Africa, Italy, Greece, Everything else

Well I think I will wait until another day to write about Africa and the village. It was such a convoluted and often times overwhelming experience that I will have to wait until I have the time and motivation to digest my thoughts and feelings enough to really articulate them in writing. Needless to say I made it through the village and I went back to Dar es Salaam for a few days before heading to Italy.

In Italy, after Emirates Airlines, in all its #1 rated glory, lost my bag for a few days, I was able to get situated. I ended up being the bartender, after  learned some of the cocktails. Every night was excited, as I served people from all over the world. I had some great conversations and made a lot of great friends. I also saw my first castle! That was cool. It was decked out in many limestone carvings.

I did go to Rome for three days. It was beautiful city, but nothing unexpected. The most interesting thing that happened was sharing a drink with a crazy pedi-taxing driver next to the colluseum at night. It was perfectly quiet, and the guys pulls up. We share some wine and beer, he tells how he was imprisoned in Kenya (?) and later tells me he would have to kill me. I can't remember why exactly, but it was in a pleasant voice, so I was too worried. But I did leave shortly after.

I ended up leaving the hostel job in Naples last minute after I was fired for not making beds correctly. The manager was pretty insane and had some control issues, so I ended up buying a cheap ticket to athens because I've always wanted to see Greece.

In the airport on the way over I found a couchsurfing place. It was called the travel house. It was an organization run by two Serbian girls, and each year they get an apartment in a different city and host travellers. The travellers can donate however much they want to stay there, and people from all over the world sleep on the floors and balconies. It was a great community. lots of good people and camaraderie. I ended up sneaking into the Parthenon with a polish guy I met there. Everyone was very nice. Great experience.

Afterwards I found a note saying there was free camping on the island of Agistri, at the travel house. I got a 10 euro ferry to the island and camped there. It ws super cool. Lots of hippie students from athens, as well as some old wrinkly (but happy :)  ) hippies that lived nude on the beach. Most people were friendly, although most conversation was in Greek, so I was lost a bit. It was bit a lonely camping alone in the hills of the island, but it was also beuatiful, even a bit magical. From my little spot on the hills I could see the harbors of neighboring islands, and the red and orange sunsets lapping on the turqouise waters of the Aegean. Occasionally I would also see the bare ass of a stray beach bum too.

I tried unsuccessfully to get a position as a deckhand on a sailboat in Athens, and also Agistiri, so I caught a cheap ferry to the larger island of Aegina. There I stayed on the beach for a night, and asked around the docks, but to no avail. Finally I found a listing on Workaway for a hotel on the island, in the small fishing village of Perdika. However, when I got there to inquire, they were full, but the owner did suggest I go ask the restaurants if they would like some help serving for the foreign tourists. The second one did, and I worked there for four days.

Each day was a bit terrifying, as it was a family restaurant, and the teenage daughter and mother were always yelling at each other in Greek. Occassionally I would get caught in the crossfire, but usually i just looked at my feet in the corner or pretended to be busy with something. It was hard work for 20 euros a day and two meals, but it was a beautiful harbor.

I also made two friends. When I was sleeping on the public beach each night, one night tow girls from Athens happened to be doing the same, Athena and Joanna. They were sisters who lived together in Athens. We talked the whole night, and a few night later I stayed with them in Athens, after I finished up at the restaurant.

I roamed the city with Joanna, and was able to clean up from over a week of sleeping in forests and beaches. After staying for three days there, I came to Thessaloniki by train mostly. I've been couchsurfing here the last three days, although I don't know where I will be staying tonight. My workaway position in Istanbul was given to a Syrian Refugee so I'm a bit stuck now. However, I do have a another position in Istanbul in 10 days. Perhaps I will camp for a week or so. But until then peace and love  :)

Drifting Jonny

Heading to Mbeya

I've been living in Kibaha for about two weeks now. I'm starting to catch on to simple conversations in Swahili. This last week I've been teaching at school in Kibaha. I've been teaching english, explaining US politics, and also some pretty sweet dance moves.

Africans LOVE dancing, so any reference is always a good way to get a smile. In fact I had dinner with Joseph's parents-in-law. The kids wanted to show me thier dances, and asked me to teach me an American dance. Apparently an Australian volunteer showed them some so I had high expectations.

No knowing any other, I taught them the macarena. I just did it to some african drum music on the radio. The kids loved it, and the adults thought it was funny. So if you're ever in Tanzania and a bunch of kids aredoingthe macarena in the bush, you'll know why.

I've been having coffee at a small coffee stand an old man sets up each evening. There all the men gather for thier business "meeting" to drink coffee and tea. I've been learning Swahili there and they all have fun watching me make bizarre sentences with my limited vocabulary.

I went to a Massai church last sunday. The Masai are a tribe that histroically raise cattle and live exculisvely off dairy and meat. Now they have a more vaired diet thanks to limited grazing land. The sang songs along with an old radio, and the boys and girls did simple dances. The boys just jumped up and down in unision mostly and the girls swayed.I jumped up there too and got groovy!

