Drugs, Beaches, And Sunsets

It's been a long time since I updated and honestly, I don't remember much. I left Allepey on a train headed north and met some wonderful people. A doctor from England that had worked in South Africa for awhile and had some amazing stories. I also shared the trip with a really cute couple from Spain and France. I love hippies. I slept a little on the train and when I got off I was so weary. It took another 2 hours before I arrived at the sleepy beaches of Gokarna.

Om Beach is the name of the main beach where I would make my hub for the next few days. It's called Om Beach because it resembles the symbol for "Om", which is everything. The mood when I showed up was a little cold. There were westerners there but they were all seemingly into what they were doing and nothing/nobody else. I got settled in my room, which was covered with fire ants, and went for dinner. There I sat, alone, wondering if I had come to the wrong place. I also knew I had been in transit for a long time and maybe I should just sleep it off.

The next morning I woke up determined to not let the day suck. I would go on a hike and meet as many people as I could. The day started out with talking to Bethany who was visiting my Mom in New England. She is out there for my Nanas 80th birthday and to say I'm happy about all this wouldn't do it justice. It's such a wonderful thing that she got to see my family seeing as they are such an important part of my life. I've since found out that it all went great and a good time was had by all. Oh by the way, Happy Birthday Nana. 80 years is an amazing landmark and I'm so proud to have you for a Grandmother. BIG HUG!!!

I left for my hike and I almost immediately started missing the old roommates. This would have been something we did for a weekend trip except it's in India and more secluded. It was a little dangerous at parts but the scenery was ridiculous. Lush palms and jagged rocky coast. I talked to a guy from Turkey on the way to Half Moon Beach and he also mentioned that the vibe at the guesthouse where we were at was wield. I was happy it wasn't just me. I continued on and found myself a cove to swim in at Half Moon Beach and then continued on to Paradise.

When I got there I was awestruck with how desolate it was and I found a cute older couple and chatted with them for a bit before heading back. When I was passing by Half Moon again I ran into an English couple named Kirsty and Charlie. I only talked to them for a moment but I would end up hanging out with them more later. Then on the path I met yet another English couple much more of the hippie ilk. We sat down and started talking...then I got high. I was going to finish all my walking...then I got high. So I found a big palm tree, and I know why. Yeaaaaaaaah, because I got high, because I got high, because I got high. Da-da-da-da-da-da. Watching the sunset from the lone palm tree that was on this little outcropping was one of the most memorable moments of my entire trip. I went back to the guesthouse and had a wonderful dinner and met a bunch of guys talking about America. I assured them that I wouldn't bomb them if I sat down and they all agreed. Shortly after I decided to retire and I was loving my life again.

Just to put this out there, from the moment I stopped with the English couple and smoked from a chillum;

Chillum:
-noun 1. a hookah or other water pipe adapted for smoking marijuana, that can be passed in ritual fashion among a group of participants: used esp. by Indians.

I was lifted the rest of my time here. Some may say it's a bad decision and they might be right but it felt like the right thing to do and I'm still here. I decided to go back to Paradise Beach for the evening and spend the night there. When I got there I met up with the English couple, a crazy holy kid from Germany, an actually crazy guy from Argentina, a kid from Bombay who spoke perfect English, a couple quiet Isrealis (they are all pretty much quiet) and the staff for this guesthouse. It wasn't really a guesthouse so much as a Shack with a lot of beach area. I had a wonderfully chill time there and slept under the stars in a hammock. The next day I went back to Om Beach and got another night at the guesthouse Namaste. I spent a lot of time with Kirsty and Charlie and we agreed to meet in the morning so I could go to town which was a long walk and something I had no idea about.

We met in the morning and with my bag on my back (which, I gotta tell you, is paying huge dividends here in India Jay) and my mind somewhere up in the clouds, I left this place for Goa. Everyone has told me Goa sucks now but I wanted to form my own opinion about it. I said goodbye to Charlie and Kirsty and thanked them for being cool people ion a strange place. I stayed the night in town at a terrible little shanty called Gokarna International. If you're planning on being in Gokarna, don't stay here. One cool thing though was that the TV, which didn't really come in, was showing the World Series. The Cardinals won huh? Someone in Seattle give J.P. a big hug for me and tell him that I would send him to St. Louis if I were there. Go Birds.

