Adventurous women

who love the open road,

and our planet Earth,

and all the precious life on it…

Announcing Peace Through Travel’s

WOMEN’S TRAVELS FOR PEACE:

SENEGAL, NOVEMBER 7-15, 2008

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∞∞∞

At last…

here’s your chance

to grab a travel opportunity that really makes a difference…

that changes women’s lives…

that connects you to a greater whole.

But act fast!

because once these SIX spots are taken,

the trip is closed,

and you’ve lost this opportunity

to make a real change in the world!

What exactly is “Women’s Travels for Peace”?

From the Desk of Linda Rivero
Washington, D.C.

Dear W.O.R.L.D. Traveler,

It was a night that took my breath away.

I was exhausted from a long journey home. Although I’d chosen the 12 hour layover in Paris on my way back from Dakar, by the time I arrived home in Washington at 9 p.m., I was beat. I unpacked a little, chatted, and tumbled into bed around midnight — 4 a.m. Senegal time.

I slept like a rock — until a shrill ring shattered my weary, dreamless state. Totally disoriented, all I could comprehend was the clock — 3:12 a.m — and, finally, that I needed to answer my cell phone.

“Hullo,” I groaned. Static. “Hullo,” I groaned again. Suddenly a sweet feminine voice chirped on the other end with some urgency, “Linda? Linda! C’êtes vous?!”

In a flash I was wide awake. I flipped into French mode. “Oui! Oui! Qui parle??” Who’s speaking? The magnificent women I’d met in the Casamance came rushing to my mind, and my eyes, my ears, and every nerve in my body responded. It was only yesterday that I’d left them, and for me they were still standing right in front of me.

“Ah, Linda, c’est Maïmouna!” I tried frantically to remember exactly which woman was Maïmouna. Then it came to me: she was the young mother whose beauty startled me, whose warmth enveloped me, and whose tears at my departure touched me so.

“Ah! Maïmouna! Bonjour!” It’s 7 a.m. there, I thought to myself. “Tout va bien?” Is everything ok? Suddenly I was worried. Was she all right? Her tiny children? Her family? “Oui, oui!” she assured me. Everything is fine!

Of course, I wondered why she’d called, although I wasn’t about to ask. Are you sleeping? she asked, giggling Well, yes, I sort of was, I answered.

I want to tell you that I miss you! I miss you! And I want you to come back! We can use your help here, so will you come back with the other women? When will you come back?

I could hear her smiling. She spoke with warmth, humor, and the affection of a friend.

I will be back in November, Maïmouna, I will, I assured her. And I will return with other women, and together we will work with the women of your village, and we will help make life better for you and your children!

Good! Good! she chirped. And do you have my phone number? Will you call me?

I knew I did have her number, and I assured her I would call again.

We ended the call with warm farewells. I knew we were both glowing.

I didn’t sleep any more that night.

What does it take to

make a difference in the world?

Maïmouna’s phone call reminded me of what I already knew:

It takes four things to make a difference in the world.

1. It takes a desire to give, to share. A desire to help make life better for another human being.

2. It takes a desire to learn, to stretch, to venture into a new and different world.

3. It takes humility, the ability to give without having all the answers, without feeling better than. It takes the ability to see yourself as equal — in spirit, in value, in human worth — to the person you seek to help.

4. And it takes strategy, the means for making a difference. You need a program, a way to accomplish your goal of doing good for another. You need access, and you need to believe in that access.

WOMEN’S TRAVELS FOR PEACE:

SENEGAL, NOVEMBER 7-15, 2008

Why Women’s Travels for Peace?

Why Just Women?

It’s simple.

We women are coming into our own, all over the world. We’re realizing our strength, our intelligence, our capability, and we’re getting hungry to test our limits. We’re out to make our lives better, fuller, richer.

You pick up a newspaper and see evidence of this everywhere. From coffee collectives in Peru and Mexico to craft collaboratives in Afghanistan and Cambodia, women are gathering together to pool their skills, resources and efforts. They’re forming partnerships based on their work.

Through collaboration, support and networking, these women are advancing the economic standing of their families, their children, and themselves.

And they’re making the world a better place for us all.

You may be wondering:

“How do I know it’ll be as good as you say?”

As I said, one of the requirements for making a real change in the world is having the program and the access for making the change. And you need to have confidence in that program.

So how do you know I’ll deliver what I promise you?

My answer has two parts. Here’s the first part:

I spent ten years learning how to put a sensational trip together.

Nearly twenty years ago I began my first travel business, organizing and escorting small, select groups on highly specialized, cultural tours of rural Italy. These were novel and intriguing itineraries I created after traveling the country from the tip of Sicily to the foothills of the Alps. My mission was to bring travelers into the heart of rural Italy, a country I was born to know and love, thanks to my heritage.

These tours went hand-in-hand with individualized travel planning for those who chose to travel on their own. During the ten years I designed travel through my company, La Pergola Tours, Inc./Italian Country Living, I sent or escorted hundreds of travelers through a country they’d never seen quite that intimately…always with an emphasis on interpersonal connection, cultural exchange, and individual growth and enrichment through travel.

