Hey there! I'm in Zambia! This will be a short post because I don't have a lot of time on here... I had to pay for internet here at a cafe and it was Kw6000 for 30 minutes of time. Not too bad... that is like $1.20 for 30 minutes...
Things are great here in Zambia, it is hot and humid and the rains come occasionally. The whole area is very green and the birds are beautiful. I can't even begin to describe how interesting Zambia is... I will write to you all soon via mail, but this is the last internet I may have for 1 month or more. So be patient.
I will share more with you later and maybe post some photos.
Have a great day and God Bless you all from ZAMBIA!!!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Not Much Time Left
About six days to be exact... (no I'm not writing in complete sentences!) Anyway, there isn't much time left for me to enjoy the company of family and friends or to keep blogging for that matter. So this might be the last message I post here before I'm either in Washington D.C. or in Zambia. Once I am in Zambia, there won't be very frequent posts to this page, but rest assured that I will make the effort to write something here for you to scan over every once in a while. Similarly I will likely not have access to e-mail on a regular basis. So if you send me an e-mail be patient with me and I will be sure to send a reply your way!
Mail takes around 4-6 weeks to travel between Zambia and the United States, and an additional amount of time to be delivered on either end; so if you send me a letter now on 2/10/09, it will make it to Zambia maybe on 3/10/09 and into my hands by the end of March perhaps? Likewise when I reply to your letters it will take the same time to slide its way over into your hands from Africa so if you were to write to me today you might expect a letter back by some time in April or May...
If you visit this site looking for an update on my status you might be rewarded with some information. However if not, keeping in mind what is written above, send me a letter at the following address:
Christopher Rodriguez, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps/Zambia
P.O. Box 50707
Lusaka, Zambia, Africa
*Be advised I will have a different address once I am posted to a site in early May so keep a look out for that on here then. However, be aware too that the above address will be valid for the entire duration of time that I am in Zambia.
Well, I guess that does it for now... So as much as it pains me to say: this is Good Bye for now :(
God Bless you all and may the Peace of His Son Jesus abide with you always.
Christopher Rodriguez, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps/Zambia
P.O. Box 50707
Lusaka, Zambia, Africa
*Be advised I will have a different address once I am posted to a site in early May so keep a look out for that on here then. However, be aware too that the above address will be valid for the entire duration of time that I am in Zambia.
Well, I guess that does it for now... So as much as it pains me to say: this is Good Bye for now :(
God Bless you all and may the Peace of His Son Jesus abide with you always.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Unexpected Visit, Peace Corps News, and A Mix Up
Hello, I hope everyone is doing well! Here is what has happened since the last post some 37 days ago...
Unexpected Visit:
(Shawn & Chris at White Sands)
My friend Shawn, that I met in Alaska, had the chance to visit for a week! It was great to see him again after a year, and to share what's new before I head out to Africa. We went to a few places while he was here including Tent Rocks, Billy the Kid's grave, the Roswell UFO Museum, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and the Alamogordo Space Museum and IMAX. It was a great week! He left for home on 1/28. Now I only have 18 days left until I leave myself...
Peace Corps News:
(Washington D.C.)
I will be leaving for Orientation in Washington D.C. on February 16th! I will be off to Africa at 5:40 PM Eastern Time on January 18th and arrive in Zambia about 21 hours later on the 19th! Please pray for me, this is going to be a great yet challenging experience.
(Zambia Map and Flag)
A Mix Up:
(U.S. Passports thanks to msnbc.com)
Well last night I received an e-mail from another Christopher James Rodriguez that I met on a Peace Corps Yahoo group. He forwarded an e-mail from Peace Corps' travel agency he received meant for me. It said WE NEED ZAMBIA VISA FORMS AND PHOTOS ASAP! I immediately thought that they must have lost the ones I sent them back in September, so since it was already 7:00 PM here I figured there was no time to waste. I went to town and took passport photos, printed the proper forms, and sent them overnight through FedEx. I called them this morning and the said they received the other Chris Rodriguez's passport, and since he is going to Suriname it did not have Zambia visas in it. They then thought it was mine and called/e-mailed him thinking it was me saying they needed the visa stuff right away. Before I called this morning to clarify things and tell them that new photos and forms were on their way they had figured out the mix up. They checked the Zambia folder and found MY (This Chris Rodriguez typing) No Fee Government Passport with the proper Zambia visas inside. They apologized for the mix up and told me to pack my bags!
