Tent Trailer Saskatchewan

in Switzerland ...

Dear friends, since a Aidan week, and I (Rachel) is now in Switzerland. Aidan had previously been for a month with friends in Holland and has the project planning driven powerful. He lectured in nursing homes and universities and has donated funds and material donations distended and recruited volunteers for. A list of bloated things I'll post as soon as I was in Holland (November 28-December 7) and all have seen with my own eyes. :-) Obviously, should also be a container full of supplies to South Africa to be sent, among other things loaded with 20 bicycles and walking aids for pensioners and a motor for a wind turbine.

Here in Switzerland we work mainly at our other Sites. Real talks for myself I have not yet organized, if someone has just a proposal or opportunity white sign, please! Otherwise, we might try it in Zollikofen.

I let you know if there is something interesting to report. In Manzamnyama Babalwa meanwhile looks at the rights. She has recently opened a bank account so we could now have their reward her for November directly, and the money for the man who discovered the roof done while we are in Europe.

Cheats Para Chaos Black

roofing and gardening

We were super busy in the last two days that it is worth the same again to upload a few photos ...

Aidan, the roof practically completed, and we started to cover it with straw - unfortunately we have not this time the rain but the wind had thwarted the bill, and by 3 pm we had to cancel the exercise.

Babalwa and two friends help with the roofing

The first straw bundles are tied

Rachel on the roof of stuff on bundles of straw

And this is under the umbrella of ... ;-)

The wind made the work very difficult and all disheveled!

Well if the roof and ceiling is too stupid with the eternal wind, but at least you can still work in the garden. Nathalie also helps with hard working, and today morning the completely weed-overgrown garden back into specie beautiful flower beds ...

Nathalie on weed ...

and so the garden looked at the end of the day!

Earning Something Brampton

and then came the rain!

Hello dear blog readers, please excuse the long silence, we had computer problems at the end here the world ... the charger for the laptop has given up the ghost and get a replacement part is halt so ne thing, if you have no Internet access or a postal address has ... and it took almost a month until the new charger was there and now we finally have a laptop!

has the meantime - just! - From the rainy season, which usually means the end of construction season. But we were busy in the last few weeks and have started to build the first walls of the guest house. For this we first had to buy more tools, cement putty and all that stuff that you just need to build walls. Aidan has powerful then flat out and all alone built the first walls! Currently he is busy with the construction of the roof, the rain always makes us just another spanner in the works ...

Aidan sets the first brick ...

are the first couple of low walls!

the walls for the first room are almost finished

Aidan designed the roof

Here perhaps is a short definition of position and orientation: As the villagers showed little use will , we had to project structures . Change The idea was to build the guest house as 100% of village property, but the good people had simply not yet ready for it and asked us, we are to the guest house for them to build. The new structures thus see from so that the bed is raised as a cooperative, where the villagers simply receives a share. Aidan and I (Rachel) to fly to Europe this month, where we will try to raise more donations to advance the project. If the guest house is built, bringing the local people jobs and income, we can take the actual village projects undertaken. The Headman of Mpame is still full of behind us and says, you take as much time as you need, such Projects take a long time now. Of the authorities we have still a go. And the villagers ... Now, it's the older people, the jackknife, and slowly get used to changes. But we have the backing of a group of young people who live and work in Pretoria but grew up in Manzamnyama. All these young men would like to come back here if there were job opportunities, and support the project.

As for the donations, they are still for the construction of the guest house used, which accounts for the initial period. In July, Mike started to build the nursery, and we have now separated from the bed and handed over completely to the village council. Aidan is now building the guest house, and the village is building the creche. You need to stop their time, but there are many people in the village, which saw the construction of the crib like completed and work for it.

from October to January followed hardly be more project news or blog entries, as Aidan and I are traveling in Europe. Aidan is back in mid-December, just when the tourist season begins, and we had already received requests for accommodation over Christmas and New Year! I myself will be back until mid-January, and then you with photos and stories back to the date to bring. All donations received during these months, the last will of course be nice to stay in the account and in January we can start really!

