Jonathan Barrett

Iceland

2010-10-01T06:03:00.002-03:00

Holly and I have been in Iceland for a week now. We have completed the bulk of the ring road and now have a few last days to relax a bit more and try to get in some more great hiking. The weather has been typical Icelandic weather... Overcast and rainy half the time, although with that the temperature has been above seasonal. We have a number of photos uploaded to our photo Gallery above.

Jon

Building Update

2010-03-14T22:26:00.002-03:00

The progress on the house is coming along well. Most of the major outside changes (other than decks and a bit of remaining fascia/soffit) for the house have been completed. The insides are still fairly rustic, although sizable steps are being made there as well. Hopefully by the end of the month it will be wired, plumbed, heated, vented and insulated (just as spring is on it's way) so we can start drywalling and all the interior work (ok, this may be a bit optimistic). Overall things are looking good and moving forward. Having a full time day job definitely slows progress, but that's what evenings and weekends are for....

Jon

Ottawa

2010-02-18T23:09:00.004-04:00

Holly and I went up to Ottawa this past weekend to visit Holly's sister Katie. It was a long drive there and back for a weekend, but we had a great time visiting and enjoying Ottawa during their winter carnival week (and Valentines day).

Quilt

2010-01-31T22:09:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time coming, but finally I have uploaded a few photos of the quilt that Cindy and my Grammy made for Holly and I. I don't know if Cindy realized what she was getting herself into when she gave us the idea of collecting fabric from our travels in Africa... or if she actually realized that Holly and I would take her up on her offer. For Holly and I it was a surprisingly fun experience finding that perfect piece of fabric in every country. Whether we went to a local tailor for some unique scraps, saw a color in a market stall that caught our eye on passing, asked some friends along the way for pieces that they felt where representative of their individual country or quickly tried to find that perfect color as we where about to cross the boarder into that next country. In the end we never did actually weigh how much fabric we brought home, I just know instead of our packs getting lighter along the journey we where definitely accumulating some added luggage. Cindy and Grammy, Holly and I just wanted to thank you again for giving us this great idea and then creating this incredible memento for our travels together in Africa, Thank you.

Jon & Holly

Progress....

2010-01-22T23:08:00.002-04:00

Well it feels like the house is finally taking a big step at the moment. The windows just came in today and we have been working on the siding for a few days so hopefully in the next week or so the exterior will basically be done for now (until the summer arrives and we can throw some more paint on it). (more photos uploaded to picasa - link above - gallery)

Our Wedding

2010-01-21T23:17:00.000-04:00

We are married... well actually we have been married for two months now, just a bit slow on the uploading lately. If we get around to it we may upload a few cruise picts from our honeymoon. Here are a couple photos of Holly and I on our wedding day.

Week 5 (or so)

2009-11-23T00:23:00.002-04:00

The house is coming along well... We have a new foundation poured and re-framed a number of sections. The big news these days though is that I'm getting married at the end of the week (November 27th) which is extremely exciting.

Jon

Week 3

2009-11-02T14:58:00.005-04:00

Construction on the "lot" is coming along.

My time estimates may have been a bit optimistic. I may not have accounted for having a full time job at this time as well, which severely limits my available time to work on the place. There is only a bit of shingling left before we can start working on the foundation and siding.

(Photos: Views from the roof of the building, a shot from my car as I was heading home one evening, Shingling... a lot of angles...)

The Lot

2009-10-22T12:41:00.004-03:00

Holly and I purchased a nice little piece of land a couple weeks ago. It's located right off the Northumberland Straight in the Canoe Cove/Argyle Shore area. There is a bit of an old house on the lot that we are working on fixing up. As you can well tell from the photos, there is a lot of fixing up to do, but we do see potential. The sunsets I see there almost every evening as I'm doing work on the place are incredible. (Photos: Looking down at the straight from the building, The beach down along the shore, The waterfront side of the building, Josh working on a new set of trusses for the front section of the building)

Old Photos

2009-07-31T14:21:00.009-03:00

I was going through some old slides from my childhood the other day and trying to scan them to digital.
Overall I was not impressed how they turned out. Very discolored and a lot of marks/ scratches.

(Banff, chewing my blankie, copying my big brother, lobster time, working on the farm, cross country)

PEI

2009-06-25T13:23:00.005-03:00

It's been great to have the opportunity to spend some time on the Island this summer. It has been around 10 years since I have spent the summer here at home. Summers are great!

The Block

2009-05-25T23:46:00.007-03:00

Planting

Other than a few snow days the planting this year has been going well. One thing I am noticing more and more over the years is that I'm not as young as I once was out here. I remember back in my early years when I was planting with eighth year vets and wondering how and why they were still out here. Well at least now I know. Thankfully somehow over the years I have yet to injure myself. It seems all to common for planters to have tendinitis, blisters, bad cuts/sores, twisted ankles, bad backs, bummed knees....

Good 'ol Days

One other think I have noticed out here planting this year is people falling into the good 'ol days mindset. Just remembering the best land, best cooks, best crew bosses, best pilots, best prices and so on and wishing those days were now. In reality things do change, it simply is a part of life. Thankfully it keeps life new and exciting. Even if the change is not wanted at the moment. Well in another 5 days planting will be only in the good 'ol days in my books... well if I get a job at least...

Treeplanting

2009-05-19T23:39:00.003-03:00

Another season has come yet again... Thankfully I only plan on being out here until the end of the month before I head home to continue my full time employment search. The first two weeks out here have been somewhat typical for a planting season. Some sun, some snow, some rain and lots of COLD... I just moved to my tent from a motel yesterday which of course meant it had to snow overnight... only another 10 days of planting and I'm done.

PEI

2009-04-23T09:41:00.002-03:00

After upwards of 60,000 km of travel Holly and I have made it back to our Island. We both had an incredible journey and wish that more people would have the opportunity to do a journey such as this. For me reality is starting to settle in... I need to put together a resume and start begging for work... We would like to thank you all for your support and prayers as we have been off traveling. We truly have appreciated it all.

Jon

Europe

2009-04-20T16:44:00.002-03:00

Holly and I have been making a quick pass through Europe the past few days. Trying to make the most of the little time we have left. From Frankfurt we made our way south to Salzburg where we were able to quickly check out the city. Following that we made it to Venice for a day of exploring this unique spot. After an overnight train last night we spent today in Rome checking out the sights. Tomorrow we fly from Milano back to London then fly home from there the next morning.

Qatar

2009-04-17T15:53:00.002-03:00

Holly and I have now completed our Africa portion of our trip. It's hard to believe how time moves along. Although it feels like we have been gone a long while, it is also hard to believe that our trip is already coming to a close. At the moment we are on a layover in the Doha airport in Qatar on our way to Frankfurt, Germany. From there we plan on spending a few days training around Europe before making our journey home. It's too bad our time is quickly running out.

