Back in Africa after 7 years!!!

 

Ayalew and me

Technically my return to Africa happened about a week earlier after my flight from Amman, Jordan landed in Cairo, Egypt. But not really. Egypt doesn't feel like Africa to me. Not like Ethiopia. Ethiopia feels like Africa.

Ethiopia is the one country I didn't manage to visit during the four years we lived in South Africa. I was planning on it, the next year in 2016 as a matter of fact. But a sudden change in plans precluded "next year in Ethiopia."

You see, we moved and our departure from South Africa was fairly rapid. Even though we had just signed up for another three years in Africa about a month earlier, an opportunity to move to Asia presented itself unexpectedly in autumn. There would be just enough time for us to scout for a new apartment, process the necessary paperwork to move, pack up our belongings, vaccinate and fly our dogs to a quarantine facility (where they would have to spend a month immigrating from anywhere in Africa!) and physically move before joining heading to the USA for our already planned Christmas holidays. Absolutely no time to sneak in a last-minute trip to Ethiopia. Then once we arrived in Singapore, sprung the dogs and set up house, I found myself with a new continent to explore. Ethiopia was put on the back burner. But while the fire was extremely low, it never really went out as i would find out a few years later in 2020. 

A discussion on how and where to celebrate a big anniversary that year led to us finally settling on a trip to Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Suddenly the back burner sputtered. I mean once you're in Egypt, it is only a comparatively short flight to Addis Ababa, I argued. We made our plane reservations, booked our hotels and hired private tour companies to make our anniversary dreams come true ... and it looked like I would finally make my Ethiopian dream come true as well. And then disaster struck. Covid19 forced us to cancel our entire trip. Then more disaster - a civil war broke out in Ethiopia in 2021. Honestly, at that point I have to admit the Ethiopian back burner flame went completely out.

But now it was 2022. Discussions about where our family should spend the Christmas and New Year holidays ended up with our dusting off that cancelled itinerary for Israel, Jordan, and Egypt at least. We tweaked it here and there to add some holiday touches like Christmas Eve in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity and we replaced our marriage renewal ceremony in Cana with a trip to the crusader tunnels in Acre.

And then just as I was about to book my return flight to Singapore, I got a Whats App message on my mobile phone. It was from Ayalew, the local guide I had engaged in 2020 to help plan my original trip to Ethiopia. We had been checking in with each other off and on during the pandemic and civil war but I had not heard from him in some time. In fact the last thing I heard was that Lalibela had been occupied by the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Moreover Ethiopia was still on the US State Department's No-Fly list. I hadn't even though about adding Ethiopia to our itinerary.

 "Are you ever going to come to Ethiopia?", he asked. "Is it safe to visit?", I replied. "What about the civil war?" Ayalew said there was a ceasefire and now, most of the Ethiopia was safe once again for travel. His timing was perfect and the flame completely rekindled. And about a month before our trip, the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan leaders signed a peace accord making it official. 

 

NB: I highly recommend Ayalew Setegn to help you plan your dream trip to Ethiopia. He is an expert guide, hires the best and safest drivers, chooses excellent hotels and is a master at getting you up front at the biggest festivals in Ethiopia. Contact him through https://hiddenethiopia.mystrikingly.com/. He can also be reached by Whats App (+251 91 284 4474) or email (ayalewsetegn@gmail.com).

Aloha meets Ubuntu

photo: Jason Patterson

I first started following the voyage of the Hokule'a last year at the suggestion of a friend who knew how much Vince and I enjoy the sport of sailing. At the time, the Hokule'a had just embarked on a historic leg of their worldwide journey, namely from Hawaii to Cape Town.

Their voyage is significant on many levels, but perhaps most notable is the fact that this particular leg signified the youngest culture (Polynesian) arriving at the cradle of humanity where the oldest cultures of mankind originated. This "reverse-migration" story with people returning to their roots piqued my interest even more than the sailing. I have been tracking the voyage ever since!

The crew of Hokule'a made landfall on the African continent in mid-October arriving in Maputo, Mozambique. From there, they made their way to Richards Bay in South Africa before stopping in Mossel Bay where they visited Pinnacle Point, an archaeological site where some of the oldest known hominin fossils have been unearthed. From there, Hokule'a rounded Cape Agulhas, the southern most point on the continent of Africa.

photo from TEC FB page

Along the way they picked up National Geographic photographer and The Explorers Club Fellow Dan Lin (right) who is from Simons Town, South Africa. Lin and TEC Fellow Nainoa Thompson (left) sailed across the southern tip of Africa and into the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Hokule'a with #ECFlag 124. This marks the first time in known history that a vessel from the Pacific Islands has ever reached the Atlantic.

