn't get to experience the Mars like landscape, the brutal heat and humidity, the jarring volcanic rocky roads, the baboons aiming their evacuations at tents with such precision that it was both annoying and humorous or seeing the proud northern Maasai with all their exquisite jewellery."

"I'm told by the 2007 TDA family that there will be days in Kenya that I will regret and will seriously question my sanity..."

Here's to more sand, early morning prayers, donkeys, camels, desert camps and a whole lot of stone and stick wielding Ethiopian children in the middle. Bring it on!!!

Weather woes:-)

Well winter has certainly begun to get a grip here in Toronto. I have not been able to ride my bike to work for about a week and a half now. Sure do miss the commute. I have compensated by doing a longer time on my indoor trainig bike...it is getting somewhat boring but it is only for a few more weeks. I am actually looking forward to my week in the sun at Christmas..sleeping in, reading and more sleeping.

I am down to the last three weeks of school and with that comes the heavy work load of marking and doing reports along with the regualr aspect of teaching. I had forgoten that I am also on duty this week so I have no free time...I continue to trust!

I will be updating the donation thermometer shortly....watch for it:-)

Visa Back

Well I received my visa back from the Embassy of Sudan in Ottawa yesterday and I will now prepare to send it to the Ethiopian Embassy on the 28th of November. Apparently they are much quicker with the processing.

Now that winter weather has arrived in Toronto I am not riding to work but still doing my indoor training. I am sure we will have summer, spring or fall weather again soon...after all this is Toronto!

From the Tour d'Afrique website - The Social Effects of Motorized Transport

The United States puts between 25 and 45 per cent of its total energy into vehicles: to make them, run them, and clear a right of way for them when they roll, when they fly, and when they park. For the sole purpose of transporting people, 250 million Americans allocate more fuel than is used by 1.3 billion Chinese and Indians for all purposes.

The model American male devotes more than 1,600 hours a year to his car. He sits in it while it goes and while it stands idling. He parks it and searches for it. He earns the money to put down on it and to meet the monthly installments. He works to pay for gasoline, tolls, insurance, taxes, and tickets. He spends four of his sixteen waking hours on the road or gathering his resources for it. And this figure does not take into account the time consumed by other activities dictated by transport: time spent in hospitals, traffic courts, and garages; time spent watching automobile commercials or attending consumer education meetings to improve the quality of the next buy.

The model American puts in 1,600 hours to get 7,500 miles: less than five miles per hour. In countries deprived of a transportation industry, people manage to do the same, walking wherever they want to go, and they allocate only 3 to 8 per cent of their society's time budget to traffic instead of 28 per cent. What distinguishes the traffic in rich countries from the traffic in poor countries is not more mileage per hour of life-time for the majority, but more hours of compulsory consumption of high doses of energy, packaged and unequally distributed by the transportation industry. Energy and Equity. by Ivan Illich: Toward a History of Needs.

Motor vehicle transport usage is rising steadily throughout the developing world, and creating even higher levels of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Global passenger car production reached a record 39 million vehicles in the year 2000, rising three percent in 1999.

Car use in Third World cities is very regressive: It absorbs massive public investments for road infrastructure building and maintenance, taking resources away from the more urgent and important needs of the poor; creates jams that hinder the mobility of the bus riding majorities; pollutes the air; makes noise; road arteries primarily for private vehicle users become obstacles to lower income pedestrians; it leads to a progressive invasion of scarce pedestrian spaces by parked vehicles.

There clearly are contradictory interests between motor vehicles and human beings: The more a city is made to accommodate motor vehicles, the less respectful of human dignity it becomes; and the more acute the differences in quality of life between upper income and lower income groups. Children, the old, handicapped and vulnerable populations are particularly alienated by increasing motorization and the processes that come with it. Enrique Penalosa, former mayor of Bogota

While automobiles may be the vehicle of choice for a limited circle of affluent, bicycles continue to be the primary means of transport for millions of people, the world over. The WorldWatch Institute estimates that 20 percent of the world's population can afford cars, while 80 percent of the world population can afford bicycles. Yet with the exception of far-sighted cities like Bogota, bicycles are increasingly being pushed to the margins of transport policy in developing countries, even in China, where bicycle travel is the most intensive in the world. In many developing countries, motor vehicles typically account for more than 40 percent of energy consumption, creating a huge drain on foreign currency. (World Resources, 1992-93).

The Tour d'Afrique, by promoting bicycle travel as a high-status mode of travel, will help raise awareness of the crucial importance of bicycle travel as a part of transport, environmental and social policy planning, not only in the media, but also among policymakers and residents of the continent and around the world.

The Number Grows

During a conversation Friday night I was informed that there are about 60 full tour riders this year and at some points there will be 90 riders in various sections. WOW!...what a sight that will be. I wonder how the cooks will handle the large numbers?

In other news we received an additional letter that needed to be sent to the Embassy of Sudan. I rushed out during a spare yesterday to send it prioroty post. I am surrendering and trusting I will have my passport for my trip to Mexico at Christmas.