The next day was a travel day and I headed for Palolem Beach up north in Goa. I arrived and noticed that there were two growths on my forearm. I don't know if something bit me or what but they are discerning. Oh well. I ended up hooking up with this guy named Samuel from Isreal and he is so cool. He reminds me of Craig a little bit but with Zach's laugh and...he's Isreali. All these guys finish their time in the army and then go on trips, more often than not, in Goa. This is the first guy though that I've really talked to and he's so cool. Last night we talked to this guy and he gave me a piece of pure MDNA. I didn't even hesitate and told the guy that I didn't want it. There, finally some willpower when it comes to the drugs! Samuel on the other hand was down and thus I began my long night of designated human. It was fine (although I wouldn't want to be Sams jaw right now) and I had a good nights sleep.

The beach here is great. It's so much more touristy here than where I've been. There are so many tourists here and it's just a bit of a trip! It's expensive, well, expensive for India (I'm staying on the beach with Samuel for 5 dollars US). I just found out that the Patriots ripped a hole into Minnasota. The huge bumps on my forearm are fading a little. I'm going to watch the sun go down on an island off the coast tonight. I'll be in Nepal one week from today. I've got a woman at home who loves me and she has our son in her belly. I love my life.

Namsate,

Nathan

Ashram

We got up in the morning and headed for the boat jetty to cruise to Ammas ashram halfway down the backwaters between Kollam and Allepey. The boat was medium sized, whatever that means, and was filled with about 9 people out of a possible 50. We shoved off a little after 10:30 and entered the intricate system of canals and waterways. Rama had never done this before so it wasn't just me who was in awe of the trip. Once we moved away from the small city of Kollam the scenery got smaller and smaller revealing the riverside villages of Kerala. People living their everyday lives i.e. washing clothes, bathing, cleaning. It was an honor to float by and observe this.

The trip reminded me of when I was younger and I would go and visit my Grandparents home named "Honey-Do" located on Lovell Pond in Fryburg ME. They had a canoe and I would take it just off to the side of their house and there was a sort of swamp there. It wasn't very big but I could go into these makeshift canals and pretend I was in the jungle for a little bit. This time I was actually in the jungle. Lined with lush palm trees and houses stuck in the middle. Man, it was incredible.

After a 3 hour trip we arrived at the ashram. A gigantic pink collection of buildings that were seriously in the middle of nowhere. You can see them down river from about 30km away. We got off and headed up to the office. I was pretty nervous, I don't know why but it just had a little intimidating feeling to it. Walking into the courtyard there was a mix of Indians and westerners mostly dressed in all white. They walked around with a purpose and without Amma there it seemed peaceful.

Now the shitty part. As I went to check in at the office the guy at the desk was telling me that Indians and Westerners were not allowed to share a room. The accommodation seemed to be segregated. Rama said that there must be something that could be done seeing as we had shared a room for the last couple nights and it was clear we were friends. The guy at the desk called a superior (not Amma) and asked if we could, the final answer was no. Rama decided shortly after this that he did not feel comfortable there. We walked out to the small village that lay outside of the ashram and walked for a bit. We said our good byes, hugged and then I watched Rama ride off in the sunset. You will be missed.

I went back into the ashram and kept to myself for the most part. In a place that was billed to have endless love, compassion, and equality, I was feeling pretty confused. The room was as basic as I've seen yet but the view from the 12th floor was absoloutly stunning. Unlike anything I'd ever seen in my life. To be that high up and to see what I was seeing, in a place where nothing much is over 8 feet, wow. I went to bed and hoped for a better day at the ashram tomorrow.

The next day started out with seva, which means selfless service. It was helping with food prep, a area in which I had some experience. I cut dates with some other travelers and we did it for 3 hours. It felt good to do and after I had lunch and went to the big hall to meditate. I got to know this really cool couple while I was there. Sasha & Jessica are from Brooklyn and they have been in India for some months now doing a photo shoot on Westerners finding spiritual significance in India. It made miss Beth even more (who am I kidding,everything, food, showering, and walking make me miss Beth). We had wonderful conversation and when it was all finished they are people that I'm looking forward to keeping in touch with. The majority of people staying at the ashram were, for lack of a better description, glazed over. As a result, we didn't interact very often. Kind of a bummer.

