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Showing posts from 2018

The Year of Return: My 2018 Travels

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2018 was really some kind of year! It was filled with unexpected situations as well as familiar scenes and there was a clear pattern to the year's travel. I embarked on new, unforgettable journeys to countries that start with "G": Greece, Guadeloupe and Ghana.  And I returned to beloved, familiar destinations; St. Lucia, St. John, Tobago and Montreal, for a whole new perspective. "The Year of Return" is also the theme for Ghana's year-long commemoration of 400 years since the first enslaved African arrived in the U.S.. A celebration of the resilience of the African spirit, the 2019 Year of Return welcomes all the Diaspora to return home and re-connect. That's exactly what I did during my life-changing trip to Ghana. From the time I stepped onto the streets of Accra, I was welcomed like a daughter returned from a long trip. I cried during most of my time at Cape Coast Castle , shown above, the site where thousands were imprisoned and then shipped

Banku and Waakye and Palava Sauce: The Glory of Ghanaian Food

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Despite the stereotypes, African food is as varied and amazing as the continent itself. I'm lucky that I live in a city that offers an array of West, East and North African cuisine so I arrived in Ghana expecting to enjoy classic dishes like waakye  (black eyed peas with rice), banku  (fermented corn and cassava dough formed into balls to accompany fish or meat) and heaps of fresh fish. What I wasn't prepared for was the sheer variety and complexity of Ghanaian cuisine . Yes, there were the classics that I was familiar with but there were also variations according to region and city as well as modern interpretations and fusion meals. I was overwhelmed with the culture and history that I experienced in Ghana and I was also overstuffed with food every single day of my travels. I ate a lot.  I discovered that my favorite was palava sauce , a  savory sauce made with kontomire  greens that are little like mustard greens and bitter melon seeds, served with fish. Here's a smal

Turks and Caicos Kombucha

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I don't discuss it too often but I'm kind of, sort of, a healthy food fan. I don't drink coffee or anything caffeinated, don't eat meat and rarely indulge in fast food. I'm basically a pescatarian who sometimes eats poultry. So aside from my love of sugar (which has lessened over the years) I try to keep it healthy. On most of my travels, I like to sample the local cuisine while keeping it as fresh and wholesome as possible. While I was in Turks and Caicos,  that meant fish, veggie patties and salad since I wasn't able to try the national dish of peas and grits . But I was lucky to discover another local specialty; kombucha in exciting tropical flavors was being hand crafted by the owners of my Airbnb. Kombucha or booch, as locals call it, is fermented tea with loads of probiotics and health benefits.  As a tea connoisseur, I love drinking kombucha as an alternative to my regular teas. Regina and Jack run Island Raw  to create juices and kombucha from loca

The Path to Grace Bay

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In Turks and Caicos , it's all about the beach. Beach culture and water sports  are the main focus for travelers and there's no beach more significant than Grace Bay.  Famous for being listed by various travel publications as one of the world's most beautiful beaches, Grace Bay is a pristine, three-mile strip along the northeast coast of Providenciales .  Every day during my stay on Provo, I walked a 10 minute path to Grace Bay. I stepped along the gravel road in front of my villa to get to the nearby beach access. I quickly discovered that flip flops aren't enough support against the sharp rocks and had to switch out to sturdy sandals to walk the road comfortably. This small sign marks the beach access path, which runs through a small grove of trees and bush. I loved walking through palm trees and plants, even though I heard lizards rustling in the distance every time I strolled by. At least I hope they were lizards. There were also different sized co

Where in The World Is Turks and Caicos?

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I didn't realize just how confused people are about the Turks and Caicos islands.   Before I traveled to Providenciales,  the most developed of the eight main islands, I promised my blogging students that I would discover enough about this island nation to explain exactly where it is and what it's like. But it wasn't only my students that didn't know. When I tried to put a travel advisory on my credit card, the customer service confused Turks and Caicos with Turkey. And that was after I spelled it! Very few of my friends and family knew where the heck I was going so here it is: The Turks and Caicos islands consist of a group of 40 islands and small cays, with eight of them inhabited. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and located southeast of the Bahamas and East of  the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic. ) Currently, the Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory.  (Although the American dollar is the official currency.) The

Next Stop: Turks and Caicos

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Where in the world is Turks and Caicos ? That's the question I often get when I mention this island nation of eight main islands and 40 smaller islets and cays. Some people also confuse it as a Bahamian island. Well, Turks and Caicos is located Southeast of the Bahamas but it's a separate country. The country was self-governed until 2009, when former premier Michael Misick resigned in the face of corruption charges . It's is now a British Overseas Territory.  Turks and Caicos is famous for swoon-inducing beaches, most notably, Grace Bay , pictured above, which is consistently listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I will be investigating the appeal of Grace Bay during my stay in Providenciales next week. I'll also be discovering more about Turks and Caicos, including JoJo the Dolphin, the wild ,Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin who freely interacts with people as the official mascot of the island and symbol for marine conservation and Cheshire Hall

