A Day in Morocco

It seems a bit strange that we would take a tour to Africa while visiting Spain, given we now live in Africa, but a day trip to Morocco  was something we couldn't miss.  So at 8:05am Wednesday morning Randy and I were standing at the entrance to our resort along with 16 other tourists waiting for the tour bus to pick us up. 

In total there was 37 people on our tour with more than a third of them from Canada, which really surprised me. I had no idea so many Canadians travelled to Spain, especially in the off season. The makeup of the group was quite interesting with most of the people over the age of 45........ A few young couples, and a few single girls who were traveling the world. You do have to ask yourself "why 5 sisters, who have trouble walking would book themselves on a walking tour?" They were all over 50, all very, very over weight; one needed a cane and one needed someone else to carry her very " heavy" bag. Honestly it wasn't so heavy as I picked it up and swung it over my shoulder. Anyways seeing them struggle was certainly motivation to keep exercising so that I don't have to quit going on walking tours anytime soon or hold everyone else up.

The bus was right on time and fortunately we were the last resort stop to be picked up. Once boarded we drove through the countryside heading to Tarifa, where we would catch the ferry to cross the Strait of Gibraltar.  The trip across the Strait was approximately 45 minutes and according to our tour guide we had the special privilege of travelling Business Class.   Not sure it was really Business Class but we did have the entire section at the front of the ferry to ourselves. The seats were a little worse for wear but overall comfortable.

When we left Spain is was windy and cool (only 15 degrees) but arriving in Tangier Morocco it was sunny and warm.

We were herded off the ferry onto a tour bus that would drive us through the different areas of the town. Tangier is a melting pot with numerous ethnic districts coming together to make a gorgeous city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Our Moroccan tour guide spoke very clear English. He told us they learn English in school and speak Spanglish at home. When he was speaking to the Moroccans it didn't sound like Spanish or English...lol. 

The first stop on our tour was for a short, (and I do mean short) 2 minute camel ride. The tour buses stop along the side of the road where several camel pullers anxiously wait for tourist to disembark. For a mere 2 euros we each had an opportunity to mount the camel and ride around in a small circle. Of course there was a man with a camera taking pictures which we would meet up with later. Even though I had ridden a camel before I wanted to enjoy the adventure once again. Plus the baby camel was so cute! 

Back on the bus we were headed to the the point were the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. Cap Spartel is a pure tourist  spot with all the normal souvenir venders ready to releave you of your money. However I escaped without spending an euro. 

Next stop was at the Kasba. A  Kasba is a type of medina, Islamic city, or fortress.

It was a place for the local leader to live and a defense when a city was under attack. A kasbah has high walls, usually without windows. The Tangier Kasba was built at the entrance to the harbour, on the side of the hilltop so that it could be easily defend the residence against attack. We were off to Rock the Kasba.

Walking through the Kasba the route was complicated, with lots of turns and very narrow streets. I am sure without the help of our guide we would never have found are way about. But how cool. The venders would jump out on front of us trying to sell their wears but we didn't have time to stop or we would be left behind and everything they were trying to sell was probably fake. Sterling, leather, jewellry, etc. Stopping to see the snake charmer was not quite what I expected. The cobra snake was small and placed on the road, while one man played the tambourine and the second encouraged the snake to dance. After a few minutes the cobra was stuffed into a wooden box with a lid and a second snake was pulled out.  Did I want to hold it? Naturally my first thought was "NO", but then I thought why not try. This was definitely a safe controlled opportunity. 

Continuing on we finally reached the restaurant where we enjoyed an authentic Moroccan meal. Soup, meat, kebabs (maybe it was goat?), couscous with some type of meat and vegetables, and baklava soaked in honey. It was extremely tasty and plentiful. Definitely more than I could eat.

Then the serious shopping began as our guides took us to a carpet, leather, jewellry shop where he insisted we could buy quality goods. While we were told that we should negotiate hard for any item we were interested in and that no one would be offended regardless of how low we offered, they really didn't negotiate that hard.  I saw a wonderful silver bracelet with a jewelled butterfly on it. The sales person offered it to me for a mere €290 or $420. We were told to offer a fifth of the price so I indicated $100.  The sales person told me I have expensive taste and his best price was €240. Then he let me walk away.  I certainly didn't need it not did I want to spend even a $100 on a bracelet, so it was easy decision to walk away.