I kept a smile on the whole time though realizing that the same seems to go for every religious entity, rarely do the disciples act like the guru. Christians don't act Christ-like, Muslims don't act like Allah, Hindus don't act like the Hindu Gods etc. It's because most of the people set the bar so high that it's impossible to reach. In reaching for it, I belive sometimes, something is lost. Such was the case for the Amma devotees. The feeling that Amma has left there though was wonderful. I enjoyed being around the ashram of a living guru, a living saint. The music, the chanting, the atmosphere was so different.

On the eve of my second night there was a massive thunderstorm. I could see it coming in the distance to the east. When it hit I went to the 16th floor, end of the line, and watched as the rain marched and swirled from on high. The lightning struck so powerfully and so closely that goose bumps ran down my neck, arms, and back. The thunder shook my insides as it was ripping through the sky. The whole show lasted about an hour and then slowly moved on. It was the best thunderstorm I have ever seen.

The last day I woke up and helped again with the serving of food. I smiled and acted awfully chipper and the people seemed surprised. Why is it that they practice love and compassion with only themselves? I went to the small shop and got a new dohty (the Indian man dress that has captivated my thighs...Mm mm, thats hot), a postcard and a bracelet, along with some Xmas presents. I left the ashram feeling mixed emotion. Whatever it is, I am much more relaxed and ready for the next leg of my journey through two states to Gokarna, the holy beach city. It's a 15 hour train ride and I am so looking forward to the beach. Word.

Waiting On The Train

The train ride there was pretty uneventful. We arrived in Kollam at 2:00am and to save trouble and time went to the nearest hotel and checked in. We both were pretty tired so we fell asleep pretty fast to the sounds of a thunderstorm overhead. When we woke up the next morning we had breakfast and then asked if the backwater boat would be leaving anytime soon. The man at the front desk said that the boat leaves at 10:30am. It was 10:27am. Shit. Ammas ashram will have to wait one more day. Rama and I decided that it was best not to waste the day so we decided to explore Kollam a little bit.

He had been there before and mentioned something about a lighthouse. Those of you who know me, know how I feel about lighthouses. I jumped at the chance and we took a rickshaw to see it. It was big, beautiful red and white stripped piece of Indian shoreline beauty. Normally we could have gone up it, but it was closed so we just admired it from the outside and moved on. We walked through these little fishing villages and for some reason, walking with an Indian holy man gives you some sort of street cred. At least I felt more at ease about walking up to peoples homes and starting conversations with people. Rama said it was because they were unpolluted. That made so much sense to me. We talked to so many people and the beauty of it was that since Rama is from the north and only speaks Hindi and English and the people in Kerala only speak their own local language we were all forced to communicate in other ways. It was a blessing to be able to connect with these people. After this we went and got me a Dohtty, which is for all intensive purposes a skirt for men (but so comfortable). We had dinner at another local vegetarian place and then went back to the hotel.

In the middle of the day I called Bethany. Thankfully I got through and she told me that after having an ultrasound, she found out we are having a boy. The idea gets stronger and stronger every day. We're going to be a family. I was so excited that I told everyone in the shopping mart where I was, (and got some pretty strange looks for my effort). I'm so happy about my life right now. My life is over as I knew it in so many ways and in the same amount of ways, my life is just starting. I'm so happy. This place is amazing, I'm off to Ammas ashram in the morning.

Temple Town

I took a long train ride and ended up in Madurai. When I checked into the hostel, there was an elephant outside from the temple across the street having some rice and water. Are you kidding me? Just hanging out, having some lunch. I checked into my room and felt sort of groggy from the train ride and so I decided to take it easy. I walked through the town, which is more like a city, but not by Indian standards, just my own, which have no real bering here. I ate Tandori chicken and I was immediately in love. So, so good. There was also a view of the Sri Meenakshi temple but it was dark out and I could not see. I went home and went to bed to the sounds of Diwali i.e. very loud, random explosions.