Holly and Jon

South Africa

2009-04-15T09:48:00.002-03:00

From Southern Namibia, we were able to hitch a ride on a truck heading to Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town is a scenic city situated on the coast with mountains surrounding it. After spending some time hiking Table Mountain and browsing the craft markets, we are getting ready to head to Johannesburg to catch our Friday flight back to Europe (Germany).

Namibia

2009-04-14T15:08:00.002-03:00

Namibia is a large country with a small population and therefore does not have an extensive public transit system. Hitch hiking is very common and safe in this area so we decided to try our luck from Maun, Botswana to Windhoek, Namibia. Surprisingly, we were able to make the journey in only one day as a number of people picked us up. We had rides from a government employee and son, a rancher (cattle & game farm), peace core volunteers, and Zimbabweans driving to the coast to pick up used tires they shipped from Europe. We really enjoyed this mode of travel and learned a lot from the people who picked us up. After spending some time in Windhoek, the modern capital, and Swakomund, where the Kalahari desert meets the Atlantic Ocean, we headed south by minibus to Keetmanshoop where we would continue to South Africa.

Holly

Botswana

2009-04-09T08:55:00.002-03:00

After crossing the Botswana border, we stopped in Kasane, a modern city and gateway into Chobe National Park. Accommodations were not cheap so we opted for camping at a nice lodge instead. From the lodge we were able to organise a afternoon boat cruise on the Zambezi River. Since the river level was so high (7 metres higher than normal) we were able to get quite close to the bank and saw many elephants and hippos, as well as various antelope, Buffalo, monitor lizards, crocodiles, giraffes and birds. According to the guide the park contains about 150,000 elephants however the park can only sustain 60,000. They moved some to another park in Botswana, but they all walked back to Chobe.
From Kasane, we headed to Maun where we spent a day on the Okavanga Delta. A motor boat took us into the Delta, past some hippos (where I fell backwards in the boat due to the acceleration), where we switched to a Mokoro (a dugout canoe). We spent the day poling through the wetlands, swimming, and searching for animals in the grasslands. Unfortunately, we didn't see any more animals (except birds) but we had enjoyed travelling by Mokoro through the narrow channels abundant with waterlilies.

Holly

Zimbabwe

2009-04-04T14:31:00.002-03:00

Zimbabwe has been an interesting experience today. Upon walking across the Victoria Falls bridge between borders we found out that for Canadians the visa fee was raised to $75USD versus the $30USD we were expecting. I guess we look like poor travelers because once we displayed this surprise and asked if there was any way we could get a cheaper transit visa they hummed and hawed then only made us pay $50USD each for the visas since they said they need tourists. Now in Zimbabwe the main currency is US dollars or South African Rands. This can be easily seen as the Zimbabwe dollar is worthless. We picked up a few 100 trillion dollar bills for 20 cents Canadian. We also had a chance to visit this side of Victoria Falls which was also beautiful. Again the water was high so there was a lot of mist which hindered the views. In the morning we hope to head on to Chobe National Park in Botswana. (photos: 100 Trillion Zibabwe dollars and Danger Point, Victoria Falls, Zibabwe)

Victoria Falls

2009-04-03T15:00:00.002-03:00

Holly and I were able to visit the Zambia side of Victoria Falls today. This side of the falls gives an up close and personal experience with the falls... and all the "mist" (more like torrential downpours) that it produces. Needless to say we got soaked to the bone. In the morning we hope to visit the Zimbabwe side of the falls which is said to offer a bit more of an overview of the falls from further back. Although I'm not sure how as there seemed to be a huge amount of mist blanketing the entire falls. We were told that this is mainly due to the current wet season and the particularly high water levels at the moment creating this thick mist.

Malawi

2009-04-02T13:32:00.002-03:00

After arriving in Malawi, we made our way to Nkhata Bay on the beautiful Lake Malawi. Nkhata Bay is a small and quiet backpacker town, with little to do other than relax and enjoy the lake. While there we had a chance to get in some freshwater snorkeling, where we saw lots of chiclids, swimming on an incredible beach, bargaining at the local market and trying out the local dugout canoe - which is much more difficult than it looks. From there we made our way to Lilongwe where we were able to meet up with Owen, a long term EWB volunteer we know from UNB, he did the same EWB JF program with Holly in 2007, but was placed in Zambia. We had a good morning together letting him show us around town and hearing about some of the work being done in Malawi- along with eating many delicious guavas... From Lilongwe I had one of the worst bus rides of my life to the Zambian border- you think I would learn and not take the cheapest option. We are now in Lusaka, Zambia catching some rest before heading south to Victoria falls in the morning.

Tarzana Train

2009-04-02T13:03:00.002-03:00

From Dar the train schedule worked out for us so we were able to travel inland via rail. The ride was a very rough, bumpy and noisy, but enjoyable 28 hours. We took 2nd class sleepers which consisted of 6 fold down bunks. Personally I slept great in my cabin with just two other guys, however Holly had a tougher time getting to sleep in her cabin because of noisy roommates, ie crying babies and chatty women. There was a lot of jolting stops and commotion of people getting off and on throughout the night. Most of the daytime hours we spent in the cafeteria cart eating, playing cards, chatting with fellow travelers and working out further travel plans. For the extra $6 we were glad we upgraded and did not take the economy class, which consisted of benches, crowds and general chaos. From Mbeya, Southwestern Tanzania, where we hopped off the train, we made our way to Malawi.

Zanzibar

2009-03-25T14:36:00.003-03:00

After enjoying some snorkeling/beach time on the Kenyan coast we headed to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to catch a pricey ferry to Zanzibar. Despite the higher prices, particularly for accommodation, we are having a great time. The island is surrounded by beautiful beaches and we continue to get lost in the winding, narrow streets of Stone Town. We spent a couple nights in Jambiani (right on the beach) where we made a boat trip to snorkel with Dolphins and other sea life. We have also eaten some interesting sea life.....octopus, barracuda, shark, etc. Over the next couple days we plan to head to Malawi (hopefully by train) to do some hiking and hanging out on Lake Malawi.

Holly

Kenya Coast

2009-03-19T15:07:00.003-03:00

After a lot of time in a Safari vehicle we have now made our way to the coast to kick back and relax a bit. In the morning we hope to make it out to the Malindi National Marine Park to go snorkeling on the coral reef. In hopes to see some whale/nurse sharks in addition to other marine life. If only we had an underwater camera/case we could show how great the marine life here is.

Safari

2009-03-16T14:54:00.004-03:00

The first three days of safari in Masai Mara were incredible. The wildlife... unbelievable and in concentrations that were never expected. Once we get some good internet we will try to upload a few photos. Lions (10), Zebras (uncountable), Elephants (uncountable), Giraffes (uncountable), Buffalo (uncountable), hippos (~50), Leopard (1), Cheetah (1), Warthogs (~50), Mini Dik-Diks (2), Impalas (uncountable), Gazelles (uncountable), Wildebeest (~100), Hartbeest (~50), Topi (uncountable), Alligator (1) and so on and so on... (Photos will be better to explain...) Tomorrow we spend time in another park (Lake Nakuru NP) where we expect to see rhinos, flamingos and who knows what else.