Each of the five sisters, plus several others bought beautiful carpets, that would be shipped to the States. Us- I bought a pair of leather ballet slippers for a whole €18. All I really needed and very comfortable.

Last stop on the tour was the spice shop. As we entered the store we were all asked to take a seat. Then the owner put on a small presentation of all their products and their uses. Saffron, eucalyptus black seed, argon oil, orange oil, and white musk to name a few. We smelled, looked at and past around each of the samples. Then came the sales job. We were each given a clear plastic bag as the presenter and his team asked "how many of each item we would like?" "€5 each or buy 2 and the third one is free. Within minutes each of us had a bag full of goodies and we lined up to pay.  They really had the sales process down to a fine art and I am positive everyone bought something.

Then it was time to hustle back to the ferry to start the voyage back to Spain. We rushed and hurried, avoiding the street venders, who continued to jump in front of us as we walked, and were back on the boat waiting to go. Then we waited, and waited some more. Turns out there was a problem with a few stowaways. An hour later the boat was moving on our way back to Tarifa. 

Once back in Spain we needed to clear customs. Our guide kept saying "keep together. If we go together as a group we will get through in 2 minutes. If not it can take 10 minutes per person and we will be here over an hour. So keep together". When we got to immigration we were all together but the agent seemed to be taking his time. Next thing you know our guide is yelling at the agent. I am thinking "oh no", but the agent stands up and starts pushing the group through. I don't think he even looked at my passport. 10 minutes later we are all back on the bus heading down the A7 towards our resorts.

It was an awesome day, full of gorgeous views, exotic animals, good food and some interesting shopping. So glad we took the tour! 

A weekend at Lake Kivu

Friday night at the Rubengera compound was Alaskan night. One of the expats is from Sitka, Alaska and she had just returned from vacation at home bringing with her ten pounds of fish, shrimp and four cans of smoked salmon. We were definitely in for a feast tonight's celebration of Alaska Day.

1. Alaska Day marks the anniversary of the formal transfer of the territory from Russia to the United States and the raising of the United States flag at Sitka on October 18, 1867. It is usually celebrated on October 18 each year.

 The drink of the evening was White Russians curtesy of Randy, which kept him very busy mixing drinks all evening.  After filling our bellies with bread and salmon dip, ( I could have licked the bowl clean, however refrained and someone else did), and seafood it was time for games.

The first test was to walk the log. Now normally this would seem fairly simple, however there was a complicated twist to this log walk. The coordinator had found a 25 foot long log and trimmed it of all branches and bark, then the log was greased with cooking oil. That is were the real challenge came to play. Members of the team took of their shoes and socks and attempted to walk the log. Not only was normal balancing a component of the task, the oil made the log extremely slippery and participants struggled to stay on for even 2 feet. As people slipped and fell it was apparent it would only be a matter of time before someone fell and seriously hurt themselves, but fortunately no one did. After numerous attempts by lots of people, one individual finally mastered approximately 8 feet and was declared the winner. 

Next we were treated to a play focused on a reenactment of the sale of Alaska from the Russians to the United States. I am sure that other than the consumption of a lot of vodka and that the sale was actually transacted very little else in the play was anywhere near accurate. We laughed our heads off as the four actors attempted to teach us about the history of Alaska.

Now that we had seen the play it was time to test our knowledge of Alaskan facts and trivia. Turns out my one trip to Alaska was of little help. Divided into three teams the questions started to roll. Even with some good guessing our team managed to come last. Lol. Who knew that Alaska was sold for 2 cents/acre or the name for Alaskan boots? Apparently mukluks isn't  right. The prize for the winning team was of course bragging rights, which we definitely heard.

For some members of the team is was time to head off to their individual homes, for others it was time to dance and party. We stayed for a short time and then called our taxi driver to take us down to Kibiriz House. It was a fun night with tonnes of laughs. Just not sure I am ready to dance and drink all night anymore. Plus we were spared the terrible hangovers some of the others sported the next morning.