While we are gone, Babalwa is here to see the right, and her salary is paid of course, continue. It makes good by the way, has visited a few training sessions, and grows more and more into her role. If we train more people like Babalwa, it needs us here no more soon ... her enthusiasm is contagious and her curiosity and willingness to learn refreshing.

And that's with Manzamnyama News ... If you have questions, please leave Comments on the blog, and I'll answer in another blog entry all questions! Until then - see you in Switzerland!

new door to the guest house - now goats in Safety

our mud bricks, smaller and more solid than the usual Erdziegel. We want to produce more of these bricks, which would be better to build your own ...

a role in wire mesh, friend and helper in goat business!

Where To Buy Wildroot Cream Oil

World Cup Schladming


This year the final was played in all three World Cup disciplines in Styria Schladming.
In the week before the race I was suffering from a minor cold. On the eve of the race, my condition was so bad that I could only imagine hard drive. Fortunately, I felt
on race day again well enough to participate can.
The project began and the field was released, at 4 laps on the slightly damp course with steep climbs and long (uphill slope Planai goal!) To dispute. On the first rise in lactate shot me the only way into the legs and I had great difficulty keeping the connection. The following brief departure gave me enough opportunity to relax me so I could pass on the second rise in some drivers. I started to feel better in myself and got more and more.
But in the second round happened to me a fatal error. I had just happened again 2 opponents and on the technical single trail finally shaken off. Then I crashed on the downhill switchbacks. In itself not too bad I would not at this mishap bent the rear brake disc. I noticed this is not real and just drove on. Unfortunately
was always slow, as the disc really strong, "wobbled". My pursuers came closer and I was overtaken by a lot of people again. Unfortunately, I noticed the broken window on until the last lap and I changed the wheel. Particularly annoying is that the fall happened very close to the technical zone. I had the rear wheel can therefore be changed immediately. In the last round it was too late to catch up seriously because driving had cost the warped disc a lot of strength. I finished the race in 38th place

LG Vadim

Wrestling Joker Singlets

and construction begins ...

Today we have with the construction of the first wall of the guesthouse begun. Unfortunately the camera battery was flat, so photos will follow tomorrow. Babalwa has done the work of five men, as long as we have Babalwa we do not need any other help! She aufgeharkt the ground and broken into small pieces, and Aidan has the Erhaufen then mixed with cement, about 10% cement. This is the mix of gossip occurs between the bricks. (The bricks were made with earth and grass, see previous blog entry). Yes and we have built a wall, voila. Ok ok only three bricks high (we are talking about GIANTS TILES) but hey, at least. Last week we pepped the fence around the whole area of the guesthouse and a little goat, made sure the weekend and we have fixed the Land Rover - now have we at least back wheels under the butt!

blog entries now follow a bit sparse as the charger from my laptop had a short circuit and I need to get a new charger. It sounds so simple ... But out here is all terribly complicated and lengthy. With a slow internet connection and no credit on the mobile phone and not a shop where you can buy credit (because cars broke away and the nearest grocery store 1h walk) is all a bit difficult. At the moment I write on Aidan's laptop, but runs only when it is plugged in, which means we have to constantly run the generator as long as the laptop is turned on. Thus, I spend at the moment very little time on the computer or the Internet, while I would have so much computer work to do this month. Yes Henu - take in the Transkei need to be everything just as it comes.

Kates Playground Ok Go

cancellation Semmering

Yesterday I noticed an inflamed feeling in the nose that was getting worse throughout the day. Although today I feel a bit better, but I'm in no condition to cope with the Night XC Semmering successful. With a heavy heart I have therefore decided not to drive today.

LG Vadim

Nadine Jansen In Uniform

our hill in flames ...

