24 hours in Durban

I was in South Africa in July and had very little time to see and do everything there is in this wonderful country. I decided this trip to focus on the big cities so of course I would spend time in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Once the itinerary began to unfold, I realized it only left me 24 hours for Durban a city on the Eastern portion of the country closer to the Indian Ocean. Was it really worth it to go all that way for 24 hours? I decided to chance it since I was unsure when I would be able to return to South Africa and because it would help me know whether to visit the city again next visit. It was a great decision.

We chose a hotel close to North Beach and were able to walk down to the water shortly after our morning flight from Johannesburg. The flight was a little over an hour and very reasonable on South African Airways. I used my hotel points since we were there such a short time and to save. We stayed at the Hilton Durban, a nice hotel connected to the convention center. This is great because there is an ATM in the building next door, the staff is very friendly and you are just a few blocks from North Beach.

After spending several weeks in Johannesburg, during their winter months, the warmth of Durban was a very welcome change. The oceanfront is beautiful and you will find great cafes to sit and have a drink and food as you look out on the water. We took in the sites of surfers, swimmers and others enjoying the beach from our table at a local waterfront bar.

We then walked down the beach past more hotels and even a little park where a dance group was practicing. Our goal was to find a reasonable spa to have massages before our flight the next day. The Spa at Suncoast Hotel and Towers was amazing. The hotel is part of a larger entertainment complex with movies, casinos and restaurants. The spa with its large picture windows with views of the sea makes you feel as though you are having a seaside massage, allowing you to completely escape during your treatment.

For food, Durban is a seafood lovers dream. Also with the largest population of people of Indian descent outside India you are sure to find excellent Indian options. And let’s not forget that Kwazulu Natal ( the province where Durban is located) is the center of Zulu culture within South Africa. The choices for food throughout the city are abundant.

No trip to Durban would be complete without visiting Ushaka Marine World. Everyone ( and I mean everyone) suggested we visit it during our stay and it is the city’s main highlight. For dinner, we ate at the Cargo Hold. This restaurant has an open glass shark tank so you  feel as though you are eating underwater during your meal. It is a pricer meal option in Durban but worth the extra Rand. We had a wonderful bottle of white wine, shared a salad, lovely fish entrees and dessert for around $30 US per person. It is not to be missed.

Another great seafood choice is the New Cafe Fish Restaurant and Bar. Located in the Victoria Embankment next to yachts and the marina, you can enjoy an amazing lunch or dinner. We had lunch here before our flight and enjoyed our last bit of Kingklip ( a local fish) before heading back to the US. Great service and a great meal.

If you are headed to South Africa, do not forget to include Durban in your itinerary. It has a different feel than the other major cities with an emphasis on Zulu culture and the warmth of a beach city. I know I look forward to seeing more and spending more time there in the future.

Here is a brief video highlight of Durban

Spa- Suncoast Hotel and Towers

9th floor , The Towers
(031)314-7900
suncoastspa1@southernsun.com

The Cargo Hold Restaurant

Ushaka Marine World
1 Bell Street
http://www.ushakamarineworld.co.za/Dining-Out/dining-out.php

The New Cafe Fish

31 Yacht Mole
Victoria Embankment
(031) 305-5062

Music of Carnaval - Bahia, Brazil 2009

Always wondered what Carnaval looked like? Here and see music and images from Carnaval in Salvador, Brazil 2009.

You Are Home Again

 

I signed up to host a basketball clinic in Ghana, in the Eastern Volta Region for 3 weeks.  I picked Ghana because I have known of so many people traveling to Ghana and they have all had such good things to say about their journey. Also because they speak English and there is a rich history of the slave trade and colonialism.

 

My volunteer site was an orphanage/school/church community.  The people were extremely nice and helpful.  I had a room, and 3 meals delivered to me daily.  Stuff like fufu, pounded corn, coco yam leaves, tilapia or tuna soup, fried plantains, and yams. Since it was their raining season, it took a bit longer than I anticipated to build the basketball court.  So, I spent the first two weeks working with the school to improve their teaching techniques, lesson plans, and assessment.  In the rural areas, there are not professionally trained teachers, most are mere high school graduates.  So, they were very receptive to my input.  I also taught the orphans games to play.  They LOVE dodgeball. Once the basketball court was built (cement, rocks, water, tree trunks, wood, and paint), I taught the orphans how to play the game.  I ran various drills on dribbling, catching, passing, shooting, and defense.  For many, not using their feet to make a basket presented a huge challenge, but overall they were excited to learn the game and adopted the techniques well.  It was imperative to get the girls involved, as gender inequalities are still prevalent in this area. 

