The Changana ladies at Chief Mahenye’s village have a strong tradition of beading…. Look at these deeply gathered skirts that they embellish with numerous seed beads…
Some of my personal necklaces, bought from these talented ladies…
The beading on their clothing and around their waists and necks is a vital part of the way they dress for their traditional ceremonies and dance…
two of my paintings of Changana dancers…
The Mahenye Charitable Trust (MCT) in collaboration with HIFA (Harare International Festival of the Arts) sponsored the Mahenye Beading Project from the 23rd to the 28th of February 2015. Eleven Mahenye women participated in an intensive training program where a regional bead expert from Durban in South African, and a local fashion designer assisted in modernizing the local tradition with marketable products that will be shown and marketed at HIFA from the 29TH April to 4th May this year.
The MCT provided the seed capital to purchase the raw materials which Jane Parsons from HIFA, provided for the training. HIFA has placed an order which will be purchased from the Mahenye Beading Club which should cover the cost of the loan from MCT and provide capital to start a sustainable Micro Village Industry, empowering the local Mahenye women to become self-sufficient in supporting and improving their family livelihoods.
Susan Sithole who represented the Mahenye community at last year’s HIFA, will be accompanied by one other lady in attending HIFA 2015, where on the 29th April there will be a beading fashion show, show-casing three countries, South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe. The Mahenye production will represent Zimbabwe in this prestigious event. Very exciting!
The Chilo Team would like to express their gratitude to Jane, Hlengiwe, Colin and Manuel for their support, enthusiasm and guidance in developing this opportunity for the women of Mahenye to strengthen,and benefit from, their cultural values and traditions.
HIFA is a 6-day annual festival and workshop programme that showcases the very best of local, regional and international arts and culture in a comprehensive festival programme of theatre,dance, music, circus, street performance, fashion, spoken word and visual arts. HIFA has come to be seen as an important symbol of something positive about Zimbabwe, unifying socially and culturally disparate groups of Zimbabweans at a time of ideological conflict and political uncertainty bringing huge audiences together to celebrate something positive – the healing and constructive capacity of the arts.
I will definately enter this- could end up staying at Sarara…
or one of my favourite places, Lewa House….
For 25 years, Tusk has been providing hope to the people of Africa through wildlife conservation. With 50 field projects in 18 countries, it has become one of the leading conservation, education and community charities working in Africa.
Tusk’s projects combine conservation, education and job creation to ensure wildlife and land become a renewable resource for local communities. Over the last quarter of a century, it has raised over $30 million to invest in a range of successful conservation initiatives providing vital protection for 36 endangered species, including elephant, rhino, cheetah, chimpanzee, mountain and lowland gorilla, and African wild dog.
Kelli’s toes and a stunning dietes species, in the botanic gardens of Hawai’i….
Flowers fit for a wedding…..joyous colours of flowers in the Hawai’i Botanic Gardens reflect the happiness we all feel for Kelli and Anton…….
Best view ever, the photo doesn’t do it justice! Full moon of the ocean 15 floors above the sea
Anton’s photo of a full moon, 15 floors above the surface of the ocean…..!
I am very very thrilled- My darling daughter Kelli Barker has got engaged to her special man Anton Milner -he is currently working hard, cruising the Caribbean and she is cruising Hawai’i – so this is truly a long distance but very committed relationship! Welcome to our family Anton! Gramps sends his best wishes to you both and Clive Stockil and I look forward to being part of your family as well.I am very very thrilled- My darling daughter Kelli Barker has got engaged to her special man Anton Milner -he is currently working hard, cruising the Caribbean and she is cruising Hawai’i and Alaska- so this is truly a long distance but very committed relationship! Welcome to our family Anton! Gramps sends his best wishes to you both and Clive Stockil and I look forward to being part of your family as well.
Kelli, my Zimbabwean African child, is sailing as a Beauty Specialist on a South Sea Cruise from San Diego to Hawai’i and Tahiti this month…
My child loves hats….!
This is one of her orchid photos from the Hawai’i Botanical Gardens…
What wonderful culture in store for her!
art….
dance….
and more dance…!
culture in French Polynesia…
First stop, Hilo Hawaii………….
