I LOVE MY LIFE – Vacation: October 2007

1st stop – Utrecht, Holland

As I was flying into Amsterdam to visit my friend Lisa (another transplanted person from my church in Toronto, Freedomize), I was reflecting on how my life had changed in the past few years. 3 years ago, I had not been on an international flight, and didn’t even have a passport. Now, I was on a plane heading to 3 new countries I’d never been to (raising my total to 10), carrying 5 different currencies. And I was visiting from my new home in Sudan, my second African home in 3 years. Strange and wonderful times indeed. As I was landing, I remember marveling at God’s artistry, looking at the clouds and the way the sun struck the quickly approaching objects on the ground below.

So after finding the train to Utrecht (for those of you wondering, the only thing I did in Amsterdam was walk from the airport to the train station and back 3 days later), I headed off to meet up with Lisa for a weekend of fun and relaxation. I wanted to satisfy a few cravings I had for things that are lacking in Sudan: beer, wine, bacon and ham, a really good hamburger, and a few choice desserts. I was able to cover all of these things over the course of my trip.

On Friday night, I was a bit tired from my travel day that started at 4:30 AM in Sudan airport, and involved a stopover in Egypt. So we relaxed by the water, enjoyed some pizza, beer, wine, and good conversation, before turning in early and watching a movie. On Saturday, I rented a bike and we biked out to a wonderful crepe place just outside of the city. I must note that I saw more bikes in my time in Utrecht than I think I’ve seen in my whole life to this point. I kept meaning to take a picture of the masses of bikes lining entire streets, but I never wanted to make Lisa have to be associated with the stupid tourist who was taking pictures of a bunch of bikes. Plus, with the high number of bicycle thefts there, I might have looked like I was casing bicycles and been arrested or something. Well, the ride back into town seemed to go much faster after a couple of drinks with lunch, and we headed out for a quiet evening. We happened upon a lovely little corner bar that served some passable wine, had a nice atmosphere and some eclectic but good music playing in the background. It was quite nice, and was one of the highlights of my time in Utrecht.

On Sunday, I went with Lisa to a church service that was entirely in Dutch. It featured a familiar verse for me, so I spent the time meditating on said verse, and trying to sing along to the hymns in a strange language. After lunch, we headed outside the city to meet up with some other Canadians that neither of us had met, but were friends of another friend of ours from Toronto. We had a Canadian Thanksgiving of pumpkin pie, apple cake, and a lovely hike through the countryside. I must note that I haven’t been in Canada for Thanksgiving in 3 years now. After heading home, I crashed early, partly because I had to get up early for a flight the next morning, and mostly because I had developed a head cold (probably due to going from an average of 45 degrees to an average of 17, which was warmer and sunnier than usual, so I got lucky)

2nd stop – England

On Monday, I took the short flight to an airport outside London, and took a train to meet up with my friend Andy and his family, whom I worked with in Malawi. The train from the airport stopped in Cambridge and there was a short layover, so I decided to take a wander around the immediate area. It was here I came across probably the greatest bonus of my trip. There was a lovely botanical gardens near the train station. Knowing I wouldn’t have enough time to wander through the garden, I arranged for a later train, and I spent the next hour and a half wandering around one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I filled up my camera with pictures of late blooming flowers, plants I had never seen before, lush gardens, trees in the wonderful multicolours of autumn. I thought often of my Dad and my friend Ronelle, and tried to be there eyes by taking as many pictures as possible. What a wonderful and unexpected bonus for my trip (and even though I balked at the relatively reasonable entrance price, it proved to be the best value of my vacation)

So, after the walk, I was feeling a bit tired (I did my best to forget about the headcold, but it was starting to remind me that long hikes were not in the cards). So I hopped on the train and went to meet Andy and his family. It was so great to see them. I was treated to lovely country views, and lovely country hospitality. One of the nights I was there, I was treated to a lovely meal of chicken, roasted potatoes, and roasted vegetables that reminded me of home and of family meals I used to have on Sundays. It made me think of my beloved grandfather who would prepare feasts like these. It made me remember us eating rare roast beef with my grandpa declaring “The doctor has told me for 87 years that I shouldn’t eat rare beef, but I’m still here.” It was so nice to be welcomed by the family for a few days. I got to earn my keep a little by helping prepare dinner while the family rounded up some sheep for slaughter. Ahh, life on a farm. I also got my first taste of an English pub with Andy, and got to go to a movie theatre for the first time since leaving Canada (we watched the Bourne Ultimatum, which was another bonus for me since I didn’t think it would still be in theatre) While the kids were at school and the family was at work during the day, I got to relax, get some reading done, and spent most of my days playing their guitar and piano. I miss my instruments.

