Time to leave. Amateur home made flag by Jenny... but it'll do for posing on summits in Equador. You got to start off with something. We're already 3 supporting the project, so great to hear from family and friends, thank you for believing in this good cause - especially in times of recession when we all have to buckle up, the people the project is supporting, need it even more than we do. Bram wants to be able to "make the difference" and I think he's a person who will go to length prooving it.

Last night we drove ("glided" to be correct... in the new car ;-) down to Marseille with all the kids, except Seb. In and out of Ikea... getting the must have Kalles kaviar (pink swedish tube shit, hehe), lingonsylt, bilar (this brand is not in recession) etc... Sorry guys, some of you might want to consult a swedish person to understand. This is serious internal stuff. Then we checked in our adventure boy into a budget hotel at the airport and went for dinner. Great grill, great last night with the gang... Then lot's of hugs, smooches, and bye byes. So we glided home again, not too late, after all the kids had to go to school this morning and I had to give Bram a wake up call at 5:30 to make sure he woke up.. This morning's flight he just didn't want to miss. Have a safe trip. We miss you already.

xxx Jen & kids

ps as of arrival saturday 31/1, Brigitte, Tim's wife, will get daily updates through the electronical gadgets Tim's bringing... She'll do her usual "reporter" work and forward it to me to post for you! Hopefully with lot's of good and exciting news. Stay tuned...

Tenebo & Last 24 hrs at home

Hi - Tomorrow we take Bram to the airport! We'll go the whole family (except Sebastiaan who is intern) and have dinner somewhere together, celebrating my birthday 2 days early. Then Bram sleeps at an airport hotel, since he's got an early flight out to Madrid friday morning. Then we're on our own for 18 days. Not so bad, I have a pretty packed schedule: my dad and Anette visiting us this weekend for some birthday cake and bubbles, next weekend I have my Provence-Swedish girlfriends over for spa and dinner... (that'll be fun ;-) and the weekend after that I have guests coming for a week in one of our gîtes. With kids, homework, taxi, household, work, activities etc., I don't think it'll be exactly boring. More likely... exhausting. But also exciting, for Bram and Tim's sake. I'm happy they keep up their adventures together, and that they both have families supporting their trips. Not so sure everyone I know would be so happy having their husband (or wife!) on a mountain for at least a month/year?? You only live once, so make sure you live it to the fullest, at least that's what I think. And Bram too...

Tenebo - in swahili = together. That is the name chosen for a project that Bram feels very strongly about. Since Bram's and Tim's visit to Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti 2 years ago, there's been an active plan to set up an association for a non-profit organisation, and find a way to create funds to help out on a specific project in a poor region. The plan was "too grande" to start off with, requiring logistics, money and time on a scale not realistic at the time. But the idea is still living and has taken a different shape and size, much more likely to succeed.

The first project in mind, is to help Moses, who's chief Massai of a few very poor villages on the Serengeti in Kenya. Bram and Tim met Moses on their trip to Kenya and a strong friendship grew. Bram visited his villages, (he was the 3rd white man to ever have been there) and needless to say... it's so poor! The kids live so far out that they cannot go to school and the people definetively need medical care. Moses, the son of the ex-chief, is the only person in the village to have had a proper education. He now supports his villages by working a tourist job in Arusha and running a shop out on the Serengeti.

On the pictures you see Bram and Moses together, one of the kids from the village, Moses in his shop and Bram's buddies.. or to be correct.. bodyguards! Moses thought he and Tim needed protection in Arusha, so these friendly boys came along with huge swords under their skirts... Tim and Bram discovered their secrets "below" when they entered a night club and the boys had to give up their weapons, or stay outside. ;-)

So what is the plan for raising some funds? It doesn't have to be a whole lot, already smaller amounts come a long way in a poor country such as Kenya. And for a start, even a symbolic amount will mean something, a gesture showing we're working on it. We've come up with an idea that seems reasonable, doable, challenging and fun. We'd welcome any sponsor, private or professional, supporting Bram climbing, participating with a fix 0,01 euro cent/meter. So, by starting a climb, like in Equador, on approx 4000m, going to 6300, there would be an actual altitude difference of 2300 m, giving a total of €23. On the top.. Bram puts down the Tenebo flag, to proof summiting and to visulize the Tenebo project going higher and higher.

Arno and Tim have both put in lot's of effort working out a business plan for Tenebo and started the registration process of the association. The project is still very much in the build-up phase, but we thought we should make use of the Equador situation and get started. Lot's of hours planning have already been spent, now it's up to Bram to make sure it has not been a waste of time. If you want to become a sponsor, the amount Bram climbs together in Equador, will go to Moses and his village. We might use the amount to stock up his shop, or if Moses believes there's another more urgent need, resource the amount to that specific deed.

For our sponsors, we'll make space on the official Tenebo website, that is still to be created and where Tim will play an important role (his business http://www.infoprojects.nl/ will come in handy..). Have faith and join us for a great mission! The more sponsors the better.. Just let me know if you'd be interested participating!

17:30: Bram just came in after his last training round... i'll join him in the sauna. Stay tuned, tomorrow is departure day!

xx Jen

4 days to take off..

