Here’s a little ditty I through together the other day, as inspired by the phat grass. Understand that there are no lawns where I live, so being VT bound for a bit, full use is being made of the luxury:

Green Grass

Soft blades fit perfect between the spaces of my toes, tickling the nether regions of bare feet,

while their neighbors generate unparallelled aromatic pleas of mercy before being briefly beheaded by a noisy, red, sit-on-top mower.

Laying lazily under a tree made just perfect for climbing, letting cleaish air cycle through open lungs (my lifelong partners in crime).

Book: rising, falling dynamically; sychronized to an aveolic clock of lethargic character.

The sun shines: this shit is unreal

In other words, la vie est bonne

I crossed the Ethiopia-Sudan border on May 7th, and immediately I had to deal with deadlines:  first, all foreigners must register within three days in Khartoum.  Second, I had only 14 days to make my way out of the country, my visa being of the transit type.  I had been expecting something of a headache after all that really fun hoop jumping in Addis, but I wasn’t ready for the efficiency and dedication with which the local coppers went about fulfilling their roles.

 But this didn’t take away a most excellent ten days in the Sudan. 

My knowledge of the country’s current problems was sketchy coming in.  Hazy notions of the word genocide and starlets crying in the newspapers quickly crystallized through the many, many conversations I had with locals and UN-types alike.  The main problems are in the west, where (as I understand it) a brutal war between the nomadic Muslims and non-Muslim farmers is sucking the life out of the country.  To the south, secessionist rebels are also fighting the government.  The southern bit is alleged (by the many Arabic Sudanese I met) to have been created by poor British cartography and politicking.  Not an unusual analysis in Africa.  The problem in the Darfur provinces is much, much older – as one gentleman from UNICEF put it, the only solution may be two countries sometime down the road.

My traveling path took me through the east and northeast:  Gedaref, Wad Medani, Khartoum, Atbara, and finally Wadi Halfa on the Egyptian border.  This area is perfectly safe and the people extraordinarily friendly.  I don’t know whether I simply had good luck, or whether the very low number of travelers makes people more open, but I kept meeting good people. 

Many thanks go out to those people – including Ahmed whom I stayed with for four days en route to Khartoum, and John and Melissa in Khartoum, and Sammi in Atbara.  Only one night in a hotel in ten days!  That’s a new world record for me. 

Much more could be said about my social journeys, but perhaps another time.  I am now in the south of Egypt, in Aswan, where the remnants of Nubian civilization brush up against air conditioned packaged-tour groups.  A far cry from the blasted Sudanese desert, but… some airconditioning feels pretty good.  Up next, a felucca ride up the Nile for a few days.

superbear confusion: the true origin of tic tac toe!!!

auke lake dock & orginizational attempts

yukon aftermath (you should see the inside: 7 people camping, cooking & climbing out the back)

seatac airport viewed through very tired eyes

winglets & dawn enroute to boston

fresh produce!!!

back to the land of milk & honey (& boats)

shelburne beach, a beer, and a book all serving together as fine inspiration to solidify my speech next week as the best man in danny’s wedding.

home (one of them).

An interesting format, but definately a difficult way to communicate any details, theres a lot to share in between the lines, but this old man is turning in. Cheers,

-Peter