Well, that about does it for now! I hope I get to see all of you in the next 18 days. If not please e-mail me your addresses so that I can put them in my new address book and send you some Zambian Snail Mail :) ...
God Bless, and Peace be with you all!
My E-mail: chrisruaf@msn.com
Unexpected Visit:
(Shawn & Chris at White Sands)
My friend Shawn, that I met in Alaska, had the chance to visit for a week! It was great to see him again after a year, and to share what's new before I head out to Africa. We went to a few places while he was here including Tent Rocks, Billy the Kid's grave, the Roswell UFO Museum, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and the Alamogordo Space Museum and IMAX. It was a great week! He left for home on 1/28. Now I only have 18 days left until I leave myself...
Peace Corps News:
(Washington D.C.)
I will be leaving for Orientation in Washington D.C. on February 16th! I will be off to Africa at 5:40 PM Eastern Time on January 18th and arrive in Zambia about 21 hours later on the 19th! Please pray for me, this is going to be a great yet challenging experience.
(Zambia Map and Flag)
A Mix Up:
(U.S. Passports thanks to msnbc.com)
Well last night I received an e-mail from another Christopher James Rodriguez that I met on a Peace Corps Yahoo group. He forwarded an e-mail from Peace Corps' travel agency he received meant for me. It said WE NEED ZAMBIA VISA FORMS AND PHOTOS ASAP! I immediately thought that they must have lost the ones I sent them back in September, so since it was already 7:00 PM here I figured there was no time to waste. I went to town and took passport photos, printed the proper forms, and sent them overnight through FedEx. I called them this morning and the said they received the other Chris Rodriguez's passport, and since he is going to Suriname it did not have Zambia visas in it. They then thought it was mine and called/e-mailed him thinking it was me saying they needed the visa stuff right away. Before I called this morning to clarify things and tell them that new photos and forms were on their way they had figured out the mix up. They checked the Zambia folder and found MY (This Chris Rodriguez typing) No Fee Government Passport with the proper Zambia visas inside. They apologized for the mix up and told me to pack my bags!
Well, that about does it for now! I hope I get to see all of you in the next 18 days. If not please e-mail me your addresses so that I can put them in my new address book and send you some Zambian Snail Mail :) ...
God Bless, and Peace be with you all!
My E-mail: chrisruaf@msn.com
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Funf und Funfzig Tagen
Fifty-five days until staging! The time is slipping by so quickly it will be time to leave in a flash! I have to make it a point to:
1. Visit or spend some time with everyone I know before then...
AND
2. Get the packing I need to do out of the way. I've really procrastinated in buying things for Zambia, but I really think it's just about time to start.
Oh yeah... I almost forgot, I never finished the Europe story:
First of all, it was a real privilege to be able to visit so many places I feel really fortunate. I had no intentions to leave the U.S. before Zambia, and I had never been across the pond as the English say. The whole thing was a BIG blessing, and very fun!
Starting where the last post ended:
After we returned to Germany from our first weekend in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Italy, we just hanged around in my Mom's town in Germany for a couple of days (Monday and Tuesday) until the day before Thanksgiving when we drove over to Prague, Czech Republic and spent two days there. Prague is a very awesome place, but has very confusing streets. Anyway we then drove to Dresden, Germany for one night then up to Berlin which was also cool. Berlin is a nicer city than I envisioned it would be, the streets were easy to navigate and the main sites were easy to access not to mention there was plenty of parking (always a plus). We then returned to Triebendorf-Wiesau for one night and then set off for Lohnberg which is near Frankfurt am Main. We got to see a little of that area before we had to drive back to my mom's town and then back to Munich so we could all fly back to the States. It was indeed a great trip! Though, I will say that it is nice to be back in the U.S. so that I can enjoy it here at home before heading out for a couple of years. Even so, I am extremely excited for Zambia! I can't wait, but as always I expect leaving to be bitter-sweet but mostly sweet!
