Discovering nature in God’s own country
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OFTEN DECEIVEI was walking through the stands at the KTM – Kerala Travel Mart – the biggest travel show in South India, and I recall being drawn in by images of endless green landscapes displayed on a couple of wide TV screens at one of the stalls.I remember having quickly labelled […]
MY HOLI CELEBRATION
Intro Let’s start from the premise that I have never celebrated Holi, neither in cosmopolitan London, where there is a strong and old Indian community, nor in India while on holiday. I have always looked at the images of people covered in colours and having a great time with a mixture of enchanted curiosity and […]
Gahiza Island – The surroundings
PART 2 The start of the day was gorgeous with a clear sky until, later, it started becoming grey – we imagined that it might rain soon, but we didn’t want to think about it until we had no other choice. There was nothing we could do but stay present and enjoy the moment, literally. […]
Gahiza Island – The stay
PART 1 The morning was a feast for my eyes. Blessed with a clear sky and fresh air, I could see what there was where the lights had been shining the night before. Finally, everything that I couldn’t see the night before was right there in front of my eyes. Several shades of blues on […]
Gahiza Island – The trip
After delivering the first inspiring Community Storytelling Workshop to local tourism professionals in Kisoro, Uganda, as part of the ground-breaking activities of Traveller Storyteller, I was invited to visit a very special place, with the goal of helping them to tell their story and reach responsible travellers interested in exploring other activities beyond Gorilla trekking. […]
Kisoro Organic Coffee Experience
Just outside Kisoro, there is an organic coffee farm that I was invited to visit by one of the participants of the Community Storytelling Workshop, which I held in the town as part of the field activities of Traveller Storyteller. Peter and his lovely wife Elizabeth own one of the first coffee farms in the […]
The Smile of Empowered Women
Monday 22nd August – Kigali – RWANDA I spent a few hours in the company of the women of the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre (NWC) last Monday morning. After having briefly met them and visited their neighbourhood on my first day in Kigali, I wanted to get closer to their work and skills. I wanted […]
A gallery that cultivates friendship
Saturday 20th August – Kigali – RWANDA Sam and Tutu decided to open the Inshuti gallery in Kigali during the COVID pandemic – a very brave choice indeed. I met Tutu and Sam through Greg and the Red Rocks Initiative and I was happy to finally visit the gallery and meet the artists in person. […]
The Kids’ Kingdom
Friday 19th August – Kigali – RWANDA There is a street in Kigali that it is called Umwana ni umutware. It is a nice long street that flows smoothly from the local market to another area of the neighbourhood where people socialise, sitting outdoors while drinking a coffee or sipping a refreshing juice. […]
Intro – Welcome to East Africa
My Easter break this year took me to a fascinating country, for a long-awaited trip that I had postponed since December 2018. Happy to finally visit the country that in my childhood was referred to as ‘the mysterious land of Abyssinia’, linked to my grandfather’s memories, but also, unfortunately, to a dark period in […]