Hilo Hawai’i
The landscape of Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is diverse. Beaches of black, gray, brown and white sand give way to mountains and dramatic waterfalls.
dramatic waterfalls
Hilo’s Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo is the only U.S. zoo in a tropical rainforest. A day trip away are snow-capped Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, with observatories near 11,000 feet on both mountains, and Kilauea Caldera, an active volcano.
Back in town are a farmer’s market, restaurants, shopping and banyan trees planted by celebrities and politicians.
Then Honolulu….
then Lahaina (Maui, Hawaii)………………
Here are Kelli’s stunning photos of orchids in the Botanic Gardens….
Delicate beauties….
Fit for a wedding….
Flowers fit for a wedding indeed…..an announcement has been made!
(See my next post for some stunning news!!!!)
Next, Bora Bora, an island of French Polynesia, which is an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 kilometres (143 miles) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the centre of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 feet).
Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra.
The island was inhabited by Polynesian settlersaround the 4th century AD.James Cooksighted the island in 1770 and landed that same year. Bora Bora was an independent kingdomuntil 1888 when its last queen Teriimaevarua IIIwas forced to abdicate by the French who annexed the island as a colony.
Queen Teriimaevarua III, forced to abdicate by the French ….
Over the last few years several resorts consisting of over-the-water bungalows ,have been built on motu (small islands, from Tahitian) surrounding the lagoon,extending on stilts over the lagoon.
beautiful stilt bungalows
Snorkeling and scuba diving in and around the lagoon of Bora Bora are popular activities. Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water.
Onto
Tahiti is the largest in a chain of islands that make up French Polynesia.
The name can either refer to the main island or the entire destination. Commonly referred to as The Islands of Tahiti, French Polynesia is a collection of 118 islands and atolls scattered across an impressive nautical surface area the size of Western Europe. Still, these tiny islands—many of which remain uninhabited—make up a total landmass of only 1,600 square miles (4,100 sq. km).
cultural dance
Papeete, based on Tahiti, is a vibrant and multicultural city with busy boulevards and a bustling harbor. The downtown municipal market, Le Marché, is an exciting place to purchase all things Tahiti including vanilla beans, monoi oil and colorful pareos. To live like a local, head to Vai’ete Square after sunset. This waterfront promenade comes to life at night when gourmet food trucks, Les Roulottes, open their windows to serve a range of affordable meals including Chinese food, French crépes, steak frites, fresh fish and pizza.
I am really hoping Kelli will see Humpback whales, since they visit Hawaiian waters each year from November to May with the peak of the season being from January to March.
Humpback whales
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was created by Congress in 1992 to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawai`i. The sanctuary, which lies within the shallow (less than 600 feet), warm waters surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands, constitutes one of the world’s most important humpback whale habitats.
Through education, outreach, research and resource protection activities, the sanctuary strives to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawai`i.
Humpback whales, now an endgangered species, were plentiful in oceans worldwide before the global population was depleted by commercial whaling at the start of the 20th century. In 1993 it was estimated that there were 6,000 whales in the North Pacific Ocean, and that 4,000 of those came to Hawaiʻi. Through an international ban on commercial whaling and protections under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the North Pacific humpback whale population now numbers more than 21,000. The population of humpback whales that uses Hawaiʻi’s waters as their principle wintering ground is likely more than 10,000 animals. This number is based on a comprehensive research effort that occurred between 2004 and 2006 that estimated the population at approximately 10,000 animals, and the likelihood that the population is still increasing at some unknown rate.
The North Pacific stock of humpback whales feed during the summer in northern waters (between approximate latitudes of 40-75° N). The cool, nutrient rich waters around Alaska provide ideal feeding locations. Humpback whales have plate-like bristles known as baleen in their mouth instead of teeth. They feed on krill and small schooling fishes, such as capelin and herring. A variety of feeding methods are used including bubble net feeding and lunge feeding. Humpbacks rarely feed in their wintering areas and it is not known if they feed along their migratory routes.
migratory routes
Hawai‘i is the only state in the United States where humpback whales mate, calve, and nurse their young.
mother and calf humpback
Humpbacks may find Hawai‘i suitable because of the warm waters, the underwater visibility, the variety of ocean depths, and the lack of natural predators. Mothers can be seen breaching alongside their calves and males can be seen competing with one another for females in fierce head-to-head battles.