Anyhow, after saying my thanks and goodbyes to the family, I bought an expensive train ticket to London. It was a sign of things to come. My wallet had a big hole in it for my entire London stay, but it was easily justified by me since I was staying with friends (thus saving room costs), and I wasn’t there that long, and wanted to really enjoy myself. In London, I was staying with my friend Karen, another friend from Toronto who recently moved to London to do graduate work there. I wandered around downtown on Thursday while she was in class, did a little scouting of the bookstores and music stores, and then met up with Karen for a lovely thai dinner. I miss my weekly intake of thai food in Toronto (though there is an Indian place near my house in Sudan that makes a passable pad thai). On Friday, I did some more exploring and book shopping while Karen was in class, and then we met up for a late afternoon matinee of Spamalot (I love Monty Python) It was an interesting stage play version of the movie The Holy Grail, with some bonuses, surprises, and fun. The highlight for me was a song in the middle mocking the sappy love songs that appear in every musical. Great stuff. We capped off the evening with an even better thai restaurant with great food, great wine, and great company.

On Saturday, I got up early to stand in line to get cheap tickets for another show I hadn’t seen in years, and wanted to see in London, Les Miserables. I was debating between this show and the Phantom of the Opera, a show I’ve seen many times but never tire of. I definitely feel I made the right choice. I had forgotten how wonderfully moving Les Miserables is. Well written, well delivered, well casted, it made for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. In sharp contrast to our afternoon, we ventured out in the evening to watch England battle France in the semi finals of the Rugby World Cup. Watching this match in London was a great pleasure for me, and celebrating with the rowdy English crowd when they pulled out the victory was great stuff. After carrying the celebrations to another pub and making fast friends with some other folks who live in Karen’s apartment, I headed back for a good night’s sleep before my flight to Cairo the next day.


3rd stop – Cairo

So, while I was planning my trip to Europe, the cheapest flight option turned out to be Egypt Air. So I figured I might as well add a few days in Egypt to the end of my trip, since I would be stopping there anyhow. So I flew into Cairo Sunday night for a quick day and a half in Egypt. In such a short time, I determined to hit the highlights. Once I got to the hotel, I fell asleep early so I could have a productive and busy Monday. I was met at the airport by Joseph, an Egyptian who runs a tour company, and who happens to be a friend of one of my friends in Sudan. It was invaluable to have a guide who knew the city, and who I knew I could trust in a place where there are many people who are more than happy to separate you from your money by way of overpriced cab rides, overpriced tours, and overpriced souvenirs.

On Monday morning, I headed out to the pyramids, of course. When in Egypt, you go to the pyramids. It reminded me of a quote from Boston Legal, one of my favourite TV shows. “You can’t go to Texas and not ride the mechanical bull. That would be like going to LA and not sleeping with Paris Hilton.” Anyhow, back to my trip. The pyramids truly are magnificent. I had intended to explore them by camel, but with the heat such as it was and with my own personal tour guide, I was able to see the best parts of the pyramids and surrounding area just fine. Seeing the pyramids made me think that I should plan on seeing all the seven wonders of the world. I think there are 7 man made wonders, and seven natural wonders, so it could take some time. I’ve already seen Victoria Falls in Zambia, and now the pyramids, and I’m not yet 30, so I think that’s a good start.

Anyhow, after touring the pyramids (and a quick lunch at KFC: wonderfully Egyptian), I did the second most touristy thing in Cairo: I visited the famous Cairo Museum. I will admit that I am not an ancient history lover, or a museum buff, but I knew that I should go explore the museum. I will admit that much of the display’s significance is lost on me, but it was impressive viewing so many pieces of ancient history. The highlight for me was spending some time looking at an original manuscript of one of the psalms.

After all this walking, I headed back to the hotel for some rest before doing some more exploring of the city. I enjoyed the beauty of driving along the Nile, beauty that I would see under cover of night late that evening. In the evening, I took a boat cruise of the Nile, complete with a buffet dinner, some very electic entertainment, and the great feeling of sitting on deck, sipping a drink, and gliding along the water with a refreshing breeze on your face.

The next morning, it was off to the airport and back to Sudan, my home for now. I am glad to be back, still nursing a bit of a cough, but thoroughly relaxed. I am ready to take on my next 3 months in Sudan. The first 3 months have flown by, filled with lots of challenges and adjustments, but also with lots of rewards. The next few months will continue to be busy, but I like the challenge of my job. I have no routine jobs in my day, and that’s what makes it interesting. Each day presents its new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow. And if things get too demanding, I have my next adventure to look forward to: Christmas in Malawi with a visit somewhere in southern Africa, possibly Mozambique. Should be fun!