Afterwards the pastor asked the small congreagation if any would like to show me thier homes. Many people volunteered, but I ended up going with the matriach of the village, a nice old lady. We walked about 15 min into the bush to her hut. The house are still built traditionally, of mud and sticks, but there is some bits of civilization around-tarps, rubber shoes, and empty bottles. A young boy also dragged me over to see his two cows. He was very excited to show me.

I tried some food, a mother invitedme into her home. It was ungali and melinde. Basically a flour dough ball and a slimy cheese and oil mixture.

I'm heading out to I need to get ready for tomorrow! Bye!

In Africa Mon

I arrived in Tanzania on Monday and Joseph picked me up from the airport with his friend Johnson. They came in a dusty 90's corolla turned taxi, and after failing to squeeze the donation suitcases into the trunk, the driver threw them in the front seat and we all sat in the back.

As we raced through the muggy Dar es Salaam air, motorbikes passed us on all sides. The driver passed vehicles in a shockingly coordinated traffic scheme that defied Western conceptions of traffic flow. We progressed into Kibaha and got drinks at the only bar in the market area, a huge thatched mechanism with food and pool tables.

I had a nice night listening to the bugs in Africa, shrouded in a nice mosquito net. The next day I hopped on to a very crowded bus with Joseph and went with him to his Internet cafe. I walked around town and learned some Tanzanian checkers.I am the only white person I know of in town, so most people noticed me.

Many were very friendly, introducing themselves in English if they knew.I'm starting to pick up Swahili, but I still cant hold a conversation in it.

The town is a maze of homemade shops more akin to a carnival set up then town by American standards. The streets are dirt,and dirt bike taxis race through from all directions. But the food is good, especially the fruit. Fresh mangoes and avocados. Yum!

I made a website for Josephs orphanage on wix and have been looking for grant opportunities, but haven't had much luck.

So far everyone has been friendly, and I've been introduced to the huge variety of sounds Africans make, squeaks, grunts and everything in between. A conversation can be very fun to watch as there is much laughing and slapping and grunting, even for mundane topics.

Tonight i will meet a volunteer from Australia that is coming in from Igamba.I will post pictures of the town another time!

Bedai!
'see you later'in Swahili

Working in the Keys! Sea Base 2014

This summer has been an interesting one. With a nonchalant, last ditch effort to procure employment after an internship at IDEO did not work out, I fortunately got a job at the Boy Scout's Florida Sea Base. I've been working at their docks since April 18th, mostly doing swim checks and helping provision boats. Though I haven't been able to do as much sailing as I would like, I have met a ton of really interesting people, and made lots of new friends from all over the country. I started doing yoga with a little Asian lady who works in the office named Yin. Hopefully I will be able to do some sailing with her and her husband, Cpt. Ron. Always good to know somebody with a boat!

I was able to help my friend Ryan Marskbury land a job down here. We jam on the ukelele and harmonica every once in a while.

My parents came down over 4th of July weekend, and I spent the day in Key West. We rented a little hobie cat, so that was cool. We also met a little family in hte KOA campground set up a tent. The father turned out to be a Romanian tennis coach. Most importantly though, I drank margaritas with my mom and smoked a cuban-rooled cigar with my dad!!

I went spinnaker flying with one of the captains here, which is basically using a spinnaker sail and harness to fly over the water, usually 20-30 ft. Very neat.

I'm almost open water scuba certified. Its very difficult to find time and instructors (especially since I'm not a chick) but I think i'll manage it before then end of the summer

I also found one of the coolest hangout spots I've ever seen. An old bridge kids jump off of into a canal, way off the beaten path down south. Another cool spot is this huge abandoned house about a mile down from base. Its a big concrete structure with its on little peninsula. It reminds me of something out of the Great Gatsby. I got a group together to do naked yoga on the roof and sleep on it. It was awesome (nice breeze too) There's a 360 view of the ocean from the roof, and is a awesome spot to watch the frequent lightning storms off in the distance

The biggest achievement this summer was surprisingly within myself. I'm learning to take sometimes unfavorable circumstances and make the most of them. This job can make one very frustrated, but learning to control how you perceive reality is very important, and I've definitely grown in that regard. Without a car, it becomes very easy to become stuck and aggravated after weeks straight on the little base. But staying busy and organizing events and activities with the resources available is the way to stay optimistic in an otherwise bum situation. I've been organizing little cookouts on the beaches and different things to bring the staff together and make the most of my summer. I suppose that's what I'm most proud of.

Other than that, being down here really makes me want to take off in a sailboat, and this experience has shown me I really could do it. Its not some sort of fantastic dream, but a lifestyle that many people live happily.

Until next time, take it easy

Me at the "Jumping Bridge" on sugar loaf key.

 Water Spout at the Brinton center

 The dock and boats I provision. (With Yin and Cpt. Ron on the dock...)

