Around the World: Days 33 - 37

I am in Switzerland!!! 

My flight from London to Bern was uneventful. After going through customs, I grabbed my backpack and headed out to find the shuttle. Instead of being able to the bus all the way into Bern, I had to get off a few stops later and jump on a train. I got to figure out the public transport system right away. It really isn't that hard to figure out, as long as you know how to read the time tables to figure out where you need to be. Once I made to the main railway station in Bern I got some coffee and waited to meet my friend. The rest of that evening I just relaxed and chilled out in her flat. 

The next day, I was so exhausted from constantly going, going, going that I just didn't have any energy!!! So, I decided that it was ok to take a day and relax without being stressed about needing to go sightseeing my first day. Instead, I spent my day out on the balcony enjoying the sun and reading my book. It was great! 

The balcony with a little bit of the street

There are lots of potted plants along the balcony's edge

After having a very relaxing and lovely day on the balcony, I felt much better. The next day, Friday, I meet my friend at a horse track (for lack of better words). She is also in the medical profession and so was there on stand-by in case someone needed help. 

I don't know the name of the breed of horse or even what the gait is called, but these horses do a special gallop and that is what they were being judged on. Not sure about all the technical details of the grading, but they went around in circles with different gaits depending on which lap they were on. 

Horse and Rider

At the end of the day, they raced 250 meters to see who was the fastest

I don't have any pictures from Saturday, but we took the train from Bern to Thun and inflated a raft to float down the river. It was fun, but cold! The sun decided it didn't want to come out and so it was cloudy most of the day. 

After the river trip finished, we came back to the flat and warmed up. Then we headed up to Basel where we were invited to dinner. This may get a little confusing, my friends boyfriend was meeting some of his co-workers for dinner and so it was a random collection of people. Anyway, we had homemade Indian food and it was delicious!!!

By the time we left dinner, it was to late to return to Bern and so we spent the night in Basel. Instead of heading back to Bern first thing in the morning I walked around Basel. I carried my breakfast to the Rhein and then sat there watching the early morning activity while eating on the bank of the river. Then it was onto exploring the old city before catching my train back to Bern. 

The Rhein and this bridge is the oldest bridge in Basel, and I did walk across it

Along the banks of the Rhein

Around the streets of Basel

The Cathedral

The Cathedral

City Hall: Where Parliment sits 

Around the streets of Basel

Tinguely Fountain

Tinguely Fountain

Around the streets of Basel

Around the streets of Basel

 That's all I have for now, and I'll have to wait and see what adventure tomorrow brings. 

Trip Around the World: Day 28 - 32

This is going to be a quick rundown of what happened the last few days with pictures....

On Friday evening, I left Liverpool for London and we didn't arrive until late that evening (Friday morning was spent packing before going to the cafe). Saturday morning we slept in, ate lunch, read, and then started getting ready for the ball. Yes, I went to the 35th anniversary of Mercy Ships ball at the Landmark hotel in London. It was lots of fun!!!

My friend Christina and I are ready to attend the Mercy Ships Ball

I really don't know who this guy is, other than he does magic tricks and was part of the evenings entertainment...as to why he's in the picture...well, as it was being taken...he just appeared. 

At one point there were several guys who came out and started playing on drums...and there happened to be drums under the tables, enough so everyone could join in and have fun

 I was able to meet some fun people, some who had been on the ship the same time I was, but we never actually met on the ship. During my time in England, I've learned that most people here really like their wine. I don't have a problem with that, but it meant that my wine glass was kept full at the ball and so I really don't know how much I drank. I do know, that I woke up in the middle of the night needing lots of water, but was ok come morning. 

The next day, Sunday, I attended a local church and met lots of people during coffee and biscuits after the service and learned about some different area's of ministry they are involved in. In the afternoon, I sat in the garden reading a book before falling asleep and taking a nap. Sleeping in the sun...it's so relaxing. 

Monday, I did lots and lots of walking and crossed lots of bridges. My day started out with a tour of Parliament, including the House of Lords and the House of Commons...since, I'm staying with a member of the House of Lords. I didn't take any pictures inside, but the architecture was amazing. I walked through halls that had been there for a thousand years. If walls could talk, I'm sure they'd have lots of stories! 

After that tour, I met up with a friend from the ship (at 10:30) and toured London. I saw Big Ben, Buckingham Place and the changing of the guard, Harod's (a really big, high end shopping mall), then ate lunch in Hyde's Park before shopping on Oxford Street (much more affordable). After shopping, we jumped on the underground and made our way to St. Paul's Cathedral, before crossing the Millennium Bridge, walking by the globe theater, and down to Tower Bridge where we crossed to the other side and walked around the Tower of London. 

Big Ben

Loved the old buildings and all the architecture...the inside was amazing to see!

There were various street performers around, especially in the Underground stations

Changing of the guards 

Changing of the guards 

St. Paul's Cathedral 

I'm standing on the Millennium Bridge with the shard, globe theater, London Bridge and Tower Bridge  behind me...okay, some of those landmarks are almost impossible to see in this picture, but they are there!!!