One of the expats rents a gorgeous house at Lake Kivu, Kibuye, Rwanda and graciously offered to let us use it for the weekend. Having been to Comoran Lodge which is right next door on Wednesday afternoon I knew the location was beautiful and would provide a relaxing atmosphere for Randy to rest.

With the generous offer from our friends we offered to look after their dog for the weekend. Buster turned out to be the best behaved dog ever, who stayed by our side and never barked the whole time.

Arriving at the house we were totally impressed. The yard and lake were absolutely breathtaking and the house was almost exactly what we would like in our dream home. The livingroom and master bedroom are on the main floor looking out over the property and lake. The second floor is an open loft looking over the living room and out over the lake. Simple, cozy and comfortable. 

The back of the house features a huge deck with an amazing, open turret fireplace on the side.

We spent the afternoon walking down to the lake, exploring the property and relaxing on the deck. At least until the thunderstorm started. As the rains started to pour down and the thunder cracked through the sky, we headed indoors with Buster cowering under our feet afraid of the thunder.

After a filling dinner of spaghetti, we couldn't think of anything better than to sit on the deck with a nice fire to warm our souls. But where would we find wood? Then Randy found the owners instructions indicating if we went up to the gate of the compound and ask the attendant (for a few francs),

someone would come light a fire for us. So with flashlight in hand I wandered up the path looking for the attendant. Remembering that everyone in Rwanda speaks French and mine isn't that great Randy suggested I take a pack of matches with me. It turned out to be a good idea. After a bit of sign language and an attempt at saying "feu, si vous plat" I lite a match and literally the light went on for all of us. Three young men said "oui" and raced off to get wood.  A few minutes later they were back with several long logs, a box of matches and a machete. Back at our house one young man climbed into the fireplace, a second chopped the wood and the third "supervised".  Before long they had a roaring fire going, we would enjoy for the rest of the evening. We probably overpaid but the whole experience and evening by the fire was more than worth it.

Next Stop Rwanda

One of the last things my dear friend Raid said to me before leaving for Africa was "travel safe and don't go to Rwanda". So when Randy said we were going to Rwanda for two weeks, I felt that internal fear rise up inside me. However, Randy had already been there once before and assured me the country was now one of the safest countries in Africa. OK, but my guard was still up.

Arriving at Kigali airport, the customs process was very straight forward and the agents actually "welcomed" us to Rwanda. The airport has been recently upgraded and the architecture quite impressive. As the city unfolded before our eyes I was totally impressed. Clean beyond your imagination, not a scrap of paper, garbage or debris could be found on the roads and the countryside.

First a quick stop at the One Acre Fund (Tubura) guest house in Kigali to pick up an interview candidate that needed a ride to the Country Directors home. A quaint home with a great view overlooking the valley and city of Kigali. 

The trip from Kigali to Rubengera was about a 3 hour drive through gorgeous countryside. We quickly understood why Rwanda is known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills", as we drove through the twists and turns of the curvy mountain roads. Looking out across the valleys the hills are tiered to prevent crop and soil erosion creating a truly artistic view of the landscape.  

Today was Sunday and the side of the road was filled with Rwandans walking to and from the small towns along the way. I of course made the assumption that they were heading to or from church. At one point our driver stopped to let us take pictures. We were immediately meet by several young boys eager to tell us the history of the area and valley. The boys ranged from about 8 to 14 years of age. One of the older boys proceeded to tell me the legend of the valley while a younger boy recited the same rendition to Randy. It was as if the younger boy was following the lead of his older friend to help learn and memorize the presentation.  After finishing the story the boys broke into song, with one young fellow playing a hand made musical instrument. Although I knew they were performing in hope of receiving  a tip, the whole experience made my heart sing, even if I had no idea what they were telling us.  Something about big rocks is all I got out of the translation. Of course we happily gave the group a reward for their efforts. I only hope the entire group was able to share the cash we handed to the oldest boy (?). For the rest of the trip we simply sat back and enjoyed the scenery.

Once we arrived at Ruebengera, there seemed to be a bit of confusion on where the driver should take us. The main compound, the office, or the Kibirii House (which would be where we sleep each night). So first we dropped our bags off at the Kibirii House and then headed over to the main compound. 

