I open my eyes, it’s 04:38, just 2 minutes before the set alarm will ring.
A quick shower to make sure I wake up, then breakfast: 100 gr. pasta with olive oil, 30 gr. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and 4 small bananas, I need carbohydrates, proteins and potassium (I will be glad I didn’t skip my bananas).
I grab a cup of coffee and I’m hitting the road, meeting point at Solagratia School in Tongkaina, North Sulawesi at 05:30.
It is not the beginning of a novel, it was actually the start of my day today, a wonderful day spend with great kids in the ocean, for a good reason, collect money to renovate their school.
The idea was to use the swim as a means to collect some donations to be able to paint/ maintain the school, which, after 7 years, is very necessary. The school is a “poor” school, built and run for the poorer families of the region.
It was me, Simone (the organiser and heart of the school) Jan and approx. 30 kids from the school, by 06:00 we were ready and we started our charity swim from Batu Meja, a mangrove beach close by.
The swim would have been approx. 4 km., if we would have been able to swim in a straight line, but current against us at the beginning and some waves in the second half of the swim, probably made us swimming for 5/6 km.
Jan got to Bunaken jetty first, in 1:35, Simone almost together with him and a few kids, I was among the last, after 2 hours, 3/4 cramps and several stinging marine creatures; after me the last 4/5 kids.
It has been a big success and a happy event and we close it with usual group photo.
By now some of you will start to ask why I am writing all this bothering you with my blog post? 🙂
We need to collect funds, so I am hoping some of you will think about a donation.
I would be more than happy to provide you with an Indonesian account number in IDR or for would like to help from Europe, but not wasting too much money in bank fee, I will be happy to give you a EUR account in Italy; Visa and MasterCard are accepted as well.
If you feel generous, please drop me a line at [email protected].