 History of Diving museum in Tavernier, just north of Islamorada

Sea Exploring vessels for 20 person crews. I drive the kids to them in passenger vans

Manatees from the Stock Island dock at mm 20

docking boats with Lauren. 66 likes on facebook ;)

Snorkeling Alligator reef

Sunset from the sea wall

Video of dolphins fishing from the dock

New Adventure on the Horizon

Once again, a restless itch to explore and travel as been gnawing away at my innermost thoughts. After reading Mark Twain's compelling classic Huckleberry Finn, my childhood dream to travel the Ohio and Mississippi rivers has been rekindled. I'm still in the preliminary stages of planning, but this is something I would like to do this Summer if fate allows. I planning on either making a pontoon boat out of 55 gallon plastic food barrels or finding the hull of an old speed boat and  retrofitting it to my needs. My friend Nathan, Maddie, and of course Nathanael are on board. Hope it works out!!

Portlandia and Beyond

So I arrived at Portland and stayed with a man named Peter Glenn. Peter himself was a world traveler, and designed his own home amongst other things. Interesting guy. He did my horoscope. Though I'm quite the skeptic, it was fun to see what the planet's effects on me were. Apparently I'm supposed to be coming into a large inheritance later in life... looking at you Mom and Dad...

So the first day I hit downtown. That was pretty cool. Went to Powell's bookstore, one of the largest in the world. I then went to a fancy clothing department store and skyped in front of the Gucchi section, classing the place up with my dirty travelling clothes. The thing about Portland is it is so fast-paced. If Colorado Springs felt smaller than it was, then Portland felt bigger than it was. And the stereotypes about the plethora of coffee shops and bicycles are true.

The next day Peter took me to the coast, and I got to see the gorgeous Oregon beaches and sea rocks. And finally made it to the Pacific Ocean. Touched the end of the continent!

I also visited the Tillamook cheese factory, which was pretty cool.

The next day I helped Peter cut some firewood on some property he has. Got an up close look at the local flora. Tried to keep up with my math class which didnt go quite as smoothly as I hoped. But hey I'm in portland, young people come here to retire anyways. 

Later I went to the Sunday Market. Plenty of cool trinkets. Plus I saw this performer, which was cool

As far as all the extreme quirkiness that has been so lovingly stereotyped by the show Portlandia, I did not really see that. It definitely had some neat features, but not to the extent I was hoping for.

I did take a run around the Nike headquarters, and that place is nothing but a white-collar, urban paradise.

Peter later took me to see Mt. Hood, a popular ski destination with a historic lodge built by the CCC during the depression. It also happened to be the place where they shot the opening scene from the Shining, which is kind of disturbing. We then drove up the Columbia River Gorge, checked out the wind-surfing mecca of hood river, and saw some beautiful, but loud tourist-ridden waterfalls.

Hood River

View of Columbia River Gorge from the historic scenic Highway outlook

Later, I headed back downtown and stopped at an Iranian food truck. I'm not exactly sure what I ate, but it wasn't bad. 

I then  said my goodbyes to Peter, who generously showed me around town, and went to stay a few nights with a sister of my former economics teacher, Mr. Brogan. This gave me a chance to put a dent in my math and relax. The family was very hospitable, and it was good place to recooperate. When my craigslist rides flaked on me three times (I begining to wonder if Craigslist isn't 100% reliable) they generously bought me a plane ticket to Denver.

 The night before I left, however, I stumbled upon a house party down the street. It was pretty cool. They rented a taco truck, so you know it's legit. I walked in and they welcomed me. It was supposed to be western themed, but I dont think people in Portland know how to dress like that. It looked more like a gathering of hipsters listening to weird techno-country than a gang of cowboys and cowgirls. Other than being significantly younger than most, it was pretty fun. I just chilled by the fire and tried to tell how I got where I was to drunk people. They seemed to enjoy it. The property it was on was also super cool, kind of like an urban oasis.

After that I went to Denver and stayed with some friends of Mr. Brogan's, Shawn and his wife Carolina. Turned out Shawn was a landscape architect, which was cool for me since I had seriously considered pursuing that myself. They showed me around the Denver night life which was pretty cool. Would have been more fun had I been 21 though. The next day Shawn took me to Boulder, and I got to see what everybody raved about. It was pretty cool, but maybe a bit overrated. Lots of Tibetan shops for some reason. Also the rain probably put a big damper on the weather-sensitive Colorado crowds.I'd like to go back sometime and try rock climbing there. 

Then I hopped on a Greyhound that evening and headed out to the ranch in South Dakota. Feels good to be here.

Thanks Peter, Raney and Brett, and Shawn and Carolina for putting me up!!

Off to Portland

I had a good time helping Rick and Karen move out. A gorgeous house for sure. I also got the chance to go sailing with thier son chad, which was fun. But now I have to keep looking west, to the direction of adventurers, wanderers, and dreamers. Jack Kerouac describes goodbyes as the to huge world vaulting us into the horizon. So this morning I leave for one of the most unique cities in the world, Portland, OR. I have a feeling I'm going to love this place. Farewell Idaho, it's been real.