Getting to the Kibirii House is an adventure in itself. Let me try and explain. You turn into town off the main highway and follow a dirt road, crossing over wooden bridges until you come to a fork in the road past the blue gate. Then you turn right and follow the road until you find an open field on the left side of the road. At the open field which looks like a farmers field with a set of tire tracks running across it you follow the tracks until you see the tracks turn right.  Continue following the tracks past a few adobe huts and then after a few hundred yards you come to a cement house with a bamboo fence around it. Stopping at the gate the guard welcomed us to Kibirii House. The house is fairly new, with all the basic amenities of home and a maid that comes in twice a week. We were impressed and knew we would be comfortable during our stay in Ruebengera. We are a 25 minute walk to the main compound although a taxi is available at 7:30am each morning to drive us if we choose. So far we have walked 3 mornings and driven 2. We do take the cab home every night. I am still not sure about walking home in total darkness and there are no street lights.

In Rwanda there are 21 expats working for the organization. Lunch is provided each day by the kitchen staff and every night different members of the team prepare dinner for the entire group. While I don't believe it is actually deemed as a competition it definitely appears that everyone takes a lot of pride in producing a well balanced delicious meal. Lots of home grown vegetables, salads, meat and cakes made from scratch almost every evening. One night they were slicing a smoked ham hock imported from Spain as an appetizer. It currently is hanging over the kitchen table and individuals can be found slicing off a small piece for breakfast, lunch or snack.  

Monday afternoon we decided to go for a short run. The first half was quite easy as we ran along the trails going downhill. A kilometre in a young man joined in and ran with us until we hit the entrance to his home at which point he said " my home, good bye". Then we started to attract a following of children. Even though it was late afternoon, they all said "good morning, how are you, I am fine" and laughed and giggled as we tried to communicate with them. In Rwanda they speak Kinyarwanda or French, followed by a few words of English. The children thought we were quite entertaining as they ran in front,  beside and behind us. Coming back the children stayed with us until we reached the place they first joined us. Probably at the entrances to their adobe homes. Now we were going uphill and my paced slowed down considerably, often to a walk. I am sure the Rwandans we had past on the way down were laughing at me as I huffed and buffed my way back up to the compound. One great thing about not knowing the language is you can pretending everyone is laughing with you and not at you.

 

Retired and Heading Back to Kenya

Returning back to Calgary August 4th, I now had six weeks to pack up the condo, dispose of or store all my worldly possessions, sell the car, have eye surgery and finish all I could at the Women In Need Society. Where to start?

You would think that in a 600 square foot condo that you were renting out furnished there really shouldn't be that much to deal with. Yet with every single item we owned a decision needed to be made. Can I take it wIth me, give it away to WINS, put it into some kind of storage because it simply can't be replaced or has too many memories attached, or does it go into the garbage? I am sure ten boxes went to Jenn's including our whole liquor supply that had built up over the years. The scotch collection to some really good friends. More treasures went to my sisters, including clothes that now fit her better than me so with possession being nine tenth of the law I hope she enjoys wearing them as often as she can. The storage room in our condo is filled to the brim with souvenirs collected from our travels over the years, my dolls ( yes I kept a few) golf clubs and skis just to name a few items. At least 20 bags or more of clothes and household items were donated to WINS and even more bags found their way to the garbage. I may have personally been responsible for filling one full BFI garbage bin. Finally the condo was emptied, cleaned and ready for the renter to take possession.  Thank goodness for Skylar's help as he hauled bags, boxes and pictures down to the car or garbage.

During the time I was preparing the condo, I also had Refractive Lens Replacement surgery on my eyes. After years of struggling to find a contact that could correct the far sightness, near sightness and sigmatism in my eyes it was becoming more and more difficult to find a suitable solution. New glasses were going to cost $1,400 and would probably need to be replaced numerous times over the rest of my life. RLR surgery, would last forever and cost ~$5,000, if I was a good candidate and it could all be done before September 15th, 2014. Between June 30th and Sept 2nd, 2014, I had two pre-operation   

exams, the eye surgery and three post-op exams. My regular eye doctor could not believe it happened so quickly. My vision for distances is now 20/20 or better and I will always need to wear reading glasses for reading and clear vision of anything up close. There are a few things I will never see again, like the fine hairs that grow under my chin or the eyelash that falls into you eye. However, my vision is a drastic improvement on my previous situation and I can buy a heck of a lot of pairs of reading glasses for $1,400 at $25 a pair.