AND
2. Get the packing I need to do out of the way. I've really procrastinated in buying things for Zambia, but I really think it's just about time to start.
Oh yeah... I almost forgot, I never finished the Europe story:
First of all, it was a real privilege to be able to visit so many places I feel really fortunate. I had no intentions to leave the U.S. before Zambia, and I had never been across the pond as the English say. The whole thing was a BIG blessing, and very fun!
Starting where the last post ended:
After we returned to Germany from our first weekend in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Italy, we just hanged around in my Mom's town in Germany for a couple of days (Monday and Tuesday) until the day before Thanksgiving when we drove over to Prague, Czech Republic and spent two days there. Prague is a very awesome place, but has very confusing streets. Anyway we then drove to Dresden, Germany for one night then up to Berlin which was also cool. Berlin is a nicer city than I envisioned it would be, the streets were easy to navigate and the main sites were easy to access not to mention there was plenty of parking (always a plus). We then returned to Triebendorf-Wiesau for one night and then set off for Lohnberg which is near Frankfurt am Main. We got to see a little of that area before we had to drive back to my mom's town and then back to Munich so we could all fly back to the States. It was indeed a great trip! Though, I will say that it is nice to be back in the U.S. so that I can enjoy it here at home before heading out for a couple of years. Even so, I am extremely excited for Zambia! I can't wait, but as always I expect leaving to be bitter-sweet but mostly sweet!
Well that does it for now... Guten Tag alles!
Peace.
Peace.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Guten Tag aus Deutschland!
Hello from Germany! I am finally in Triebendorf at my Mom's flat...
So Far:
Delta Flight 130: When we were over Scotland
I arrived in Munchen (Munich), Germany on Friday morning at about 7:45 AM after about 16 hours of travel. I was tired, but the trip was actually not all that long. Some of my flights between Fairbanks, Alaska and Albuquerque, New Mexico have been longer due to layovers. Once I was in Munich, my mom and I waited for Cathy to arrive. When she did, we left Munich and drove south-east. We drove into Austria and then into Lichtenstein, and on into Switzerland. By the time we made it through the snowy Alps and into the town of Lugano we were all tired, so that is where we stopped for the night.
Lugano, Switzerland
In the morning we took a walk around the town. It was quite beautiful, a cool morning on the local lakeside. After taking pictures outside we went inside of a photography exhibit which was very well organized. From there we got back in the car and drove into Italy. We headed east from Milano through fair Verona and into Venice (Venezia). Of course, you can only drive to a certain point and then you must park and walk into the city.
Venice, Italy (Roof of St. Mark's)
In Venice we saw so much I won't write about everything, but will entertain you with some of the most interesting items. The streets were extremely narrow and filled with people. However, it was generally easy not to run directly into people somehow. It seemed that everyone just knew how to walk in a large crowd the right way. Besides that, we saw thousands of shops and went into as many as possible. Most of the time we spent indulging in the local foods, pastries, and drinks. Venice has the best hot chocolate, the best lasagna, and the best roasted chesnuts! We walked a very long distance from our hotel near Plaza Roma called the Hotel Continental to St. Mark's Square where we saw St. Mark's Basilica and the famous square surrounding it. The church was amazing inside with a museum and endless mosaic art. Finally, one of the most amazing sites was the Grand Canal and the many streets of water with gondolas and water taxis. I would recommend Venice to most anyone, but make sure you have an entire day or more to spend there.
