Last Sonadei/Bike Project update

Sonadei update

They cap of the bike project with stunning glory. Once again thanks to everyone who had a part in this. And speaking of bike project the book project is also coming along, expect a publication date sometime after August 7th.

Untill then, goodbye Cabo Verde. Next stop, Amsterdam, Netherlands.


Ver Amsterdam num mapa maior

The Fat Lady Hath Sung

Cue the Ghostbusters theme music, grab your girl for the last dance, and lets start taking the table centerpieces before someone else gets the good ones, cause this party is about over. Two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cabo Verde have gone ridiculously fast. When I got here, I imagined that two years would go ridiculously slow, according more to Afrikan time, but that doesn’t seem to have been the case. Either way, here I find myself at the end of my service, saying goodbye to the community of Cachaço, to my island home of São Nicolau, to this identity confused archipelago Cabo Verde, a little bit Afrika, a little bit Europe.

Past PCV’s mention the kinds of questions they got when returning home, which mostly boiled down to “How was it?”. How do you answer a question that asks about how living in a foreign culture, learning a new language, becoming a part of a rural community, working on projects that were successful and failures, and all the in between, when the answer that the person is basically looking for is a one liner: It was good.

It’s hard to explain, it’s hard even for me to understand what these two years have been, for myself or for those whom I have lived with and interacted with. The bureaucratic aspects of PC looks for quantifiable things: number of people taught, number of things built, etc. That’s the government side of Peace Corps, and not the aspect of it that matters, either for the people we come to assist or to the volunteers themselves. It’s the friends, understanding a joke in a foreign language, making a joke in a foreign language, having locals realize after two years that you aren’t a tourist, haggling in the market, the frustrations of life in a place where development and motivation are different concepts to that which an American understands them to be… Being a Peace Corps Volunteer, at least to me at this time of Peace Corps, is about the little daily interactions and daily conversations the PCV has and not the number of students taught, but the one that learns, the one that remembers your name years after you have gone

I don’t know if I would be where I am today if not for having served in the Peace Corps, maybe yes, maybe no. But for over two years I feel I have been part of something amazing, whether in the Peace Corps aspect or simply my own personal aspect. So I’m ready to move on, to take what I have given and gotten from this land and these people, to continue along the cycle and see where I go. I hope to continue documenting the things I discover through this blog, albeit in a different pretense, to share the wonders I come across, information, different ways of seeing, being, thinking, living, loving.

Together with the failures and successes, thank you for everyone who has helped, I hope you too have felt that you played a part in something bigger. Whether through buying a t-shirt, sending me letters, or much needed vegan food stuffs, thanks.

Wonderful to depart!

Wonderful to be here!

The heart, to jet the all-alike and innocent blood!

To breathe the air, how delicious!

To speak--to walk--to seize something by the hand!

To prepare for sleep, for bed, to look on my rose-color'd flesh!

To be conscious of my body, so satisfied, so large!

To be this incredible God I am!

To have gone forth among other Gods, these men and women I love.

No more trials or tribulations...maybe?

So while i actually have a real last blog entry, this one is sorta preemptive to say good bye to "Trials and/or Tirbulatinos" as it evolves to its new incarnation, Bingle by Bingle. It's aim is sorta the same as what i have been doing except it will talk about some of the thigns i find, discover, trip over while traveling. some of the interesting people or organizations that are doing cool or interesting things, and a lot about biking. So keep reading, and enjoy discovering this world bingle by bingle, cause thats how it starts ( with a single)

A Day that will live in Infamy

There are but a handful of events so momentous, so grand that they alter the course of humanity forever. The extinction of the dinosaurs, the ice age, the crucifixion of Christ, and the Bike Race that Shock the World. That’s right, for the first time in it’s more than 400 years of history, since the Portuguese stepped foot on these islands, since the struggle for independence and the birth of democracy, finally, after all the waiting, the first cross island bike race has been held on São Nicolau.

