Daniel Klassen

Waorani visit

2008-11-11T22:47:00.002-05:00

A couple weekends ago I tried to fly into the Waorani with some friends from the Alliance Academy. The plan was to fly into Tonampari but every airstrip in the jungle radioed in "zero"... no flights could land due to rain and low ceiling.
This week I return to Shell in order to try and fly in again to the Waorani. This attempt will be to Tiwaeno, which I have visited a couple of times now. I will be going in with Youth World's study abroad students.

Cayambe

2008-08-05T00:16:00.002-05:00

This morning I am taking 4 teachers from the Alliance Academy up Cayambe. We will start the summit push at midnight of Tuesday. Please pray for good weather, health and energy for the five of us. I am still recovering from my time in the jungle. With one hour to go before the climb, here is the view from my rooftop of the mountain:

Plan D... maybe E

2008-07-20T22:16:00.002-05:00

After going back and forth on many different plans, our current one for the Adventure team coming in on Tuesday is this: We will go for getting to Tiwaeno. There is still no aviation fuel so we are going to hike in. Our estimates are that at the earliest, we will make it in 10 hours. It will probably take longer though. We were able to get one flight in with all our tools and food which will lighten the load substatially going in. However, this also means that our mosquito nets and sleeping bags are in. We can't ditch halfway through and spend the night out on the path. We will start the hike at 4 am on the 24th if you'd like to be praying. Thanks.

Summer so far

2008-07-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy summer so far. This post is going to be a bit long. Here's what has happened since I last wrote. My first short-term team was of 39 people, 33 of whom were 18 year old high school grads. We worked with a church here in Quito in a community called Argelia Alta doing different construction projects as well as several VBSs and a church service. We then visited a Quichua community that this church is reaching out to and did a VBS with them. It was really cool seeing these students in a pivotal point in their life doing this kind of ministry and learning what it means to serve. Many of these students come from wealthy families and are going on to Ivy League universities. One of the things we talk a lot about here with teams is fruit. What will the fruit be as you go forward (not back... hopefully) home... how will you be different and how will others be impacted long term as a result of this missions experience. These students decided as a group that they were going to raise $50,000 for Argelia Alta. One of the outreaches the church in Argelia Alta has is a micro-business school for the women of the community. They can learn several trades like sewing, candle-making, or hair styling in which they can then use for some income. The church wants to buy the property next door in order to build this school for these ladies.

My second team was also great and an interesting mix. There were high school grads, some late-20's - 30's, and some closer to 50. It was a very mature team and listening to them talk and watching them serve was a lot of fun. There was some definite life change that happened among them and I expect to see a number of them leading teams of their own in future years.

After these two teams left, I had a few days off and this last weekend I got out to a lake with 3 friends to take a few days to relax. On the way out we drove to a mountain and I was totally stunned by God's glory. The weather cleared (it had been raining for 2 days pretty well straight) and from the top of one of the mountains I saw several eagles, a peregrine falcon, and most amazing of all, three condors (one of whom was a "baby"). One source says there are only 74 condors left in all of Ecuador. These condors came right up and circled maybe 20 feet away from me. At the same time, Antisana, a beautiful snow-capped volcano, came out. I was in awe. I tried to capture it by camera but it comes nowhere near. The photos are on facebook at this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=130666&l=1f27a&id=873710486.

Well, this is getting very long so I will leave you with a couple things to pray for:
My next team comes on the 22nd. They are supposed to fly out to the Waorani in the jungle but we have had so much rain that there is only one possibly operating airstrip out there. On top of that, MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship... the ones who fly us) are out of fuel and are having difficulty getting more. They are only flying rescue flights at this point. So we are working out a plan B to go by flight, bus, and then canoe out to a village in the northern jungle. The difficulty with this is there are more logistics that need to be worked out and our contact person up there is a Colombian missionary who is currently in Colombia and out of contact. Please pray that God will work things out and allow our team to get to a site and be effective. Pray also for the team as they are preparing physically and spiritually to come down.
Last time I wrote I asked for you to be praying for Sarah, who was 8 months pregnant at the time as she helped led our team. Well, God answered those prayers and she was able to very effectively lead that team and one more after it. She is now two weeks overdue and ready to have the baby. Please be praying for her through this process.
Also last time I asked for prayer for my health, specifically for sleep. I have gotten a few days of normal sleep but mostly I get by on 2-3 hours a night (at best). It is really taking a toll on me. Drugs do nothing and the doctors say I seem healthy. I've also caught a few bugs that my teams brought with them (one of the hazards of leading teams). Please continue to pray that God would get me to 100% before this next team.
Thank you for your prayer support. I can't say that enough.

