Children Vote: Child Rights Hero of the Decade

Below is the website where children around the world can vote (for the individual or organization) that they wish to win the Child Rights Hero of the Decade...Maiti Nepal is one of the 2009 nominees.

Your last chance to vote is October 25, 2009; the children will announce the winner on November 20, 2009.

Any child or youth under the age of 18 can vote or schools can vote.

To vote go the website www.childrensworld.org and follow the links under Global Vote.

If you need help in voting ask an adult or your parent to help you. You can make a difference just by casting a vote for any of the worthy individuals or organizations nominated!

See post below to view a film about Maiti Nepal's work.

SnagFilms Film Widget

This is a short film about the trafficking of women and girls in Nepal. It provides information about the valuable work of Maiti Nepal to combat this issue.

Just click on the film to watch it (you may have to temporarily allow pop-ups on your computer to view the film).

Back in Canada August 2009

Peter and I arrive safely back in Calgary on August 5th, 2009. It is clean, beautiful and green but it doesn't feel like home anymore after travelling in so many small communities around the world.

Fortunately Peter's friend, Doug allows us to stay with him until we sort things out. There are so many things to sort out, where to live, whether we should cycle through BC or I should start looking for work, if I can keep the condo rented out, etc.

Although I want us to cycle through BC and check out the small communities there; with so many wildfires burning, I decide to stay put in Calgary and start focusing on a job search.

Peter and I decide to rent the suite from Doug which fortunately gives me a base to work from. Volunteer teaching in Nepal has ignited a passion to work with children so that is my initial focus.

Although Peter keeps saying that he will head out to BC to do some cycling he hasn't left yet...which suits me fine.

I catch up with a couple friends and look forward to seeing all my friends.

What can I say about our trip?

Travelling for ten months by bicycle, living in a tent, eating noodles and tuna, experiencing different cultures and teaching children in Nepal is a wonderful, challenging and extremely worthwhile experience.

It is not always fun and stress-free but I am glad that we did it and it has shown me a new path that I want to follow...

Danube Bike Path -Germany June 3-17/09

It is hot on the train to Milan and it is so full that some people are standing. In our compartment on the next train we are fortunate that Peter has a row of seats to himself so we can take turns lying down.

We arrive in Karlsruhg, Germany at 4AM. Eventually the McDonalds and a bakery open so we have something to eat. Peter is able to determine that there is a discount train at 9AM to Donaueschingen (where the Danube bike route starts). We are able to confirm with an agent that we can take our bikes.

This is an easy train to get on as we can just wheel our bikes on.


After getting groceries and having lunch in the park we check the mapboard as there are several bike routes from this point including the Danube. The Donau starts as a little trickle, to a stream and eventually as a wide expanse of water.


Along the way there are little villages (and bakeries) every few kilometers each with a church tower and red tiled roofs. I am still suprised by the lack of people that speak English.



Highlights: easy cycling, cheaper camping, picturesque villages and architecture, Donauworth

Challenges/lowlights: rainy days, rude woman at campground at Ingolstadt.



Our first day is a short cycle to a lovely campground at Pfohren under sunny blue skies. The people at the campground are very friendly. 16EU for camping.




Around 5PM it turns really cold and windy. It is not until I have on my fleece, rain jacket and fleece cap that I feel toasty.

During supper a couple pulls up in a mini car, while the woman sets up the tent, fills the air mattress with a foot pump, the fellow sits in the car and drinks beer. I feel like telling her that he should get his lazy ar.... out of the car and give her a hand.



I know why Europeans use fenders on rainy days.
The rain must bring out the snails as I have rarely seen snails and now they are all on the road slinking along.






In Ehingen there is an impish fountain. The lepricon shoots water from his flute at a boy and then the boy shoots water back at the boy hitting the lepricon/elf in the face.














DONAUWORTH



I was here in '93 when it was just a quiet little village although I recognize the main street of buildings it has now become a trendy tourist place, with plenty of cafes, shops and attractive walkways.










WELTENBURG

The trail winds along the Danube past limestone cliffs. There is an old monestary beside the river which also houses a very big and busy biergarten.







CYCLING

Day 241 Donaueschingen to Pfohren 6 KM
Day 242 Pfohren to HausenimTal 59 KM
Day 243 H.. to Reidlingen 66 KM
Day 244 R.. to Allmendingen 53 KM
Day 245 All.. to Leipheim 59 KM
Day 246 rain day
Day 247 L.. to Dillingen 48 KM
Day 248 D... to Marxheim 54 KM (Donauworth)
Day 249 M.. to Inglostadt 62 KM
Day 250 In... to Kelheim 56 KM
Day 251 K... to Regensburg 48 KM
Day 252 R... to Straubing 60 KM
Day 253 S... to Deggendorf 39 KM
Day 254 D... to Passau 66 KM

Germany 676 KM

Venice June2-3/09

Before we leave Marotta we check on (via Internet) accomodation in Venice (close to train station and cheaper).

We have a couple hours on the train then we switch at Bologna. Fortunately we can catch the lift down with staff, along a corridor and up another lift to our platform.

A couple more hours to Venice.