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

At this point, it was 5pm and we were both done walking. We said goodbye and each got onto our different trains. The underground system is really great, it covers the city and trains are frequent. I loved the feel of London and the different experiences that I had. Someday, I could see myself living here. 

Today, I decided to check out my local surrounds and walked though the village and enjoyed the park before packing and getting organized. I head to Switzerland in the morning! I'm excited be able to meet up with another friend and check out a new country. 

It's really strange to think that I have already completed half of my trip. My time is going quickly! 

Trusting God and Moving Forward!

I want to share something that God is doing in my life. A few people already know part of this, but I want to share this so hopefully you can be encouraged by God. Once it came time to leave the ship I wasn’t sure what to do next. I think that is part of the reason I decided to travel. That way I didn’t have to go back to work right away and I could see the world. 

A couple of weeks ago, while I was in Pretoria, I received an email from one of my friends at home. To make a long story short, it was an email asking if I would like to join a church from home on a medical missions trip to Thailand in the middle of September. 

Those of you who know me, know that I love Asia. My Asian friends like to say, ‘she loves all things Asian,’ or ‘she is more Asian then I am.’ Secretly, I’ve been wishing to do some type of humanitarian volunteer work in Asia. The door has never been open for me to go. 

Now, this opportunity has presented itself and it feels like the right time. The more information I received the more I wanted to go, and the more excited I became. Then came an email saying, the main group will be staying for 2 weeks, but would you be interested in staying for 4 months with one of the other members that’s going? 

As I read that, my gut reaction was, ‘yes, I’ll totally do that!’ and I was even more excited about this possibility. I said, “sure, I’ll go for the 4 months.”

I’m not 100% sure what all I will be doing, but I know that I will be staying at a school working as a nurse. I’m guessing I will also be doing community health things too. I’m going to be open and flexible, which I’m sure means I’ll be stretched beyond my imagination. 

What I wasn’t expecting was the stretching part has already started!!! Once I said yes, I realized that this isn’t a paid position. I need to have my own funds to support myself. Suddenly, it all became overwhelming. Where is this money going to come from? Once I’m done with my current travel plans I won’t have money left, because I was thinking I would start working a paying job again. I really don’t know where it will come from, but I’m trusting that God will provide. The other night it was so overwhelming, that I just wanted to be alone and cry. There is so much to do when I get home, so much to figure out. 

As I said in my last blog, I went to church with my friend which means I meet some people there. One of the girls that I meet asked if I wanted to join her for Open House. Basically, it’s a member of the church who opens their home for whoever wants to come join together for a meal and time of worship. It would have been so easy to say, ‘no, I just want to be alone.’ There was something in me that said, you should go. Now, I’m very glad that I went!

After eating, we started singing and worshiping God. Whoever felt led to read a scripture, pray, or speak something could. There were 2 things that where said that really made an impact. The first was that someone spoke out saying, ‘we can’t rely on the mana of yesterday, but we need to trust God and accept the mana of today.’ 

I’m struggling to figure out how to support myself, and found myself trying to keep a tight hold on the money that is in my bank account so that I have some saved up for Thailand. If I keep what I have, I need less later. I was holding onto it so tightly that everyday my thoughts were obsessed with money. I was putting it before God. 

Later, someone else read Joshua 3. It’s about crossing the Jordan on dry land. As that was being read, I just started thinking. God hasn’t changed. If he can dry up a flooded river and bring down city walls, he can work out the money that I will need. He proved that he could do that when I served with Mercy Ships. Am I doubting He is able to do it again? 

        I’m not saying that I have it figured out, but I came to the conclusion that I need to hold loosely onto the things that I have, and trust God for the things that I need. Today is today, and tomorrow is tomorrow. I do not need the money for Thailand today, I will need it later. Surrendering it all to God and trusting is very hard. I did that last night, and I had to do it again this morning…and I’ll have to repeat it again tomorrow.

Around the World: Day 19-27

Let me think...what has happened in the last week...I've been checking out some sights around Liverpool, hanging out at local cafes, shopping, and hiking through Sherwood Forest - home of Robin Hood. 

I think that pretty much sums it up...if you want more details and pictures keep reading.

Thursday:
I pretty much sat at the cafe all day and caught up on emails, Facebook, and really just enjoyed hanging out at the cafe. I enjoyed talking to the people who worked there, drinking coffee, and watching people on the street. It's on of my favorite things to do!

Friday:
I decided to hop on the bus and go downtown to check out the sights. I found my way into some free museums and generally just enjoyed walking around. There are some very cool old buildings!

Downtown Liverpool

Downtown Liverpool

One of the museums that I visited was the International Slavery Museum 

Saturday:
So I love really like the story of Robin Hood and have seen most movies and TV shows related to the story. Since, I'm so close I thought it would be fun to go to Nottingham if possible. Well, my friend decided that we were going to drive to the forest outside Nottingham and then we walked around. After we finished there we tried to go to Nottingham Castle but it was already closed...instead, we ate outside the castle wall before heading back to Liverpool. I was in Sherwood Forest!!! No, I didn't see Robin Hood or his band of merry thieves.