Easy Living on the East Coast of Barbados

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Barbados is an island noted for upscale dining and luxury hotels but there's another side to "Bim.". I ventured out of the busy capital of Bridgetown and took a hiking tour of the untamed East Coast of the island. I immediately noticed a difference between the hilly landscape of the East Coast and the South Coast, where most of the hotels are located. Nature grabs all the attention here. There are few hotels or even people to distract from the beauty. Everywhere I looked, spectacular views of the Atlantic commanded attention. The East Coast is where Barbados agriculture is centered and I spotted fields of bananas, passion fruit bushes and almond trees. The panoramas of lush green and sparkling blue ocean waves really made me think I was on another island. Barbados is famously flat so I wasn't expecting all the hills I had to hike under the unrelenting Caribbean sun. The tour is called Hike, Grill and Chill,  so I was really happy to relax in the shade

Next Stop: Back to Barbados

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It's been a while but I'm happy to be returning to Barbados for the annual SATW Travel Writers Convention.  I'll be in meetings for a big portion of the trip but I will still find time to visit the legendary Oistins Fish Fry, take in a beach and rum shop, as well as hike along a nature trail. I'm also scheduled to check out the fabled Cin Cin By The Sea  with al fresco dining and views of the west coast of the island. Stay tuned for pix and videos!

A Royal Experience at the Kumasi Grand Durbar in Ghana

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Tales of African kings and queens are popular with the African American diaspora. It's an important way to acknowledge and reclaim our history but it never occurred to me that I would one day witness this living history. When I slowly moved through the crowds and colorful revelry of Ghana's historic Grand Durbar in Kumasi, I found myself surrounded by Asante and Akyem royalty . A Grand Durbar is a celebration of when kings and high officials come together for different occasions.  This one marked the 75th anniversary of the passing of Okeyehene Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, a highly influential traditional ruler who died in 1943. I was dazzled by the procession of over 100 royals and their courts, complete with golden chairs, staffs and embroidered umbrellas. I learned that this was a particularly historic event because the Asante and Akyem clans had not come together in over 200 years. Before the two kings arrived to be carried through the adoring crowds, the Asantehe

An African Greeting in Elmina, Ghana

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Despite research, photos and personal stories, there's really nothing that can totally prepare you for Ghana . From the moment I set foot on the reddish earth, I was dazed and excited. There's nothing like returning to the home of your ancestors. Everything seemed familiar yet unlike anything I've ever experienced. We were welcomed with warmth and enthusiasm everywhere we went but I was taken aback by all of  the required revelry and protocols when we greeted the traditional chiefs in every town we visited.  In the South Coast town of  Elmina, we were met with a large group of singers and dancers as well as an impressive council of chiefs and queen mothers. I thought I could just sit back and enjoy the music and dancing but I should have known better. African  music and dance is all about participation. When this adorable little girl pulled me up to dance, there was no way I could refuse. Spirit is everywhere in Africa and I definitely felt it as I danced and twirled to

Next Stop; Ghana!

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In all my years as a travel writer, I have never anticipated a journey as much as I have for my journey to Ghana , West Africa. I will be taking my first steps on the African continent but this is an extra special trip for many other reasons. I will be on assignment for Ebony Magazine  , covering preliminary activities for Homecoming 2019, which is the historic commemoration of the African Diaspora returning to Africa exactly 400 years after the first recorded landing of a slave ship in Virginia. Thanks to the efforts of  The Adinkra Group,  a cultural resource organization, I will meet the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo at his official residence, Jubilee House. I will also meet Chiefs and Queen Mothers in Kumasi, Cape Coast and Accra. If that's not enough excitement, I will have my DNA revealed by sponsor African Ancestry  at the Cape Coast Castle , which was the main British hub for the horrific transatlantic slave trade from 1665-1807. Ghana was the first African natio

Night-time in Nafplio, Greece

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Some places have a totally different atmosphere at night, transforming from one thing during the day, to another at night. Nafplio, in the eastern Peloponnese, is one of those places. This waterfront town is a lovely, sun-splashed paradise during the day, with palm trees lining the streets and horse drawn carriages. But as the sun dips, you see why it's considered one of the most romantic towns in Greece. The sunset over the ocean was hypnotic and the town looked like a twilight fairy tale. Walking through the small courtyards and eating at a sidewalk cafe with the sea breeze wafting over me was thrilling. Nafplio  also boasts some mythical magic, it was reportedly founded by Poseidon's son Nafplios. My favorite experience was hearing a live opera singer in the square. Check it out in my video below for a taste of Nafplio night-time mystique: Photos by R. Cummings-Yeates

Aegean Blue

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I love large bodies of water. The waves, the salty sea breezes, the colors are all very soothing for me. In fact, just looking at these pix has totally relaxed me. I've dipped into many oceans and lakes but I can't remember being as excited as I was to swim in the Aegean Sea.   As I traveled all over the Peloponnese region, I learned a lot about Greece's geography . The country is actually made up of  roughly 6,000 islands and only 227 are inhabited. About 1,400 are clustered around the Aegean. The Aegean is actually a long embayment of the Mediterranean Sea.   I've seen the Mediterranean from many countries and perspectives and it has never looked like this. The blue is a mix of turquoise, sapphire and cobalt and the different shades seem to flow into each other. You can glimpse the Aegean all around the Peloponnese but I was lucky enough to visit several beaches and actually immerse myself in its beauty. It was cold but also very peaceful, none of the