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A new habitat
Portlander sets out on the adventure of a lifetime
by
K ro n d a A dair
Laura Green surveys Spain’s Pyrennees Mountain Range. The Portlander will next steer her
bike through Bolivia.
W
hen Laura Green travels to Bolivia
this month, she wants to be more
than just a tourist.
She will combine her love of cycle
touring and her desire to give hack to communi
ties by hiking to different affiliates of Habitat for
Humanity in a project she’s dubbed Bike N Build.
Habitat for Humanity helps low-income
families buy homes through sweat equity—
buyers assist the nonprofit in building their
own houses. Habitat also organizes Global Vil
lage trips in which volunteers travel to a vari
ety of locations and help build houses for resi
dents elsewhere. It’s a great way to see a new
part of the world and do something useful at
the same time.
“ I love Habitat,” Green says, “and I believe
in what it’s all about. 1 want to see what they
do in other parts of the world.”
The cyclist recently finished a year of work
with the Portland chapter through the Ameri-
Corps program. While inspired by her work,
she’s arranged this trip on her own with the
help of sponsors who donated equipment and
with some lessons in hike maintenance from
the Community Cycling Center.
Bolivia is just one of more than 70
countries with affiliate chapters. As
in many other parts of the world,
in recent years migration to
major cities in South America
has rapidly increased. An
influx of families to urban
areas has resulted in illegal
substandard housing develop
ment; it’s estimated that more
than 500,000 Bolivian families
live in overcrowded, unhealthy
conditions.
“Just by being here in Portland I can
see people who have a home that’s safe and
clean have improved quality of life," Green
says. “I don’t think that should be denied to
any citizen whether American or Bolivian.”
Green will start out as part of a Global Village
trip, traveling with other Portland volunteers to
spend one week building in the city of Oruro in
the western part of the country. “Once I’m there,
I want to stay longer and work more with Habi
tat. That’s how the idea of Bike N Build got start
ed. I’ve always wanted to go to South America,
so I thought, ‘Here’s my chance.’ ’’
In 2000, she hiked alone throughout
Europe, covering 4,500 miles and eight coun
tries in five months. “I was really scared to do
it. I didn’t know what it was going to he like to
he alone as a female.”
But her fears were soon allayed. “I didn’t
really have any problems. It was great. I love
bike touring because it’s a nonthreatening way
to he a tourist. Complete strangers will offer me
a bed or a meal because they respect the
courage it takes to ride a bike in all types of
weather and terrain.”
Still, South America isn’t known for
openness towards gays, and Green doesn’t
plan to make an issue of her bisexuality. “I
don’t think being out is something that’s
realistic or necessary. I think it would bring
unnecessary danger.”
Some might say the same about traveling
alone as a woman. “I’ve heard that women
don’t travel alone, hut I’ve investigated other
women who have traveled in South Ameri
ca— especially by hike— alone. They do exist.
We’ll just have to see.”
Self-sufficiency is the name of the game.
Green will carry almost everything she needs
on a used G T mountain hike she
bought for $100 and camp out in
a one-person tent. She plans
to stay for up to a year and
see how things go, possibly
continuing the Bike N
Build adventure with
Habitat affiliates in
Ecuador or Brazil.
“ I feel I can use Habitat
”
to guide me when I’m there
to meet people and do some
thing, not just he a tourist and be
seen for my dollars— ’cause I don’t
have that many! I’m going learn, and I’m going
to work.”
Any cash donations Green receives for her
trip will go toward costs for the houses she
builds. She’ll chronicle her adventures via
monthly Web site updates and interviews with
homeowners.
“ Being here— spending a year of my life
being a part of these families— I’ve met and
worked with people I normally wouldn’t have
crossed paths with. It’s something that I can
give, st) why not?" J H
“I love
bike touring
because It’s a
non threatening
w ay to be a
tourist
O u td o o r h a rd e n Tw inin g
2904 NE A lb er t a S t • P o r tla n d , OR 97211
(503) 282-9864
GLASS ROOTS MOSAICS
STAIN EP
• d r o p - i n , c la s s e v e r y s a t .
• o v e r a h u n d r e d s t o r e s i n s t o c le
w eä-sat 12 -&
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G
reen is no stranger to long-distance cycling.
An AIDS ride from San Francisco to Los
Angeles in 1996 got her hcxiked, followed
by a cross-country hike trip with friends in ’98.
“We did it to connect with other queer com
munities in the U .S., and we made a video of
our experiences.”
KRONDA A dair is a free-lance writer and full
time hike commuter with lots of rain gear. E-mail
her at ephany@myexcel.com.
m r 77 w W m
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f/L Ait/;* i t
2 5 2 1 n e Alberto
(503) 4 6 0 - 3 1 3 /
THE DECK
IS OPEN!
LWKJA
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2(ounuc now open 12pm- I urn
l^ o o ti ulwuys u vu il ubici
—Laura Green
For updates and information on BlKE N BUILD
visit wvwu.whereislaura.com. To make a donation
e-mail Laura Green at laura@whereislaura.com.
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