Hokule'a finally reached Cape Town more than a month after landing in Africa where they were greeted by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the spirit of Ubuntu for which he is a proponent. I had hoped to be in Cape Town to welcome them too when they arrived in port, but a little thing like moving to Asia at the end of November put the kibosh on that plan. 

However Vince was in Cape Town last week for work (and a stop over at the Royal Cape Yacht Club for a farewell drink in order to watch a friend's son race). He managed at least to make it over to the V&A where the Hokule'a is docked during its stay in Cape Town. The crew was not in to say Aloha to, but Vince kindly took a few pictures of the vessel for me to see. Amazing!



 

"Aloha" is a Hawaiian greeting and farewell that conveys affection, peace, mercy and compassion. "Ubuntu" is a Nguni Bantu term roughly translating to "human kindness." It is an idea from the Southern African region which means literally "human-ness", and is often translated as "humanity towards others", but is often used in a more philosophical sense to mean "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. 

I would have loved to have been there to see Aloha meet Ubuntu in person, but unfortunately the timing was just not on my side. I am encouraged though to know that at least it did happen.

 





To read more about the voyage of the Hokule'a check out these articles in:
The New York Times
and
National Geographic.

To track the voyage in real time, visit their website tracker, 

(Please note that the Polynesian Voyaging Society owns the trademark for the image of the voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a™)

Pink PowWOW

Among Native North Americans, a "powwow" is a gathering ceremony used to conjure, among other things, the cure of disease and success in war, and it is marked by feasting and dancing. What better theme for the Cuppa for CANSA tea party I hosted at Valley Lodge attended by (mostly) American expats to benefit CANSA care centers in South Africa?

B's Pin Cushion custom-made my PowWOW shweshwe banner ...

Especially when the expats in question feasting and dancing belong to a social and charitable group named WOW (Women of Worth). That makes this powwow a PowWOW!

... and my Cuppa 4 CANSA shweshwe banner too

It was truly a cross-cultural event. The menu was "English Tea" and the decorations were influenced by Native American and African cultures.

I transformed Valley Lodge into a Shabby Chic Iroquois-inspired longhouse for the day featuring feathers, porcupine quills, blankets, baskets and beads - traditional decorative elements found in both Native American and African cultures. Colorful shweshwe banners and bright pastel shweshwe, kikoy and shuka table runners added to the festive atmosphere and gave the event a distinctively African sense of place.

A uniquely Native American element used in decorating was the dream catcher. Typically hung above a bed while sleeping, the dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations. According to custom, the good dreams know how to pass through the dream catcher and slide down the ribbons and feathers to reach the dreamer sleeping below. The bad dreams get caught in the dream catcher and disappear with the morning light.










Dream catchers decorating the wigwam entrance and above the pledge table were meant to encourage guests to dream for a day without cancer and support the dreams of the Eastrand CANSA Care Centre.

Guests were asked to dress in pink and were given a pink ribbon and feather pin to wear to show their support for breast cancer research.

True to a traditional English tea served for elevenses, the menu consisted of a variety of crustless tea sandwiches, warm quiches, macarons, croisnuts, scones and cakes. This being South Africa though, the scones were served both Devonshire style with house-made clotted cream and strawberry jam as well as South African style with apricot jam and cheddar cheese. 

Lady apple rose (photo by Marguerite Slavik)

Lady apple roses, a fruit salad, cheeses and cornichons rounded out the menu.

Victoria sponge cake (photo by Marguerite Slavik)

Along with hot teas and coffee, the guests were served cold Sudan hibiscus tea, pink lemonade and a signature "Pink PowWOW Punch" containing fresh fruit juice and rosé wine from Franschhoek. One of the tea combinations served contained Rooibos and Sutherlandia, also known as Cancer Bush as it was used as a traditional treatment for cancer. The tea is known to ease digestion, remove anxiety and promote a feeling of well being. In addition, Sutherlandia has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties which boost the immune system.

Of course, a proper English tea always provides an opportunity for ladies to wear festive headware and I crafted this feathered headdress-inspired fascinator to wear for my Pink PowWOW tea party.

Cuppa for CANSA mugs and candy Kisses

There was no charge to attend the Pink PowWOW. Instead, guests were invited to donate to the Eastrand CANSA Care Centre. Over R3500 was raised on the day with more donations still coming in!

the pledge table

A chiffon pink "Le Creuset Tea for One" prize package was given as a gift to the donor who made the largest pledge of the day.

chiffon pink display @ the Sandton City Le Creuset

I am entering my Pink PowWOW in the Le Creuset Cuppa for CANSA home party competition. I must give a shout-out to my girls at the Le Creuset shop in Sandton City for talking me into hosting my Cuppa in the first place. Wish us luck!

photo by Marguerite Slavik

PS Here are the banking details if you would like to contribute to the Eastrand CANSA Care Centre:
Bank - ABSA
Account No. -. 288147523
Branch code - Universal
Please use Reference code: KastenCuppa
Thank you!

