Archives >

It is amazing to think that such a vast deserty area as the middle east is where civilization chose to take hold. The environment is not always an easy one to live in. Although I must admit that the abundance of several different kinds of dates makes it much more tolerable. The truth is that where a desert may seem difficult and forbidding, the locals who have lived there since the beginning of time are, of course accustomed to its sands, its winds and its waters. Water seems to dictate life here though in some places you can find life where you would think that there shouldn’t be any. I sometimes thought of people wandering through the desert (for reasons I could only guess at) and stopping to make camp in what seems like the middle of nowhere, and then just staying there and making a village or a town. Somehow making life work.

(more…)

We find that by this time it doesn’t take much to get us thinking of our homeland. The homesickness has definitely engraved a spot in our hearts. We daydream of the cool fresh Canadian air and of playing in the soft, white, fluffy snow. These thoughts tend to give us a little extra momentum when it seems as though we’re stuck in slow motion.

There is however another side effect to these thoughts. One that has only hit us hard once so far. The urge to stop the travel and fly back to a normal life. It does take some will power to get past this point. We think that’s a big reason why it’s so rare to find people traveling for more than a year or two at a time. So why are we doing it? We believe we are here to construct a life that we will be content with on our death bed. For us it includes an appreciation for all things and a worldly understanding that can only be achieved by an adventure of epic proportions.

We are not entirely selfish in this endeavor however it may seem. In order to ensure that we as humans have a future we must be able to understand each other. Without understanding there is space for resentment and fear. Both of which lead to hate. People cannot work together if fear is blinding them. Most people we discuss culture with have preconceptions about the ones they know very little about. It is in the hands of the knowledgeable and experienced to educate people and pass on a greater understanding to future generations.

As we watch the Spanish coastline disappear behind us we can’t help but think about what lies in store for us in Africa.  Our minds are filled with images portrayed in the media but also questions as to the true nature of Africa.  Will we encounter corruption, disease or violence?  What about fairness, well-being and harmony?  We know that in order to gain an understanding of the African people we’ll need to communicate with them.  We have confidence in our ability to communicate with people but will we be able to share in their stories as well as ours?  Will we make a horrible faux pas and be boiled in a cannibal’s cauldron of human soup?  We realize that it’s impossible for us to have complete confidence going into a territory that is so unknown to us.  This uncertainty creates anxiety and warms our skin with anticipation.  Excitement is really the only word for it and adventure is what lies ahead.

(more…)