Well, a small setback to start the adventure. I was supposed to set foot in Africa for the first time in my life on March 1, as a volunteer in Cameroon along with several other like-minded folks. However, our flights were postponed as a precaution, due to protests that took place in a couple of the larger cities in the last week of February, which unfortunately turned violent when police intervened. It all started when the transport union planned to go on strike in protest of a recent increase in fuel prices, although speculation is that the demonstrations quickly took on a political, anti-government tone. There were reports of up to 20 people killed.
All is calm now, and I’m scheduled to land in Yaoundé on March 10th.
I’m willing to bet that many of those reading this hadn’t even heard about what happened in Cameroon last week. At the risk of sounding like a left-wing, conspiracy-minded, anti-big business, pro-hyphenated words advocate, I find it kind of sad that the story received almost no coverage in the major media outlets. Strange world we live in.
And it was a slow Britney week, too. What’s up with that?
In the meantime, I’m here in Sweden, where I’ve been since leaving Canada at the end of January, hanging out at my gal Bodil’s place in Vasteras. Been trying to minimize the cash outflow, so no great adventures to report. I did get to spend some time in Norway (Oslo & Fredrikstad), and, of course, went to Stockholm a few times. Also went to Uppsala for a day with my pal Annemarie from Netherlands. Then we went tobogganing at a Viking graveyard…on a Viking grave. You see, Viking graves make great toboggan hills. I do have a hint of Nordic blood in me, so I’m fairly certain I’ve sealed my fate with my sacrilegious actions; I’m going to Viking heck, which means I will die a non-violent death and go to a place where everyone grows flowers and watches Barney videos.
We also watched Slovakia kick Sweden’s butt in ice hockey. Europeans call it ‘ice hockey’. Being from Canada, I am feeling some shame for having just called it ‘ice hockey’. That’s like saying, ‘alcohol beer’ or ‘apathetic Canadian’. It’s self-explanatory without the first word. That last sentence had a hyphenated word in it. Yes!!!
Anyway, I shall stop blathering, since I don’t have many travel-related (note the hyphen) stories to tell as of yet. Will be back soon….
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