Kenya

2009-03-13T10:57:00.002-03:00

After a few days kicking it back on the Sinai, Holly and I have now moved on to Nairobi, Kenya. Tomorrow morning we head off on a four day Safari to Masai Mara game reserve and Nakuru National Park. This one safari may have to be the extent of our organized safari adventures as they are dreadfully expensive. Reportedly they are even more expensive in Tanzania so we are going for it now while we can. On a sad note for myself I broke my camera back in Dahab so we are relying exclusively on Holly's camera for the moment (I do have extended warranty, but that does not do me much good here). So hopefully we will have some great wildlife shots to upload when we arrive back on Tuesday (although the Internet is slow...)

Jon

Mount Sinai

2009-03-09T17:49:00.002-03:00

Holly and I decided to do a hike to Mount Sinai in order to experience the sunrise on the mountain. This required us to start out at 11:00 pm last night in order to drive to the base of the mountain about 2 hours away. We then hiked up the camel trail to the top, which took us about three hours taking it easy with lots of stops to catch our breath and warm up. It was a beautiful, clear, bright (close to full moon) and cold night. We reached just short of the top by about 4:00 am where we were able to warm up in a hut and rent a blanket. By 5:30 we made it to the summit and found a great spot to watch the sunrise. It was cold... very cold... waiting for the sun to come over the horizon. The sun did finally come just after 6:00 to the relief and light cheer of the people on the mountain as most people where freezing and wanted to descend. By 9:00 we were back at the base to check out St. Catherine's Monastery (supposed location of the burning bush) before heading back to catch up on a missed night of sleep.

Red Sea

2009-03-08T16:56:00.003-03:00

Holly and I have been getting some snorkeling in here on the Red Sea off the Sinai Peninsula. The coral and fish are incredible. The Blue hole here in Dahab is especially well known and rightfully so. It is a natural hole that is about 160 meters deep (at least I was told) that is right off the shore. Swimming out to it is really fun as it is fairly shallow then the coral just drops straight down with huge swarms of fish just hanging out. Today we were able to check out another half dozen other dive spots which were also great. Tonight we are heading up to Mt. Sinai to catch the sunrise on the top of the mountain. (A few new videos have been uploaded click Video above)
(Photos: Blue hole, Sinai coastline)

Dead Sea/ Masada

2009-03-07T14:15:00.003-04:00

Floating in the Dead Sea was an interesting experience. The water felt very thick, I would even say oily. After an early morning float we made our way to Masada (after I ran up and down the road for an hour trying to find a bank machine as we had only .40 NIS -about 10 cents CDN- local currency remaining). Once in Masada we made our way up the Snake Path to the top of the plateau to check out what was left of the once mighty fortress. We then made our way down via the Roman ramp (a ramp the Romans made in order to gain access to the city) followed by a fun hike around the perimeter of the plateau fortress that offered some great views. Some of the stories in history of these places are incredible.
(Photos: Masada - Roman ramp on the right leading up to it, Jon floating in the Dead Sea)

Sea of Galilee

2009-03-07T13:59:00.002-04:00

From Jerusalem we made our way to Tiberius to visit the Sea of Galilee. This area of Israel was much more lush than the vast desert land in the south. I tried my faith on the sea, unfortunately I sunk even quicker than Peter (although I did not go in as deep as it did not seem very sanitary these days- a lot of algae, garbage and "no swimming" signs). From Galilee we passed through Nazareth on our way to the Mediterranean where we stayed in the crusader city Akko for the night (we arrived just after dark and the city is a maze of alleyways so got turned around a few times just to find the place we wanted to stay out of business). In the Morning we made our way south along the Mediterranean to the Roman city of Ceasearea before cutting back inland to the Dead Sea. (Photos: Jon in the Sea of Galilee, Ceasearea ruins)

West Bank

2009-03-07T13:38:00.002-04:00

Holly and I made our way into the West Bank (not too difficult with foreign passports - tougher for some locals as the guy going before us got rejected) in order to see Bethlehem. Unfortunately it seems like every famous site has been turned into a church/synagogue/mosque so our visiting is basically comprised of going from one building to another. Although just walking (as we have done a lot of) gives us great views of the hilly countryside around. I was surprised at how basic the churches around nativity square were. In the afternoon we made our way back to Jerusalem in order to visit Hezekiah's tunnel. This was a really fun experience... (The tunnel was built to supply the city with water). I am not sure how long the tunnel was, but it took close to a half hour to make our way through (and the water was cold).
(Photos: The wall separating Israel and Palistine, Holly in Hezekiah's tunnel)

Israel

2009-03-02T14:54:00.002-04:00

After a lengthy security check at the border yesterday we were finally given the go ahead to travel Israel. From the Taba border on the Gulf of Aqaba we took a bus via the dead sea to Jerusalem. Today we go in a lot of hiking around the city as there are an incredible amount of sites to visit. It makes it especially difficult as it feels like the operating hours right now are about 10:00 to noon then 2:30 till 4:00 for most tourist spots (churches, museums, historic sites, etc...). Sites: Walked around the Old City, through the Damascus gate, into Zedekiah's Cave (Solomon quarry for the temple), the garden tomb, an underground Roman plaza, the ramparts (city wall), up the Mount of Olives (after I had us temporarily lost), a lot of Churches..., Via Dolorosa (Jesus' last steps), Tower of David and the Western Wall (only remaining portion of the second temple)... (Photos: waiting at the border and the Western Wall)

Video

2009-02-27T16:02:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to upload a few videos... unfortunatly the upload rate is increadibly slow. Here is a link for the two I was able to upload to date. If I can ever get some good upload rates I may try to load more in the future. http://www.youtube.com/user/jonathansbarrett

Nile Valley

2009-02-26T13:29:00.003-04:00

The Nile valley around Aswan has been a wonderful area to visit for the past few days. Holly and I were able to view a number of ancient ruins and enjoy a few activities while in the area. Our first full day in Aswan gave us time to setup a few tours along with spending a few hours time on a felucca (small sail boat) sailing around a number of islands on the Nile. The next day (Wednesday) started out early (2:45 am - with an abrupt wake up from out hotel staff- just so we could wait 45 minutes for our bus) in order to make it to Abu Simbel for sunrise. On the way back to Aswan we were able to visit high dam (this dam created the second largest man made lake in the world), Philea temple (an interesting temple in a great location) and the unfinished Obelisk (also the quarry that the rock came from for one of the great pyramids in Giza). After the tour we quickly hopped on another felucca for a cruise down the Nile for a day and a night. This morning we got off the felucca and moved on by mini-bus to a few more temples (Kom Ombo was especially good) before arriving back here in Luxor this afternoon. Tonight we will work our way back to Cairo on the 1st class train... (I'm still impressed that Holly would hold the snake)

Missed Train/Updates

2009-02-23T08:26:00.005-04:00

It's been a busy past few weeks with only minimal updates to our photo gallery and blog. This morning we missed our train down to Aswan. For a while we tried to find a bus company that does that route. After boarding five separate mini-buses to take us to the main bus terminal we ended up right back were we started, at the train station. Every bus says yeah, yeah get in... then drive a while and either get off here and catch another bus or pulls over and says how much will you pay to go there (this is after we had already agreed on a price before we enter the vehicle). By the fifth bus we eventually agreed to pay the 10 Egyptian pounds and still ended up back at the train station with the driver saying, yes this is the bus terminal. Then he wanted us to pay 20 pounds to get to the bus terminal when we told him, no this is not the bus terminal. Needless to say we never payed more than 1 EP (about 20 cents) for any of the lifts. With this we decided to take the afternoon off to work on flights and update our photo gallery a bit. This evening we will make the 3 hour train journey south to visit some more old ruins.