Whale behaviours
After Papeete comes Fanning Island, Fanning Island is one of the most remote places on earth, an isolated speck in the vast South Pacific well over 1,000 miles south of Hawaii and more than 500 miles north of Tahiti. Fanning is part of the Republic of Kiribati and its capital, Tarawa, lies far to the west, more than 2,000 miles away, with nothing but open water in between. The 1,200 residents of Fanning (or it might be 1,600 or maybe 2,000; it keeps changing and no one has made an accurate count) exist amicably in the dreamy, time-honored fashion of South Pacific paradises.
A handsome, brown-skinned people, they are polite, gentle and shy. They live in grass shacks, or, more accurately, shacks of coconut fronds and pandanus leaves. The traditional dress, for men and women, is a sarong. They live off the land and the sea: fish, coconuts, taro, pumpkin and papaya. They have no telephones, no running water, no electricity (and by extension, no computers, no television, no video games, no movies).
The weather prohibits Kelli’s ship from making port!
They press on to Maquesas Islands :
Nuku Hiva (sometimes erroneously spelled “Nukahiva”) is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean.
The Marquesas are as wild and untamed as the horses roaming freely through their rugged terrain. Unlike the other islands in French Polynesia, there are no lagoons or protected coral reefs surrounding these landscapes. Instead, steep volcanic mountains plunge straight into the pounding Pacific Ocean, while jagged ridges lay interspersed between deep valleys and thriving jungles.
The Marquesas Archipelago is one of the most remote island groups in the world. These distant volcanic islands are located farther away from a continental landmass than any other island in existence.
Throughout the islands, there are many archaeological and ceremonial sites including houses, shrines, stone statues, agricultural terraces and burial grounds that testify to the existence of an ancient civilization.
Nuku Hiva, located on the northwestern edge, is the largest of the Marquesas Islands. Known as the Mystical Island, it is home to many rare and magnificent attractions such as the black sand beach of Anaho; Hakaui Valley waterfall, the third tallest in the world; Cathedral of Notre Dame, which houses intricate stone and wooden carvings from each island; and countless underwater caverns that shelter an impressive variety of flora and fauna.
Maybe Kelli will get to watch a pod of melon-headed whales…..The melon-headed whale is actually a member of the dolphin family. They are usually found far offshore beyond the continental shelf and only come close to shore when the surrounding waters are deep.
Melon-headed whales are extremely social creatures, swimming in tightly packed herds of 100-500 animals, although they sometimes gather in their thousands. The species is generally shy of boats, but is known to bow-ride in areas where it is not harassed, and can be extremely demonstrative when it is not disturbed.
Whew, after the rush and fun of Valentine’s weekend, the pace of life has not slowed down….nor did we expect it to! We do still make time to sit and watch the sunset every now and then, though….with the end of the rainy season looming, the Save River is dropping in volume daily, and this gigantic tree that rolled down with the last floods is being left high and dry….
Sunset on a special river
In response to reported cases of rabid dogs, and a little girl suspected to have died of rabies at the end of 2014 in Mahenye community, adjacent to Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge and Gonarezhou National Park, Clive Stockil, Chilo Gorge, African Wildlife Conservation Fund and Frankfurt Zoological Society donated accomodation at Chilo Gorge Lodge and further secured funding for VAWZ -(Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe) to carry out a rabies vaccination campaign in the area.
Some of the VAWZ team based in Harare:
some of the VAWZ team…
The campaign officially started on February 17th, and a pre-awareness campaign resulted in a positive response from the community, with over 300 domestic dogs being vaccinated on the first day!
rabies vaccinations
The community, local ground staff and veterinarians have made this happen. Mel Hood and Vawz team were assisted by Dr Chris Foggin and Jess Dawson, and Dr. Helene Donohoe assisted VAWZ in their very important work in the Lowveld. Helene and Ant Donohoe helped to run an eco-workshop educational workshop at Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge for 2 days alongside the vaccination initiative…(more about that wonderful workshop in a later post…)
dipping day…
Cattle dipping day was chosen as a time when many herders would come in to a central point with their dogs…
some reluctant patients…
The vet team were impressed with the general health and well being of the dogs that they saw in the Mahenye area, and commented that these were some of the best looking, and fiercest dogs that they have seen around the country!
