Christmas cards available

Having trouble figuring out what to buy for a friend or relative for Christmas? We might be able to help and you will feel good about helping some kids in Africa at the same time. For a minimum donation of $10, we will provide a Christmas card with the attached picture on the front. Inside, the card will say, "A donation has been made in your name to Plan Canada for the purpose of providing clean, safe water to the Kayenze preschool in Mwanza, Tanzania. Merry Christmas!" A tax receipt will be issued for purchases of three cards or more.

Contact me for more information.

Porters mistreated on Kilimanjaro

Here is a video of the mistreatment of porters on Kilimanjaro. It is very real. The company we climbed with, Tusker Trail, treats their porters well but we saw porters with huge weights and climbing in sandals. Anyone climbing should take that into consideration. There are also great shots of a Kili climb in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-lpXf-UlP4

New Fund Raiser Coming

Once again I was moved by what I saw in Africa. People fishing in the canal where animal carcasses were lying was just a small part. I am even more determined to finish what we started and to raise the funds to finalize the well to provide clean water for the kids and community in Mwanza, Tanzania. We are working on a new fund raiser that I will announce very soon. Keep watching for new posts as the plans evolve. If you wish to get involved, please let me know.

Photos Available

Many have asked to see photos of our Europe and Africa trip. We took about 1800 so there are a few too many to post. However, you can see some highlights on my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=326061&id=876835295

Vesuvius is done!

Climbed Mount Vesuvius yesterday. It is steep but not long. We got to walk around the crater and see inside. There is still steam coming out of it. Next time it erupts, people should get up to 72 hours notice because of the sensors around it. The climb was followed by a tour of Pompeii that was buried in ash by Vesuvius in 79 AD. The workmanship in the city is incredible, right down to a red light district. Pictures will be posted when we get back.