Spring Teams and work

2008-04-04T11:53:00.001-05:00

Since I last wrote I had a team of 27 come from a church in the Mississauga area. It was the second time that the team leaders had been here and so they had already formed a partnership with this church in the Shuar village of Paquisha. We spent four days there in the village teaching Bible stories in the school and helping with some work projects around the church. We painted the church, cleared some area around the church for activities, and cleared a small hilltop where the church is going to build a prayer house in the form of a traditional Shuar house. One of the highlights I'd have to say was on our last day in Paquisha, a number of the ladies gathered jungle potatoes and cooked chicken in massive leaves and we had a feast. It was a great time for the community and the team to connect.
The day after we left Paquisha, we hiked an hour into the jungle in order to get to the village of Shyrian. Shyrian started when a few families from Paquisha broke away and started their own village. Now, the church in Paquisha is starting a sister church in Shyrian and asked for our help with the building of the church and with some outreach to the people there. It is a great story of reconciling the differences between the families of Paquisha and Shyrian. It also shows the impact of the church in Paquisha where now they are doing missions work. The other good thing for this team was that the people in Shyrian had never seen white people before. It was good exposure for these Canadian high-schoolers to experience the some of the extremes of cultural differences.
Since the team left, I have been busy on a couple of projects. First of all was inventorying and marking all the gear we have. While my team was here, we had another team of 46 go into another part of the jungle. So, for inventory, I was trying to figure out a good way to clean, mark and label over 50 pairs of boots, mosquito nets and sleeping pads.
My other major project is redesigning the website for one of our ministry areas. I am very rusty on code so I'm brushing up on that first and then coming up with a brand new design. I'm also trying to bit by bit update Youth World's general site. I've started just by getting our list of staff up to date and requesting from them an updated blurb about who they are and what they do.

I'm back

2008-03-19T19:50:00.000-05:00

My team has now left and I'm back at home. I will be putting an update up in a few days.

This Week

2008-02-18T10:44:00.000-05:00

Well, since I last wrote you a lot has happened. First of all, I found a place to live. It is in the right neighborhood, the price is excellent, and the size is just right. A perfect find. I am living with one of the teachers from the Alliance Academy until the end of the semester when he goes back to the US. For those of you who know him, it's Dave Tieszen. I am just about settled in; all I need yet is a desk so I can really get set up work-wise.
Last week I had several meetings with people, including a big one with a group called Summit Adventure. We are working on a partnership with them that is quite exciting. The details are still being worked on so I won't include any specifics on that just yet.
One of Youth World's big partners is called Leader Mundial (World Leader). Their general purpose is to find business people in North America, who have the financial means, but ministry isn't necessarily their strong point. They get partnered one-on-one with a local from some other country who is the "visionary". This person has an idea for ministry but not the means to pull it off. It is more than just money though. These partners mentor each other, pray for each other, and hold each other accountable. And about once a year, they get together at a summit and go through trainings together; seminars, team building... Last week the summit was here at the camp I used to intern at (El Refugio) and I was out there for a couple days photographing it. Some of the countries represented were Russia, South Africa, Malawi, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and the Philippines.
This week, there are a few things going on. At the Alliance Academy, there is Spiritual Emphasis Week, where there is a guest speaker and Chapel every day. Please be praying for the students, that they would be impacted, and that the impact would change them for more than just a week or two. Please pray for the speaker, Mike Forrest, as he prepares his talks and connects with the students.
Finally, probably Tuesday night, I will start a trip out to the jungle. It will involve a couple of buses and then a canoe ride to get in to the Huaorani. There is a full time missionary out there and Chet and I are going out to support him in what he needs to get done. We are also building relationships with the people there. This is one of the places our Adventure teams will be going. Please pray for our travels, for safety. Pray that we'd have a meaningful time out with the Huaorani.
Thank you all for your backing. We are all in this together!

Crime

2008-02-08T15:02:00.000-05:00

I am back in Quito now, and I am just amazed at how much the crime level has gone up in the last six months. A few weeks ago, my cousin was held up with several others at a Bible study. Today, I was in a cab driving down one of the main roads here at 11:30 in the morning and I saw a vehicle being held up. There was nothing to be done. The robbers had guns and all I could do was watch as we drove by.