The next morning I awoke and went to check out the temple. I ran into what I thought I would, touts. This guy dooped me into seeing a great view of the temple. It was a great view and I should say that the size of this temple is gargantuan. It's so incredibly big that my eyes had a hard time looking in just one direction. After I was done with the view, the guy actually tried to sell me a 3,000 dollar rug. What do you think Beth? He said it's an investment? Yeah, right. I spent about 45 minutes in there telling these cats I was all set and I met a guy from Canada named Iggy. He was playing the same game playing grab ass with these guys, we shook them and made for the temple.

Ok, good time so far. Things to see:

1.Sri Meenakshi Temple
2.Ghandi Museum
3.Big Palace
4.National Museum
5.Various Temples

We entered the temple grounds and before we got in Iggy recognized this guy who was sitting down. His name was Rama. I introduced myself and had no idea this guy would become my travel partner for the next few days. How could I have known? Rama is a Sadu. A wanderer, a holy man. We sat down with him and we started to buy little things like sweets, bracelets, etc. We would then give them away to people and just talk to them. He especially loves kids and so we would play with them and give them stuff. They closed the temple and so we went for late lunch. Yummy local Indian stuff that Rama knew would scare me. It was really good, I just hope I don't get a virus.

After we walked around and ended up talking to this young woman. We decided to go for ice cream in the nicest hotel in Madurai. The young woman, who had an awful limp, ended up being the Jackie Joyner Kersie of Indian Para-Olympics. She has all these medals and had just been accepted for the games next month, again. She was so cool. We walked around for a little longer and it started to get dark. I said goodbye to Iggy and told Rama I would try and meet him the next day. I went to eat Tandori Chicken again, which is quickly earning Bamboocha type status and went to sleep accomplishing none of my goals for the day that I had set for myself. Then again, I was happy I hadn't.

The next day I went back to the temple determined to see it. There was no stopping me to see great views and blah, blah. I went past where Rama was the day before but he was not there. I went into the temple and it was unreal. People worshiping God in a different way than I have ever seen. I felt like the only times I had seen stuff like this was in Indiana Jones. I couldn't help but think if I had pushed on the right hoof of this golden elephant that a secret room would open up and there would be a ritual where the evil guy chants something like "Num Num Shivi" and takes out some poor souls heart. Unless I can get past the guards and save the priceless piece that belongs in a museum. And get the girl. And not forget my hat.

I saw the Palace too, and that was the only other thing I had time for. It was huge and the only things remaining from the original are the dance and main hall. 60% of it is gone, which makes one in awe at what was taken down. This place must have been huge! I went back to my hotel and the guy at the front desk told me my friend was around looking for me. I went up to my room to get all my stuff because my train was leaving soon and when I came down, like clockwork there was Rama, with his kind eyes and infectious smile. We walked to the train station and wanted to come with me to Quilon (Kollam). I think I asked him if he was kidding and then said "hell yeah". We boarded the train and headed South for Kerala. To Be Continued...

Hole-E Sheyit, I'm In India

Ok.

India is very different than anywhere I've ever been. I thought it might be similar to Africa but I was dead wrong. It's richer but at the same time, there is massive poverty. You feel the pressure of 1 billion people at all times everywhere around you. The driving here makes driving in Africa look like a Sunday whimsy. The people begging assault you (no really, this lady had a stick in her hand and pelted me in the shin. Not as effective as you might think). Cows roam the street because they are sacred. The Internet cafe I'm in right now is blaring "Thriller". There are so many older people here than in Africa. Because we are so ashamed of our elderly in America and ship them to nursing homes and what not, I would say that you see way more elderly people here in India. Speaking of...

When I checked into the hotel, with hot water by the way, I had been up for 28 hours and was desperate for a nap. I took a big doze and woke up in the evening. I realized it would be a good idea to get cash out of the ATM (by the way, they have Ben Kingsly all over their currency here) before I left the next day. I asked the porter and he said that there was a citibank outside just to the left. I started walking and 20 minutes and 10 terrible directions later, I officially was lost. As I was asking this one guy a man that looked about 65 got off a bus. He said he could help me and I took a good look at him and used my judgement. He introduced himself as "Percy Lazurus, Risen From The Dead". His English was pretty good and he would break into gospel songs every now and again. We both agreed that Jesus was pretty cool and for the first time since I started reading it, knowing part of the bible ended up being useful. Percy Lazurus Risen For The Dead was actually 76 years old and just about as cute an angel I could have asked for.