Clients praised my philosophy and itineraries, as did the media from The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times to Newsday and Bride Magazine.

And here’s the second part of my answer:

I am committed to bringing you a life-changing travel experience. Because I know what I require for my clients’ — your — comfort, happiness and peace of mind, I know how to choose my colleagues. I am very selective, and I work only with the best.

In Senegal’s Casamance, I have found the best. My colleagues are experienced in traveling as well as the travel business, and they are residents of the country deeply committed to doing good for Senegal.

I recently returned from my own trip to the Casamance where I not only met the village women and discussed the community project for November, but also spent extended time with my colleagues.

I’m thrilled to say that they have met my standard of excellence. They know what they’re doing, and they do it beautifully. As do I.

And you, dear W.O.R.L.D. Traveler, are the beneficiary of our combined talents and efforts.

Ok, I’m convinced. Now what are the specifics?

Let me tell you the most important thing:

As one of only SIX women to experience Women’s Travels for Peace: Senegal, November 2008…

You will…

• Be gloriously welcomed into a new and exotic world throbbing with life and color

• Quickly befriend women whose strength and exuberance may stun you

• Work side-by-side with these women on an urgently needed community project that will improve the quality of their lives

• Make a philanthropic contribution (a portion of your payment) to the completion of this necessary project

• Become part of the daily lives of your new friends, playing with children, preparing food, sitting and talking together

• Learn to sing, dance, laugh, and absorb the irresistible rhythm of strong women bound to the earth

• Experience the profoundly moving honor of a Senegalese celebration…OF YOU!

• Live the joy of giving your warmth and friendship

• Receive the deep thrill of boundless acceptance, love and wisdom in return.

You will…

• Learn the rhythm of the Casamance, the southern region of Senegal, known for its mysterious beauty and startingly embracing hospitality

• Always be accompanied by your trilingual escort

• Travel with local, English-speaking guides

• Enjoy accommodations in our Guest House, complete with…

o Comfortable and spacious rooms

o Your own private bath

o Lovely hand-hewn beds

o Luxurious mattresses imported from Italy

o And our own personal Chef!

And you will…

• Be one of a very exclusive group limited to only six adventurous women.

And that’s not all!

Your adventure begins before you leave, and ends after you return!

I am committed to creating the richest, deepest experience possible for you, and this means learning, preparing, and upon return, readjusting …together!

Before you even start to pack,

You will…

• Join your fellow participants for Tele-lessons in French for Travelers! You’ll be able to communicate in the Casamance!

• Become the first on your block to learn something very few learn: Basic Wolof, the national indigenous language of Senegal. Now you’ll really be able to chat and laugh with your new women-friends!

• Take part in Cultural Learning Sessions with experts in Senegalese culture.

• Have your questions answered in our Q & A Session with your Travel Escort and Hosts in Senegal. You’ll arrive for your adventure relaxed, prepared, excited…and confident.

• Participate in Pre-Travel Tele-Circles where you’ll meet your fellow travelers and get to know each other before your adventure. When you meet in Senegal, you’ll feel comfortable and secure, knowing you’re traveling with friends.

Plus…because I know how profound this experience will be for you, I want to be there for you on your return, too!

After you return home,

You will…

• Meet with your fellow-travelers in Post-Travel Tele-Circles to…

o Support each other through our “re-entry” experiences

o Share deep memories of our adventure

o Create ways to stay in touch with our Senegalese friends

o Continue to help the women and children of “our” village!

Read on for the details of this

Life-Changing Travel Experience

Are you ready to make a change in the world?

Women’s Travels for Peace: Senegal

November 7 - 15, 2008

Itinerary

8 Nights, 9 Days

Day 1 – Friday, Nov. 7

Departure for Senegal

• You’ll arrive at Dakar International Airport or in Cap Skirring, Casamance via European stopover. The flight to Cap Skirring is a seasonal flight from Paris.

• Your Escort greets you — with open arms! — upon your arrival in Dakar.

• An afternoon or evening arrival in Dakar requires one night’s stay in Dakar. We’ll be at the Cap Ouest Hotel, five minutes from the airport. Your transfer is provided.

• If you arrive in Cap Skirring, your Hosts will greet you and accompany you to Ziguinchor.

• Dinner in either Dakar or Ziguinchor, depending on your arrival city

• For arrival in Cap Skirring, your night will be spent in our Guest House in Ziguinchor.

Day 2 – Saturday, Nov. 8

Welcome to the luxuriant tropics of the Casamance!

• If you arrived in Dakar after noon on Friday, today you fly from Dakar to Ziguinchor, together with your Escort.

• Our Hosts greet us at the Ziguinchor Airport.

• We settle into our lovely, comfortable accommodations in our Guest House, complete with:

o spacious rooms
o private baths
o hand-carved beds
o and luxurious mattresses imported from Italy.