Done

2008-02-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

I'm in Toronto right now waiting for the Greyhound to go back to Belleville for a couple more days. Everything is now done. I have my support at 100%. I have my visa. I have my flight to Ecuador. God's timing is amazing! Everything has fallen into place so perfectly.
So, here is my schedule for the next few days. I'll get back to Belleville at about 8pm tonight (Friday). Saturday will be a packing day and just some relaxing. Maybe coffee with a couple people. Sunday I will go to Quinte Alliance for my last time (for real this time). I had my farewell last Sunday. Then someone will drive me in to Toronto where I will meet up with my parents. I will spend the night there and fly to Quito Monday afternoon. I should be in Quito at 9:40pm Monday night!

Close!

2008-01-18T01:42:00.000-05:00

I am getting very close to returning to Ecuador. In fact, I have a tentative goodbye planned for Sunday, January 27 in Quinte Alliance Church. My hope is that I'll be able to leave Monday the 28th. Why then? Youth World's annual meetings are starting on the 27th. I feel it is important to say goodbye to everyone, and then I'll get down as soon as possible.
My support is almost in. It's hard to say exactly how much I need but $350 per month is a conservative guess. That could mean as little as 3-4 people giving generously as I have already experienced here in Calgary.
Thank you for all your prayers. This has been quite the journey and it's not over yet. You can be praying that my visa situation gets cleared up in time for me to go. I'm trying to determine which visa to get for the time I will be there.

Wedding

2008-01-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am in Calgary. I came primarily because of my brother's wedding. That is done now, and it was a great ceremony! David and Boyda are now happily on their honeymoon. I am house-sitting for them until they get back. My internet is very limited and I have no phone but if you are in Calgary, I'd love to get together with you while I'm here. Write me an email or comment here and I'll try to check as often as I can get access!

The Latest

2007-11-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

I have been in contact with my fellow missionaries in Quito and there are some exciting things happening there. As you know, one of my jobs when I get back will be to help start Adventure Short Term Teams. I have now heard that we already have 5 or 6 teams lined up, beginning in March. Praise God! You can start praying for these teams already, that God would be preparing their hearts for what they will experience and for the people they will come in contact with. I am still hoping and praying that God would bring in the money for me to be back in Quito for mid-January.
Also, I have expanded my ring of contact to include fellow students from when I was in school in Ecuador. One of them have responded already and I am hopeful that more will follow. This time back in Canada has been kind of a roller coaster ride with ups and downs. Please pray that I would be ok with being here as my heart is definitely in Ecuador. Pray that I would help out with a high school youth group at my church with excellence and that God would use me to speak into the lives of these guys.

I'm still in Canada

2007-10-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest on what is going on in my life:
I am still in Canada, living in Belleville, ON, with my parents. I had planned on hopefully getting back to my ministry in Ecuador by October 15, but that was not God's plan and so I remain here. So far, my time in Canada has been training at International Team's headquarters, time with my parents' church and people in Belleville and Calgary, and some work. I have been doing odd jobs at people's houses and part time work at a plant nursery. There is a pretty good chance I'll get a full job drawing steel structure plans for a detailing firm. I have attempted to take a course in photography here in a local college but the course was canceled.
So, for the time being, I am looking for new people to share my passion and ideas with. If any of you have suggestions or perhaps friends who you think would be interested, please let me know. I have found it difficult to get people to commit to being monthly supporters, and that is what I need most at this point.
Here are a few things you could be praying for:
-Patience. I am very anxious to get back. My life is all back in Ecuador, and I miss it. I am also excited about my new job description when I get there.
-That I would be open to God's lessons. Pray that I would use this time to focus on Him and be closer to Him.
-Funds. There is no way I can raise the support I need. It is all up to God.
-For the rest of the time here with my parents. It has been great living with my parents, although that is something quite new for me. Pray that we would continue to get along well and that this would be a profitable time for us all.
Thank you all for your support. You are such an encouragement to me.

Chicago

2007-09-16T20:13:00.000-05:00

Monday, the 10th, I took a 25 hour bus ride down to Chicago to surprise my girlfriend. I was able to stay with some friends in the area from my highschool years in Ecuador. They live in the area. Ashley was at International Teams headquarters in Elgin, IL for her training to get back to Ecuador. I spent most of the time that she was training working on editing a video and then we spent the evenings together. The first evening we got together with seven of my classmates from Ecuador. It was a really great reunion. The whole time was great for us as a couple because we had only been together dating for a couple of days until I had to return to Canada. I have now returned to Ontario and tomorrow I head out to Calgary where I hope to meet with supporters and a few friends. My time in the Chicago area was also profitable in another way. One of the friends I connected with offered to support me as well. I am excited to see who God is bringing forward to help me!