 

Aside from my volunteer experiences, I had a chance to explore the rich culture of Ghanians.  I visited Cape Coast.  I went to Cape Coast castle and Elmina castle.  To walk on the floors where my ancestors were held captive, beaten, and sold was an experience. Humbling. Grounding. Solidifying.  Horrific.  Informative.  Course Changing.  I saw male and female dungeons, the door of no return, the water they were taken to and everything in the castle. A must do and see in Ghana.  I also went to a place called Kankun National Park. It has tons of plants and animals in the rainforest.  I walked across the longest canopy walk in the world, some places, over 100 feet high, through the trees. It was amazing.  I also went to a local soccer game in Cape Coast.  Another memorable experience was going to the monkey sanctuary to feed the monkeys.  The monkeys ate the bananas right off my hands.  So cool!  Wili falls was another spectacular attraction - the longest waterfall in West Africa.

 

In summary, my trip to Ghana was very memorable and life changing.  The motherland is so beautiful.  My words will not compliment my experiences.  You have to go for yourself! 

 

Check out my website at: www.togethereachachievesmore.org for more information on sports in rural areas.

 

Blessings,

Davi Afi (traditional name given to woman born on Friday)

a DIAMOND in the WHARF

Ok, so how about some laid back non-bourgeoisie dining? I can use a bit of that being that I come from the laid back/Mom and Pop’s restaurant business.

Just when I thought seafood couldn’t get better than seafood with my Dad during his time on Earth. Well, I may have stumbled across something fairly close. This place is special, a true diamond in the (whar)rough - Cameron’s Seafood Market.

Finding Cameron’s Seafood Market was by pure chance and it surprised me because I consider the DC Metro area my second home and for the most part I know where to find some good eats. So, I was driving on Route 5, headed to Scotland, MD, where I was partaking in a two-week Arts Residency. Suddenly my coworker and I had a taste for food. “Something less fattening and non-fried,” my fellow coworker said. Now, on Route 5, you have many fast food options such as Wendy’s, McDonalds, Bojangles, etc. Not an option for us. Then as we passed Iverson Mall, we spotted seafood…Cameron’s Seafood!

Pulling into the driveway, my taste buds began to do fan kicks and flips. I was an instant ball of excitement and just knew we struck it big (ok my excitement - word to the wise - maybe it’s my southern superstitions but whenever you see a pick up truck parked next to a seafood market, and it’s owned by the market, chances are they get fresh catch from the fisherman’s wharf on a daily basis - so you’re in for an appetizing meal!).

Cameron’s hit the spot! My coworker and I shared the stuff salmon platter, which is 2 salmon steaks stuffed with crabmeat, and the broiled scallop dinner. Now the packaging wasn’t fancy, Styrofoam plates and plastic ware, but it was not about the look…it was all about the food! Oh and did I mention the stuffed salmon platter was only $10.99!!! We chose to continue this laid back journey by chowing down inside the car. With our bellies full and a slight need for a nap, we continued our journey to Scotland, MD. After a meal like that, I hope I prayed I had energy to teach.

If you’re looking for some real seafood from the neighborhood…make sure you find a Cameron’s Seafood Market near you. Do a google or yahoo search. There are tons in the D.C., Maryland, and Philadelphia area.

Cameron’s Seafood Market

3919 Branch Avenue

Temple Hills, MD 20748

301.316.2000

Who’s Your Daddy?

Cape Town is a wonderful city filled with beautiful scenery, amazing sites, and luxurious hotel accommodations. As in any metropolitan city, the accommodations selection is diverse with everything from low end hostels to five star hotels. I am a fan of finding unique, but still comfortable, places to stay that provide a different experience than I would get at home. Well the Grand Daddy Hotel has set the bar on “unique experience”.

Picture if you will several airstream silver trailers, each uniquely designed by a South African designer to reflect a different theme, placed together to create a cute little trailer community or neighborhood. Now place them on the roof of a boutique hotel and you have just created the trailer park at the Grand Daddy Hotel. It is a one of a kind experience that visitors to Cape Town should try for atleast one night, just like I did.