The 26km race followed the National road on the island, from its capital Vila de Ribeira Brava to the youthful fishing town of Tarrafal. From the central highlands to the ocean, the race covered all types of terrain, from steep uphill’s to flat coastal sections, to eye tearing downhill’s. The race began, SHOCKINGLY, at the exact hour set, 10am on Sunday, July 12th. With representatives from all parts of the island participating, the race crossed social and political classes. Truly this race was multi-racial, diverse event that may be the beginnings of world peace.

15 cyclists headed off after a “Tres, Dois, Um, BAI!!!!” count down from the Veriador de Desportivo in R. Brava. From the start, the riders had to complete a small uphill to get to the coastal section of then road that dips down and up over three ribeiras. With the Police in front, the road was cleared of traffic and the riders were able to switch back on some of the steeper parts. As the hills began to add up, the riders began to break away from each others, with a few of the stronger in front and some of the weaker climbers in the rear, but all making their way.

With a last descent to the lowest part of the road, near Quiemadas, the riders let out an audible sigh as the most tortuous part of the race was upon them, nearly 10km of all uphill. As the caravan made its way through Fajá, we learned that one of the bikers in the rear had taken a spill on a notoriously dangerous curve and had been taken to the hospital. While he didn’t finish the race, he needed up with just a few scratches and his bike wasn’t damaged.

The leader was well ahead of the rest of the riders through the uphill struggles of Fajá, Lompelado, Canto and finally into Cachaço. Being in the led car, we speed ahead to make it down to the finish line in order to catch the first place biker soaring in. From Cachaço, it’s a 10km downhill bomb were a new set of skills are needed by the riders: braking curves and basically holding on for dear life as your bike reaches frightening speeds.

Finally, after an hour and 35 minutes, the leader from the start cruised past the finish line to a roar from the local crowd. Three minutes later, second place came in followed a minute later by third place. Every minute another rider came speeding down the last hill to the finish line. All who started, whether a winner or slight worse for the wear, made it to Tarrafal by mid-day to applause from all who had a hand in the race and a final speech from the Veriador de Desportivo in Tarrafal.

The race was an amazing success. All riders had helmets and wore them, and more helmets are going to be given out to those who weren’t able to ride in the race. All the riders are talking about the next race, the next time they can get together. The budding of a Bicycle Association was born on July 12th, 2009.

And so, after a year and a half since my first email with Sonadei, the bike race is completed, but the work isn’t done. More helmets will be distributed, an association will be formed, and future bike events will be planned. A huge thank you to everyone who supported this event through donations to purchasing multiple t-shirts, to Garrett from Sonadei for his tireless work, to my local partner Floriano, to the Camara’s who provided support with cars and water, and finally to all the bikers who made the race what it was.

Updates galore

Ahoy mateys!!! Thought I was done with the updating? wrong

Check out the spiffy update from sonadei all about how after over a year of work, we are very close to the end of the first part of this project, the bike race and handing out of helmets

Sonadei Website Update

In other news, i am down to the last month (sorta) count down. I check out of Cachaco and Sao Nicolau on August 3rd when i head to Praia for my close of service, or COS, or EOS to some people. Two years have flown by, or at least driven crazily fast on winding streets with pigs and chickens in rice sacks. Either way, stay tuned for the last post under Trials and Tribulations before this blog metamorpuhses into its second life. Till then...

Oh, ps, as of i think yesterday or the day before that, the original settelment in Cape Verde, first known as Ribeira Grande but now as Cidade Velho (Old City) was declared a UNESCO World Heritiage Site. I belive it was the first european settelment in West Afrika. Click the link above to read about it on wiki. Go Cabo Verde!!!

A little bit of this, a litle bit of that...

Time is a ticking. Tick, tock, or perhaps time is simply a stream dancing by... Either way, that part which is my life as a PCV in Cabo Verde is coming to a close. So i did what any normal person would do is to cycle the new road to take some pics before the great bike race which may or may not happen on July 5th.
Regardless, i am swimming in uncertainlty about where i will be and go afterwars, only knowing ill end up back in America at some point. If you have a hankering for some answering, email me and ill lay out my possible travle plans, otherwise i leave it a mystery.

Cachaço Bikers strike Again!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuCDBStuIaI




Check it out yo!!!!!!