Back in Canada Update

2007-09-03T23:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone. I have been back in Canada now for about three weeks. Here's what that has looked like. I arrived on August 12 in Toronto and my parents met me and drove me west right away to my uncle and aunt's place. We visited there for a few hours and got caught up. That evening we went to Elmira, Ontario where I proceeded to go through my two weeks of training. Nothing like hitting the ground running! Since then I have been working on putting together a presentation and I've put together a coffee table book of some of my better photos from Ecuador. I ordered 25 of them and plan to sell them as a fund raiser. Still ahead on my list of things to do is putting together a short term teams promotional video that I'll use in my presentations.
Training was one of a few reasons I came back to Canada. Now I'm on to the other two main reasons. I wanted to connect with everyone back here in Canada. I will be spending the majority of my time in Belleville, Ontario in my parents' church. I will also fly out to Calgary, Alberta for a while and spend time with my supporters out there. My tentative dates for Calgary are the 17th to the 27th although I haven't bought my tickets yet.
Finally, the last main reason I came back is that I need to raise full time support. Please be praying with me on this subject. This is my least favorite part of being a missionary. As I have mentioned before, full time support will look a little different than it has in the past. I have been able to live based mainly on generous one-time support. Before I go back now though, I need 100% of my budget to be covered by monthly donations.
Anyway, before this gets too long, I look forward to being able to meet with a lot of you. Let me know if you are in Calgary and would like to get together. I really appreciate all of you.

Summer is Over

2007-08-15T22:54:00.000-05:00

This will be brief but just a note to say that summer has officially ended now. The last teams are gone now. My role with the last set of teams was to roam between the four teams and film and photograph in order to make a Short Term Teams promotional video. I will be working on editing that video when I return to Canada.
Along with the end of summer came the end of the no dating policy. I now have a girlfriend. Her name is Ashley and she is from California. She has been my partner in leading teams for the second and third blocks of teams. This coming year she will be doing what I did last year: working in the chaplain's office of the Alliance Academy International in Quito.

Travel Plans

2007-07-23T23:29:00.000-05:00

Some of you heard that I had one final last ditch interview with the new director of the Alliance Academy this morning. I'm sorry I didn't let everyone know beforehand; it came up rather quickly and I didn't have time to email. Anyway, the result was similar to before: I will not be at the Alliance Academy this fall. I have now purchased my ticket home for August 11-12 (it's an overnight flight). My plan at this point is to raise support during the fall, live with my parents, help out at Quinte Alliance Church where my dad is the Senior Pastor, and visit people. My brother gets married January 5 in Calgary so I will be there for that. I hope to be able to return here to Quito as a full time missionary immediately after the wedding.
My time this summer is drawing near to the end. Three of the four teams are completed with the last ones starting tomorrow. My role with these last teams will be to float between them all and film in order to make a short term promotional video. It will be a lot of time and work but I look forward to it. I should be in my element. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Mid Summer

2007-06-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, my summer is half over and it feels like it has just begun. So far I have had two short term teams: St. Mark's Missionary Church from Mishawaka, Indiana and Capistrano Valley Christian School from Southern California. Both teams have been great although very different. The leader of St. Mark's had graduated from the Alliance Academy here when I was in grade 2. He remembers picking on me, which I thought was funny. St. Mark's was a very reserved team so part of the challenge was getting them to speak up and pray for example. CVCS was quite the opposite. It was great seeing them learn to relate to some of the people they were working with. Also, a couple of them felt God's guidance on their lives which is great. St. Mark's worked at Carmen Bajo which is a poor neighborhood in the north of Quito. They spent about half their time in construction and half running VBS for the students there. CVCS worked mainly with Argelia Alta which is a poor community in the south of Quito. They spent some of their time building and a fair bit of time visiting homes in the community. It was these home visits that were most impacting for most of them. Both Argelia Alta and Carmen Bajo are also Compassion International sites, which means if you've seen those cards for supporting a child, those are the kids we've been working with.
CVCS left last night, so I had a break today. Tomorrow I will be running a checkpoint for an adventure race here. Pray that I continue to develop good relationships with people in the outdoors/adventure world here.
Starting Sunday I will have a week break and then I have another two teams back to back which will run me through the end of my commitment time here. I plan on returning to Canada August 11 or 12. Plans are still up in the air to some extent. I hope to nail things down more with Youth World this week. Please pray that God will raise up monthly supporters so that I can return full time. Pray that God would provide wisdom to the Management Team of Youth World as they work out what my job description would be. Pray for the two teams I have coming still this summer: that they would be changed and that they would change the people they come into contact with. Finally, pray that I would know how to best spend my time back in Canada.
Thank you for your time as you read this and pray. Thank you for the encouragement you are to me.

