Farsighted Fly Girl

I'm not a fan of wandering through cemeteries and hanging out among the graves but Guadeloupe's Mourne-a-l-Eau cemetery is a beautiful exception. Set atop a hill, most of the crypts are covered in black and white tiles that resemble little checkerboard houses. The first thing I learned is that you should never enter a Guadeloupe cemetery or church without knocking first. So I knocked on the gate and roamed though the rows of intricately decorated tombs. The black and white design is supposed to represent the black color for mourning in Europe and the white color for mourning in Africa. Many of the crypts looked like miniature homes, complete with spaces for mourners to sit and commune with their ancestors. Some people even hire architects to create their tombs. I've never seen anything like Mourne-a-l-Eau, although I did spot smaller versions as I traveled through Grande Terre. To me, the beauty of these final resting places reflect Guadeloupe's respect...

This was supposed to be a post that examined my year in travel. But in light of the nonsense that has been recently stirred up about Haiti, El Salvador and the 54 countries that make up the African continent,  I felt compelled to shine the spotlight on Haiti. I have long been weary of the constant dragging that the "Pearl of the Caribbean" endures. I have yet to see a mention of the island that doesn't describe it as "the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere" or reference the many natural disasters that have challenged this small country. You would think that it was some ravaged hole on the other side of the Dominican Republic, the way the stereotypes portray it. I assure you, it is not. Poverty and earthquakes have not stopped Haiti from being a vibrant country with a rich culture and stunning landscape. The elegant ruins of the Sans Souci palace, shown above, is  just one example. The grand palace was constructed in 1813 for Haiti's King Henri Chr...

BBC World News: "A Cuban in London" Mario Lopez Goicoechea reflects upon and remembers Fidel Castro Part 1 from Jamsheda on Vimeo . The passing of Fidel Castro has stirred up intense emotions from every corner of the globe but I was thrilled to see my blogger friend Mario from A Cuban in London explain Castro's influence from the too rarely heard Cuban perspective on the BBC. Listen and learn.

Nevis is a tiny island but it packs a lot of history in its small space. I saw historic ruins and landmarks on every other road but for me, the most moving was Cottle Church.  Hidden in the woods north of the capital of Charlestown, the ruins of Cottle Church stand as a reminder of  a time when slavery was rampant but glimmers of hope still existed. That hope was demonstrated when Thomas Cottle built the Anglican church in 1824 so that his family could worship along side the enslaved inhabitants of the plantation. It was actually illegal for the enslaved to worship so Thomas was bucking the system on many levels. The church was never consecrated but this monument to religious freedom exists as a special landmark. Walking through the archways of the church, I felt the spirits of the dozens of enslaved people who worked all day, every day, and then prayed for freedom in this church. The names and ages of all the enslaved plantation workers are listed on a wall of t...