Eyes done and condo rented I now had two solid weeks to focus on wrapping up my contribution to WINS, while spending time with family and friends. Jenn, Chris and Skylar had graciously offered to let me live with them and I thoroughly enjoyed their company and support during those last several weeks. Big Brother just won't be the same again without watching it together, that is if we actually can access it here in Kenya. I will miss reality TV. 

Spending time with my sister, mom, family and friends made the stress of "your entire life in transition" bareable. In all honesty it was definitely a bit overwhelming at times but I got through it without any major meltdowns.  I still think Mr. Coutts owes me lots of pampering for the next six months or more. 

Two days before I was due to leave WINS, my replacement was announced. At least we would have two days cross over time. Laura being announced as my replacement for some reason gave me a huge sense of relief. Not sure why but I now felt that I could leave and our programs and projects would continue to proceed and grow. I could leave with good conscience that I had left the organization set up for success and in way better shape than when I started.

Next was to sell my car. Again not sure why, but giving up my car seemed to be the hardest step of all. Maybe because it was the final step, or maybe because it had been the best vehicle we ever had or maybe selling it to a family member made me worry what's if something goes wrong with it or maybe ..... Who knows but it was hard. 

Now the only worry was how to get three suitcases of possessions into two, as I purged more dresses, coats and articles of clothing. At least Chris and Jenn gave me a closet to keep the balance of my clothing in so it would be there for my next trip home. According to the bathroom scale both suitcases were ounces less than fifty pounds and my carry-on was 26.6 lbs. All I could do now was hope my scale weighted in the same as the airport scale. 

Brad, Jenn and I stopped for breakfast at the new Deluxe Diner on the way to the airport and enjoyed eggs Benedict all away around. Always a favorite and a predictable order for me. 

At the airport one bag weighed in at 48.6 lbs and the second at 52lbs. I could just play $75 for the overweight bag or we could try and rearrange things within the two bags and then go to the end of the now long line-up and see if I could get both bags under the 50lb limit. Somehow even rearranging the math didn't quite add up and trying to get them both even would be almost impossible so I just made it easy for everyone, mostly me, and paid.

I am not sure if it was the agents first day or just a bad day, but she seemed frazzled and kept asking her peers how much weight was acceptable for the carry-on (of course I was over by 3/4 of a kg) and then sent one of my bags down the carousel without a baggage tag. Eventually she got up with the bag and set it aside to tag. We crossed our fingers that it got placed back on the carousel in time to make the correct plane.

The flight to Amsterdam was uneventful and I watched three movies. "Belle" - a great movie, definitely worth watching. "The Chef" - funny, entertaining and predictable. I enjoyed it. "The Normal Heart" with Julia Roberts. The film depicts the rise of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City (among gay people) between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks, the founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group.  A heart breaking film, a little tough to watch, but delivers an important message. 

On the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi I got the entire row to myself, so was able to stretch out and enjoy. I slept most of the way and limited myself to only one of the two meals they served.  Then I watched a few episodes of comedy TV and I was there.  Being at the back of the plane, I was near the end of the que to clear customs. Fortunately the line was moving quickly, with six agents working the "Visa" lines compared to just three agents on my past trips. 

I either look extremely honest or the agent was getting tired as I passed him my documents and the $50 visa fee and within seconds he was waving me through. As I walked up to the baggage carousel one of my bags was right there and then I waited. Guess which bag was the last to hit the carousel. I stood there wondering if the bag actually did get tagged in Calgary correctly or made the plane, because it certainly appeared to be missing. Finally as most everyone had left the station my bag appeared. With a sigh of relief I headed out of the airport to meet Randy. I had arrived safely with all my possession intact. Tears of emotion fell from my eyes as I found Randy waiting for me at the entrance of the terminal. Back together again. 

