Dearest friends!
You are probably right in thinking that these newsletters are coming too far apart... at least this is how I would think were I in your shoes! On the contrary, to me, time goes so fast and so many things are happening that it seems that I am always in the process of thinking of writing yet another newsletter!
The interminable absence will be a bit shorter this year, as I will meet my love after only 7 months of separation! After being together in Egypt during last April, we will meet again, in Madrid this time, from December 15th 2005 till January 17th 2006. We will not stay in the Spanish capital for the whole duration of our vacations because I have been dreaming to visit Andalusia since I am a little girl - a long time ago, that- and I truly intend to give birth to this dream this year! We will probably go to Portugal also as it is so near!
As you were reading our latest newsletter, on August 18th of this year, Jean was enjoying a sumptuous celebration given in his honour to commemorate his birthday and the 5th anniversary of his walk. True! You do not get to be "half a century" every year!!! Nobody from his family was present but the whole village of Ait Hessane in Kabylie, situated at 8 km from Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria, attended and enjoyed the Kabyle music and the dancing with the children till the wee hours of the morning. The Kabyles ladies were ravishing having donned their traditional dresses for the occasion. Jean will never forget this wonderful party and we are so grateful to Rabah, his friends and family for organizing it and grateful also to his sister for sending me a superb traditional Kabyle dress as a souvenir!
Meanwhile in Ecuador, more precisely in the parish of Patricia Pilar, in the district of Buena Fe, Santiago Landazury, a valorous fireman whom Jean had met at the time of his passage in this locality, writes an email telling me that they created a committee to educate the children on the prevention of fires and everything that connects with it. Santiago informs his young pupils on Jean's progression in Africa and that really motivates them and keeps their enthusiasm on a high level.
During the summer of 2001, while Jean was walking in Central America, I had met at work, a young Algerian woman, Malika, who had immigrated in Canada a few years ago. As her parents were still living in Algiers, she had given me their address for Jean to visit them when he reached that city. At the time, it seemed so very far ahead that I was not very excited about it. I cannot seem to get over how quickly time flies!!! So there is Malika on holiday at her parents in Algiers during the month of August 2005 and Jean stays during 8 days at the home of Mr and Mrs Yahia where he is welcome with all the Algerian solicitude!
Jean takes advantage of his stay in the Algerian capital to visit his compatriots at the embassy of Canada, situated very near of the house of his hosts and as usual the exchanges on a theme of a better world are very interesting, instructive and inspiring.
Since a few years back, Jean was experiencing problems with his urinary system and he was still in central Africa when he had projected to have a health check up somewhere in the Maghreb. In Oued Rhiou, around the middle of September, he meets Malika's brother who is a surgeon and who refers him to a good friend of his, Habib who is a nurse. With the help of scans, they discover that there are problems with his prostate that need immediate medical attention and suggest that he consults a urologist soon. He is provided with the necessary medicines totally free of charge and even more, Jean has his eyes examined by an ophthalmologist who prescribes him two pairs of glasses and hands them to him without any fees whatsoever. Quite incredible, the generosity of these Algerians!
Near Oran, friends introduce him to Ryad, a young doctor who in turn introduces him to the urologists Dr. Salim and Dr. Ali who notice that the medication didn't improve his state. At the hospital of Oran, after having been examined again, he is told that he must undergo a surgery of the prostate, and this, without delay.
To come back to Canada for this surgery would mean exorbitant medical expenses since he is not covered anymore by the health insurance of Quebec and this, in addition to the expenses of transportation by plane. He then inquires if it is possible to undergo this operation in Algeria. This is when Professor Attar, eminent urologist and director of the hospital of Oran, takes him in charge after consultation with the Canadian authorities at the embassy of Algiers.
The surgery, done by Professor Attar himself, is a success and the walker is treated with very competent care during 15 days of convalescence. Then he goes back on the road on October 19. During all this time, I receive reassuring messages on behalf of the physicians and even some photos taken in his room at the hospital on the day following the surgical intervention.
The most incredible thing of this whole story is the fact that all cares including the hospitalization and the surgery have been lavished on him absolutely free of charge! And he was telling them that he was considering it a privilege and an honour to be treated in Algeria!
While he was recovering, Jean wrote in an email:
"I love the Algerians! This is the country where hospitality is a form of worship! The Algerians are in love with their visitors, with their guests. They shower them with an incomparable kindliness! They are amongst the most cordial hosts that I met ever since my departure from Montreal. My family has enlarged considerably in this country where I acquired several hundreds of brothers and sisters! Yet, they lived a very difficult period of terrorism that they call "The black decade" and during which it was only terror and massacres! Left to themselves by the other countries of the world, they managed to get out of this bad streak and they can now see the light of peace! They are so happy with it that they often said to me: "Please! Let the world know that we are not terrorists anymore and that visitors are now welcomed in Algeria!"
I also had the honour to visit summer camps where resourceless youngsters are taken in charge by the State during two weeks and where instructors entertain them with activities of all sorts, thus sharpening their imagination and their creativeness. A sunny interlude in their life!"
However, to leave this country to continue his mission is not an easy task as the border between Algeria and Morocco is closed on the Algerian side. Even while expressing his sadness with regard to this political boycott towards their neighbours and asking to be let through, be it only for the symbolism of his walk, Jean fails to convince the Algerian customs-officers to let him pass. Friends drive him to the port of Ghazaouet on the Mediterranean coast where he embarks on a boat that first brings him to Almeria on the Iberian peninsula, then in Melilla, Spanish enclave situated on the Moroccan territory!!! From Melilla, he goes to Oujda, city situated on the Moroccan border where he starts on the last leg of his African journey, on November 2nd, as if he had just walked from Algeria.
It has been a whole year already, since his coming into Sudan, that Jean walks in Muslim country. Last year, he was just entering Sudan when the fast of the Ramadan was beginning and now that the month of Ramadan just finished again, we wish that all our Muslim friends had a good and spiritual period of fasting and that the day of the Aïd was filled with happiness in the company of their most beloved!
Till next time...
Luce