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Showing posts from December, 2013

Nelson Mandela Has Gone Home

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In South African indigenous cultures, death is only reserved for animals. The human spirit lives on so it is said that Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has passed on, he has gone to join the ancestors, he has gone home. I have spent the last few weeks mourning this  inevitable fact, along with the rest of the world. Madiba (his Xhosa clan name) represents so much more than a political leader to me.  The brutal inhumanity of apartheid that he and his people braved, from being torn from his ancestral land to being imprisoned for 27 years because he had the audacity to protest, is inspiring not because he survived but that he refused to surrender his dignity or humanity during the process. He goes down in history for his formidable feat of forgiveness and reconciliation but he was also a  seasoned fighter who knew when to wage a battle and when to fall back. My own political awareness began with images of the children of Soweto fighting off armed police, posting "Free Mandela" poste

Next Stop: A Return to Lovely St. Lucia

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It's turning out to be a very busy year end for me. I'm still processing Oaxaca and the beauty of Huatulco but this week I'm off to one of my favorite islands, St. Lucia. This press trip is sponsored by Coconut Bay Resort , where you may recall, I experienced the unexpected pleasure of paintball in paradise , a few years ago. I'll be tackling another unlikely adventure this time, with a dive into kite surfing as well as stand-up paddle boarding. Wish me luck on that, I'm not known for having great balance so we'll see how this turns out. I'll also return to St. Lucia's famous drive in volcano and take a catamaran journey around the island.  One thing I won't be attempting this time, is scaling St. Lucia's twin peaks, The Pitons, one of which is captured above.I need to leave something for the next visit! Stay tuned for St. Lucia posts and pics next week.