We walked all around Chennai for about an hour and finally found the ATM. I got my money and afterwards he took me for some sweets, which are a pretty big deal here. I had this stuff called Mysore milk bars...oh my god...it's so...GOOD. I bought some stuff for him and his wife Matilda, (hey, thats a nice name, Bethany, think about it, Matilda Bean, Matilda, Matty, Mats, Tilda, Silly Matilly?) for helping and it made me happy to do it, because I knew he wasn't especially rich. I got some new sandals and we ducked into a little restaurant for a cool drink. After that I said goodbye to Percy Lazerus Risen From The Dead, and thanked him for being my first friend in India.

This place is crazy and it's wonderful. I'd heard it described as looking at the most beautiful thing along side the ugliest thing. I'm beginning to understand that, but that understanding will only grow and grow. I still don't have a ticket to Nepal? That has me a little worried but a wise man here told me that 90% of the things we worry about never happen. I like that. I'll write more soon and I'll put some pictures up too, I promise. Be good.

Nathan

Kwa Heri Africa

I can't believe my time here is over. I spent the last week in kind of a haze. It flew by because there was, all of a sudden, so much to do. I had to try and book train tickets and places to stay in India on unreliable Internet connections. I was in full goodbye mode all week which for me, who isn't great with good byes (thanks Ma), is emotionally taxing. Quinn and I busted our ass to get an agreement signed with the men who run the hotel and premises therein that Mama Rose resides on. We actually drafted a contract ourselves. Contracts are not easy and there is sort of an art to it i e: where to place certain words, demands, intros, etc. I had to get a bunch of pictures that I hadn't taken yet of people and places. I had to do laundry one more time before I left. I'll miss doing laundry by hand when this is all over, it's meditative. Martje, Quinn, and I put the finishing touches on the classroom. We put our hand prints all over the wall underneath "UNITY IS POWER", in the colors of the Tanzanian flag. It came out pretty well I think.

My last day started with the same ol' breakfast and Quinn and I went to Mama Roses for the parent, teacher, kids day event. Mama Roses boys made an airplane that said USA on one side and AIR CANADA on the other. The kids sang a couple songs including one that every kid got to do a solo. "My naaaaame is Dunkan, I am haaaapy, to be with you". Watching all the kids go I up I started to get a little emotional and anticipatory. I'm going to miss these kids in a very different way than I've missed anything or anyone before. They have done so much for me and not just opening my eyes and all that other type of stuff. They got to me. Really got to me. It's going to take a long time to feel how much I really love them and then when I do finally feel it, how will I react to the fact that all of these kids are starving when they come to school. Over half of them are HIV positive. Their future is so bleak and yet they are so content. They have no TV, no X-Box, no Hot Wheels, no toys really and yet, these were the happiest kids I've seen in a long time. When they were singing that song I also started to think about my child and how he/she/it will be singing in a class someday. I am going to be a father. Ok, moving on.

A little later in the day I brought Sabrina up to the new classroom and we sat down by the wall of hand prints. I deliberately put my hand print next to Sabrinas and I showed her that. I put my hand on mine and her hand on hers and she looked at me. I said we would be together no matter where I was and I had learned the word for 'heart' in Swahili so I said that I was in her "moyo" and she was in my "moyo". She kept looking at me with this sad confusion and I began to form tears in my eyes. She hugged me and as we were leaving she smiled at me which totally disarmed me from my somber mood. I'm going to miss her so much.

After the even was over I said good bye to all the kids and watched them pull away from the school in a dalla dalla for the last time. Mama Rose and her family of friends and I sat around talked and when it came time to leave (I still had not packed for heavens sakes), before the goodbye started coming I reminded them that I'd see them all later that night at my little gathering by the beach. I went home and packed all of my life into one bag, which is still a shocker, (and I don't mean that kind of shocker, I mean I was shocked, sickos).