I guess reflecting their Changana owners personalities, these are proud hunting dogs!
Some patients were reluctant…..
more reluctant patients…
others were more resigned to their fate….
Three dogs wait loyally behind their owners….
Not only the patients were reluctant….
even although a pre awareness and outreach had taken place the week before the vets arrival, some of the more remote villagers felt suspicious of what effect the vaccinations would have on their dogs apart from disease prevention, feeling that perhaps the jabs might make their treasured hunting dogs less fierce, less ‘hunterly!’
For these few sceptics , time will tell, and next time round they will be hopefully more willing to vaccinate their dogs, having seen not only a marked improvement in their dogs’ health, but no resultant lack of hunting skills!
Dr Chris Foggin provided expert assistance and advice…
Chris Foggin and team
Mel Hood and Caroline keeping records…
Mel and Caroline keeping essential documentation in order…
A potential rabies outbreak could not only have severe consequences for the health of the local community, but also local wildlife (including African wild dogs).
In the past, I have seen whole packs of our African wild dogs die in a short space of time due to rabies, which spreads fast among theses very social animals…
Painting-“Dog Dance”, by Lin Barrie– acrylic on canvas, 100 x 130 cm ……………..
“Dog Dance” by Lin Barrie- acrylic on canvas, 100 x 130 cm
With the easing of our rainy season, the Save river is dropping, allowing easier passage of wild animals such as wild dogs and increasing the chances of wild mammals coming into contact with rabid domestic dogs, so this initiative is non-too soon…..
Every dog vaccinated makes a potential difference….and by the end of this exercise over 1300 dogs were vaccinated and treated for worms!
One man and his dog….
At the same time as the vaccination exercise, Helene and Ant Donohoe conducted an Eco -Workshop at Chilo, for members of the Mahenye community and Chilo Staff…more than 20 people attended and all comments afterwards were very positive. This initiative is really useful, helping a diverse cross-section of people to understand the Eco-challenges faced by the whole world, not just Africa…..
Pictus I is such a wine, read the story in this link…
Pictus I wine in Gonarezhou
and read more about my favourite painting subject, endangered African wild dogs, (aka Painted Wolves, Painted Dogs), in my facebook page, A Celebration of Painted Wolves….
Today, Friday 13th…Kelli, the cruise ship traveller, gets to San Diego on her ship today, off to Hawaii tomorrow…hard work but wonderful travel experience…
An amazing grasshopper on the deck, who has a solid, rhino-look about him, walks very s-l-o-w-l-y like a chameleon, then shocks me by leaping into my coffee cup when I try to move him!
Swiftly rescued from the semi-hot coffee, I pour cool water over him, and he seems non the worse for his Starbucks experience….
rhino chameleon grasshopper
Some of my nocturnal photographs reflect fascinating night life…
Here is a mummy spider carefully carrying her babies, even while she eats a flying ant snack……
Spider mummy eating a flying ant
A diminutive, astonished-looking snail…..
tiny snail and deserted egg case. or cocoon…
And cute little kissing slugs, getting in the mood for Valentine’s Weekend at Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge……
kissing slugs
I collect a gorgeous bunch of our indigenous (and Edible!) Crossandra flowers which are going to decorate the lodge for Valentines Weekend..follow the Edible link to see more about the Crossandra flowers at Chilo Gorge…I have survived eating them for more than a week, so now we know we can safely serve them as food decor!
Crossandra flowers
they go into the ladies restroom……….for a start………..
chilo ladies restroom
the end of the day brings a glorious rainbow, a Valentine’s promise….!
At Chilo Gorge every day brings new beauty, such as this gorgeous Crossandra framed by what I call ‘blue waxbill grass’–
Crossandra and blue waxbill grass
I have called it that because I did not know the latin name, but do know that the Blue waxbills love the seeds!