 

Going to Bungoma

Randy has officially been employed by One Acre Fund for two months and I could hardly wait to get there for my first visit before officially moving there myself.

The original plan had been that Randy would moved to Kenya and I would stay in Calgary and continue my work at Women In Need Society. I love my job, my team and the work we do and felt that I really needed two more years to accomplish the goals I had set out for the organization. WINS has so much potential for growth and it is exciting to be able to lead such an amazing team as they work hard to make a difference in the life's of so many women and families in need.

 It has been a goal of Randy's since before I met him 19 years ago to one day work in micro finance in a third world country.  After years of focus, taking positions that would build his resume for the opportunity (and not necessarily increase his income), studying and then applying internationally he finally obtained a position at One Acre Fund.  It is not easy to obtain an international position unless you have international experience and/or peace corp experience, but finally he got an introduction that opened the door for him. After five interviews and at least three case study presentations a Program Associate role would be his. While I believe he is extremely over qualified for the position it was a step in the right direction.

So I would  stay in Calgary as Randy set out on his new adventure to work in Kenya and help make a difference in the life's of farmers and their families in Africa. It turns out he is really enjoying the role and learning a lot. However after his first week or maybe even a day, I quickly realized that staying in Calgary, while my best friend, motivator, coach and love was three quarters of the world away, left me feeling incomplete and heartbroken. Once again I was putting work before my family and personal happiness. Yes I loved to work, did a great job and felt a huge sense of purpose and accomplishment but what did it all mean if at the end of the day I was alone? Within three weeks I knew that I would resign as Executive Director at WINS and follow my heart.  Ninety days notice seemed like forever but I knew it was the right thing to do for the organization and I already had a trip scheduled for mid-July that I would still take. 

On July 18th with one suitcase packed full of wish list items from Randy and a few clothes for the next two weeks and a folding lounge chair and my yoga mat wrapped together as my second piece of luggage I was at the Calgary airport and ready for the journey to Bungoma.  It was a short eight hour flight to Amsterdam, then a 3 hour layover before taking a shorter seven and a half hour flight to Nairobi, where Randy was eagerly waiting for me to arrive. Fortunately I slept a fair bit on both the flights and was able to watch a few movies so the trip was comfortable and happily uneventful. It is interesting to me that you can spend hours sleeping on a plane and arrive more tired than when you left. What is that all about?

At last I was in Nairobi and Randy was at the front of the line waiting for me.  We couldn't get to each other fast enough! I desparately needed a hug. It felt so good to be back together.

We were booked into the Hibiscus Motel for the night. The grounds were gorgeous and the main house with a breakfast room and a sitting/ library room was quite quaint with lots of character. 

A separate building held a row of hotel rooms. Inside they were clean and comfortable but the outside left a bit to be desired. 

We were up for breakfast by eight, which was served in the Main building. The service was excellent and the eggs cooked perfectly.  I always order my eggs sunny side up with the yolk very, very soft. As much as I always ask for them that way I don't always get them soft, but today they were perfect.

Our flight to Kisumu was at 10:00 am so after a quick breakfast we were heading back to the airport for the thirty minute flight.  It turns out my suitcase was 3 kgs over weight and even though my other bag was under weight, I would have to pay (in Calgary both bags were checked under my name and they were kind enough not to charge me, but in Kenya I was only allowed one bag so Randy was claiming one and because our tickets were not booked together they wouldn't consider an offset). For a mere $20 US we got all my luggage on the plane.  You board the plane, they serve you a beverage and a meat bun, and before they can clean up the garbage the plane is landing. 

Rogers, our taxi driver was waiting for us at the airport, ready to drive us the two hours to Bungoma. First we would stop at one of the Kisumu grocery stores to pick up a few groceries.  I quickly learned that almost anything I could possibly want in the food department was readily available, except for maybe marshmallows and strawberries.  We certainly shouldn't go hungry while living in Kenya! 

After a quick stop we were back in the car heading to the Marell compound in Bungoma.