I met up with everyone at the beach that night. We all sat around at the Italians bar, talked and shared stories. At one point I remember Martje saying that the crowd of people were mostly local. That made me feel really good actually because it meant that I had really put an effort in to know Africans. These people were so good to me and it felt right to spend my last dinner with them. Mama Roses family were all there which consist of:

Mama Rose
1.James
2.Lawrence
3.Robert
4.Stephen
5.Edward
5.Jennifer (Roberts Wife)
6.Masi (Robert and Jennifers beautiful girl) (MASI ATTACK!)

That's a big group and what an amazing family. They are some of the kindest people I've ever met in my life and I was blessed to be a part of their lives. Mama Rose took a short walk with me and I thanked her and we talked about my travels and what she was hoping to do with the school in the future. I told her I was going to try and help send volunteers to her in the future. I will be in contact with that family for as long as I live. I said good bye to Mama Rose and thanked her for being my Mom in Africa. She started to cry, which, of course means I started to cry. I said good bye to all the boys and Jennifer and Masi and pretty soon after that my night was finished.

Today I woke up and spent some time with Quinn. Quinn is partly what kept my sanity in tact on this trip. She was a constant feeling of home and a person here that I could trust and count on. We had so many long, wonderful talks about this and that. Thank God she was here. When the volunteers factioned off into Orphans vs. Mama Rose, (everything had to be a competition with the couple here, I'll be happy to be moving on from them. They were just the kind of people that have to win at everything and make you feel like a fool. Not jerks so much as just young and unwise. Pretty much like me at 25. Plus, the sour tone in the house had more to do with the Ball Foundation doing a terrible job of taking care of us and people complaining all the time. It's one of the reasons I'm excited to meet this friend of Bethanys. She has this debilitating disease and is in constant pain but never complains. Ever since Bethany told me about her, I think about that before I complain. I'm really abusing the parenthesis in these blogs. Sorry)) I felt so fortunate that she and I were on the same team. On the same level. On the same wavelength. She filled the role of best friend very nicely and I'm thankful for her.

I'm leaving now. I wish I could sum up what this time has meant to me but right now, I don't even know. What do I feel? I feel wonderful. I feel thankful. I feel sadness. I feel excited. I feel alive. I feel colorful. I feel like part of a family. I feel like having one more Bamboocha. I feel like staying. I feel like going home. I feel like going to India. I feel filthy. I feel incomplete. I feel filled with joy. I feel compassionate. I feel love. I feel Africa.

Salaama

Safari

Oh Wow,

I left for Arusha on a cramped bus at 8:30am on Friday. The bus ride was so long and with my knees starting to hurt and the sun going down, I was beginning to wonder if it was worth the hassle. I showed up in Arusha and the touts were in full force. Like Zanzibar but worse and knowing that all of them are full of shit is unsettling. I learned "Toka" in Swahili which means piss off. It worked. I got hooked up with a tour operator through my friend at U Dar, Jessica, and we set everything up. I slept in a sketchy place and ate some beef and chips. I locked everything up and went to sleep with more holes in the mosquito net than George W. had in his reasoning for going to war.

The next morning I awoke and met my Safari partners. Mr. Giraffe, from Arusha, was the uncle of the tour operator and a fine gentlemen. Stephen, from France, who was so incredibly French that it was hilarious. Everything about a stereotypical French guy with his speech "Ahhhhhh, what is word, oh-la-la, mmmmmmmmm yes" and his appearance was what you would imagine. The only thing that didn't fit was that he was so incredibly cool. He is a Buddhist and lives in Madagascar. The driver, Mike, knew great English and was a thoughtful and awesome driver. He has a girlfriend in Colorado so we kept joking that we must be family. The first place we went was Lake Manyara.