• In our Guest House we also enjoy the:

o large living area
o lovely garden
o kitchen
o and for meals at home, the services of our own private Chef!—a delightful young man trained in both French and Senegalese Cuisine.

• Together we all enjoy a fine lunch prepared for us by our chef.

• In the afternoon we visit the sights of bohemian Ziguinchor, a bustling town that was once a colonial administrative center:

o Escale Market

o Fishermen’s Port

o Colonial houses of the City Center

o Famous Boucotte neighborhood with its Handmade Crafts Market

o Colorful St. Maur Market

o Alliance Franco-Sénégalaise, a vibrant cultural center with stunning architecture.

• Delectable dinner in our Guest House prepared by our Chef

• Over dinner, we prepare for arrival in our village tomorrow morning: what to expect and the day’s program.

Day 3 – Sunday, Nov. 9

Morning on the lush Casamance River, Arrival in the Village

• This morning we enjoy the verdant allure of this region with an early excursion on the beautiful, sinuous Casamance River in a characteristic pirogue. We navigate the winding waterways with a master sailor who knows all the curves, corners and secrets of these waters and islands. We see herons, pelicans, flamingos…and very likely, delicate nests and baby birds!

• In late morning, we travel to our Village by car and ferry (pirogue).

• Today you experience a glorious Senegalese Village Welcome! We meet the women we’ll be working with, along with their children and families. Prepare yourself for exuberant hospitality, Senegalese style!

• We join together with villagers for a traditional Senegalese lunch.

• After lunch, we’re introduced to our project: the completion of a sturdy well for the women’s agricultural program. We begin working together.

• In the late afternoon, we return to Ziguinchor by pirogue.

• Dinner in a characteristic restaurant in Ziguinchor where we chat about the day’s events, share our experiences, and ask any questions we may have.

Day 4 – Monday, Nov. 10

Women’s Village Project

We devote the next three days to our

women’s community project.

• We depart in the morning for our first full day in the village.

• We arrive, greet our new friends, and get to work!

• Together we enjoy a leisurely, traditional Senegalese lunch with the Village.

• After lunch we continue to work on the community well.

• In the late afternoon, we return to Ziguinchor by pirogue.

• We relax over a fine dinner prepared by our Chef at our Guest House.

• We share questions and discussion about the day’s activities.

Day 5 – Tuesday, Nov. 11

Women’s Village Project

• We depart in the morning for our second full day in the village.

• We arrive, greet our new friends, and get to work!

• Together we enjoy a leisurely, traditional Senegalese lunch with the Village.

• After lunch we continue to work on our project, the new well.

• In the late afternoon, we return to Ziguinchor by pirogue.

• We relax over a lovely dinner prepared by our Chef at our Guest House.

• We share questions and discussion about the day’s activities.

• Tonight we have a Surprise: Dancing and Music!

Day 6 – Wednesday, Nov. 12

Completion of the Women’s Village Project

• We depart in the morning for our third full day in the village.

• We arrive, greet our new friends, and get to work again!

• Together we enjoy a leisurely, traditional Senegalese lunch with the Village.

• After lunch we have an exciting task: to complete the new well for the village women!

• In the late afternoon, we return to Ziguinchor by pirogue.

• Tonight is Ladies’ Night Out! Dinner in a lovely restaurant in Ziguinchor.<

Day 7 – Thursday, Nov. 13

Grand Celebration! Brace Yourself!

• We depart this morning for our final — and celebratory! — day in the Village.

• We arrive to the rhythm of drums, the chanting of song, and the stomping of dance!

• Party! We spend the day dancing, singing, eating, and making merry Casamance-style! This is a beautiful day of celebration with the wonderful people we’ve come to know and feel such affection for.

• Be prepared to be awed by the appreciation and warmth directed right at YOU!

• Late afternoon leisurely and blissful return to Ziguinchor by pirogue.

• Dinner and a glowing evening together in our home-away-from-home, our Guest House.

Day 8 – Friday, Nov. 14

Culture, Cuisine and Atlantic Coast

• Today we have a cultural treat: An excursion to Enampore, the capital of the Bandial Kingdom. We see the remarkable architecture of the characteristic impluvium houses, and we learn about the cultural traditions of this unusual town in the Lower Casamance.

• In nearby Oussouye we stop for an adventurous lunch. This is the place to try a variety of exotic local delicacies!

• Well fed and content, we travel the short distance to the white, sandy beaches of Cap Skirring where we swim, stroll, play or lazily relax in the breezy shade of the glorious palms.

• Rested and fulfilled, we return to our Guest House for our last evening together and the special Farewell Dinner our wonderful Chef has prepared for us and our local Hosts.

Day 9 – Saturday, Nov. 15

Departure

• Time permitting, you can make some last minute purchases of gifts and souvenirs in the local markets.

• A transfer takes you to the airport for your return flight home.

• We share a tearful goodbye with our local Hosts and Guides, and with each other.

À bientôt…