Aidan and I were in Bulungula - threw out unbearably hot and we were lazy in the reading corner, both the nose in a book when the women were calling us from the kitchen, and against our hills were over. .. Columns of smoke rose into the sky. Oh-oh ... but we thought nothing of it - it's the end of the winter season, and they all burn the yellowed grass down, so that the spring brings fresh, young grass ...

peered An hour later we returned to the horizon, and the columns of smoke were grown. Under His was clear that our hill is on fire - not up to the lodge, but further down, towards the coast. This place was no fire from Bulungula, only smoke, and we concluded that the hill next to Secret Beach fire - which is pretty close to us. So Aidan and I packed our bags and were on our way home.

As we climbed the hill an hour later, we met several people from the village, the bucket of water from the garden to the lodge dragged high. Oh-oh ... Finally arrived at the top of the lodge, we saw ... this

the hill to our left, next to Secret Beach, was completely black, and the fire crept slowly towards the Lodge. When we arrived, the fire line was about 200m away from the lodge. I ran down to the tree house and grabbed a couple of old towels and clothes full of holes, and a bucket of water. Then I joined the people on the firing line to ... and with wet towels we lashed out at the flames. First, we deleted the line to the left of us, so we fire does not fall in the back.

Then we went up the hill and began, slowly, slowly, across the hills along to wipe out the flames with relentless blows. Aidan and I had little sleep and hardly ate, and we both staggered like drunken men, the exhaustion in his face. I was wearing only a carrier-shirt and soon had red spots on the upper arms, shoulders and forehead ... It was so HOT! And the grass so dry that it burned like tinder. More villagers arrived, and a handful of little girls. When the main line of fire was extinguished, Aidan and I gave our clothes off the children and sat down for a break. The girls took the fire service seem amusing. The villagers had cut off branches from the trees and cut it on the fire - with no great effect. Our wet towels on the other hand worked just fine and soon we were at Rain Mountain below where the fire line ended. Huff. All went home.

Aidan and I treated ourselves to a strong cup of coffee after all the effort and I began to edit the photos for the blog entry. Aidan said, give me the camera watching I will see if I find more fire. Not a minute later he called me from the hill top ... The blaze was again broken out. Arrrgh. Tired picked to the bone I re-wet cloth, and followed him up the hill ... actually. The whole right flank, against Mountain Rain down, had again caught fire. Meanwhile, it was dark, and all the villagers had gone home. Regardless, this fire was not really a threat, it was too far away from the lodge. Nevertheless, we set, again hammering on the flames, and joked and said we had to bring some sausages, and hold a bottle of wine and a romantic picnic ...

The tiredness we felt no more pain and after a while no longer the arms. Finally, all flames were extinguished, the night was dark again. Let's hope it does not break out again ... Thank God, the strong wind had eased by early afternoon. If we had the fire must fight against the wind, we had a problem ... but this time everything went well.

Ankelosing Spondylitis Throat

AC Ottenschlag




After I was able to train consistently for a light infection 4 weeks, I stood at the Austria Cup final run in the Upper Austrian Ottenschlag 30 August returned to the national competition. My last race was driven over with already over Kirchberg 2 months back, so my expectations were not too high.
began after a rather weak initial phase it in me to go a little better. But then came the first defect. The air had left my rear tire, but I could still mostly propelled save in the technology zone. Only I had to cope with an increase in walking distance. Now it was catch up for lost time, but I did not feel particularly strongly. In addition, I noticed gradual loss of air on the front tire. Fortunately, this happened only after the technical zone which meant that I had to drive almost the entire round with ever-softening front until I could finally replace the wheel. So I lost a lot of time again and after the wheel change had already begun the last of 10 laps.
The race ended for me on the 12th Place.

LG Vadim

Wooden Shuffleboard Table Plans

OEM Walding

Austrian championship on 19 7. Walding actually in my highlight of the season should have been. Since I had but injured his knee in Kirchberg, I could not prepare myself enough on it. However, I went to the start. But soon it turned out that my knee was not fully healed. The many running passages in the deep stretch gatschigen made it not exactly better. So I stood in the feed zone and went to the first driver to finish in last place.