Summer Start

2007-06-12T20:15:00.000-05:00

I'd like to begin this note with my thanks to all who prayed for me over the past week. After a rough couple of days, I am doing much better. I have had the necessary time to process and seeing all my friends who came down for the funeral helped a lot as well.
Alliance Academy graduation is tomorrow and with that comes the departure of nearly all the students. Goodbyes will be... well, goodbyes. I never look forward to them but I have become somewhat numbed. It still will not be easy.
At the same time, my first team is here and running. I will be running three more over the course of the summer. This team's leader graduated from the Alliance Academy back in '93 and oddly enough, remembers me as a second grader in the Alliance dorm. I have really enjoyed being with this team so far and have no reason to expect anything different for the remainder of their stay. Carmen Bajo is the ministry site where they will spend most of their time. It is a very poor section of north Quito with an Alliance church that partners with Compassion International to run social aid programs as well.
Thank you for your prayers yet again. I cannot tell you how much it encourages me to know I have you backing me up.

Oslo

2005-01-16T05:17:00.000-05:00

Thus concludes the exciting portion of the life of Daniel Klassen.

I was trying to catch my train back to Oslo from København. I went to the ticket counter to make my reservation and I receive this news: (keep in mind that my return flight to Canada is Monday morning) There are no trains running through Sweden. Oh dear... When will they start running? Monday sometime. There was a storm and there's too much snow. All trains are cancelled. It takes a full day to get from København to Oslo. Plus I have to get to Julius's house and repack my bags in a way that is acceptable to the airlines. So I call Stena Lines to see about a ferry. There is one from Frederikshavn and it takes 8.5 to 12 hours. I get a half price discount for having a Eurail pass. But my credit card won't go through.

So I take the 6 hour train to Frederikshavn in the north of Denmark. I get there around 9:30pm. The next ferry is 10am on the 15th. This was good. My credit card worked this time. I had the ticket and the location. Now all I had to do was wait 13 hours. Lucky for me they closed the terminal. And they let me stay, as long as I didn't leave (which would set off the alarms). So I spread out my sleeping mat and slept. If I didn't move for 15 minutes, the lights would turn off. I got a 2 minute phone call into my brother with my remaining Danish change. As soon as I hung up Elton John's "Daniel" came on. It was very nostalgic. However, I now have it stuck in my head.

Well, my flight is confirmed, my bags are a good weight, and Julius's parents will drive me to the train station where I can get to the airport. Things should go smoothly from now on. I will be back in Canada at 8:01pm. I can't wait.

Zurich

2005-01-13T04:23:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Zurich yesterday and decided to reserve my trip today to Copenhagen. The guy at the reservation desk was a mountaineer and invited me to spend the night at his place. Then he paid for my rail ticket to the top of Jungfrau if it was clear. I am having supper with him again tonight before catching my night train. He and his girlfriend have been incredibly generous. Thank God.

Vienna

2005-01-10T14:27:00.000-05:00

Things are definitely going better now that I am staying in hostels. On a whim today I went to Budapest. On the way back I met a Brazilian and we chatted in Spanish for several hours. Cool guy. Anyway, tomorrow I explore Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck. Day after tomorrow: Leichtenstein. I am excited about that one.

Amsterdam

2005-01-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I had a good night in Amsterdam. Quite relaxing. The bottoms of my feet have actually broken open on the balls of my feet so it hurts to walk. For that reason I am staying another night here. Its a really cool hostel. There are people from Mexico, Argentina, Canada and the States here (among many other countries). I even found someone who knows Jeff Rollins. Yeah, so I´m just resting up trying to let my feet heal. Tomorrow I go to Cologne and Bonn, then the Rhine River valley, then Munich, then Vienna, then Salzburg and Innsbruck, then Switzerland, then Leichtenstein (new decision), and finally back to Oslo. And I´m staying in hostels pretty much the rest of the time. Cheers.

Amsterdam

2005-01-06T09:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, time for an update... I got to London. There I stayed with a cousin of mine for 4 days. It was great, and I wouldn´t have made it through this month without that stop. Basically we just relaxed for most of the time. I did go to the London Eye for the New Year´s fireworks, which were amazing. We stood outside the Prime Minister´s house (without realizing it) in a crowd who´s end I couldn´t see. It was like a mosh pit but all the way down the avenue. Fun. I also saw a bunch of the typical tourist things.

