Year of Adventure -Part 3 - Bike Tour

With the bike tour in full swing- I am appealing for motivation and have sent the following out to some people via e-mail. So you may have seen it already. Yesterday I was at the Thomas Farm Meeting School and there was someone there from Belfast, Maine since I never went to the Belfast Co-housing community I got the low down from him- sounds great there. It was great connecting with Friends again and being in the White Mountains (I think) is beautiful- so many trees around gives me hope for the world! So below is what I sent out to motivate myself and stay connected with people better through the last part of my year of adventure!

"I have been traveling by bicycle for 7 days today is day 8 and I have come to some hills and realize the importance of some additional motivation and connection to people back home..

Unfortunately there was some devastating news from Ladakh India three days after I got back to the USA- rains resulting in massive flooding, mud slides, and numerous deaths - people went missing under the mud and home and bridges were ruined in the an area that generally recieves no more than 3 inches of rainfall a year. One of the communities I had spent several weeks in and made many friends- now has much damage the bridges they use to get to the main road is now gone. They need help to rebuild their lives (since none were lost thankfully).

So I asked one friend what I could do to help and he said that I could raise donations and then Deb, who works for the International Society for Ecology and Culture in Ladakh said they were setting up a way for people to donate through the website to this particular village. http://www.isec.org.uk/ - that is the great organization I volunteered with in Ladakh- they have been in there for many years.

Here's how you can help:

1. Donate an amount to help rebuild the village of Takmachik for every mile I go-( you can set a dollar maximum for yourself if you want.) Tell me what it is so I can tell myself "if I go another mile that will mean X amount for Takmachik". And then when I stop I will email again and let you know how many miles I went. ( the miles counted will start today day 8 since I only just got an odometer). (Near the end of September).

2. Day with a friend option- Join me for a day or three or more and cycle with me! or just come visit me on tour- I am mapping out my route today for the rest of the journey now that I know about how many miles I go a day- OR let me know if you will be a place and able to host me along they way- I am going through the EAstern coastal states- spending a lot of time in Virginia and North Carolina, but currently in Massachusettes (almost). (yes I know about warm showers and couch surfing sites).

3. Send me a check so I can stay on the road- I don't get a free place to stay every night- I am still figuring that out- organization right!- so I couldn't belive $40 for a campsite one night and $25 is a lot too.. anyway if you have any touring tips for spending less send those my way or any extra cash laying around!

4- Dangle the carrot option- . Lump sum donation for Takmachik- if I make it to Ashville, NC! Tell me how much you will give to ISEC for Takmachik if I make it all the way!

5. Creative option- you tell me what it is!

Now that you are totally inspired email me right back and tell me what you are going to do!"

Thanks!!
Anna Hoekstra
alahoekstra@yahoo.com
(616) 635-7978

The Beauty of the Earth- June 22, 2010

In the past few days the sun has begun to shine more fiercely and fittingly so since the spring equinox is coming up. Normally in the past month or so there have been extreme changes in weather every day- I have had to pack along fleeces and wind breakers- weather predictions don't exist and a day could start out hot and turn stormy and windy in the afternoon and then hot again an hour later. A cloud can cover the sun and I feel a need to put a wool hat and sweater on, when the cloud passes it is hot again and off comes the hat. Ladakhis can wear the same thing all day comfortably- or seemingly so- long sleeves and long dresses with pants underneath is typical. Head scarves for women many times covering the face to protect from the elements, dust, sun and cold.
The pictures included here are of places I stayed over the month of May. The one with the bridge is where we stayed the longest and we are hoping to have the farm participants stay there as well. We are busy showing films at the Women's Alliance and leading discussions on how globalization has effected Ladakh and other places in the world. Many tourists come and see the films- many stay around and discuss for a long time-- and now the tourist season is finally picking up so we are much busier now. Also planning for the workshops for the participants in the first few days of July.
But Julia, another volunteer and myself took the past two days to bike to some monasteries and stayed overnight at a nunnery. The scenery was breathtaking, the old paintings in the monasteries powerfully alive and biking felt so great after 7 weeks of no biking..

More soon!