Beautiful backdrop on a beautiful day in the lush African forest and savannah. That's Lake Manyara. We went to the visitors center first to read some info and blah, blah, blah. The welcoming committee while we were there was a troop of about 40 baboons that were just traveling through. We left the visitors center and started our safari. It wasn't long before we saw our first animal. An elephant the size of a small apartment was standing right next to the road eating a tree. Eating a frigging tree. Are you kidding me? We went along and saw another troop of baboons who were walking along the road. We then turned a corner and I got to see my giraffe, eating the high leafs on a tree by a small river. He saw us come up and stood for a moment and then decided it would be best to bounce. Watching that creature move is amazing and the way they stare at you gave me a sense of their wisdom. We continued on and saw monkeys, impalas, and all sorts of stuff and then we were in the savannah. Wide open plains filled with zebra, wildebeast, 100's of different kinds of birds including flamingos. There was a hippo pool and in the far, far distance we could see a couple of lions. Wow.

We went and had lunch under a acacia tree, my favorite tree in the world I think and what Mike told me they called, "the shade of Africa". After lunch we ended up observing these three elephants who Mike said were brothers. One of the little guys was acting skittish about getting in the pool to cool off. He kept sort of inching towards it but wouldn't go in. Finally, the BIG brother pushed him into the pool by running his head into his but. If I had a big brother, I would have felt even more sentimental than I already did. We left soon after and it was off to Mosqutio village to spend the night (that's not a cute name it actually is called Mosquito village).

We woke up early the next morning and headed off to N'gorongoro Crater west of where we were staying. We entered into the conservation area and the fog was everywhere. It was one of those, "felt like I was in a dream moments", but even more surreal because it looked like the middle of the jungle. We came around a corner and all of a suddenly there was a clearing and we were looking down on a plain that went as far as my eyes could see. Mike told us that it was the Serengheti. They are part of the same ecosystem and even though we were officially a hundred km from the park, there it was.

We started our descent into the crater and I have to tell you, I've never seen anything like this. A volcano exploded in this area a million years ago and now this flat surface remains with a couple lakes, a forest, and grass when everywhere else is dry. It's surrounded by an escarpment 500 ft. straight up on all sides. Wow. We got to the bottom and met some Massai people who were tending their cattle and wanted money from us, I said "hapana pesa bwana, pole sana", and we drove on. I can't tell you how teaming with wildlife this place is. Everything we saw yesterday, sans giraffe, plus warthogs, rhino, gazelle, jackal, ostrich, more birds, buffalo, hyena, and more.

When you ride on safari you stand out the top of the roof and take pictures in awe. My head was on a swivel trying to take everything in. The wildebeest would number in the hundreds with the zebra and gazelle. It was dusty as hell but that's all part of the gig and Mike had something cool to say about every animal. The coolest thing I saw on safari was a pride of lions that had just killed two zebras. Four lions were sitting by a pool and two were patrolling the kills, protecting the food from scavengers. The jackals had the biggest balls as far as I'm concerned, walking right up to the kill and taking bites before Ms. lioness was like, "uh-uh, no you dit-int", and ran over to scare him off.

We had lunch by a hippo pool and there were these birds, like hawks, that would bomb people who were eating out in the open. Serves em' right, this is their turf. Which leads well into my next story. After we started again I had to go to the bathroom and I asked Mike if we could stop and to my surprise, he said yes. I stepped out onto the floor of the crater with nothing around but 1000's of animals and as I looked out I had the strangest feeling. I am quite simply, just an animal. That's all we all are, and being surrounded by all these animals was humbling and wonderful. As we moved on I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't a zoo, this is how they live, this is WHERE they live.

At the end of the day I got inexcusably cheesy and I got my disc man and played, "The Circle Of Life", from The Lion King, while we were going past a herd of wildabeast, and yes, I got goose bumps. Hey, at least my kid is going to dig when I do shit like that. We left too soon for my liking anyway (I could have stayed there for 4 more days) and headed back to Arusha.

The trip home was as long as the trip up. As we left the roof of Africa which was cloud covered when I came up was out in full force as we went past Moshi. I got to look at Mt. Kilamajaro and it isn't quite as high as I expected but it is enormously wide and regardless of any size, it's beautiful. When I got to Dar I made my way home via a dalla-dalla and realized quickly that I was leaving Africa soon. This time has, at the risk of sounding like everyone else who comes to places like this, flown by. I feel so fortunate to have had this time, wait, you know what, not yet. I still have another week.

peace & balance,

Nathan

Classroom and H.O.V.A.

