MARCH FOR TIBET'S INDEPENDENCE:
Charlottesville, VA to Washington D.C. 2006

Saturday: June 10, 2006

Day Nine: The New Lobbyists put down the petitions and Congressional Bills and return to lacing up the shoes, grabbing the flags, and pounding the pavement.

From: Fairfax, VA
To: Key Bridge, Washington D.C.
Distance: 13 Miles

Topography: Flat and commercial. Tons of shops, car dealerships, an occasional Hooters, (oh wait that was Thursday), scores of Indian shops, and plenty of ornery cyclists who can't seem to slow down for pedestrians much less a conga line of Tibetan Protesters, oh yeah and one Taiwanese American…The nerve!

Weather: hazy sunshine and very breezy. Felt about ten degrees cooler. Perfect walking weather.

Details:

The March:
Start: 9:00 am (Everyone fined $50 for motivating a bit late)
1st Break: 10:30 am Tea and cookies compliments of Karma Zurkhang
Lunch: 1:00 pm Compliments of our final hosts Dechen Gyatso Family
Rich and Doug both fined for spilling cranberry juice
Finish: 3:00 pm

Total Time: 4 hours

Marchers:
Core: 17 (Khempo Ngawang Dorje, Charlottesville, VA; Jigme Norbu, Indiana; Tsering Yeshi, Vermont; Thupten Zopa, NY; Tse Dorje, NY; Tenzin Sherab, Hawaii; Yeshe Gyaltsen, Chicago; Kunsang Dechen, Chicago; Pala, Chicago; Ngawang Norbu Sherpa (aka Colonel), Boston; Dawa Phuntsok, Boston; Tsering Youdon, Boston; Rich Felker, Charlottesville; VA, Ananda Reed, Philadelphia; Larry Gerstein, Indiana; Douglas Herman, NY); and of course late but certainly not least Tsewang Rigzin, from Washington State.

Guests: 3 Amalia Rubin, Albany, NY; David Huang, San Jose, CA; Michael Yeun, NJ (Representing the Taiwanese American Independence Movement)

Casualties: Just this white bird that looked as if it met its demise via a cartoon-like steam roller- just gruesome.

Stand Outs: Ama-la and Pa-la from Bean town for finally passing Jigme!!!

Host Families: Dechen Gyatso Family
Meals:
Lunch: Dechen Gyatso Family
Dinner: Dechen Gyatso Family

Leg Ten: IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!
"So what you have to ask yourself [China] is do you feel lucky…well do you?"
Distance: 3 miles
Wake Time: 6:00am
Start: 8:30am Key Bridge, Washington D.C.
Finish: 11:00pm Chinese Embassy Rally