The Marell compound is 6 units consisting of three duplexes designated for married employees. Our neighbours had decorated the compound entrance and tiki hut with balloons and were eagerly waiting with bottles of champagne to celebrate my arrival.  Or maybe they were just eager to open the champagne?  Either away I was overwhelmed with their greetings and hospitality. I definitely felt like I was being welcomed to the family. Unfortunately the jet lag was taking over my body and by 8:00 pm I was so tired I thought I would be ill so off to bed for me it was. Of course then I was wide awake at midnight and couldn't get back to sleep.  My sleeping patterns would be a mess for the next several days as I tried to adjust to the nine hour time difference. 

Randy was supposed to be taking the first week of my visit off but somehow it didn't quite turn out that way. Monday through Wednesday we got up at 6:00 am and went for a 4.68km run. Then Randy would  work for a while, take a few calls or go into the office for a quick meeting. Part way through the day we would walk into town for the days groceries or maybe a stop at the finance office so Randy could sign off a few payments or cheques. Depending on what store we were going to it is between a 15- 25 minute walk. If we were really in a hurry we would take a Boda ( a 2 wheel bicycle with a padded seat, handle bars and foot rests over the back tire). For 35 cents I could ride side saddle as the boda driver cycled me into town. I was a little nervous the first few times ( OK if I am honest, every time) but it does get easier to relax each time you ride one. 

Each evening we would eat at the tiki hut with our neighbours. Some evenings it was buffet, where everyone brought something and other evenings dinner was hosted by one of our neighbours. However Randy always offered to bring something and I found myself peeling potatoes one evening 

(Really I haven't peeled potatoes in over 40 years), not sure how I got talked into that? Another evening I was making chicken caccatiori and green beans for 14 people. I am thinking maybe I will need to revive my cooking skills or at least learn a few. Except for holidays and often even then Randy has been doing the cooking at our house and I am not sure I even remember how? Our kitchen lacks a microwave so pizza pops are out and left overs aren't an issue since the fridge is only big enough to hold my daily bottle of water, a liter of juice, a few eggs, three yogurts and six beer.  Yes the picture below is the fridge. The medal canister sitting on top of the fridge is a water filter system. Water is placed in the top of the canister with a capful of chloride and it filters through into the bottom.  Personally I am buying bottled water for drinking and brushing my teeth, but Randy and the neighbours all seem to be managing fine on the filtered water. My head,  never mind my stomach is not ready to take the chance so for 50 cents a day I will buy my water. 

This is the first gas stove I have had the opportunity to cook on, but don't forget to turn the red switch on above the stove or nothing works. 

Thursday we headed to Rondo Resort, which is an amazing resort on the edge of the Kenyan rainforest. The resort was beautifully manicured, with amazing plants throughout the compound. We were escorted to a gorgeous estate like cottage, with a cozy common sitting room with fireplace and four separate bedrooms each with its own ensuite. The rooms were beautifully decorated with hot running water from both the sink a shower. It is definitely a treat to have hot water in the sink.

The cottage has a great wrap around veranda and we felt spoiled to spend time relaxing while they brought us 4:00 pm tea and snacks.

As we sat enjoying our tea, we realized that monkeys were running across the veranda roof, swinging into the tree at the end of the cottage and then crossing the lawn to another bunch of trees. It was so  "cool", as we ran out into the yard to catch a glimpse of them. We probably saw a half dozen monkeys that afternoon. We took several walks each day really taking time to "smell the roses" as we explored the waterfalls, fishpond and admired the beauty of the lush forest. On Friday afternoon we got caught in the pouring rain during our walk and the crack of thunder almost had me jumping out of my skin. I certainly let out my own yell in answer to the scare of the thunder. 

Our stay at the resort included: breakfast, dinner and supper each day,  tea each day a four, a fire each evening and full access to the rain forest and resort grounds. The meals were served in the formal resort dining room by waiters dressed to the nines and were simply delicious. Supper was soup, entree with a salad and dessert. We enjoyed every morsel! 

The races continue.

 The Friday before the race it was sunny and warm and so at the last minute I bought a bib from a friend who was injured and unable to run. The morning of the race it was anything but warm and certainly not sunny. This wasn't my best run as I struggled with both the cold and the running. I may have walked a few kilometres this morning. 

Another great run with Brad! 