Then I went back to Paris, and spent the night on the street. Then on to Luxembourg, and saw the whole country in a day, and spent the night on the streets. After that it was Belgium. Saw pretty much all of that country and spent the night on the streets of Antwerp. I also got a 12 minute call in to my parents which was great. (Mom and Dad, there is no MSN here so I´ll have to catch you some other time). Now I´m at a Christian youth hostel in Amsterdam. I figure its time to get off the streets before I burn out again. Besides, I think my feet are rotting. Well, I have 11 days to go before I´m back in Canada. It will be good to be back although I am still looking forward to my remaining time. It will be the Rhine Valley tomorrow, Austria for a few days and the Switzerland before heading back up north to my flight home out of Oslo. Take care all.

Paris

2004-12-30T02:42:00.000-05:00

And I'm off to London!! Its expensive to get there but I have someone to stay with (my cousin) so things will balance out I think. Not much new to report, just killing time til my train. Oh, and I shot a roll and a half of Paris last night, but would you expect anything less of me?

Paris

2004-12-29T14:47:00.000-05:00

Well, already things have changed. I hit Cannes and Avignon instead of Marseille. Apparently Marseille has high crime especially at night and I was planning to spend the night on the street. Also, now I think I will be in London for new years. I am burned out from all the travelling and stress. I need a break. But I am enjoying myself. Have a good new years.

Nice

2004-12-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Alright, here is my tentative itinerary for the next few weeks:

28 Nice, Marseille
29 Barcelona
30 Barcelona
31 Paris
1 Paris
2 Luxembourg
3 Bruxelles
4 Amsterdam, Rotterdam
5 Frankfurt
6 Munich
7 Vienna
8 Salzburg
9 Innsbruck
10 Zurich
11 Interlaken, Zurich
12 Bern
13 Geneve, Zurich
14 Copenhagen
15 Oslo
16 Oslo
17 Winnipeg

Well, there you have it. I may switch some things around and hit London for a few days. I still have to decide. Well, enjoy your new years. Hope you had a good Christmas. Mine was quite nice, albeit alone.

Rome

2004-12-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

Hello from Rome! I have made it and have a place to stay for 2 nights. I have received a huge blessing. Someone in Mexico decided to give me $300! That is why I am in a place tonight instead of on the streets. Praise God! Mom and Dad, be sure to thank him profusely. To all you in Ecuador, I am jealous. I miss you all and wish I could see everyone again.

Well, Venice was amazing. It was so laid back. The entire city had the feeling of vacation. It was also the closest I've felt to Lima in a long time. There were panetonnes everywhere and I had stracciatella ice cream on the waterfront. So relaxing. No gondola rides though. They were €35. Take care everyone. Merry Christmas, in case I don't get back on before then.

Leipzig

2004-12-23T03:55:00.000-05:00

Well, after Copenhagen, things have really picked up. I had a great time in Germany. Saw a bunch in Berlin like the wall and the Reichstag. In Wittenberg I saw all the Luther stuff. In Leipzig I saw Bach's grave and the church where he was choirmaster. And even more, but I'm paying for this time so I'll keep it short for now. I'll be in Rome for Christmas.

Stockholm

2004-12-18T23:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, so everything is working. I dropped off my bags at the house of one of my friends from Nordfjord. Now I'm in Stockholm waiting for my train to Copenhagen. It has been an interesting night. Bad planning got me here at 8:00 pm and so I got to see the night life but it left me without a place to sleep. The trainstation closed at 12:30 so I was out in the snow for a while. Then I found a 7-11 "thank heaven". So I spent 4.5 hours talking to druggies and reading a book I picked up. Good times. But Stockholm is a great city. I got some wonderful shots of the king's castle, the parliament, House of Nobility and some cathedrals. I also saw the Nobel Museum (unfortunently it was closed) and the city hall. All impressive architecture. Now I move on, hopefully with better planning. Today: Copenhagen, tomorrow: hopefully Berlin and maybe down to where a German girl from Nordfjord is. I will spend a couple of days there being guided in a very beautiful part of the country.

Nordfjord Folkehøgskule

2004-12-16T05:31:00.000-05:00

Well, this is it. I am leaving the school in a couple of hours. All my possesions are in two bags. I must now finish saying my goodbyes.