Luxor

2009-02-22T16:14:00.004-04:00

After taking a night train south from Cairo we arrived in Luxor this morning. Upon arrival Holly and I rented a couple bikes and explored the area. There are numerous temples and ancient building strewn about this area. Most notable would be the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Queens and Karnak. Also the Nile valley is very spectacular.

Yankari/Magog (Nigeria)

2009-02-22T16:05:00.002-04:00

Holly and I had a great time visiting in Nigeria. Mark and Joce showed us around, taking us to Yankari Park (a nature reserve and home of an incredible warm spring). Another day they took us on a great hike through this bolder field, which required a fair amount of agility. Then they drove us to Kano where we did some market exploring before they took us to the airport very early the next morning.

Cairo

2009-02-20T19:14:00.003-04:00

Well, not exactly where we expected to head to next, but we saw some tickets to Cairo last minute and went for them... So here we are... Today we flew from Kano, Nigeria to Casablanca, Morocco where we explored the city for a few hours before moving on to Cairo, Egypt. Our tickets were a bit uncertain at 4:00 am this morning, however everything came through fine in the end. So far both countries seem very modern (clean, organized and developed) compared to our last few countries. It's a nice change to have reliable power and fast Internet again (unlike last night when I lost power half way through shaving my beard).

Flights South

2009-02-18T13:29:00.000-04:00

Holly and I have been having a great time visiting Mark and Joce here in Jos, Nigeria. They have been showing us around the past few days and keeping us busy. We have been eating like crazy since we can make a number of things which we have been craving along the way. Such as crepes with strawberries & whip cream, salads, good meats and lots of colors... We are still working on getting a flight out of Nigeria, as it has turned out to be a bit of a challenge. We booked a few flights all which have come back rejected for various reason. Hopefully we can get one setup in the next day or two without paying too crazy of a fare...

Jon

Nigeria

2009-02-15T17:12:00.001-04:00

After an intersting couple days with numerous stories to be told, some
day at least, we made it up to Jos, Nigeria and are visiting with my
friends, Mark and Joce. We had an excellent supper here with lots of
greens and veggies, which is a luxury for us these days. It will be
great to relax and have some local guides for the next few days.

Nigerian Visas Approved

2009-02-11T15:48:00.001-04:00

Holly and I were able to pick up our visas today from the Nigerian Embassy. I thought it was about 75/25 that we were going to get them since we did not have all the required paper work right in front of us when we submitted our applications yesterday. And just the way they were when they took our paper work made me question our approval. It all worked out in the end and they must have received or saw enough to give us a few weeks in the country. I was especially surprised that they gave it to us in 24 hours compared to the required 48 hours (may have to do with us being there the day before, but not having anything close to what they wanted for paperwork and having to come back). With this being said we will be moving on from Accra in the morning heading East through Togo and Benin on our way to Nigeria.

Jon

Good Story or Truth - Your Thoughts

2009-02-10T15:37:00.003-04:00

The other night, Holly and I were walking about town looking for a spot to eat. We saw this decent looking hotel with a restaurant so we checked it out. When we went in there was a church service going on, but one guy got up and came to help us find another spot to get some food. He even sat down to eat with us so right off we were wondering what was up. We just thought he was trying to promote his business, but we were unsure. He seemed nice enough. After we ate he let us go and we thought... That was it, we actually just met a nice guy who wanted to help.

That was not it though...

The next evening he came to our hotel looking for us. He even waited at the gate till we walked by. He then began to tell us his story. How when he went back to the service he found out that his little girl had been hit by a motor bike and had to go to the hospital for a broken leg. He then started to cry for us saying that it was his only little girl. Following that he finally came to the point that we knew was forthcoming. He could not afford the hospital bill and had not purchased insurance (which is only $25 a year). He then said the bill was for $34 and that he was able to pay $25, but needed our help for the last $10. Being a bit skeptical myself of anyone that approaches me I asked for the medical bill. He brought the following back to me in about an hour.

Bills from the ministry of health that looked 2 years old and with dates that were altered and no breakdown of costs that we had asked for. It was just a receipt for $12 that was scribbled out then written $25 over top. Very sketchy... We then asked the man from our hotel and he said don't mind him... maybe give him a couple Cedis if you want... He will probably use it for something else.

In the end we gave him gave him 5 Cedis ($5) almost just to get him off our back as we did not feel that his story was real. Especially after we talked to a few other people around. When we did give him the bit of cash he was not even thankful for that at first. He was like where is the full amount. In the end he did give us a bit of a thank you that did not really feel sincere.

What is your though? Do you think he was for real and we were jerks for not giving the full amount? or that he was fake and we supported yet another defrauder as I have done all to many times?

Jon

Accra

2009-02-10T08:49:00.003-04:00

On Sunday we made it to Accra to start working on our Nigerian visas. On Monday we obtained very little success with our visa work, which
was very discouraging. There was much more paper work than we had hoped and expected. Thankfully this morning things seemed to come together a bit better and we have a pile of paperwork now submitted. By tomorrow afternoon we will find out if things were put together properly. Hopefully it works so we can go visit Mark and Joce in Nigeria come the end of the week.

Ghana is a very religious country and many shops have names such as above. It is quite funny at times what the signs actually say and just their spelling (yes, even worse than mine). On the right, a good way to get some grub on the streets, lately unfortunately there seems to be more fat, skin and intestine for sale (which I am not a huge fan of) than actual steak (which I like)...

Jon

Cape Coast

2009-02-10T08:45:00.002-04:00

Holly and I enjoyed some time on the coast this past weekend. We had a chance to visit the Cape Coast and Elmina areas. We have finally moved on from the dry regions of desert/semi-desert/grasslands (at least during this time of year) and more
into tropical vegetation with lots of green (a great change from the dry brown experienced over the past month). The beaches were lovely in the Cape Coast area, although we did not spend too much time on them as we had reports that there had been a few lost cameras/cash from travelers who wandered too far down the beach. We had time to visit the Elmina and Cape Coast castles as well while in the region. They were both interesting experiences learning some more history for this part of the world.
Both the forts were originally built for trading goods (for gold), then unfortunately for the slave trade. Just touring around the dungeons and experiencing the stench (even without a few hundred people living in them) was almost gagging at times. Some of the stats that the tour guide gave were also unbelievable. The main point that stuck out to me was that of the 60 million slaves that were captured only one in three lived long enough to work as a slave.