Major Oak - Where Robin Hood would meet up with his men

The Forest Path

Flowers

I found a statue of Robin Hood

Sunday:
I went to church with my friend and it was an interesting experience. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming, but what made it a unique experience is that during the normal Sunday morning service there was a wedding ceremony. Yes, I attended the wedding of a couple that I didn't even know. It's a very strange experience...especially, when it's a small church and they want everyone in the picture at the end. I was attempting to stay out of it, because they have no idea who I am. It didn't work.

After that we went out shopping. This shopping trip was much needed! On Friday we are heading to London and will be staying with a general surgeon who volunteers on the ship, but is also a member of parliament! Since we will be there Saturday evening he asked if we would like to join him as his guests at the Mercy Ships ball. This is a true formal ball...I didn't have a formal dress or appropriate attire! I now have a dress and will borrow the accessories that I need. 

Monday:
I didn't have shoes to go with my dress, and so I was on a mission to find shoes! After much searching I was finally able to find a pair. 

That evening, I went out to eat and meet up with the group that I spent time in Uganda with. It was fun to see everyone again and to catch up with them. 

Tuesday: 
The Uganda group that I went out to eat with Monday night came over to my friends house where I'm staying on Tuesday night. She had to work during the day, so I went to the grocery store, prepared some snack foods, wine, cheese and crackers, grapes, with some humus and veggies. It was a great evening of food, fun, and conversations.

Wednesday: 
It was a relaxing day...I really didn't do anything because I was exhausted. Just chilled out with some friends. 

Thursday: (today)
I'm hanging out at a cafe, again...I've decided that it's time to update my blog. 

Sorry, it's not a very exciting blog...but it's what I've been doing. 

Around the World: Day 11 - 18

Day 11 - 18

I’ve left Africa and I’m now in the U.K. Before leaving Pretoria I was able to get my passport back with my visa for Bangladesh and so everything worked out. Once I got my passport, I was able to go and check out Cape Town. 

There was only one issue that I had…and that was, it was so cold!!! Winter was starting and so that meant lots of wind and rain, even hail at times. I was wearing so many layers to stay warm and still froze. Houses aren’t built to withstand the cold so they are drafty and don’t have any heating source. 

Even if it was cold I still made it out to see the sights. I took the cableway up Table Mountain and a bus out to the wine vineyards where I did some wine tasting. While I was doing the wine tour and tasting, I met a couple guys from the U.K. who were on a business trip and so I joined up with them for the afternoon. 

Cape Town

Table Mountain

Looking down from the top of Table Mountain...it was so cold up there!

This was taken on the Tree Canopy Walkway in the Botanical Gardens of Cape Town

A vineyard in the Constantia Valley

Wine Cellar

One of the many area of the beautiful coastline in Cape Town 

I did go to the Aquarium and they had penguins...what can I say? 

The coolest part for me happened on Monday. I made it the Heart Museum where the first heart transplant happened. The old trauma rooms and OR's have been turned into the museum. The tour started in the trauma room. It was in that room that brain death was used for cause of death for the very first time.  The OR rooms now have silicone statues replicating history that night. 

Now, I’m in Liverpool and hanging out at a cafe and drinking coffee. It reminds me of the many hours I spent in various cafes at home working on homework. It’s amazing to just sit and enjoy the experience. I’m going to have to remind myself that there are other things to do…or I could end up here more frequently than I should. 

Around The World: Day 8 - 10

Day 8:
I'm staying with someone I met on the ship and Saturday was her birthday. So everyone got up early and went to a local 'farmers market.' There was some produce, but there was a lot of really good prepared food. The morning consisted of trying out some of the local cuisine before heading back to the house.

During the afternoon some of her friends came over and helped to prepare food for everyone that was coming on Sunday afternoon. I slept the afternoon away because I was feeling so exhausted and was starting to come down with a cold.

Day 9:
Sunday I was miserable! Throughout the day I keep taking antihistamines and vitamins and every other cold type medicine I could get my hands on. I was able to join everyone for lunch and had the real Afrikaans experience. There were times that I could pick up a word or two...but most of the conversation was difficult to follow. 

Day 10: 
The plan was to head to Cape Town day 10 or 11. Well that didn't happen! Instead I will be spending a couple more days in Pretoria. It's really a very simple reason...I don't have my passport. Okay, that sounds a lot worse than it really is. I need a visa to enter Bangladesh and so I have applied for it while here in Pretoria. It takes a couple days, but the problem is they won't have it ready for me until Thursday. So that means I'm not going anywhere until I can get my passport back. 

The rest of the Monday was spent doing errands and getting lunch. Although, after I ate lunch I did decide to try a very yummy local desert. It was a cake that had a warm buttery sugar mixture poured over it so it was nice and moist with custard served on the side. I would eat it again! 

My very yummy desert!!! It may not look like much but it tasted really good!!

I really haven't done much other than try to rest and get over this cold. I've started to feel a little bit better and so I'm hoping that I'll be over it by tomorrow. That's really all I have to say for now.