MORAIRA IN THE MORNING

Moraira port is always a great place to hang out in the mornings. Why? Well, the coffee is fabulous at the Marina and there is always a buzz of activity. There are boats going in the water, families heading out on boat trips and even boats getting new paint for the season. Sometimes medusas come in to visit and hang around the boats. Over on El Portet beach the kayak crowd are getting their feet wet as they head out from the beach to adventures around Moraira's shores :)



Moraira Port is always a buzz of activity



Medusa playing around the boats in the port



Kayak crowd in the morning at El Portet beach in Moraira



Marathon Man is Making His Life A Mission – Not An Intermission

By Karla Darocas

I am always impressed by people who set out on grand quests in order to raise public awareness about the faults in our humanity. And, as we all know, faults come in all forms and the cracks they make in our communities often grow to be nasty big holes!

I believe that America humourist and publisher Arnold Glasgow had the right idea about our human condition when he sparked the quote “Make your life a mission – not an intermission.”

Recently in Javea Port, I had the chance to interview a South African who was in the process of making it his mission to give back to his adopted community and home of Ronda, Andalucia.

Andrew Campbell knows from personal experience how health issues and medical expenses can create cracks in families and holes in pocketbooks. So, he is doing something about it.

“I have the chance to do something big for the first time in my life,” expresses Andrew.

“I decided to walk from Rome to Ronda in order to raise awareness and financial aid to help support the families in my region with very sick children who are facing financial hardship.”

The foundation he created is called the “Fundación Fabrica de Sueños”, which translates into “Factory of Dreams”

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW CAMPBELL

1.  What did your family think when you decided to go on the fundraising journey?

A:  None of them believed I was serious, even during my training and weight loss period. I started weighing 130kg in Sept 2009 and now I am 90kg. I've been involved as a volunteer in  charity work all of my adult life so fundraising didn't get their attention, but the notion of walking 2700km certainly captured their attention.

My parents have been surprisingly supportive, especially after reading my blog where I describe my experience of meeting homeless people and finding myself in unsavoury places and situations. My family are also very proud of me for doing this walk. My sister keeps telling me she's amazed I've been able to keep going. Little does she know I'll probably sleep for week when I get back to Ronda.

2.  What do you do when it rains?

A:  That is a very good question. I've been very lucky so far that I haven't had any heavy rain while I've been walking, only drizzle. But those four days of drizzle were terrible.  I was soaked right through. Lluckily my backpack has a rain guard, but every time I used my phone it got wet and that panicked me. It rained almost continuously from Nice to Aix-en-Provence.

3.  What kind of responses do you get from people on the road?

A:  You must understand that I don't walk on the side of the road outside the white line where the road often drops away or is broken and has unnatural cambers. I generally walk inside the white line in the car zone where the surface is usually maintained and flat because this is actually the safest area of the road.

Most drivers probably think I'm crazy, but they give me a wide berth. There are even a few who wave encouragingly and toot their horn politely. Others are horrible, they drive too close and behave frighteningly or they yell obscenities at me.

I walk with a reflective vest and hiking sticks, and if I think a driver hasn't seen me I wave my sticks and it gets their attention quickly. In the cities the biggest problem is people who don't respect pedestrian crossings. I make a show of photographing number plates and that gets a quick apology.

Before my walk I was hit by a car, which damaged my right knee and has caused recurring problems while walking. Now I'm very aware of the traffic around me.

4.  Did you ever think that you would be doing such an adventurous thing with your life?

A:  Honestly no! I started my career in sales and got promoted to sales management along with other things. When I quit in order to focus on renovating houses, that is when my life became much more relaxed. I actually thought I'd spend my days renovating and mowing the lawn. Here I am now, practically ascetic and walking a huge distance for people I'll probably never meet.

5.  Why do you feel that life is precious?

A:  I'm not a terribly deep thinker. My friend Simon Wheeler says the best philosophy can be summed up in two words. Be Nice!

However, an example of my feelings about the preciousness of life can be found in the unconditional happiness of a young child who hasn't learned to discriminate yet. That child will play with any other child or talk to any person or even talk to street gangs without fear… and I long for a world where everyone lives without fear.

6.  Have you met any of the children that need these funds?

A:  Yes I've met some of the children, but due to a combination of laws about exploiting minor and respecting their privacy, I don't blog about them.

What I find amazing about these children is that they never cry. They are always happy to meet a new friend and tell their stories. But it breaks my heart when I see the parents sob uncontrollably because they feel powerless to help their sick children and every month their situation seems to get worse. Social security only covers so much and families that were struggling before a child becomes ill then has a really tough time afterward. The entire family suffers not just the sick child. The brother and sisters often feel neglected. The parents who must appear positive for the sake of their children, in reality can't function from grief and worry.

To Learn More About Andrew Campbell and his Mission – read his blog (http://www.romaronda.info) . ON his blog you can also contribute to his cause and help to fill crack and holes to heal sick children and their families.

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