Jon

Walewale

2009-02-07T06:17:00.003-04:00

Holly and I spent Wednesday and Thursday in Walewale visiting some of Holly's friends from her time there in 2007 with EWB. From my (Jon's) perspective it was a very enjoyable time getting to know a number of people Holly has talked so much about and experiencing more community life than what I typically get to see. Holly loved the welcoming and friendliness of the people and was pleasantly surprised how many people remembered her and how quickly it felt like home again. During our time we did a lot of visiting, eating, walking about the community, resting (as I had a bit of a cold) and playing with the kids. I know we were complaining about the cold before, now it's the heat... someone told us it was about 39 Celsius out mid afternoon and the power went off that evening. Everyone, especially Holly and I, were very happy when the power was restored so we could have use of a fan to take an edge off the heat overnight. During our stay there was a national clean up day. Schools and shops were closed although it seemed that the cleanup here is to simply set the areas on fire in hopes that it will burn the trash along the way. Unfortunately there is a lot of plastic used (water packages, poly bags for everything you buy and everything else) without much of a collection system so it does not seem like the majority of people have another option, which is a common occurrence over all my travels in developing nations. We are now in Kumasi waiting for a bus to Cape Coast at noon.
Jon

Ghana Visa

2009-02-02T14:03:00.001-04:00

Holly and I applied for our Ghanaian visas today. We were hoping that they would get them back to us today, but it didn't happen. Hopefully they will be ready tomorrow morning so we can start heading south again. We plan on visiting Walewale where Holly worked two summers ago. After a few days there we will continuing on to the coast.

Burkina Faso

2009-02-01T17:32:00.004-04:00

After another interesting journey we made it to Ouagadougou (Waga-doo-goo), Burkina Faso this evening. Thankfully we were able to change enough money for the bus and entry visa. Once here we were able to find a bank machine that works which is great news. So far it seems like a very poor country from the drive through today. The temperatures are getting much, much warmer (I would even say hot) during the days. In the morning we hope to get some visas sorted out for Ghana and see what Ouagadougou has to offer a traveler. (at least fast Internet)

Uploads

2009-01-31T10:38:00.003-04:00

As promised we have a few photos uploaded in the gallery above. Also we will be heading to Burkina Faso as no working ATMs could be found (with our cards at least).

Mali

2009-01-30T16:40:00.002-04:00

It has been a long, bumpy and dirty few days. This afternoon we arrived in Bamako, Mali after a bush taxi (14 hrs), mini bus ( 40 packed people for 4 hrs, another taxi to cross the border, and a bus (23 hrs...at least 7 at which we were sitting still at police check points). We thought we had gotten incredible tans, but it turns out it was just dirt...everywhere. It feels great to be clean and to get a few things done in the city. We would like to load photos, however this internet is incredibly slow so they may not work. We were hoping to visit the Dogon Country, unfortunately our cash is running low and unable to find an ATM which accepts our cards. Otherwise, we will head directly to Burkino Faso.

Senegal

2009-01-28T06:51:00.003-04:00

Holly and I arrived in Rosso, Senegal yeasterday afternoon from where we took a sept-place (seven seater car) to the capital of Dakar. We checked the city out a bit this morning and plan on heading inland shortly. To this point Holly and I have actually completed the Paris-Dakar route (the famous off road race). Unfortunately I can't upload picts here, but hopefully we can find a place soon...

Jon

Saharan Adventures

2009-01-26T16:56:00.004-04:00

How to even start... The past few days have been a definite adventure! We took a 12 hour iron ore train straight into the middle of the Sahara on Friday. From where we had to catch a truck heading inland a bit through the desert. This truck in the end (a Toyota pickup) had 14 passengers with Holly and I holding on for dear life on all the luggage in the back (including a goat strapped to the side). With so few people living in these parts everywhere we go we have to setup bush taxis (and try to share with others to reduce costs). We ultimately made it to an Oasis town called Chinguetti where we were able to go on a Camel adventure into the deeper Saharan dunes to our own private Oasis for an afternoon. The sunrise and sunset over the dunes and the Sahara are indescribable. Today we had a few bush taxi rides to make it back to the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott. Along the way we encountered two independent flats with only one spare on board. Thankfully another similar car came by shortly after that we could get a spare from and continue on. Once we get a chance we will try to upload a few more photos, unfortunately the connection here is marginal at best.

Jon

Mauritania Frontier

2009-01-23T06:57:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning we arrived in Dakhla, Morocco (Western Sahara) after a 14 hr bus (with numerous police checks where we held up the bus) ride from Tan Tan. On arrival we quickily meet up with a guy from Senegal and found a bush taxi to drive us through the border crossing to Nouadhibou, Mauritania. The frontier was somewhat tiresome as everything had to be checked multiple times (took about 6 hrs and 20 euros to cross). We hope to cut inland today by train to the dunes. (pictures will come later).

Week One - Lessons Learned

2009-01-21T07:55:00.002-04:00

1. Don't believe everything in your guidebook
2. Nothing comes for free...
3. It's cold... bring warmer clothing for this time of year (especially at night)
4. Things are rarely as they seem
5. Account for tipping costs in tourist areas (even when they say they will not ask for one... They will)
6. There is always a catch...
7. Always carry your toilet paper (and change to pay for the use of toilets)
8. Ask for well done meat (The rare hamburger we ate made us nervous)
9. Hand gestures are key
10. Bread is a staple here... to bad we don't eat it

Heading South

2009-01-21T07:41:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we made our way from Essaouria south to Tan Tan. We had thought that the journey was only going to be 6 hours according to our guidebook... 14 hours later we arrived. I suppose the frustrating part of that journey was the waiting (in the bus) along the way. About 4 hours in total. The journey was quite beautiful following the coastline for much of the journey. Due the extended travel time we missed the connecting bus and now are hanging out in Tan Tan for the day till the next bus... Not much to do here, however the people are really friendly and we are not being hassled nearly as much as in the North. The plan is to make it to Dakhla by tomorrow morning. Then hopefully catch a ride to Mauritania from there...

Essaouira

2009-01-19T15:19:00.003-04:00

After spending the morning getting lost in the markets of Marrekesh to find some moroccan fabric we headed to the coast. We are now in the port town of Essaouira, which is a much quieter area comparied to the cities. Despite the chilly weather there are still a number of other tourists walking about checking out the sights. Soon we will be making the long haul south through the Western Sahara on our way to Mauritania.

