A Ride through Amsterdam

Today, we arrived in Amsterdam. We flew in on a Bowing Triple Seven; we then took a train to the city on a double-decker train, which was the first time for many scouts. We then walked to the hostel that we were staying at. After we unloaded our supplies, we walked a few blocks to a Mike’s bike rental for a private guided tour. We split into our two patrols: Canya and Hada. Ashley from Canya and Michael from Hada enjoyed the bike tour around the city.

Michael says “Amsterdam is a beautiful city, with amazing architecture. It is very different from what we were used to in Canada, the sky seemed to be bluer and the air seemed cleaner. This was probably due to the fact that most of the population either walks, or ride bikes to get around the city. This is a fast and efficient method of transportation. Unlike some cities in Canada, we saw little in the means of police, or hard enforced rules, everyone just made decisions based on common sense. For example, In Canada, we have hand signals for biking, which consist of us putting out arm up for right hand turn, out for a left hand turn and down for a stop, in Amsterdam, people simply pointed the way that they intended to go on intersections. There were no rules, but in order to get around, you had to quickly adapt and learn from what other people were already doing.”

Ashley is a frequent cyclist in Vancouver, BC and remarks the differences in cycling in Vancouver and Amsterdam. “In Vancouver, there are a lot more cars and fewer cyclists. At first I was overwhelmed by the number of cyclists in Amsterdam. The atmosphere was completely different from cycling in Vancouver because it seems like the cyclists dominated the streets more than cars which is the opposite from where I usually cycle. As a frequent cyclist, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride even though it wasn’t my own bike and the tour guide was informative and funny. We learned about Amsterdam’s history and how it came to be today. I look forward to coming back one day and cycle through the busy streets again.”

In the Air

Meet Bernie!

Today was a big day for the contingent. Loading the bus to get to Toronto was an interesting endeavour because while loading the bus, we ran out of room in the gear section so we ended up with our packs filling the entire aisle of the bus. It was PACKED!! Finally arriving at the airport was a nice break from being crowded by gear. Getting everything off the bus was much easier than getting everything on the bus. For Ryan and Caitlind it was a new experience, as neither of them has ever been in an airport or on an airplane before. Since they were the novices and we are evil, we made them the navigators of the group. They had to find our gate (C35). They did really well – we made it to where we needed to be. Before boarding the plane it was evident that Caitlind was very nervous – shaking and all.

Ryan was quite confused during the plane taxi. At first it never got above 20km/h, which certainly isn’t enough to get a plane off the ground. And then the plane completely stopped, which, further boggled his mind. Then quite unexpectedly it goes from standing still to 30 km/h to 50, to 100, to 200, and finally 300 km/h in a matter of seconds. As he said, “once you get up a bit though, your ears stop popping, then you look out of your window and see the beauty of our earth. As the light fades to darkness, you could see the moon sitting there… almost like you could pick it out of the sky. That moment particularly stuck with me. It almost seemed as though the plane was not moving, as we flew across the sky is was completely smooth. Lastly the interactive screen was very slow.”

The Adventure Begins: Pre Camp Day 1/2

The past weeks have been spent collecting supplies and last minute items, packing, and generally preparing ourselves for the upcoming month.  Toothbrush, camera, pants, adaptors, passports; what else do I need?  Is my pack too heavy? Will I need more socks?

The whirlwind week leading up to pre-camp has finally passed, and now we are all here at Camp Bryson in London, ON.  The past day (and a bit) has been spent arriving, getting to know one another, and doing lots of team building activities.  We now know everyone's favourite ice cream, shoe size and how paranoid we are of being assasinated (thanks Jamie and Krysta).  Already we have been cooking and cleaning together, building Lego, and tackling each other- so basically we just like any average group of teenagers headed across the world.

Amongst all the excitement of embarking on our great adventure, we haven't forgotten the real reason we're here.  As well as our own gear, we have been sorting and packing our massive amount of medical supplies.  Together through all our donors, we will be bringing with us over 1100lbs of supplies; including over the counter drugs, bandages, computer equipment and specialized medical gear.  Another 100lbs of supplies is being left behind due to lack of room, and will be shipped to Haiti.  A huge thank you to everyone who donated supplies, money, or time fundraising.  These supplies will give the clinic a greater capability to treat their patients, and will have an enormous impact on the community of Shiru.

Tommorrow we complete our preparations, and head to Toronto for our long night flight to Amsterdam.  Lots of waiting around, airplane food and airport security await us, but the final destination is well worth it.

Kwaheri Canada, na jambo Kenya!

Passing Time at 30,000 feet

For those who have or have not been on a plane before, I guarantee that it becomes boring and uncomfortable quite quickly. The environment is cramped, cold and dull and you dehydrate quickly. It is not all bad; the view is great, sometimes they have good movies and there is plenty of time for conversation. 

Here are a few suggestions to help you pass the time:

1. Read. You will want to make it a good, long book because it is going to have to last you the whole trip (probably only 1 or 2 books are going to fit into your bag, so make them good!)
2. Watch movies! Most airlines usually have little screens set into the back of the seat in front of you, and sometimes the movies are actually good.
3. Jam out. Bring your iPod or your mp3 player and listen to some tunes while you enjoy the view. You will not believe how much you will miss it if you do not bring it.
4. Write. You might want to bring a journal and jot notes in it throughout the trip, collect autographs, drawings, photos or memorabilia. It is a great way to remember the trip and all the crazy, special people you will meet.
5. Sleep. As of now, we have a long stopover in Amsterdam so you may want to rest up. It will help the time go by faster and depending on the time zones; it may help with jet lag.
6. Talk. The person you are sitting next to, be they on the trip or not, has had an awesome life. They are sitting on a plane to Amsterdam or Kenya just like you, and everyone is impressed when you pull out the humanitarian card. If they are on the trip, then you are going to be spending a month with this person so you may as well get it over with!

By Alanna Cunningham-Rogers