Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bunch of cowboys caught up in the Mexican rebellion of 1866, that was
set here and filmed in 1954, starring Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper.
We were guests of the Red Cross in Veracruz. They treated us all
to a superb breakfast, then they made speeches of thanks, and so did
I. It's an admirable organisation: the Veracruz Red Cross has built a
hospital and nursing home, established an ambulance service and
provided training for doctors. Officials from the Australian consulate
joined us. Then I was swamped by the Mexican TV networks while I
took a tour of the town. In some places, the streets were lined with
cheering people. Quite a welcome for a runner.
I spoke to Brooke and Dillon today, and they'll be here again dur-
ing the next school holidays, in September. So I'll see them in Panama
before I tackle the Darién Gap. That's important to me.
I've received an email from the Australian Red Cross that has
made me very happy, as it gave me a chance to make a difference. It
read:
Congratulations Pat on reaching another milestone and I hope
you're getting some respite from the heat. Just getting back to
you with some detail on a potential project in East Timor that
could be funded by the money you've raised for the Austral-
ian Red Cross. The project connects a school, health post and
a group of villages to a fresh water spring and latrines. Also
included is delivery of hygiene promotion training to reduce
the incidence of malaria and diarrhoea which plagues the com-
munity. Community mothers will be invited to participate in
mothers groups where topics that benefit the health of infants
and small children will be shared. This will deliver an activity
for village-based women and improve health outcomes for cur-
rent and future infants and children. The project is ready to go.
This cuts out the usual process of evaluation and negotiation
with the community, which can take up to six months before
a project can start. This project is in a remote area—Com, in
the Lautem District—and is the most remote area from Dili,
taking around 8 hours driving to reach. However, it is in close
proximity to another ongoing project and therefore staff and
equipment are already in the area. Our Water and Sanitation
team believe the project is a good fit with your objectives, being