Morocco

2009-01-18T18:46:00.002-04:00

After visiting the rock of Gibraltar (and enjoying communicating in English for the short while) we took a ferry across the straight separating Europe and Africa to land in Tangier, Morocco. After spending a night in Tangier we bused through the atlas mountains to the imperial city of Fes. Fes in many ways felt like it came straight out of Disney's Aladdin movie, with narrow alleyways, a maze of markets and unforgettable smells (especially the tannery). This afternoon we moved on by train to Marrakesh where we now are. We are staying in the Medina (old city) on a square which is supposedly the heart of the city. It seems quite lively and should be exciting to explore even more in the morning. (Pictures to follow)

Jon & Holly

Spain

2009-01-15T13:04:00.003-04:00

It´s not hot.... For some reason I always thought Spain was a fairly warm spot. During the flight I dreamed that it was going to be -1C in Madrid... Which it was! I guess I must of heard the captain and somehow incorporated that fact into my dream. Madrid is a beautiful city that took us both by surprise. Clean streets, historic architecture and spacious parks. Overall a very enjoyable however tiring day of exploring. Holly and I are moving on to Gibraltar tonight then hopefully on to Morocco (Africa) tomorrow sometime.

Jon

London/Paris

2009-01-14T15:41:00.002-04:00

After three days of travel Holly and I have now moved through London and Paris. In the morning we head to Madrid then will continue on south. Africa is still a few days away but it is quickly getting closer...

Jon

Africa 2009

2009-01-11T05:42:00.002-04:00

In a few hours Holly and I will be heading off for Africa (well Europe then Africa). As with most extended periods of travel the typical excitement of the unknown is starting to set in... I for one am quite curious how things are going to work out over the upcoming months. We will try to post the odd comment along the way as things unfold...
Jon

Iron Ring

2008-12-15T14:02:00.003-04:00

Finally after all to many years I have my Iron Ring. For those that are unaware, an Iron Ring is a symbol of someone who has completed their Canadian university education for engineering. This simple ring is worn on the pinky finger of the writing hand. The main reason it is somewhat exciting for me is that I now feel my undergrad degree is basically over (only a few days left). Now that's exciting...

I'm an Uncle (again & again)

2008-02-28T00:44:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy last couple weeks, well at least for my siblings. Jamin and Sarah had little Micah last week (Left). Then Bobby and Shira had little Emma this week (Right). So I'm an uncle twice over yet again. Two nieces and two nephews overall good distribution... although the tie will be broken in a few months, I wonder in what favor. Congratulations to both of you guys. I can't wait to see my new niece and nephew in person!

Yamaha PSR-275

2008-01-26T14:34:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to learn the piano a bit lately. In doing so I have been playing on a small kids keyboard that was kicking around home. Yesterday I finally found a real sized keyboard in the Kijiji classifieds for a reasonable price so I picked it up. Now I will be a pro in no time??

Tea and Chess

2008-01-23T23:47:00.000-04:00

I would like to say that due to the business of university I have not been blogging. However since I have not blogged last since exams I suppose that excuse is out the window being that I didn't blog once over the holidays. If anyone is still reading this blog and would like to know more about what's happening in my life feel free to email me (or facebook). Even better for those of you that live close by/passing through Fredericton I know some wonderful little spots to grab a cup of tea and play some chess all while catching up.

Exams

2007-12-06T15:22:00.001-04:00

This beloved (a bit sarcastic) time of year has come again. Sleep, Eat, Study, Eat, Study, Eat, Sleep..... Repeat daily (add a bit of procrastination in there whenever possible as well, like right now). It is however interesting to find out how much was learnt (or not) while going over all the course material. It often feels like I try to learn a course in <40 hours at the end of the year. Although I know I would be truly hooped if that was indeed the case. For those fellow students out there I wish you the best for your exams, just think in less than two weeks it will all be over... well, at least until next term...

C. S. Lewis

2007-11-20T00:02:00.000-04:00

I was sitting here at my desk looking at my bookshelf and noticed C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I have been flipping through it quickly reading what I had underlined from past read throughs. I totally forgot how much I enjoy Lewis' work. Stack another one up on the to read again list. Often I don't always enjoy re-reading books however for a book like this I will justify it by using a quote Lewis has written in this same book "People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed."

Global Smoothie

2007-10-03T23:30:00.000-03:00

I'm excited, I finally have my blender here in Fredericton so I put it to use this evening. I think I have just made one of the best smoothies ever, it's delicious. I call it the global smoothie (despite missing a few key ingredients to be truly global). Basically I was clearing out any fruit that has been sitting around for a few days. If you want to attempt this smoothie here are the basic ingredients

Fortified rice milk (vanilla flavored-could use regular or soy milk)
Grapes (a couple good handfulls)
Kiwi whole (just remove the stems at the ends)
Apple (cored)
Cranberries (good hand full)
Carrot (one good sized)
Yogurt (a good splash)
Frozen Fruit mix (peaches, mango, wild berries, pineapple... adds a nice chill)
Honey (a good squeeze)
Flax meal (heaping tablespoon- thickener, adds Omega-3 and has a hint of a nutty flavor)
Dragon Fruit (if available- I unfortunately didn't have any)

I just need something from Africa to be truly Global...

What else would make a good smoothie? I know a lot of people like bananas in the mix, but that's not my style. I should try some veggie smoothie.

EWB

2007-09-23T16:35:00.000-03:00

I'm not sure how many people have heard about Engineers without Borders (EWB) Canada, but I have been checking out this organization lately to see what it's all about. Overall it looks like a great organization at effectively trying to help those in need around the globe. The organization really emphasizes education here in Canada on what it is like to live in poverty. They do this mainly through public school outreach programs and various events that are generally carried out by its various university chapters. The organization also trys to partner up with countries or other NGOs so that they can send a number of long term (> 14 months) volunteers overseas as well as the short term (4 months) volunteers who come from the various universities involved. For myself I have been learning a lot from the overseas volunteers who have come back to share there experiences (positives and negatives). I may try to get involved occasionally in the school outreach programs.

Season 6

2007-08-21T13:06:00.000-03:00

One day remaining then my sixth season as a treeplanter will be complete. (Jon planting a pipeline for the Woodland Caribou Project)

Monkman Provincial Park

2007-07-09T02:40:00.000-03:00

This past weekend I had a quick break from treeplanting so went on an incredible hike with a friend from Grande Prairie (Pepper). We booked it over to Monkman Provincial Park in BC. From there we hiked about 21km into the park to an area called the Cascades, which is a series of ten amazing waterfalls. The area somehow is very rarely used, but is simply unbelievably beautiful. The backcountry campsite we stayed at was just off the ledge of a 30 meter waterfall (Brooks Falls) and just across from another cool set of falls (Shire Falls). Another fun feature of this site was that there were numerous Black Morrel mushrooms (which are a delicacy in Japan I have been told) that we picked then sold back in town for $7.50 per/lb. I had a great time and would love to get back there someday when I have a few more days to explore (about 50km total in two full days can be tiring). More photos have been added to my Picasa Photo Gallery. (If you look closely in the photos you will notice the orange Pine trees which have been killed by the pine beetle in the area)

3/8"

2007-06-23T23:41:00.001-03:00

The planting season keeps passing by quickly. The only major note of late would be that I purchased a pair of hair trimmers and clipped my hair down to 3/8th of an inch. I'm starting to wonder why I had kept my hair longer for the past number of years. Although my longer hair in the past did keep the horse flies and sun off my head and ears.