(I now know the latin name, courtesy of Bart Wursten– Panicum maximus!)
Blue waxbill grass….!
Crossandra is one of my all time favourite lowveld flowers; hardy, stunning and not palatable to naughty elephants….here it is growing in the Chilo rock garden, flowing around an old Changana “churhi”…a vessel used for pounding sorghum or maize with a “mutsi”…
Crossandra and Churhi
The Chilo chefs love crossandra flowers for food decor……
delicious Tilapia fish dinner
so I am conducting an experiment in the name of edible food decor-I am eating five crossandra flowers every day for a week to see whether I have any adverse reaction…thereafter we will feel safe about using it as a table decoration ….
Sunrise brings a watery radiance, the promise of rain, as two hyenas chat to each other in subdued voices across the Save River and as I relax with coffee, in the chair on my veranda at Chilo, a young owl flies off the beam right over my head where he has been sitting, and the wind from his gentle wings flutters my hair………
sunrise with hyenas calling…
Baobab pulp at breakfast is tart, delicious, sprinkled on natural yoghurt and sweetened with honey….
baobab powder and yoghurt breakfast….
with a list of medicinal and health uses from time immemorial, the Baobab Tree has a fascinating history….we will try cooking biscuits and cakes with this powder from the baobab pod, in place of creme of tarter and bicarb. Yum.
baobab pod
After start like this, the day is guaranteed to be a good one…lots of painting done and jobs achieved, with a body full of vitamin c and va-va-voom from the rich baobab pulp!
The end of the day, looking downriver towards the East, brings a golden glow to the sand that perfectly sums up a happy day’s work…
late afternoon
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, prolific Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice, comes to my mind this late afternoon as I turn from the eastern river view and gaze up at the luminous Tiepolo sky above me…
Tiepolo sky
His paintings have always hovered, elemental in the clouds of my mind…strong shadings of light and dark, coupled with a genuine dramatic feeling, such as this gorgeous painting, “Olympus”…
Olympus by Tiepolo
those angels bearing up the darkening clouds could well be imagined in this sky above me now…
dark Tiepolo clouds…where are the angels…?!
Dark falls, Tiepolo’s angels fade, and our delicious open-air supper of cheese, biscuits and local mangoes is also enjoyed by a cheeky moth that comes to slurp up the juices from the mango on Clive’s fork!
Kelli Barker from Zimbabwe, Africa is cruising the world on the Holland America ship, ms. Statendam- having joined Steiner Leisure as a Health and Beauty therapist!
Anton Milner has joined Steiner, working as an International Fitness Professional, on the Royal Caribbean ship, Independance of the Seas…
Independence of the Seas
One of our special farewell times was spent on the beach of The Save River at Chilo Gorge….
Anton and Kelli on the beach of the Save River at sunset….
Grandly proportioned and recently enhanced, ms Statendam offers an onboard experience defined by spacious comfort………….
ms Statendam
Exhibiting a theme of historical Dutch life and exploration, ms Statendam features more than $2 million worth of art and rare artifacts beautifully displayed throughout the ship….. such as this 26-foot-high sculpture titled “Fountain of the Siren”……
Fountain of the Sirens…
The Van Gogh Theatre in the ship is a work of art in itself, commemorating Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings “The Starry Night” and “Irises.” This is thrilling to me, Van Gogh being an iconic artist for me………………
theatre
Some of the best known works of all time were painted by the Dutch Post-Impressionist artist, Vincent Willem Van Gogh (1853 -1890).
“Irises” is among the most recognized of his pieces………..
“Irises” by Vincent Van Gogh
On May 8, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh committed himself to the asylum at Saint Paul-de-Mausole in Saint-Remy, France after many instances of hospitalization and self-mutilation. During his stay he painted some 130 paintings with the surrounding gardens and clinic becoming his main subjects for painting.
Among these were “The Starry Night” and “Irises”.
Inspired by the nature surrounding him, Van Gogh began his work on Irises within the first week of his stay at the asylum. Irises was most likely influenced by Japanese woodblock prints which were produced beginning in the 17th century. Like many artists of his time Van Gogh was influenced by the Japanese works. The use of black contours in Irises is a typical element of Japanese woodblock prints, helping to reinforce the expressive power of the painting.