On the Friday night before the race I asked Skylar if he might be willing to run a ten k with Mama (me) on Sunday. While he hadn't trained, he was heavily  involved in sports and lets face it, I run really slow. Skylar was up for the challenge and agreed to run with me. One km into the race he commented that it was very difficult for him to run so slow. "Could we run a bit faster please?".  Somehow he managed to stay at my pace and together we sprinted over the finish line. I was so proud! How many grandmas get to run with the grandsons? 

Next the Coutts / Ashley clan travelled to Kelowna to participate in the BMO event. Jenn and I enjoyed the 10km race, while Randy and Skylar took part in the 1/2 marathon. Again I was so proud of Skylar for running his first 1/2 marathon at 12 years of age with a very respectable time of 2 hours 6 minutes. 

 

When Lori put out a call for someone to keep her company at the Disney World half marathon for some reason Randy thought I should go, and so I did. With little to no training it was the slowest race I have ever run, but then again it was a beautiful warm morning with lots of entertainment along the route. Disney characters lined the path and running through Magic Kingdom was truly magical.  Another really fun run followed by an afternoon at the park.  We even did space mountain twice.

 The Calgary Marathon is the longest running marathon in Canada, celebrating 50 years of racking in 2014. This year Skylar ran his own race competing the 10k in 57 minutes while Jenn and I enjoyed the 10kmrun at our own slightly longer pace. It was a gorgeous day in Calgary for a run!  

While really out of order from a timeline perspective I did try one sprint triathlon with Randy's support back in 2010. A 500 meter swim, which I struggled through the entire distance.  Really I am not a good swimmer and did not enjoy one minute of the swim. Then a 20km bike ride, where  I rode my mountain bike. Getting off the bike my feet felt like bricks. They were heavy, they hurt and didn't want to bend properly, so the first 3k of the 5 k run was painful and slow. Crossing the finish line I was proud of myself for just finishing.  Might stick to running in the future though.  

The running becomes addictive!

This was the first race I ran totally alone. While I did the half Randy completed the full marathon. I was getting stronger and enjoyed the event.

Melissa's in Banff was a tough run for me. The wind worked against us during the first part of the race blowing sand from the golf course into our faces. At times I felt like my legs were moving forward but the wind was pushing us backwards. It was hard going and not so much fun but we were on pace. Once we got out of the wind we encountered the hills. For more than five km we ran straight uphill. All I wanted to know was where was the turn around point  so we could start running downhill and finish this darn race. Randy was not impressed with my performance that day and crossing the finish line was simply a relief. Certainly not the celebration I hoped for but then again another race accomplished.

 

If you are a runner in Calgary, you get comfortable running in the cold and occasionally the snow. The night before the Calgary Police race it snowed all night. The snow and slush was so deep it felt like running through deep sand on the beach. Plus it was very icy. Running down the hills along Glenmore reservoir was extremely icy. Fortunately I only fell once but didn't hurt myself. It was slow going and Brad entertained numerous runners as he kept pace with me. I think he could have run the race in half the time if he had been on his own, but we had a lot of fun together.

In  2011 I ran my first and to date only full marathon. Unfortunately Randy broke his ankle in February 2011 and wasn't able to train with me, but I was lucky enough to meet two amazing ladies that ran with me every Tuesday & Wedneday evenings and Sunday mornings. It is their friendship and support that kept me committed and motivated through the training program. They will be friends for life. Randy healed in time to run the race with me and together we completed the full marathon with a smile and sense of pride. 

The Energizer Night Race was my best run ever. Running at night with headlights to show the way 1500 runners lite up the path. It was so much fun and I felt strong thru the entire run. Jenn completed the 5k comfortably and was waiting for us at the finish line, ready for a beer. It was a great night! 

 

Once again we were Vegas bound. This time we would be running down the strip at night. Randy dressed as Elvis and Jenn and I both dressed as his backup singers.  A blonde Afro wig and Black sequinned tops and shorts covering our running tight we looked hot and kept warm. It was a riot as spectators yelled hello to Elvis and Chris, dressed in his polyester blue suit and cowboy hat, cheered us on at several locations along the route. Truly the most fun I have ever had during a run. The next morning Jenn, Randy and I all got two dice tattooed on our legs as a memory of running the 1/2 together in Vegas.