One Month Until I am Finished at Work

Well Friday night was great. There were eight of us who were able to make the get together. Six are doing the complete tour and two are doing a section. We exchanged notes on our preparations and what we have been up to along with out stress over not having our passports back from the Embassy in Sudan. A few, like myself, are going away at Christmas and it makes for a tight timeline since we still need to apply to the Ethiopian Embassy. The evening was for me a needed event as I finally felt like the tour was real. I look forward to seeing all in Cairo or sooner if we can arrange it!

My indoor trainer died on Saturday so I needed to replace it with only a month or so to go. It had served me well so I am not complaining. I am grateful that I was able to afford the new trainer. It is a magnetic one compared to the liguid Cycleops that I had. I was skeptical at first but after my first session I was sold on the system.

It was a cold ride into work today but felt good to be still riding outside. I have started to get up at 4 to get two hours on the indoor trainer. I am determined to be ready for this and not sabotage myself by thinking I am ready.

On Saturday I went and purchased the final tires and tubes that I need. I got a few slim tubes so along with Mr.Tuffy liners and my Armadillo Crossroad Elites I hope it will all work. I am of course bringing extra tires and tubes. The couples who are going have an advantage when it comes to packing as they only need to bring one tent etc. which leaves more room for other stuff. On the other hand it could prove to be "The Incredible Race" for some couples if you know what I mean:-)

Fundraising is going well and I expect that I will be abale to meet my goal. Hopefully before I go, but certainly by the end of the ride.

Contact

I sent an email to the riders I know of in the Toronto area to see if we could get together this Friday evening. The intention of the evening is just to connect and talk about where we are with our plans etc. So far the response has been great and I look forward to a super evening. After all we will be spending four months together under intimate circumstances.

The weather is still co-operating and I had a wonderful ride into work. As long as it does not snow I will be using my bike. I know that I eventually will have to pack it up but until then I will enjoy it.

Talk about packing. I have packed and repacked my two bags time and again attempting to balance the weight between the two. The extra bike parts do add a fair amount of weight. I am not worried about clothing as that can be purchased en route. Bike parts on the other hand will likely be few and far between.

I converted some of my money last week when the dollar was worth 1.10. Glad I did as it is going down once again. I also applied for a VISA card. I use MasterCard all the time but apparently it is not accepted worldwide as much as VISA is. Ah the details one needs to take care of!!!

New York Report

Wow...love that city! Broadway was closed down but it was still a wonderful weekend.

I was able to get my bike tires along with a new pair of shoes and a large North Face Water repellent duffel bag. I saved about 75 dollars so it was worth it.

I feel rejuvenated and ready to continue to train for the ride.

I am a little tense about getting my visa for Sudan as I needed my passport for the New York trip so I only sent it in yesterday. I also need to apply for an Ethiopian visa and I need to send my passport to them. I also need my passport for my trip to Mexico at Christmas. Randi and I will have a week together before we are apart for five months. I will just trust that Canada Post does its thing!

This Friday I am meeting with a few of the riders who are going to be with me. I look forward to putting a face to a name.

I am grateful for the continued abundance in my life

New York Break and Two Months To Go!!

Well, I am taking a break for a few days and heading down to New York City. We have a four day long weekend so my partner, Randi, and I will make the most of it. While I am there I will be able to pick up a set of tires for my ride. The ironic part is they are out of stock in Canada right now and would cost about $75 each. The price in New York is $55 each and with the Canadian dollar where it is that works out to about $47 each. I will see what else I can acquire while I am there.

I have posted mileage for tomorrow with the intention of doing this ride. If I do not then I will change the distance when I return.

The weather looks like it will be great!

As of today I only have two months left until I depart for Cairo. It has been a long four years and the last few months seem longer than the years! I know the departure time will arrive soon and I also am aware that I believe I need to work on patience in this lifetime:-)

Have a wonderful next few days!!!!

Courage

Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to walk through your fear in pursuit of a goal that is important to you.

Robin Sharma

I came across this in my morning reading. It is from the book Discover Your Destiny.

I am constantly told by people how much courage it must be taking to do this ride. I do not consider it courageous...it is a challenge. Courageous to me are those individuals who get up each day wondering how the day will end. Will there be food, water or shelter? Will my child be in school? Does anybody even notice me?

As I move through the streets of Toronto on my walks or bike rides I try to notice those around me who are less fortunate or appear that way to me.

Today we will be having our remembrance day service at school. I myself am named after my uncle who died in the WW2. While I never met him I am aware of who he was through the stories passed down to me and the photos I have seen. I am proud to have his name.

When I went to France a number of years back I was able to locate his grave in a Canadian Cemetery. It was a powerful moment to come face to face with a part of my past.

As I continue to prepare for my ride I keep in mind that I will be witness to many different cultures and individuals. My intention is to be open to see the differences but most importantly to celebrate the uniqueness that we each have. At the same time I am aware that we are all more alike than we are different. Six billions souls get up each day and need to consume resources. I am just one of them.

An image to start my weekend with:-)

Well another work week comes to an end and a beautiful weekend is upon me. I leave the above image for you to see...and my journey continues:-)