The trailer park has its own bar and you feel like you are in your own little world perched above Long Street. You can see the buildings around you and hear the traffic below as you sip on cocktails as the sun sets.

Read more

Natural Beauty

The National Park of the Chapada Diamantina is one of the most fascinating natural parks of Brazil. The mountain scenery contains an extraordinary variety of ecosystems, like Cerrado, Mata Atlantica, and Stone fields, Caatinga. The bromeliads and orchids find a privileged ambiance, adapting themselves to the differences in climate and altitude. The mountain tops reach a height of 5,660 feet and they offer shelter to the Jaguatiricas (local breed of feline) pumas, mocós (local rodents), deer’s, teiús (local reptile) and seriemas (local little ostrich) .

The massive quartz pieces, have undergone and resisted erosion, forming towers of minerals known as “TEPUY” by the local Indians of the Maracas and Cariris tribes, who dominated the region before the arrival of the first settlers or bandeirantes, around the year 1750. The most astonishing tepuis reach a height of 4,830 feet and they run across the municipalities of Palmeiras, Lençois e Mucugê . Read more

New Orleans and Essence Music Festival

The 2009 ESSENCE Music Festival was successful yet again, with sold-out audiences and heavy-hitting performers that included Beyonce, Robin Thicke, Ne-Yo, Lionel Richie, Al Green and Teena Marie. In addition to celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year’s festival was stocked full of tributes, from Bishop T.D. Jakes to Frankie Beverly and Maze and continuous homage to the King of Pop Michael Jackson whose sudden death occurred just one week before the festival opened.

In continued fashion, the City of New Orleans is the best place suited to host this annual event. The hotels line Poydras Street, the festival’s main thoroughfare, which houses the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center just off the Mississippi River on one end, and the Louisiana Superdome on its opposite end, where the nightly concerts are held.
Some of the more popular places to stay in the city for the festival include Harrah’s New Orleans, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, the W Hotel New Orleans and the Intercontinental New Orleans. Less traveled places of repose for the festival can be found on St. Charles Avenue, with favorites Courtyard by Marriott and Royal St. Charles Hotel.

To continue a party after each night’s concert, you can never go wrong with the city’s famously infamous French Quarter. This area of the city is home to a plethora of night clubs, pubs, restaurants and other after-hours excitement for all levels. A couple of restaurants to try are Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House (www.bourbonhouse.com) and the historic Cafe du Monde, at its original French Quarter location. Make sure to stop by the Cafe for the traditional New Orleans beignets.

A few other culinary favorites around the city include Cafe du Monde’s second location in the Riverwalk Mall next to the convention center, Mother’s Restaurant on Poydras and Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. Make sure to get to Mother’s Restaurant early. During the early lunch hour through mid-afternoon, lines are outside the building with people patiently waiting for a taste of ham-fused breakfast specialties, grits and biscuits, among so many other filling entrees.

During the day, those who want to indulge in the city’s rich culture outside of the festival can visit the French Quarter that is filled with historic homes and town squares. Also, the Riverwalk affords tourists the opportunity to take advantage of boat tours to the swamps, plantation homes and post-Hurricane Katrina sites. All in all, coming to New Orleans is loads of fun during the ESSENCE Music Festival or any time during the year. Just be sure to have good dancing and walking shoes and a camera to capture all the memories.

Reporting from Panama

Its 6am as I write this from Portobelo, Panama and I am sitting out by the water behind the house. It’s an amazing site and it’s so peaceful and quiet. Portobelo has become a part of me now and I am truly going to miss this place. It has been my home for the past 2 weeks and I have created a space here in which I have lived, breathed, and thoroughly enjoyed. As I type to you, tears are rolling down my face for the memories of this place make my soul happy and I feel like a new person. There is a young man here Angelo, his father left his mom when he was 6 months old, when interviewing him, Angelo said to me, “Marcus, when was the last time you saw you dad?” I responded, “It’s been a very long time.” He said, “Well Marcus, I hope he realizes how special you are.” I responded, “Thanks, and I hope your dad realizes he is missing on a great life because you’re an Angel.” Now just two days ago I had to beat his butt for not listening, but this kid reminds me of myself when I was his age. We made a vow to write one another as much as possible and I would like to visit him and have him visit the states.Portobelo reminds me of my home, Halifax, NC, where the people may not have TV, or cars to drive, or running water (I grew up without this for a great portion of my life), but here there is a sense of community, a sense of belonging and greatness. God is present here. You can’t walk just walk to the store and come right back, it takes an hour because you are going to stop and talk to everyone along the way.