There are no known drawings of the piece, probably because Van Gogh did not consider it a masterpiece but simply a study. Upon receiving the canvas, Van Gogh’s brother, Theo, submitted it, along with The Starry Night, to the Salon des Independants in September of 1889.
Irises is on the list of the most expensive paintings ever sold, selling for 54 million dollars in 1987. Currently Irises is on display at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, California.
Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh………….
Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh….
Although Van Gogh sold only one painting in his life, the aftermath of his work is enormous. Starry Night is one of the most well known images in modern culture as well as being one of the most replicated and sought after prints. From Don McLean’s song ‘Vincent’ (Starry, Starry Night) , to the endless number of merchandise products sporting this image, it is nearly impossible to shy away from this amazing painting.
During Van Gogh’s younger years (1876-1880) he wanted to dedicate his life to evangelization of those in poverty. Many believe that this religious endeavor may be reflected in the eleven stars of the painting “Starry Night”.
In Genesis 37:9 the following statement is made:
“And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.”
Whether or not this religious inspiration is true, it is known that the piece is not the only Starry Night painting that Van Gogh ever created. The stars were a recurrent theme for him.
Kelli can make some memories, in between working very hard, at intriguing ports-of-call such as Cartagena, Colombia, where one can explore the history of the area by horse and carriage.
Ports of Call:
San Diego, California;
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico;
Huatulco, Mexico;
Kelli says:
“In Huatalco Mexico today enjoying the tequila with worms and grasshoppers”
tequila, worms and grasshoppers….
funny…these bottles are the same shape as our “bottle baobab” near Tsavene, our bush home in Senuko Ranch Zimbabwe…
bottle baobab on senuko ranch
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala;
Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua;
Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica;
Maybe Kelli will get a chance to view some of the worlds greatest bio-diversity in Costa Rica, if she is not head down and working!
gorgeous tree frog.. inspiration for exotic make up!
Panama Canal, Panama;
The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is a 77.1-kilometre (48 mi) ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 metres (85 ft) above sea level.
ms Statendam in panana canal
The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the Panama Canal one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
Panama canal map
Cartagena, Colombia;
Cartagena de Indias is the undisputed queen of the Caribbean coast, a fairytale city of romance, legends and superbly preserved beauty lying within an impressive 13km of centuries-old colonial stonewalls. Cartagena’s old town is a Unesco World Heritage Site – a maze of cobbled alleys, balconies covered in bougainvillea, and massive churches casting their shadows across plazas.
But then there is the outer town, full of traffic, the working class, and a chaotic nature that can leave you dazed and confused in minutes. It is here that Cartagena becomes a typical workhorse South American city. To the south, the peninsula of Bocagrande – Cartagena’s Miami Beach – is where fashionable cartagenos sip coffee in trendy cafes, dine in glossy restaurants and live in the upscale luxury condos that line the area like guardians to a New World.
Cartagena is a place to drop all sightseeing routines. Instead, just stroll through the old town day and night. Soak up the sensual atmosphere, pausing to ward off the brutal heat and humidity in one of the city’s many open-air cafes.
Cartagena by night
Holding its own against Brazil’s Ouro Preto and Peru’s Cuzco for the continent’s most enthralling and righteously preserved colonial destination, it’s hard to walk away from Cartagena – it seizes you in its aged clutches and refuses to let go.
Cartagena, Columbia
Cartagena map
Half Moon Cay (Little San Salvador Island), Bahamas;
gorgeous beach
Half Moon Cay is a private island, a stop of for the ms Statendam…
Half-Moon-Cay
Maybe Kelli will get to swim with rays in between caring for her guests!
rays
Some of her recent photos of Half Moon Cay…
sparkling beaches
Selfie…!