We Renewed our Marriage Vows in Africa!

Sunday Brunch & Jazz @ Ten Bompas

Today was the 27th Sunday in the Roman Catholic Liturgical Year, the opening of the Synod on the Family in the Vatican, and the day the Church has chosen to recognize the sanctity of the Sacrament of Marriage.

And so, as part of our regular Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes in Rivonia this morning, Father Peter called up couples in order for us to renew our Marriage vows before the congregation. Vince and I had just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary a month ago in Tanzania - a real milestone! - so we thought it appropriate to participate in the Marriage renewal ceremony along with four other couples at our local parish.

 

my dessert: crystallised flowers, jasmine cream, hibiscus syrup, raspberry

Afterwards we met up with some friends at a restaurant for Sunday lunch and jazz. We had a jazz band too at our wedding reception in New York 35 years ago!

Darn, we should have brought a wedding cake!








Spreading the love all around the world!

1980 wedding, St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York , USA, North America

30th anniversary wedding renewal in 2010, The American Church in Paris, France, Europe

Thank you Gardiol for my South African beaded bride pin! It sure came in handy.

Nailed it for World Rhino Day!

I thought it would be so easy to have someone paint rhinos on my fingernails for the British World Rhino Day initiative, Nail it 4 Rhinos. It's Africa for goodness sake!

But I went to my usual nail salons and day spas and ... no can do! So I went online and googled "nail art." I came up with a couple of possibilities in my area, the best bet being the Soho New York nail salon in Sandton City who claimed they were  ...

    "introducing the unique New York style of nail salons to South Africa. You can enjoy quick, walk-in & full service manicures, pedicures, all nail systems…"

Lost that bet. They couldn't do it either.

In the end, I bought some nail polish and conscripted my favorite helper, ... Vince! Now he can add "nail artist" to his list of many talents. Happy World Rhino Day!

Rhino SAVE

SAVE the rhino

on background art "Those of Us," my mixed media collage by Cathy Barcroft

I even nailed a place in the Nail it for Rhinos collage!

Homo Naledi is a Star!

For a self-proclaimed anthropolgy / archaeology nerd like me, Africa is the place to be!










Not only did I get to visit Oldupai Gorge last month when we were in Tanzania, but I came back to South Africa just in time to hear the announcement of the research results from the Rising Star expedition in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind.

In a press conference from the Maropeng Museum on Thursday, September 10, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Explorers Club Member, Wits University Professor and Rising Star Expedition leader Lee Berger - who happens to have been born in the USA - announced ...

... a new species of hominin discovered in the caves outside of Johannesburg had been identified  - Homo naledi! (If you haven't heard the news, then you must be living in a cave yourself! It was splashed all over the international media for days.)

The unique combination of character in Homo naledi skulls and skeletons means that it is unlike any other hominin species and therefore has been classified as a distinct species.  

The word "naledi" means "star" in the Sotho language and Naledi has been assigned to the genus Homo. It shares some features with australopiths (like Sediba, Lucy, Mrs. Ples and the Taung child), some features with Homo (the genus that includes Humans, Neanderthals and some other extinct species such as H. erectus), and shows some features that are entirely unique to Naledi.

Vince and I went to Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind to meet Naledi in the flesh ... well you know what I mean!















The exhibit was very well presented. Along with an actual fossilized Homo naledi skeleton, there were 3D reconstructions of individual skulls, hands and feet presented next to their respective 3D counterparts of Australopithecus sediba, Homo erectus and Homo sapien. This really helped to show the distinct differences between the species.











The exhibit also included placards with typical questions a visitor might have. How do you know that this is a new species? How do you know it belongs in the genus Homo? Where does Home naledi fit within the human lineage? This is complicated stuff! And yet the answers were very clear, concise and understandable to the lay visitor.

And just in case you wanted more detail, there were a couple of  representatives from the Rising Star team available to answer questions and expand upon the placard explanations.

This was very lucky indeed! One of the excavators, Lindsay Hunter will also be in charge of the design of a future educational exhibit for the museum. We have a friend visiting us in October who is a museum education consultant out of Kansas City. We will definitely be getting these two together!

cover art by paleoartist John Gurche

Naledi will continue to be on display at Maropeng only until October 11. For those of you who can't make it to the Cradle of Humankind before then, you can read about the discovery in the October issue of National Geographic magazine with Naledi on the cover. I've already got my copy!