The cooks/housestaff here are Dianasessey and Soledad, they are a woman and her daugher-in-law, they are two beautiful spirits. The other morning they taught me how to make this purple salad that has purple cabbage and pineapples in it. Its soooooo good (and I am not a huge salad person). We went into Colon and did some shopping and bought them some gold earrings because neither of them has ever owned a pair of their own and the gold here is cheap. I can’t wait to see their faces when they open the gifts.

On Sunday, I was given a Congo name (which is a tradition here in Portobelo) and my name is Sagano, which means bumblebee. They gave me this name because the people here say I will be on the move from here on out. I am kind of excited. (You will see me with the Congo dancers)

The other artists here are all amazing, Rachel is a sculpture who has lived all around the world and has done some amazing work with the spaces here in Portobelo. Geraldine is a professor of art and she is doing some amazing work with the maps of this town, making them into works of art that are so compelling. Kemi is a poet/chef who is here working in a book of her work. Renee Alexander (who is also a UNC Alum I found out) is writing a novel, she has spent a lot of time here, as a Fulbright scholar and her dissertation is on the people here. Queen Meccasia (that’s her real name) is an African dancer who I am doing some work with about fatherhood. We are performing our piece today to be recorded for a travel station. Howard is a playwright who is writing a play about a black comic superhero. And Oronike is writing a novel as well.

Well, I am going to stop writing now, because I have a few more days to enjoy Panama and then I am back to the states and life there. For now, I want to sit by the water, gather my thoughts, do some writing and begin to say good-bye to the beautiful people of Portobelo.

Sometimes, Key West IS Best ! - A Week on The High Seas With Las Tres Reinas (part I)

I have many circles of friends, kindred spirits that have gathered along the way and I am lucky enough to call sisters or brothers. Las Tres Reinas is a special triangle within one of these circles, comprised of my nearest and dearest friends; Queen Melila, who I met in college, and one of hers, Queen Oneca. It’s a beautiful thing when worlds come together seamlessly and we get along famously! Together, we planned our 2nd Carnival cruise for the end of August, 2008 to celebrate Melila’s 30th birthday in September.

Day1

We set sail on a hazy Sunday afternoon from Tampa’s port, originally headed for Grand Cayman. However, due to Hurricane Gustav’s activity in the Western Caribbean and Hannah’s antics in the east, they decided to redirect us to…Key West. Can’t say I was thrilled, since I’ve already passed through there once and more importantly, it is still on American soil, something we all were trying to escape. Nevertheless, a hurricane is not to be messed with and we were all glad the trip hadn’t been canceled.

Sunday afternoon and early evening was spent getting accustomed to the rocking motion, making last minute phone calls, changing our clothes, and dining at the late seating (8.15pm). We had a few drinks and checked out the jazz club (Satchmo’s) featuring a live funk band of mixed Asian ethnic descent. They were pretty good, especially their sassy and confident female lead singer.  They ended up holding us down most of the week, although I honestly don’t know how they can sing “We Are Family” as many times as they did without starting to pull out their hair or at least moon the audience. True professionalism… Read more

Do you like Merengue?

This is the question the tall manager at a local shoe store asks as I try on a pair of wedges. “You must let me take you out to dance tonight. You will love it. I will come get you at 8 o’clock.”  Surprised by his forwardness, I giggle off his advance with my friends and ask him about the local nightlife in Santo Domingo.

Merengue, the national dance of the Dominican Republic is played in clubs and bars throughout the island. Young and old will grab a partner to swing and show their fancy foot work. Though Ruben, our friendly manager’s offer was tempting, we decided to venture on our own to find out what Santo Domingo had to offer.

After dinner at El Meson de la Cava, we hoped to find a fun place to dance outside of the colonial zone where we were staying. After driving to many different dance clubs that were closed or looked a little shady, we finally ended up at Copa which is connected to the Hotel Melia. As we entered the club through a side entrance of the huge hotel property, we looked around at the empty dance floor and few occupied tables and chairs and we quickly began to feel disappointed. It seemed as though we had not found a fun night spot. We found a few seats at a round high table and were quickly greeted by a very friendly server. We decided to suck it up and order drinks. The DJ was playing a great mix of music, the drinks were great, and overall the atmosphere was nice even if it was empty…silly girls. This soon changed! Read more

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