First day on the road. I arrived in Riga this afternoon and have been wandering around a few hours now. Riga is just as I remembered it, wonderful! The fairytale houses, the small streets and the lovely old ladies selling woolen socks and necklaces in front of the big church. Just gotta love it. One thing that still surprises me is how the Latvian women manage to walk on 10 cm high stillettos on the cobblestones that Riga is coverd with? Seriously don't know how they do it!
Wandering around the city I realized what I have embarked on. A year of travelling and new experiences, new places and new people. I'm gonna be away for a year! I have always considered the typical tourist to be the ones walking around with a back pack and a big camera around their neck, and I have always sort of disliked it. But today I found myself being that person, I guess I just have to get used to that now..
Anyways, since I've seen it all before, I quickly ended up in an Irish pub for fish n' ships and a pint of good beer. That is never wrong no matter where you are in the world!
Gotta go now so I wont miss my bus to Tallinn!
Promise to write more as soon as I can and I promise to post a picture of an old man playing the flute with pigeons on top of it. He was sort of charming in his own way..
Friday, September 04, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
It all starts in..
...Estonia
Then comes Russia - Mongolia - China - Tibet - Vietnam - Cambodia - Laos - Thailand - Mexico - Guatemala - Cuba - El Salvador - Honduras - Nicaragua - Costa Rica - Panama...
Where it ends, I still don't know.
Only time will tell.
So..I'm leaving again
In exactly 1 week, 1 day, 9 hours and 20 minutes I am leaving again. This time I don't exactly know where the road will take me, what I will experience, what I will do or if I would like it. But still, I am going.
A few months ago I had decided to move to England to study Swahili and development studies. But my friend wanted it different. She called me one day and said: "hey, wanna take a year of and travel the world?" I knew she was serious about it, so I said yes, and here we are. I couldn't refuse such an offer, I definitely would have regretted saying no.
I would rather regret something that I have done, than something that I didn't do, so here goes. A one year long journey. First going east, than south before crossing the pacific ocean and then going south again. We haven't planned much more than that, and that's how we like it. We take what comes and see where the road leads us. I am exited about it, I really am. But I'm also a bit scared. Having no idea what to expect, what to wish for or what to fear one has to be a bit scared, right?
Stay tuned, and you will see where I end up and how it goes.
A few months ago I had decided to move to England to study Swahili and development studies. But my friend wanted it different. She called me one day and said: "hey, wanna take a year of and travel the world?" I knew she was serious about it, so I said yes, and here we are. I couldn't refuse such an offer, I definitely would have regretted saying no.
I would rather regret something that I have done, than something that I didn't do, so here goes. A one year long journey. First going east, than south before crossing the pacific ocean and then going south again. We haven't planned much more than that, and that's how we like it. We take what comes and see where the road leads us. I am exited about it, I really am. But I'm also a bit scared. Having no idea what to expect, what to wish for or what to fear one has to be a bit scared, right?
Stay tuned, and you will see where I end up and how it goes.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
It never leaves you
I've been home in Norway for more than two months now, but I'm still thinking about my Saharawi family, my friends in the camps and all the other wonderful people I met there. I think about them every day.
I could be sitting in the library at the university reading French grammar when suddenly I'm back between the small sand houses walking to feed the goats with my Saharawi cousin, drinking tea with some friends under the Saharan starlit sky or making food on the gas stove with my mother who is wearing the most colorful melhefa you could imagine. The memories keeps coming back, and I think back on the time I spent in the camps as more and more important. I didn't see it when I was there, but I think my stay has shaped me in more ways than I thought at that time. It's difficult to point out exactly how, but definitely in a positive way. I am sure of that.
Some days when the stress gets to me here in cold Oslo, i miss how life went slowly in the camps. I miss peoples friendliness, how everyone always had time to make tea and talk to you if you stopped by. I had never thought that I would miss the camps and life there. But I guess everything is possible when you get some perspective and distance from them. It's no secret that I had though days there, because life is not easy for anyone in the camps. But today, I mostly remember the good times. It's the good days that make the strongest memories, and those are the memories I'm left with after spending 3 months in El Aayoune.
This is one of those experiences that will never leave me, that will never stop to affect me. And I will never forget. I will never leave the Saharawi cause until they get what they have the right to. I will always care.
I guess many people would pity the Saharawis, but I don't. Mostly because I don't think they would want that. I think that they want the world to see them as proud and strong people. Because that is what they are! They are incredibly strong, beyond anyone I've ever met before. They have been strong enough to survive 33 years in the middle of the desert. And they will survive another 33 years if that is what it takes to get their freedom. They will never give up!
I could be sitting in the library at the university reading French grammar when suddenly I'm back between the small sand houses walking to feed the goats with my Saharawi cousin, drinking tea with some friends under the Saharan starlit sky or making food on the gas stove with my mother who is wearing the most colorful melhefa you could imagine. The memories keeps coming back, and I think back on the time I spent in the camps as more and more important. I didn't see it when I was there, but I think my stay has shaped me in more ways than I thought at that time. It's difficult to point out exactly how, but definitely in a positive way. I am sure of that.
Some days when the stress gets to me here in cold Oslo, i miss how life went slowly in the camps. I miss peoples friendliness, how everyone always had time to make tea and talk to you if you stopped by. I had never thought that I would miss the camps and life there. But I guess everything is possible when you get some perspective and distance from them. It's no secret that I had though days there, because life is not easy for anyone in the camps. But today, I mostly remember the good times. It's the good days that make the strongest memories, and those are the memories I'm left with after spending 3 months in El Aayoune.
This is one of those experiences that will never leave me, that will never stop to affect me. And I will never forget. I will never leave the Saharawi cause until they get what they have the right to. I will always care.
I guess many people would pity the Saharawis, but I don't. Mostly because I don't think they would want that. I think that they want the world to see them as proud and strong people. Because that is what they are! They are incredibly strong, beyond anyone I've ever met before. They have been strong enough to survive 33 years in the middle of the desert. And they will survive another 33 years if that is what it takes to get their freedom. They will never give up!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The life of a refugee
Caught in a sandstorm
Sunset
Labat making tea
desert
Mwajuba praying outside our hose
Monday, January 05, 2009
Happy New Year!
So, i'ts a new year. And hopefully will this year be a little bit better than the last one.
My thoughts go specially out to the Palestinians in Gaza hurting under the Israeli attacs and the Saharawis suffering from Moroccon occupation.
Let this new year bring some positive changes for the people suffering and hurting, let the world open its eyes and do something about all the injustice!
I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
My thoughts go specially out to the Palestinians in Gaza hurting under the Israeli attacs and the Saharawis suffering from Moroccon occupation.
Let this new year bring some positive changes for the people suffering and hurting, let the world open its eyes and do something about all the injustice!
I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