Munich, Germany (Stadtzentrum - City Center)
Once we left Venice on Sunday afternoon we drove north into Austria. It was our goal to be back in Triebendorf by that night and it was about a six-hour drive. As a result we decided to switch drivers every couple of hours. When we were in the middle of Austria at a rest stop it was my turn to drive, so we got gas and headed north towards Salzburg. My drive was smooth at first on the Austrian Autobahn, we stayed at about 110 - 120 kmh. Being in the Alps though we hit a few pockets of flurries. We made it into Germany and I saw the restrictions lifted sign on the Autobahn, so I stepped up the speed to match the traffic at about 130 kmh. This didn't last too long... it started snowing. After awhile traffic was barely managing 60 kmh. I kept driving toward Munich and the snow remained moderately heavy. It was nothing I haven't experienced before especially having lived in Alaska. I was comfortable driving despite the conditions, but I lend that comfort to knowing people out there were praying for our safety more so than my experience driving in snow. Anyway, we finally made it to Munich where the snow was still falling so we decided to stay the night for safety's sake. We found a hotel and had a very comfortable night. In the morning we drove to the nearby city center and walked around awhile before heading north to Wiesau and into Triebendorf. It is very beautiful here at the flat and the people seem to be very nice here in town. We ate a great dinner at a local "Raststation" and learned how to get from my mom's factory in Mitterteich to her flat in Wiesau-Triebendorf. Well that's about all for now, more later!
Good Day, Bis Nacher!
So Far:
Delta Flight 130: When we were over Scotland
I arrived in Munchen (Munich), Germany on Friday morning at about 7:45 AM after about 16 hours of travel. I was tired, but the trip was actually not all that long. Some of my flights between Fairbanks, Alaska and Albuquerque, New Mexico have been longer due to layovers. Once I was in Munich, my mom and I waited for Cathy to arrive. When she did, we left Munich and drove south-east. We drove into Austria and then into Lichtenstein, and on into Switzerland. By the time we made it through the snowy Alps and into the town of Lugano we were all tired, so that is where we stopped for the night.
Lugano, Switzerland
In the morning we took a walk around the town. It was quite beautiful, a cool morning on the local lakeside. After taking pictures outside we went inside of a photography exhibit which was very well organized. From there we got back in the car and drove into Italy. We headed east from Milano through fair Verona and into Venice (Venezia). Of course, you can only drive to a certain point and then you must park and walk into the city.
Venice, Italy (Roof of St. Mark's)
In Venice we saw so much I won't write about everything, but will entertain you with some of the most interesting items. The streets were extremely narrow and filled with people. However, it was generally easy not to run directly into people somehow. It seemed that everyone just knew how to walk in a large crowd the right way. Besides that, we saw thousands of shops and went into as many as possible. Most of the time we spent indulging in the local foods, pastries, and drinks. Venice has the best hot chocolate, the best lasagna, and the best roasted chesnuts! We walked a very long distance from our hotel near Plaza Roma called the Hotel Continental to St. Mark's Square where we saw St. Mark's Basilica and the famous square surrounding it. The church was amazing inside with a museum and endless mosaic art. Finally, one of the most amazing sites was the Grand Canal and the many streets of water with gondolas and water taxis. I would recommend Venice to most anyone, but make sure you have an entire day or more to spend there.
Munich, Germany (Stadtzentrum - City Center)
Once we left Venice on Sunday afternoon we drove north into Austria. It was our goal to be back in Triebendorf by that night and it was about a six-hour drive. As a result we decided to switch drivers every couple of hours. When we were in the middle of Austria at a rest stop it was my turn to drive, so we got gas and headed north towards Salzburg. My drive was smooth at first on the Austrian Autobahn, we stayed at about 110 - 120 kmh. Being in the Alps though we hit a few pockets of flurries. We made it into Germany and I saw the restrictions lifted sign on the Autobahn, so I stepped up the speed to match the traffic at about 130 kmh. This didn't last too long... it started snowing. After awhile traffic was barely managing 60 kmh. I kept driving toward Munich and the snow remained moderately heavy. It was nothing I haven't experienced before especially having lived in Alaska. I was comfortable driving despite the conditions, but I lend that comfort to knowing people out there were praying for our safety more so than my experience driving in snow. Anyway, we finally made it to Munich where the snow was still falling so we decided to stay the night for safety's sake. We found a hotel and had a very comfortable night. In the morning we drove to the nearby city center and walked around awhile before heading north to Wiesau and into Triebendorf. It is very beautiful here at the flat and the people seem to be very nice here in town. We ate a great dinner at a local "Raststation" and learned how to get from my mom's factory in Mitterteich to her flat in Wiesau-Triebendorf. Well that's about all for now, more later!
Good Day, Bis Nacher!
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