Pepper, Planting and Paine

2007-06-02T00:24:00.000-03:00

I had a couple great days off in Grande Prairie earlier this week to get some much needed R&R (Left Top photo: my planting partners side that has been rubbed raw from his planting bags). While in town I was able to chill at a friend's place for the couple days which was wonderful. Thanks again Pepper! Here are a couple pictures of us chilling on the roof of his place watching the sun set over GP. Well back to planting now. (This Satellite Internet that we got set up in camp is cool)

Gatorade

2007-05-30T23:42:00.000-03:00

I find Gatorade an interesting drink. When I'm out working there seems to be nothing better for getting some energy back and it just tastes good. In town however if I'm just thirsty on any ordinary day I think the stuff is disgusting. The sweet salty taste just is not appealing I may be able to get down a few gulps of the stuff. I guess when the body is in desperate need for the salt and sugar on a hot day somehow the mind is able to make the stuff taste almost divine. There isn't much better (in moderation, although water is some good stuff also).

Shift 1

2007-05-10T14:07:00.000-03:00

For some reason I always forget how tired and worn out I get after the first few shifts of planting. Every day is basically wake up eat, drive, work, drive, shower, eat, 30 minutes of sports on TV followed by sleep. Repeated daily. A few pictures of my first shift at the coal mines we are working at. (A few more photos in my photo gallery.)

Day 1

2007-05-04T14:52:00.001-03:00

Day one of planting went well. Unfortunately as we were quading off the mines it was just starting to snow heavily so needless to say this morning there was a thick blanket of snow with more steadily falling. So one day of planting one day off. Hopefully it clears up so we can get back at it in the morning and keep planting for a full shift.

New Camera

2007-05-01T02:50:00.000-03:00

As I was doing a bit of gear hunting around Calgary today I came across a great deal on a camera. The camera (a Canon S3 IS) is one I have been looking at for some time so I went ahead and purchased it. I have to say simply only having 6% tax here in Alberta itself automatically makes everything over 10% less to start with compared to the Island. I'm hoping the camera will work out for me. It would have been great to have last year while I was traveling.

The Season

2007-04-29T20:12:00.000-03:00

A new season of planting starts for me on Thursday morning. I'm just hoping the snow has melted and the ground has thawed were we have to start. I am guessing there will still be some snow lingering since both Lake Louise and Sunshine are still fully opened and its basically May. I should go skiing for the day tomorrow, but doubt it's going to happen.

My Nephew

2007-04-26T16:30:00.000-03:00

Since exams are now over I'm back home relaxing for a number of days before I head back out west for the summer. It's been great to spend some time with my nephew. (Left- Kyler with the North Face coat I got him in Nepal) (Right- Kyler and I trying to fall asleep on the couch-unsuccessfully)

Nature vs. Cell Phones

2007-04-18T11:22:00.000-03:00

I was reading an article talking about the adverse reaction of cell phone radiation on bee colonies. It sounds like a bee will not return to its colony for some time if it senses cell phone radiation. This in turn can destroy the colony if enough workers don't return within a day. If this initial research is correct, we should develop a small device that produces cell phone radiation to destroy unwanted bee nests around the yard. Someone try it out by using your cell phone (I would but don't have one). Let me know if it works. (To read the bee declining population due to cell phone radiation article click)

Exams

2007-04-13T00:42:00.000-03:00

Today was the last day of classes for the term here at UNB. It feels good to get another term behind me after having a couple semesters off traveling. Quickly thinking back to traveling one year ago today I was hiking around Torres Del Paine, Chile. I would love to be back there right now vs the hours of studying I have been doing and still need to do over the next number of days. I have to say sitting here in a little cubicle in the library for countless hours on end can get monotonous at the best of times. There is a quote I like to remember at times like this "Sometimes I do what I want, other times I do what I have to" (from Gladiator). (Photo of me at the almost mystical Towers of Paine one year ago)

My Maps

2007-04-10T22:27:00.000-03:00

Google Maps has recently added another great new feature called "My Maps". This setup allows user to enter information onto Google maps such as trip routes, photos or movies of particular places and so on. I quickly plotted the rout I roughly (very roughly) followed while traveling Asia. Also I quickly made one for my route while traveling Latin America. I made these in a couple minutes so don't zoom in and expect the lines to converge on actual places. When I get some time I may put markers on actual spots with attached photos. Until that time try out "My Maps" from Google maps for yourself.

Soy Milk

2007-04-04T22:15:00.000-03:00

I don't know if it is something I will stick with for very long, but I recently (about a month ago) switched to Soy Milk. I always remember Soy Milk tasting awful as a kid. However as I was traveling I believe a good amount (if not all) the milk, especially in Asia, I bought was soy milk despite not knowing it at the time (I couldn't read the labels). It's not like I am now totally against normal cow milk for human consumption. I will still use it without any difficulties, however it would not be my first choice. One big advantage of Soy Milk that I enjoy is that it takes much longer to go bad. No more need for that first bite of cereal in the morning to be precautionary due to the possibility of lumpy, sour milk (which happened a couple times before I switched over this term).

Sunday River

2007-04-01T22:19:00.000-03:00

This weekend as I mentioned in my last post I was away to Sunday River for a quick ski weekend. The weather was great and the conditions were fabulous (considering it is the spring). The only thing that was missing was a bit of sun screen on my face so I would not have burnt as badly. (Pictures of me, Ben & Lee-Anne with Mt. Washington behind and Lee-Anne at the Jordan Bowl)

Sunday River

2007-03-30T10:38:00.000-03:00

Despite my doubts that I would be making it out skiing this season it looks like I finally will. This weekend I'm heading down to Sunday River with Ben & Lee-Anne. Hopefully the conditions will be good.

My Car

2007-03-25T16:22:00.001-03:00

Well the inevitable has finally happened! My car decided it wanted a vacation of its own on Saturday night, so as me and a couple friends were about to drive home she wouldn't start. All three of us there were Mechanical Engineers, but unfortunately we were not able to deduce the issue (plus it was dark and I had no tools with the car). Thankfully I have CAA so I was able to get it towed to a garage so I can let it sit for a couple days till I have some free time to play with it. I'm hoping I can get it going, but knowing my limited mechanic experience I do have my doubts (especially when it comes to putting the parts back together). Thankfully my car was able to hold out till spring so it's actually now lovely to walk about.

Picasa Web Albums

2007-03-21T19:24:00.001-03:00

I was in my Picasa Web Albums (the online site that I store my photos and videos) a couple days ago and noticed they had upgraded to 1GB of free space (vs. 250MB previously). Not only that they now have a search feature so you can search other peoples photos. I am not sure why it took this long to get these new features up and running, but I am glad they finally did.

iPod (i for imitation)

2007-03-21T19:17:00.001-03:00

Initially when I bought my mp3/mp4 player (1GB ipod nano knock off) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I thought I got such a great deal. Unfortunately I was not looking at the long run cost analysis. I quickly learnt that the battery typically last for only 4-5 hours of music or 1.5-2 hours in video, photo or game mode (which meant while traveling I had to be really selective of the times I wanted to use it as to not drain the built in battery). Recently I have ran (literally) into another unfortunate flaw. When I go running with it the shock of running cause it to randomly turn off. In all reality I should realize when I purchase inferior goods they will rarely compare to the original, hence they are a faction of the cost. I think I did realize this but the price was just too enticing.