Highlights: walking around Venice, St. Marks' Square
Lowlights: Currency exchange rip-off, train cost to Germany



From the train station it is very easy directions to get to Hotel Adua. As the hotel is expensive I suggest to Peter that we only stay 1 night and catch a late train tomorrow to the start of the Danube cycle route.

In Venice for 60EU/night you get a room down a narrow alleyway and up steep steps with 2 common baths down the hall. Our window opens onto a little roof patio with flowered pots. In the hall you can look out onto the street and hear the hustle and bustle below.

The woman eyes our bikes and gear when she comes down with Peter. Fortunately there is a ground level storage area where we can keep them.

With our bikes stowed we sit on the steps at the train station and people watch. There are so many different people coming and going. As there is a long line up for tickets we decide to walk around and come back later.





We walk past our hotel down narrow twisty streets across bridges spanning little canals. Along the way we pass several mask shops, jewellery shops with black and white T-shirts and straw hats like the gondoliers wear.





CURRENCY EXCHANGE RIP-OFF

I decide to convert $150US into Euros. Unfortunately I don't ask how much I will get back after fees as by the sign it appears to be just $5.40EU. The clerk hands me $75EU.

I go back and ask her if she charged me $20EU (which is almost $40Cdn!). She tells me that the machine calculates it all. There is a rate fee on top of the set fee. I am choked, I feel ripped off.

After we get groceries, we head back to the train station. Initially we line up for tickets however as our route is complicated (with the bikes) we are directed to the information office.

The agent just kind of mutters and shakes his head as it appears that it is not easily done to get to Basel or close to where we start the cycle way. The agent beside him prints out a sheet however it has several train changes.

A route is worked out -train to Milan -then change trains to Karlsruhg (Germany). The portion to Milan is inexpensive but through Switzerland to Germany is very expensive ($218EU for that portion) total $254EU.

ST. MARKS' SQUARE




We put our luggage in the store room and cross the bridge in front of the train station and follow the signs to Saint Marks Square. The route twists and turns for well over an hour before we finally reach it.

In the square it is prohibited to sit, eat and drink other than in designated places (in other words you have to pay to eat in a cafe).

As we see others breaking the law, we do the same but move so the "English" sign isn't staring us in the face as we eat peanuts and sip ice tea.





We intend to walk back along the canal but there isn't a pathway along it; fortunately we pick up signs for the train station and so make it back in less time and stop at a nice park along the way.



We hang out in the shade until it is close to our departure time.

Italy May13-Jun1/09

Gelato


The first 5 hours on the train gets us to Munich. An easy train change as we catch our next train at the same platform. We arrive in Florence around 6AM.

ITALY

Highlights: Florence, San Gimignano, gelato, Mary Sierra cabin, Venice.
Challenges: Hills, heat wave, traffic into Perugia.

Some rough camping due to lack of campgrounds.

FLORENCE




We wait for the tourist info to open and then make our way to the campground up a long hill. The campground is amongst an olive grove overlooking the city. After freshening up I walk up to the Piazza Michaelangelo which overlooks Florence and see the same view of the Cathedral of S. Maria del Fiore as on my vision board.


We walk into the city across the Ponte Vecchio bridge. There are many expensive looking jewellry shops. An old fragile woman in black is holding out a cup to passerbys begging.



The Cathedral is huge - although it is free to enter the line up is too long to wait.



Florence is hot. I'm tempted to try to see the Uffizi Museum as it has an extensive art collection including some famous artists, but I'm tired from the heat and figure the line up is too long to wait.








Tuscany impression: stone buildings, potted flowers, green fields of olive groves and vinyards making a patchwork in the fields.



Even though I saw a slide show of a friend's cycle trip through Italy, it doesn't register with me until we are there that you have to generally go through lots of little villages and each one is perched on a big ...... hill and that you have to climb up to the village, descend and then do it all over again for the next village.



Maybe this along with the heat wave plays a part in my decision that we will shorten our stay in Italy. Essentially after heading south from Florence we cross the country to the other coast. We have a good map, it shows the quieter secondary roads and the steepness of the hills.



SAN GIMIGNANO



This village is known for its towers, 7 in total?

It is very hot and fairly steep going up to San G., by the time we reach the campground my legs feel like jello.

We end up staying two nights and take turns doing a walking tour around San G.


CYCLING

Day 221 Florence to Greve 40KM
Day 222 Greve to Siena 60KM
Day 223 rest day
Day 224 Siena to San Gimignano 57KM
Day 225 rest day
Day 226 San G. to Belforte 52KM
Day 227 Belforte to L'Aratrice 57KM
Day 228 L'Aratrice to Amiata 37KM
Day 229 Amiata to Bagnolo (past Santa Flora) 46KM
Day 230 Bagnolo to Sarteano 49KM
Day 231 Sarteano to Perugia 65KM
Day 232 Perugia to Umbertide 60KM
Day 233 Umbertide to Pianello 34KM
Day 234 rest day
Day 235 Pianello to o/s Marotta 82KM (Mary Sierra cabin)
Day 236-238 rest days
Day 238 to Marotta 11KM

Italy 650KM