Post #1 (after a lengthy break)
“It’s been too long-o!” This is the welcome one receives when they have been gone for some time from Liberian workmates and friends. “How da body?” people ask with large smiles revealing their pearl white teeth. The common response is, “Tryin’small,” or an emphatic “Thank God!” Occasionally people give you the fatalistic - “still breathin’” answer. I suppose this is something to be thankful for - a pulse is a good thing. Arriving back in Liberia was surreal in a different way than a year ago. As we flew over the now familiar landscape of tropical West Africa I pondered what lay ahead. Drifting in and out of sleep I realized that it would be a challenging year, one that I was sure to meet me with a humid hug and a kick in the pants.
“What news?” is a common Liberian greeting that gets the familiar response of “No bad news.” When I arrived back in Liberia I was apt to respond with a smile and say, “good news-o!” The summer was fantastic filled with a good balance of friends and loneliness.
The summer started with a stop over in Brussels on my way back to Canada. That could have been one of the best July 1st ever. Watching the England – Portugal game go to shoot-outs in an Irish Pub, followed by a ravaging performance by the Finnish heavy metal band, Apocalyptica, at the center market in Brussels on a cool summer’s evening. Brilliant!
Then there were the hikes. Kevin Fryatt and myself kicked things off with a hike in Mt. Baker terrain, scrambling the flank of Mt. Tomyhoi and entertaining views of undeniably gorgeous peaks, such as Baker, Shuksan, and the Border Peaks. Then there was the birthday hike which received a previous post. Some people asked me if I really enjoyed myself, spending my birthday alone. Well, it was a bit lonely at times, but it was good for the soul. When one travels alone they see the world from a different perspective. As the challenge rises above we are at first inundated by the enormity of it all. Then a decision is made and you travel in the direction of your dreams, only to find that with every mile that passes what once seemed impossible draws ever closer to reality.
There were some good times had with the family. Most of it was spent in these portable swimming pools that people have nowadays. My niece Steph was so proud to swim from one side to the other. It was good to see the enthusiasm! My niece Jess took me to school with her badminton racket in my parent’s back yard. [Jess – I want a rematch]. My nephew Mike is an intrepid mountain biker. He could easily jump over this lanky Dutchman. I laugh as I remember Connor and Sean’s high revving level of energy. They were insatiable in their love at being tossed around in the pool. “Ok Uncle Cel – you’re the monster and you throw us around the pool. And make lots of noise!” After 30 snarling tosses and a tweaked back I decided it was time for this dinosaur to retire and head onto the wide open road with my fro bro, Andrew.
It was a trip of the brotherhood: laughing, driving, hiking, arguing, cooking, opening up about any range of topics, and bonding. At the end we were both glad that the brotherhood survived. We started things off in Edmonton, hanging out with John and Jane and meeting a long lost 2nd cousin, Julie. After a 2 day pit stop in Calgary we headed into the domain of the mountains. First stop: Yoho National Park. There was one hike that we did in the Park. It was called the Ice Line Trail. It lived up to its name. A moderately steep ascent to the alpine from the valley floor brought us onto the moraine of several glaciers hanging precariously to the sides of Mt. President and his sidekick, Vice President. Andrew and I scrambled along the stepped rocks that were carved by the retreating glaciers. Creeks poured from the series of table like moraine and as we scrambled our way to the top the wind picked up, as it has a way of doing in the Rockies. The wind sprayed the water in our faces making us feel alive and a little worried. Ok, I must admit that I was a little less on the worried side of things. The younger brother rarely thinks of personal safety.
As we played around the glacial topography Andrew grew apprehensive as the dark clouds being drawn to the sides of President Mountain. We quickly decided that it’s better to be safe than really stupid (it’s ok to be a little stupid), so we headed down and made our way across the moraine. All the while we were dazzled by views of Takkaka Falls, the third highest waterfall in Canada. The spray caught the fading afternoon light in such a way as to cast our thoughts to the first explorers of this area. What was it like to be the first white man in this area? What significance did the waterfall have to the natives of the area? The natives of the area had lived in harmony with these areas for thousands of years. If only we had more written data on the history of native peoples who were mistreated at the hands of settlers of the West.
“What news?” is a common Liberian greeting that gets the familiar response of “No bad news.” When I arrived back in Liberia I was apt to respond with a smile and say, “good news-o!” The summer was fantastic filled with a good balance of friends and loneliness.
The summer started with a stop over in Brussels on my way back to Canada. That could have been one of the best July 1st ever. Watching the England – Portugal game go to shoot-outs in an Irish Pub, followed by a ravaging performance by the Finnish heavy metal band, Apocalyptica, at the center market in Brussels on a cool summer’s evening. Brilliant!
Then there were the hikes. Kevin Fryatt and myself kicked things off with a hike in Mt. Baker terrain, scrambling the flank of Mt. Tomyhoi and entertaining views of undeniably gorgeous peaks, such as Baker, Shuksan, and the Border Peaks. Then there was the birthday hike which received a previous post. Some people asked me if I really enjoyed myself, spending my birthday alone. Well, it was a bit lonely at times, but it was good for the soul. When one travels alone they see the world from a different perspective. As the challenge rises above we are at first inundated by the enormity of it all. Then a decision is made and you travel in the direction of your dreams, only to find that with every mile that passes what once seemed impossible draws ever closer to reality.
There were some good times had with the family. Most of it was spent in these portable swimming pools that people have nowadays. My niece Steph was so proud to swim from one side to the other. It was good to see the enthusiasm! My niece Jess took me to school with her badminton racket in my parent’s back yard. [Jess – I want a rematch]. My nephew Mike is an intrepid mountain biker. He could easily jump over this lanky Dutchman. I laugh as I remember Connor and Sean’s high revving level of energy. They were insatiable in their love at being tossed around in the pool. “Ok Uncle Cel – you’re the monster and you throw us around the pool. And make lots of noise!” After 30 snarling tosses and a tweaked back I decided it was time for this dinosaur to retire and head onto the wide open road with my fro bro, Andrew.
It was a trip of the brotherhood: laughing, driving, hiking, arguing, cooking, opening up about any range of topics, and bonding. At the end we were both glad that the brotherhood survived. We started things off in Edmonton, hanging out with John and Jane and meeting a long lost 2nd cousin, Julie. After a 2 day pit stop in Calgary we headed into the domain of the mountains. First stop: Yoho National Park. There was one hike that we did in the Park. It was called the Ice Line Trail. It lived up to its name. A moderately steep ascent to the alpine from the valley floor brought us onto the moraine of several glaciers hanging precariously to the sides of Mt. President and his sidekick, Vice President. Andrew and I scrambled along the stepped rocks that were carved by the retreating glaciers. Creeks poured from the series of table like moraine and as we scrambled our way to the top the wind picked up, as it has a way of doing in the Rockies. The wind sprayed the water in our faces making us feel alive and a little worried. Ok, I must admit that I was a little less on the worried side of things. The younger brother rarely thinks of personal safety.
As we played around the glacial topography Andrew grew apprehensive as the dark clouds being drawn to the sides of President Mountain. We quickly decided that it’s better to be safe than really stupid (it’s ok to be a little stupid), so we headed down and made our way across the moraine. All the while we were dazzled by views of Takkaka Falls, the third highest waterfall in Canada. The spray caught the fading afternoon light in such a way as to cast our thoughts to the first explorers of this area. What was it like to be the first white man in this area? What significance did the waterfall have to the natives of the area? The natives of the area had lived in harmony with these areas for thousands of years. If only we had more written data on the history of native peoples who were mistreated at the hands of settlers of the West.
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