Tuis » Algemeen » Koeitjies & kalfies » Re: around the world in 12 years
| Re: around the world in 12 years [boodskap #1781] |
Mon, 04 August 2003 11:54 |
Night Rider
Boodskappe: 6
Geregistreer: August 2003
Karma: 0
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Junior Lid |
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Antwoord op my brief en foto van haar man, Jean.
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Hello Toby
Thank you very much for your email, your good
wishes and the very good photo of Jean!
If it is ok with you, we will put your email
address on our list of friends for you to receive
the newsletter on Jean's journey; but do not
forget to let me know if you change your address.
I will publish the photo you sent me on Jean's
website as soon as possible and in a next email, I
will send you the latest newsletter that I sent
just last week.
I visited your website and found it very
interesting with very good photos!
Again thank you and take good care!
Warmest regards from Montreal, Canada!
Luce
www.wwwalk.org
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Dearest friends!
48 days short of his third anniversary of
travelling, Jean said "Good Bye" to America and
"Hello" to Africa! Your eyes are not playing
tricks on you. Jean really moved to Africa!
The months of May and June have been extremely
busy. for everybody! Jean was learning Portuguese
and discovering the happy Brazilian culture. There
have been a few days of rain when he had to stay
where he was and could not progress with his walk.
He was trying to schedule an interview with a
German reporter for Der Spiegel and he wanted this
interview to take place before he arrived in Sao
Paulo where he would be very busy organizing his
departure for Africa.
One more time, all went marvellously smooth and
when the article was published, on June 25th;
again, we broke all records on the statistics of
the website. From 1,907 visits on March 13th, it
went to 7,004 visits on June 25th, when the
article was published on Spiegel Online. Of
course, a large number of visits on the website
brings a large number of emails. some 100 new
friends were added to our list of friends mostly
from Europe but also from South Africa and
Australia.
On June 7th, a filming team left Montreal for Sao
Paulo. They met Jean around the 10th to follow him
on his wwwalk while filming. all went well except
that Jean was not getting ahead as fast as he had
planned to. The filming team wanted some footage
from Sao Paulo also. and they were leaving back
for Canada on June 29th.
So, taking everything in consideration, Jean
decided to ride a bus for the last 200 km. to Sao
Paulo. People from the Canadian Consulate met him
at the bus station and then I did not hear from
him for a few days. He had many important things
to do; the most important was to arrange his
departure for Africa.
During the whole period, I was, again, concerned
with money. How could we manage to pay for his
plane ticket? Would we have to collect friends and
family? Would Jean have to work for his fare, thus
delaying his coming home? Would I have to forego
my yearly meeting with him the coming Christmas?
My mind was buzzing with questions! And then.
there was MAGIC!
The magicians were "South African Airways", Mr.
Ray Fankhauser, vice-consul at the Canadian
Consulate and his friend Mr. Roberto Bisconcini.
They shared the cost of Jean's plane ticket to
Johannesburg. Thank you! We will be forever
grateful to you!
So, on Canada Day, July 1st 2003, Jean left Sao
Paulo, Brazil for Johannesburg, South Africa.
Again, he was blessed with magic! When Jean was on
the ferry crossing the Rio de la Plata, from
Buenos Aires, Argentina to Colonia del Sacramento,
Uruguay, he met a couple from South Africa who
invited him to their home when he arrived there.
True to their words, they went and picked up Jean
at the airport and hosted him in their beautiful
home. They kept him for a week, treating him like
a star or a king. They even brought him to a
mini-safari where he learned that the wild animals
of Africa, lions, elephants, rhinoceroses etc.
were mostly kept behind fences in parks. Phew!
That was good news. A lot of people, including me,
were a bit worried with what would Jean do when he
came face to face with a roaring lion. Jean also
encountered members of a legendary African Tribe,
the mighty Zulus.
Since he wanted to start his walk from the
southern tip of the continent, he had to fly to
Cape Town, which is some 1400 kilometres from
Johannesburg. Once more, the magicians appeared
and sponsored his plane ticket. A million thanks
to Mr. John Smith from Harvey World Travel and Mr.
Kerry Groenewald from Comair Ltd.
In Cape Town, our new German friend studying there
met him at the airport. He brought Jean to his
apartment and guided him for a week. In one of his
rare and short email, Jean told me that he was in
the grip of an immense culture shock! He wrote: "I
know I am still on earth but everything is so
different here that I might as well be on another
planet! I wish you could be here. you would just
love it!"
I am sure I will love it. I am already looking for
our next yearly reunion. somewhere in Northern
Mozambique or Malawi. By then, my Tarzan will
surely start to get the feel of Africa, but I will
feel on another planet!
I cannot find the words to express our gratitude
to our many magicians. some of them I do not even
know about. I know Jean received new shoes but I
have no name. and there must be many others.
Anyway to all our helpers and sponsors, thank you!
On July 15th, Jean started to walk from the
Southern tip of the continent. It will take about
two and a half years to arrive in Tangier.
Till next time.
Luce
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