The travel plan

• Friday, the 13th of March (Flight from Helsinki to Stockholm)

I will go to my aunt's place.
Sinikka is my mom's sister
who has always
dreamed about
Africa too.

• Sunday, the 15th of March (Flight from Stockholm to Port Elizabeth via Münich and Cape Town)

Sinikka and I will travel for 24 hours.
It will be monday,
the 16th of March,
when we'll land in Africa.
16th of March is also my 30th birthday.
What a birthday gift, I'd say!

• Monday, the 16th of March - Friday, the 28th of March (Port Elizabeth and Addo Elephant National Park)

Port Elizabeth
is South Africa’s second oldest city
and also the commercial
capital of the Eastern Cape.
It is situated on the
South Eastern Coast of South Africa.

Addo Elephant National Park
is located 75 km from Port Elizabeth.
It is home to the Big Seven:
elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard,
southern right whale and great white shark.

We will be exploring the areas
in and around
the city of Port Elizabeth
and the national park.

• Friday, the 28th of March (Flight from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town)

Sinikka will fly back home.
I will continue travelling towards
Cape Town.
In Cape Town I will be visiting
my dear friend Tevya,
who lived in Finland
for 3 years.

• Friday, the 3rd of April (Flight from Cape Town to Tanzania via Johannesburg, South Africa, and Addis Abeba, Ethiopia)

I will land in
Tanzania,
Kilimanjaro airport,
on the 4th of April.
From there I will be taken to
a town called
Moshi,
where I will be living in
Moshi Volunteer House.
My main task is Moshi will be
working as an english teacher
in Tumaini Women's Group.

• Saturday, the 9th of May (Flight from Tanzania to Kenya)

I will fly to
Kenya,
Nairobi airport,
from where I will be picked up
and driven to a town called
Kitengela.
In Kitengela I will be living
with a family and
working in Enkasiti primary school
as an english teacher.

• Saturday, the 6th of June (The project in Kitengela ends)

• Saturday, the 6th of June - Sunday, the 14th of June

I don't know yet!
Maybe I will come back home,
maybe I will stay in Africa and -
climb up Mount Kilimanjaro
- who knows!

• Monday, the 15th of June
  

Back in Finland and back to work.

Dreams can come true!

It was approximately ten years ago, when I was sitting on a bus and reading a newspaper. I was just about to gratuate from senior high school and I had my head full of ideas - what to do next in my life? As I was reading the paper, an add caught my eye: Volunteer in Africa... From that moment on, I have always known, that one day I will be there, in Africa.

A lot has happened during these ten years. There has been happiness and success, as well as misery and drama, a lot of tears - both of happiness and of sorrow, and a lot of laughter. But most importantly, I have learned the lesson of not ever giving up on one's dreams and collected the courage to make mine come true.

I created this blog to be able to share my adventures in Africa during the spring 2009 with the people in my life. You won't only be reading about the actual happenings. I will also try to give you a deeper view on how I experience(d) everyday life in Africa: what suprised me, what shocked me, what made me happy, what made me sad, what scared me, what made me change my opinion, what digussed me, what made me want to take the first flight back to Finland, what made me want to stay in Africa forever, and so on.

I wish you'll enjoy reading my writings. Cheers!