Highlight: Chester to Cape Town for Charity
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Judy Wolf
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by Judy Wolf
This is the third time Julia Bishop has used her travels to raise money for charity. She and her friend Merfyn Owen recently traveled 15,000 miles in a Land Rover from Chester, England to Cape Town, South Africa.
The trip was planned in two parts. The first leg began in August 2003 and took them on a three-week journey through Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan to Egypt, where they left the Land Rover with friends in Cairo. The second leg began three months later when they flew to Cairo and continued down through Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to Kenya for Christmas with Bishop’s family (she was born in Kenya), then onward through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa after the new year.
Bishop and Owen prepared themselves and the Land Rover for every eventuality. “Lots of modifications,” says Bishop, who told the Chester newspaper, “‘We have got sand ladders, jerry cans for diesel, a high-lift jack, spare parts for most eventualities, enough water to last two weeks in the Sahara -- and a yacht anchor which Merv got us, to winch ourselves out of sand or mud. We are camping in the open, but in areas where there are bandits or big cats, we may sleep in the car.’”
She prepared herself as well: “I’m quite the diesel mechanic these days.”
Between journey legs, they held an African Ball at a local hotel in Chester, raising money for charity. The first time Bishop did this sort of thing, in 1996, she and Owen were sailing around the world in a ten-month yacht race. They raised £5000 ($8700) for Save the Children. The second time was when she and some friends did a bicycle ride and whitewater rafting trip in Borneo, climbed Mount Kinabalu, and raised £9000 ($15,600) for Claire House. On the Africa trip, the money they raised will go to Claire House and Friends of Conservation, a group that helps fund community wildlife conservation projects in East Africa and around the world.
The travelers take care of all their own expenses, and for the fundraising portion of things, they hold a black tie event for 200 people. The balls are themed, with cabarets, bands, an MC, a charity auction, and a holiday prize raffle. “It’s fun giving people a really great night out,” says Bishop, “and then they enjoy being able to help the needy.”
What was the biggest challenge they faced on the road? “Patience,” says Bishop. “Some of the border crossings take several hours to get through. Bureaucracy is an art form.”
But for every hassle, there’s an unexpected delight. For example, “the border crossings to Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, though slow to get the paperwork all stamped, were very charming -- we were welcomed a hundred times and given cups of tea wherever we went. The Syrians wanted to discuss Shakespeare and Keats with us!”
What drives her to create trips like these? “The world,” says Bishop, “is a vast and beautiful place full of fascinating cultures, history, and people -- and it’s a shame not to see as much of it as possible. Only then can you really understand it... The human spirit is amazingly resilient and capable -- by stretching and surprising it, and taking it into new, strange areas, we grow and develop.”
As for tips or advice for those of us wanting to create our own similar adventures, Bishop says, “Decide to do it -- and then do it. Don’t wait for ‘the right moment in your life’ -- it won’t necessarily come.” She also says to “keep an open mind, and be nice, respectful, happy, and friendly. Your attitude of mind shows up so clearly to people, and defines how you will in turn be treated.”
When it comes to planning, “You don’t need to be rigid, just make sure you’ve thought of everything. Be prepared, then be prepared to be flexible.”
And despite her obvious leaning
toward long, arduous adventures, Bishop’s underlying philosophy
about adventure translates well into her daily life: “Adventure
is anything that’s new, exciting, different -- and maybe a bit crazy!
One person’s adventure is another’s routine activity, so it’s
a personal thing. Life,” she says, “is beautiful, but short.
We’re lucky to be here, and it seems ungrateful not to live it to
the fullest, providing diversity to relish.”
Do you have an interesting story to tell? Or know of an adventurous or inspiring tale lived by someone else? Let me know!
Copyright (c) 2002 Judy Wolf
About
the Author:
Judy Wolf (www.judywolf.com)
is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor.
She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by
foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to
over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York
with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel
narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging
off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
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