Kelli Barker
Shipwreck….
shipwreck…
Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
A stop to drop off and pick up more passengers…
then retracing the cruise route back through the Panama Canal, stopping at Cabo San Lucas, before heading to port in San Diego…
Some background to Cabo…
Cabo San Lucas, commonly called Cabo in American English, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. Cabo San Lucas together with San José del Cabo is known as Los Cabos.
map
Land’s End is by far the most impressive attraction Cabo has to offer. Hop on a panga (M$150) and head to El Arco (the Arch), El Arco de Cabo San Lucas – a local landmark.a jagged natural feature that partially fills with the tide. Pelicans, sea lions, sea, sky – this is what brought people to Cabo in the first place, and it’s still magical, despite the backdrop of cruise ships.
Land’s End…
Cabo Wabo Cantina…stared by Van Halen RockBand member, Sammy Hagar.
El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve is Mexico’s largest protected area. Ecosystems found within the reserve include arid zones, dunes and a 5 km-wide littoral zone along its 450 km of coast. The reserve also includes three gray whale sanctuaries …..
coastal vegetation
In the winter, pods of whales can be observed in the area. They bear their calves in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortezafter completing their six-thousand-mile migration from Alaska and Siberia.
Sea of Cortez, named for legendary conquistador Hernán Cortés
Vizcaíno’s region is biologically rich; its marine resources are especially important. There are 308 terrestrial and marine vertebrates inhabiting the reserve, not including fish. There are 469 flora species, most of which are shrubs and small trees. There are 39 regionally endemic floral species. In addition to its biological diversity, the reserve includes more than 200 caves with rupestrian paintings and petroglyphs.
Archaeological excavations have shown evidence of continual human habitation in the area for at least ten thousand years.[4]When the first Europeansarrived, they encountered the Pericúpeople, who survived on a subsistence diet based on hunting and the gathering of seeds, roots, shellfish, and other marine resources. They called the location Yenecamú
Threats
El Vizcaíno Reserve is threatened and there is a great risk that in the near future it will fail to protect and maintain its biodiversity. The main threats include agriculture, overuse of groundwater reserves, extensive grazing, illegal fishing, and legal and illegal hunting. Future, potential threats include a mega-tourism/infrastructure project called “Escalera Náutica” or Nautical Ladder, and mining activities.
Until fairly recently,[when?]the unique and fragile environment of this part of Mexico was largely unprotected by law, and therefore was subjected to developers acting in concert with government agencies interested only in low-end tourist bonanzas. There is, however, a growing collection of activists and attorneys now involved in preserving many of Baja’s desert habitats, marine mammals, and stretches of coastline. A number of agencies including the Gulf of California Conservation Fund[7]and the Center for Environmental Law in La Paz[8]are challenging the destruction of wetlands and other ecosystems from Los Cabos to Ensenada. In the face of a growing international public demand for corporate-driven ecological stewardship, higher-end resorts in the Los Cabos area are increasingly sensitive to their environmental impact, and are taking initial steps to institute sustainable practices such as reducing water usage and non-recyclable trash output
Some of my personal necklaces, bought from these talented ladies…
The MCT provided the seed capital to purchase the raw materials which Jane Parsons from HIFA, provided for the training. HIFA has placed an order which will be purchased from the Mahenye Beading Club which should cover the cost of the loan from MCT and provide capital to start a sustainable Micro Village Industry, empowering the local Mahenye women to become self-sufficient in supporting and improving their family livelihoods.
Susan Sithole who represented the Mahenye community at last year’s HIFA, will be accompanied by one other lady in attending HIFA 2015, where on the 29th April there will be a beading fashion show, show-casing three countries, South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe. The Mahenye production will represent Zimbabwe in this prestigious event. Very exciting!
The Chilo Team would like to express their gratitude to Jane, Hlengiwe, Colin and Manuel for their support, enthusiasm and guidance in developing this opportunity for the women of Mahenye to strengthen,and benefit from, their cultural values and traditions.
HIFA is a 6-day annual festival and workshop programme that showcases the very best of local, regional and international arts and culture in a comprehensive festival programme of theatre,dance, music, circus, street performance, fashion, spoken word and visual arts. HIFA has come to be seen as an important symbol of something positive about Zimbabwe, unifying socially and culturally disparate groups of Zimbabweans at a time of ideological conflict and political uncertainty bringing huge audiences together to celebrate something positive – the healing and constructive capacity of the arts.