LG Vadim

Low Calorie Margarita

Transkei ... Anecdotes

Seeking the path of Manzamnyama after Mpame - on foot. As long as long, they say. I am following the vague directions, follow the trail of the lost sometimes between the stones and hills and then somewhere 4 spuring reappears and then branches off to the left and right. Rachel in the usual manner, I get lost at least 3 times and I come first on the wrong road completely get out of the thicket. Ah, that's not the way to Mpame? Ah, more to the left, thank you. And again, walk over the hill, over hill and dale. I follow a steep trail down the hill, and then a gap before me, densely covered with woods and bushes, and I know already that I am again taken a wrong turn - this is no way safely through. And so I turn around and stalk back up the hill, and - oops! What could be lazy and cozy on the way, does not remove a step, I almost trampled? A snake. She does not roll. It is light gray, with black and brown pattern, a very beautiful snake, and I think moment, so I have yet seen one already times, is perhaps the most toxic? For a while we stare at us, then I take a step backwards, and then to the side, and go past the snake, which nachschaut me curious. (I found out later that there is a Night Adder, yep, poisonous, but not tödlilch).

Finally I find the right way - he leads through the forest. Just outside the forest I met an old couple. We exchange the usual phrases of greeting, but the woman, small, wrinkled, blind in one eye and with a chicken under his arm, comes up to me and shakes my hand and kisses my hand and pressed it again, and talks incessantly. I do not understand a word until she asks me where I go, and where I come from. These questions I know, and I respond patiently and smile and point the finger on the coastal strip, where is my house. Finally lets go of me and the wife zockelt on, but now is the old man questions in a loud, commanding moderate tone. I repeat, "I do not understand" over and over until I say guess what he wants and explain again where I come from and where I go. Now he seems happy and smiles and turns to go to. As the old woman calls me again, "come here" she calls out, this time in English. I hesitate a Moment, I think, why not, and go to her. She looks at me (she's at least a head shorter than me) and then pushes me 10Rand in hand. I am completely puzzled and ask, whaaat for me? "She nods and taps his fingers on my shoulder and says, yes, yes for you. I know that the woman is poor, and I do not need their money, but I can not refuse the gift, that would be rude. And so I call, thank you Mom, (all women who are older than I am to be addressed as Mama) and hug them spontaneously. Me patting his back and is happy that I accepted her gift and waddles like this, lifts her chicken again and is on his way home.

That's Transkei. Where lazy snakes do not even bother to make a go out of the way and give a complete strangers 10Rand. Later, when I am with Tony in the shop and tell him the story, he says, ah, the two folks were just here in the shop to pick up their pension. These people have virtually nothing, and still share.

From project is not much to tell, Aidan was a week flat, and now we were a couple of days in Cintsa where I stayed until the Beetle, and have tried again as a mechanic - this time no results . Today or tomorrow we go back to Manzamnyama, and next week will then reflect Project News.

Watch Aubrey Miles Movie Xerex

a new plan ...

And once again we the wind whistling around the ears. Aidan is the last Friday evening, come home, Saturday and Sunday we will have a picnic and spent to talk to each other to bring up to date, and since then ... Mister is the flat again with ner flu. Welcome to the Transkei ... again govern other beetles.

Yes, the project will undergo some changes over the next few weeks! The long-planned town meeting on Monday held a week before last, and it's not just good it ran. Now that the villagers have finally realized that we are not rich and that we all simply NOT FOR they build, but with them, they are totally confused. This hollow-hand-me culture is really on his nerves. And listen to me anyway they wanted no more, because I said things that they do not want to hear, and they said we are waiting for Aidan, Aidan knows everything, Aidan will tell us what to do. I laughed and said, beautiful, beautiful I was right only. The problem is, I can explain simply not true that they have an intrinsic value and that they do not need us, that we only Guiding and show them how they can improve their lives - with very simple means - but they must do it yourself ! As the saying goes: do not give them the fish, but teach them to fish. Just do not fish them learn!! So Aidan has now developed a new concept. I can not yet explain because it does not exist officially, but it will be something like a cooperative, where the guest house is run as a business, and if the villagers will see that everything is running and finally show intrested, they can buy shares or buy at the end of the business. So anyway. I'll explain everything as soon as we have just laid down. First, Aidan still pay for their flu ...