Blue Like Jazz

2007-03-17T20:14:00.000-03:00

I finished "Blue Like Jazz" on my flight to Ontario last week. For those who have not heard of the book it is described as "nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality", basically the journey of faith of the author. Originally I was very skeptical of the book after a number of pages, however I was recommended this title by a number of well respected friends so I stuck to it. Which I am thankful for because after a few chapter I started to get into it and could hardly put it down. Much like any book, I may not be in exact cahoots with the author, but he had a lot of good things to say and think about (for Christians and non alike).

Ontario

2007-03-15T14:23:00.000-03:00

This past week I was able to spend some time up in Ontario visiting friends. I got to see Noel in action working with Everyday Publications. We also did the tourist thing and visited Niagara then spent some time up in Toronto. In Toronto we also had a fun visit with the Nathan, Celeste
and their crazy cat Betsey. On Sunday I made my way up to Ottawa to visit with Jess and see the sights of Ottawa. When I was actually looking for Jess' place I met up with another friend (Derick) who was walking on the other side of the road to the University. For those going to Port Colburn to visit Noel don't forget to go view the prize attraction of the town, the shrinking mill. Thanks to everyone who let me couch hop.

Study Break

2007-03-14T20:01:00.000-03:00

I am back at University again trying to get my head back into study mode after a wonderful study break of visiting with family and friends. It was good to be able to spend a bit of time with my niece and nephew (and their parents of course). My trip to Ontario was also lots of fun. When I get some free time I may try to post a few pictures.

Fuel Prices

2007-02-28T21:09:00.000-04:00

I suppose it is one of those little quirks of mine, but before I go on most road trips I typically check out the fuel prices online to find the cheapest spot to fill up my car. I do realize it's not a lot of money in most cases (a few cents per litre), but for some reason it's almost a game for me to find the cheapest spot to refuel. I can't explain exactly why that is, but I do know I will be as happy as a button when I have a full tank of fuel heading into NS tomorrow since gasoline is over 10 cents more per litre there than here in Fredericton.

Treeplanting

2007-02-26T18:41:00.000-04:00

As the buzz of a new planting season begins yet again it is always easy to imagine, but hard to know what the season will amount to. Especially this year as Ryan McLeod (my crewboss and planter extraordinaire) the man who taught me everything I know about the business and made me the planter that I am has finally thrown in the towel. This season to date sounds like it will be a bit shorter than the past couple years at Little Smokey Forestry Services, however if wanted there are always a few other good companies looking for experienced workers to fill in a few extra weeks of work. It's still the offseason so enough work talk for now.

Your Local Library

2007-02-23T21:00:00.001-04:00

Throughout my life I have always enjoyed spending time at libraries and just wandering about the vast wealth of knowledge that is stored row by row, shelf by shelf. Often I just randomly start by picking up a classic book of literature and flip through the pages then browse through some non-fiction to discover how certain processes in nature or engineering work. This has always been something of enjoyment to me. Over the past number of years I have been to a healthy array of libraries especially while treeplanting or traveling North America (for Internet). In evaluation of which library I have enjoyed the most I would have to say it would be the one I visited in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a beautifully architectured building, it possessed a great variety of books and had high speed internet along with being clean, organized and efficient. Somewhat one the side but also tied into the whole library/reading/Salt Lake City topic (or possibly not) I have been reading a book about the fundamentalist Mormon movement "Under the Banner of Heaven" that I have recently borrowed from the local New Brunswick library. I do quickly have to say that after reading this book I am ever more thankful for the Christian beliefs I have been brought up with and have grown into. When I finish this book in the next couple days I plan on putting up a quick summary. Which I may try to do more often when I finish reading an interesting book.
All in all get out to your local public library, pick up a good book then extend your knowledge by reading it. And if you happen upon a good read that you think I may enjoy, email me and let me know.

104th

2007-02-17T21:49:00.001-04:00

Did you know PEI was the 104th largest Island in the world?

Google Search

2007-02-17T15:03:00.001-04:00

Have you ever tried to Google your name? I know for most people, such as myself, our names are so common there pops up millions of possible pages and we have to add extra search terms to be able to find pages related to ourselves. However, I did a search the other day for my name Jonathan Barrett and surprisingly enough this blog came up on the top of the list. I have since done it again a couple times out of interest's sake and found out that it is typically in the top couple spots of search for Jonathan Barrett (or "Jonathan Barrett") and top of the second page results for Jon Barrett (or "Jon Barrett"). I have to say I liked it better in the past when I had to modify my search with "Jonathan Barrett" PEI (or various other related terms) to get found on google. It limited some of the extremely random page clicks.

One year ago today

2007-02-12T17:25:00.000-04:00

I find it interesting looking back at what I was up to a year ago as I was traveling. About this time I was exploring one of my favorite areas of Mexico (the Yucatan, especially around Tulum and Isle de Mujeres). More precisely to the day I had rented a scooter and was motoring around Cozumel. I found out that the place I wanted to stay at (along with everything else up and down the Caribbean coast of Cozumel) was destroyed by the hurricanes so I decided to just sleep on the beach. Needless to say I was glad I had a few things in my pack to make a couple burritos (tortias, re-fried beans, rice and hot sauce - since my lack of supplies on the beaches of the Baja I tried to keep a few staple foods with me). The photo shown is the Caribbean sunrise I woke up to which was incredible.

Crabbe Mtn

2007-02-08T13:25:00.000-04:00

I have heard that the conditions at Crabbe have been good of late. Generally bitterly cold, but still good. I will have to try to make it out over the next month or two a couple times.

Toastmasters

2007-02-06T14:13:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to a Toastmasters meeting to see if it is something that I would like to become a part of. I have to say for a first time guest it was somewhat strange to see how regimented the meeting was carried out (with all the roles and protocols followed - even the use of a mallet). Getting past that however it was an enjoyable time. I can't say I learnt too much unfortunately, but I did get voted as the best table talk speaker (don't I feel special- I even got a certificate) for doing a couple short impromptu speeches. I still have not decided if I will go back again despite having a desire to work on my public speaking abilities.

David Suzuki

2007-02-05T15:20:00.001-04:00

I was able to attend a David Suzuki lecture yesterday as he is traveling across Canada on his "If you were prime minister" tour (he is trying to educate Canadians to support a government that is greener). It was an interesting speech, some of which I obviously may not agree with, but overall very informative. I do like the Nature Challenge that he puts out (it is similar to the one ton challenge the Canadian government produced). The Nature Challenge gives 10 simple ways to reduce our footprint. As Believers I feel it is our privilege to responsibly care for that which God has given us dominion over.

Warmer Days

2007-02-03T10:33:00.000-04:00