Hey Yall'

This will be just a quick update. Tomorrow I leave for Arusha to organise a safari. Arusha is about a 10 hours on a bus so I'll be sure and listen to a bunch of music on the way. Thank God for the disc man. I was supposed to go on safari with a few friends and the driver here but Kari, the same dolt who runs the organization, screwed everything up. He's sort of a master at that. He wouldn't let Thomas, the driver, take us up because of timing constraints. coughcoughBULLSHITcoughcough. It actually has worked out though because I'm going to be in India alone soon and I feel I've had very little practice at that. Not that I'm ever really alone. I travel with God. Happy Ramadan by the way.

I have pretty much finished the classroom at Mama Roses. It looks pretty good. I still want to hang some decorations but it's all cleaned up with desks and everything. The answer to your question is yes, I did finish the chalkboard and it was the hardest thing I've ever put together. It's what they call a "labor of love". I used to think that was some cheesy comment until I actually did a labor of love and now I understand. It feels so good to know that this will be here after I'm gone. Quinn came in a painted the words "Unity Is Power". Everyday Mama Rose starts off with singing songs with the kids and one of them is a song about going to market. At the end of the song she and all the kids are singing "Unity digadumdigadum Is Powah digadumdigadum Unity...". It's wonderful time of the day and I think she is right. On the 14th, The kids, their parents, Mama Rose and her boys, Quinn and I are all having a get to know you and thank you session. At that time we will all, underneath the "Unity Is Power" put our hands in paint and leave our hand prints on the wall. YEAH!!!

So, last night I went to see the 8th wonder of the world. Jigga man himself. H to the iz O, V to the iz A, H.O.V.A. Jay Z (for those of you, like, I don't know, my Grandparents, {who, I recently found out are reading this via printed pages by my wonderful Aunt Betty, Nana and Gramps I love you so much}, who don't know who Jay Z is, he is one of the most popular hip hop stars alive.) The show was at Diamond Jubilie, which is basically like an expo center back home. Oh my God, it was amazing. He just went ahead and rocked the mic in Africa. Of all people in all places, I saw Jay-Z in Africa. Seeing a show like that here was different than in America. We just danced and had a good time and everyone, EVERYONE was feelin' it. Little bit a Brooklyn in Dar.

After the show was over Myself and 5 others from the University of Dar including fellow Traelpodder Jessica (what up girl) took a taxi home. We piled in and the trip there was sketchy at best. When we reached the campus, 4 of the kids got out and it was the lone Tanzanian in from with his Tanzanian driving brethren and me in the back. The guy not driving lived a few km of campus and I started to notice that he was talking to the driver a lot. I didn't think much of it until the guy tuned around and asked me if I could drive. I sort of giggled like "are you kidding"? I could see by the look on his face he wasn't. It turns out the driver didn't know how to drive. I suck it up and say, "Yeah, I know how to drive". The more accurate answer would have been, "Yeah, I know how to drive a Chevy in America on the right side of the road".

The guy gets out of the car and gives me directions for where I live, a mere 15 miles away. The driver hops in shotgun and I quickly realize what Tanzanian cars are like. Even the nicest cars have the shifter on the left. Wierd. I get on the road and immediately head to the right side of the road, bad move. There's no 2nd or 4th gear. The brakes are all but shot. The stearing would be better described as aiming, like I was in a boat. And of course, there was a headlight out. We're off. I hit speedbumps and caught air I think, and I won't even go into what the potholes are like here. For some reason, in Tanzania, people don't dim their high beams so whenever a car came I lost sight of the road (serious lack of street lamps as well). 45 minutes and a few early gray hairs later I pulled into my driveway. Wow. I left the driver and as I walked away I said a little prayer for him.

Other than that, it's been business as usual. My time is winding down here and soon it will be off to India. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I guess everyone says that when they are in such a strange and wonderful place. I won't do the goodbye Africa email just yet though. I'm leaving for safari in a few hours. I've been saying the whole time that all I wanted to see was a giraffe. Looks like it's on. As the rastas say here...

Peace and Love,

Nathan