Time flies.. in 4 days Bram and Tim are off for a new adventure. This trip has been put together by Tim, so Bram has not really made any indepth research to what they're going to do, see etc. Prefers to take it day by day, a wait and see attitude! One thing we've understood by now... it rains a lot over there. Every day. Rain season is between november through may, with a slight calmer period in december and january. Equador habitants say you should prepare for a daily 4 season weather ! The higher altitude cities and villages are quite chilly, so guys... leave your t-shirts at home. Even in the amazonas it can feel quite cold during the rainy season. So prepare your rugsacks for lot's of humidity, heat, cold, rain, snow and wind. My bet it'll be a little heavy.. ;-) And be up early.. at 6:30 in the morning you have the best chance for some sunny spells.

Here's a link to read more about Equador , its climate and other information http://www.hacienda-ecuador.com/Ecuador/index.html

Bram's been preparing himself in a reasonable tempo th last couple of
months, and seems very fit doing easily 20 running laps up and down his
"favourite vineyard hillside" in 30 minutes, knowing he could push 21 if he gives it a go.

Pina, our labrador, follows him on his training rounds, however after a couple of vineyard laps.. she settles down sniffing around. I mean, how stupid can you be, running the same lap up and down 20 times ?? ;-) As soon as Bram takes his hiking shoes out, she's all over him, jumping up and down, so excited for another run or a long hike with a very heavy rugsack.
Pina & Seera, chilling....
Needless to say... old Seera just looks at her, shakes his head and goes back to sleep. Smart guy.. Seera turns 12 in February by the way. Still going strong, but a little tired and sometimes pain in his limbs. For the last two years, we've said several times that we thought it would be Seera's last, but lately he's been great and it looks like he's going to be there for another season! I can not even imagine what it would be like without him... he's been with us since we moved to France. Like a piece of furniture to stay. Good old boy!

Gabriella's class is following Bram up the mountains, since they started school after x-mas. Bram was there last week and gave a demonstration, bringing along all his gear. Beforehand, they'd received photos and names of all the mountains he's been up on (and their cultural/social surroundings), to search for their countries, continents and altitudes. Very exciting and interesting, but also important to see the contrast to the poor life people live next to these attractive peaks. It's easy to turn a blind eye and stay in the western tourist comfortable quarters... not going out and look for real life. That's what I call living in denial.

Well, you think, that's all very nice talk.. but are you actually doing something about it? Yes, actually there's a real plan in place, with a non-profit organisation set up, to help. I'll tell you more about that in my next post. Stay tuned my friends...

xx Jen

30 days count down

Happy New 2009 - and a new exciting trip coming up soon: Bram and Tim are off to Ecuador on Jan 30 (not home on my B-day... grrrr) for 2 and a half weeks, going on a shorter jungle-amazon expedition and then climbing some 3 mountains/volcanos.
Here's a short description of the amazonas Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve tour:

The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, a partly inundated forest in the northeast of Ecuador, is one of the best areas to admire the fauna of the tropical rainforest. The 14 lagoons and the labyrinth of small rivers are the territory of piranhas, river dolphins, caimans and anacondas. In the dense jungle and along the river shores live monkeys, tapirs and pumas. Cuyabeno is a paradise for birdwatchers: there are hundreds of species, such as hummingbirds, parrots and the peculiar hoatzin bird. Our itineraries start in the town of Lago Agrio. see for more details: http://www.julioverne-travel.com/content/view/31/87/lang,EN/#4%20days (the 4 day trip).


So when Bram and Tim hopefully didn't get too hugged by some anacondas or bitten by caymans and piranhas... they'll spend 2-3 days on their own, probably taking the Devil's Nose train ride (riding on the train roof, up in the andes highlands) getting scenery and acclimatization at the same time.

After a few days of exploring on their own, it is up the mountains, or rather, up the volcanos, they go, doing 3 peaks, starting off with a 2 day climb of Carihuairazo (5.028 m / 16.496 ft), an excellent opportunity for further acclimatization. Then it is off for more serious altitudem starting with another volcano (extinct!!) Cotopaxi, at 5897m standing with spectacular views of the andes and the possibility to look straight down the crater. Then finishing by climbing the highest peak of the ecuador andes... the Chimborazo (6310 m. / 20703 ft.)

The summit of Chimborazo is not only the highest of Ecuador but also, due to the earth's equatorial bulge, the farthest point on the earth's surface from the center of the earth. This massive mountain was formed by the remains of two ancient volcanoes and has five summits.
Not technically a difficult mountain, it requires though excellent physical condition and very good acclimatization.

Sounds all very exciting... Unfortunately no time to include the galapagos islands in this trip, you need almost another week and lot's of extra dollars ;-) So, they'll be home just in time for the kids winter break starting on Feb 20. Hopefully I'll not be sick and stressed like last year during the aconcagua trip... I was really a mess, ridiculous but I just couldn't sleep for some reason. So after two weeks of not getting any proper sleep, I luckily spend the last week with the kids in my dad's house in chamonix, catching up on sleep and getting back in shape. Have to get lot's of herb teas etc. to prepare my self. haha

Anyhow, I'll keep you posted on the progress of this trip. Stay tuned...

xx Jen