I have arrived!

After 25 hours of traveling I arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa! I will stay for two nights then on November 1 I will take a bus to Mozambique to meet up with Chase and another US Peace Corps volunteer Ali.

Let the adventures begin!!!

Google Earth

Oh technology today, isn't it grand? Below you will see where Chase's house is located in Mozambique, it is fairly remote. The school he teaches at is the white building just to the left of his house. I can't wait to see it in real life, play in the dirt streets, and sleep with rats crawling around at nights. I don't know what will happen when they turn off the water pump at his place. I guess I should probably practice balancing a heavy, sloshing bucket on my head just in case.

Put in the following coordinates in the search box on Google Earth to see where the house is located:
-23°52'54.87", 35°13'46.49"

To download Google Earth for free visit: earth.google.com

3 weeks out

I am three weeks out from "The Great African Odyssey." I will be on the African continent for four months, end of October, 2008 to first of March, 2009. I don't like to have much of an itinerary when I travel internationally so I can enjoy living in the moment and not focus on the next site or leg of the trip. But a few items I am considering are to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, get scuba certified, pick up a little of the Portuguese language, and strum a few cords on the guitar. I will be spending most of my time with my good friend Chase, a very generous fellow, that is serving as a volunteer with the US Peace Corps in Mozambique teaching in a school at a local village.

I will use this blog to post some thoughts and photos from the journey. This odyssey will be a time for self reflection that is necessary for me. Several personal growth opportunities through mental and physical challenges are in order.

Pre-Africa Cabin Party

I am having an Pre-Africa Uncle Paul's Cabin party the evening of Saturday October 25, 2008. The cabin is located in Liberty, Utah which is in Ogden Valley by Pine View Reservoir. If you are interested in attending shoot me an email.

the moustache

Oh the joys of having a moustache. It was short lived, only around 3 weeks, but it gave me powers I never new I could posses. I highly recommend it. I will spend most of "The Great African Odyssey" in the portions of the map in the background, the east coast of Africa.