the Land Rover we have still not ready, last time I was with Tony in Mthatha, we announced the starter motor for repair and in a car commercial transaction brake and clutch seals ordered. Day before yesterday we were back in town, but is dependent Mthatha Mthatha and it never runs everything as you want, and everything takes two or three times longer than anywhere else ... the long and short of it had not ordered all brake seals, but only two wheels (despite our very precise and three times repeated statements), and the starter motor was repaired not ready because they were still waiting for a spare part order the them from Johannesburg had to (because the starter motor is so old that no one else will spare parts). Aha, we are well thank you in a week ... Land Rover is therefore still in front of Tony's Mpame shop around. And the Beetle? Which is still in Cintsa rum, just before East London ... the replacement engine is meanwhile arrived in Mthatha (who came down from Durban) and Tony will give us (Aidan and me and the engine) next Monday to bring Cintsa when he goes to East London. Sunday and then our two vehicles should be roadworthy again soon ...

Soundtrack Lipstick Collar

Goodbye Mike ...

Time passes again in a flash. Mike was a month here with us and helped hard working and started the construction of the nursery. He was really great, always in a good mood and full of energy and fresh ideas. We will miss him ...

Mike with a boy from the village

for a month we are waiting on a village meeting, which is shifted from x-for some reason again and again. There are some things we need to plan and thrash out. The construction season comes to an end in October, and until then, at least the walls of the new buildings are, because otherwise we lose it all construction materials: the bricks rot if they are left lying around during the rainy season, and the straw for the roof as well. It would be advisable to complete the building before the rain comes. The big debate is at the moment, who builds the walls? Maxwell is a good mason, but unfortunately very slow. So they want a young mason team up with Maxwell, so the older act as supervisor and mentor may, during the recent fix the job done. So far I have experienced, there are two young masons who would be suitable, but not both are: one, because he has already accepted another job, and the other because he has impregnated Maxwell's daughter. Ummmh. Village politics. :-) The culprit has therefore attached Maxwell's unmarried daughter, a child and now has to pay "reparations", 5000 border, or a cow. Once the debt is paid, all is forgiven and forgotten, but the young man has just no money, and so Maxwell does not work with him because otherwise he would lose face. Well then. Now they are looking for another mason, has the time, and hopefully also just produced no illegitimate children. :-) is

is here at the lodge nothing happened at all since Aidan away, women make up no more brick ago because the water is scarce, and our pump is not working. And now that we have once pumped water to accept anything else - more water from the lower dam to get now is unacceptable. Okay okay ... It has finally rained a bit, the source should result in enough water again, and I will let the pump run again next week and fill the upper dam so that the ladies restore brick. Aidan has instructed me to keep all the materials ready, so that it can immediately begin construction as soon as he's back. That is, the bricks have to be ready, prepared the soil from which the mortar will be mixed need a few bags of cement must be there and run the dam has water. Hm - that should be added get. All this we will organize at the village meeting ... IF it finally takes place!

I pass the time with still hunting goats - I defended my baby tomato plants and the fierce effort was worth it. Meanwhile, the fence is completed, and the plants grow like crazy ...

the fenced-in tomato plants ...

my self-made "kraal" - genuine goat Safe!

the new wire mesh fence

And what else, hm, yes, we are still trying to patch up the Land Rover, Tony is Mpame very helpful to the front of the Land Rover he has welded together again, and now he broods around the starter motor ... wow, if we were not pushing the Landy each time, that would truly luxurious - the thing weighs a ton!

Tony makes at Land Rover to create ...

looks like a rusted chassis!

Tony welded to the chassis back together