Port Villa-Vanuatu-Pacific Island

In November of 2012 I was on a business trip to Vanuatu, in the Pacific. It is always such a privilege to see all the beautiful places and to meet all the beautiful people. I am not able to give justice to what I experience, but I attempt to share the stories with some pictures.  Vanuatu is an amazing country. I stayed in the Chantilly on the Bay hotel from where I experienced the scenic beauty of sunsets, cruise ships lying in the harbor the sound of birdsongs and the of rain on the roof.

 

Our hosts from the University of the South Pacific went out of their way to make us experience their beautiful country  when they took us for sightseeing to experience jaw dropping scenes  where the Pacific Ocean meets the land  with the beautiful green background.

Over the weekend I booked a day trip on the Coongoola,  a yacht,  which was used as a mother ship radio relay for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. On our way to the Sun and Moon Bay, we stopped at the Turtle conservation project at Tranquility Bay. It was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful as we sailed over the blue and emerald  green waters, where at some places, the color of the ocean looked unreal!. When we arrived at the beach I attempted Snorkeling. It was an amazing experience to see the beautiful under water sea life. A note to myself was to seriously consider improving my swimming skills.

One day, I may go back to Vanuatu with its beautiful, serene environment  and I am surely staying at Chantilly on the Bay with its magnificent staff!

Mussoorie,Patna & Gaya

In June I was privileged to travel to Mussouri, also known as Queen of the hills, at the foot of the Himalaya Mountains. It was one of the most beautiful places I have visited. The most amazing sight of this hill station was the different shades of the rising sun just after 5am.It was just awesome! Complementing this beautiful village is the Kenty Falls .Visitors to this area stream to the Kenty Falls for swimming and picnic. One of my assignments took me to the antithesis of Mussoorie, Patna in the Bihar State of India.Like in all other States in India, I was welcomed with warmth and friendliness by the people I have met .

I was highly impressed by the girls involved in the Hunar project, whom I have met. I was privileged to meet the Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar during my stay in Patna.

My host took the time to show me around and from Patna I travelled to Gaya where I met many more girls in rural schools. One of My best moments which I will treasure all my life was the visit to the Mahabodhi Temple. It was breathtaking!

The Past Six Months( Part three)

The Bahamas
From T &T I made me first ever visit to another Caribbean Island, the Bahamas. I knew that I would be met by colorful coastlines looking down from the sky, but one’s imagination cannot compare with reality. Seeing it all from the window of the aircraft as we made our way down, was WOW. One cannot explain what goes through your mind when you witness the wonders of this world we live in, but I will forever treasure those special moments and will be reminded of it through the digital images which I captured as we touched down .
I invited my biggest supporter (and husband) to join me in the Bahamas and when I arrived at the airport he was already waiting for a few hours. As we were greeted by a heavy rainstorm upon our arrival in Nassau ,we were detained in the aircraft for an hour .By the time we left the airport it was nearly dark but one could feel the free spirit in the air. I was so glad that my husband could join me, because it is so much better when you can share beautiful memories with your significant other.
We were in awe by the breathtaking scenes and the white beaches. The expression” passing like ships in the night” got new meaning as we watched cruise ships coming in at night and being gone in the morning. While we enjoyed the Bahamian cuisine and friendly people, our biggest appreciation was to have the mighty ocean at our doorstep. We could stay outside until late and enjoy the beautiful sunsets over the ocean while watching some of the biggest cruise ships departing for a next destination and when we go back into the hotel we were greeted by lovely music:-)
The Bahamas reminded me that we have only one life and we have to make the best of it. Carpe Diem!
I will always treasure the special time I had with my husband in beautiful Nassau.

The Past Six Months (Part two)

Trinidad & Tobago
My best experience from Trinidad& Tobago will always be its wonderful, friendly people. They have made me feel at home since my first visits 5 years ago, and this time was no different. Working among the Trinidadians is all inspiring they make you want to stay on! Dedication, patience, respect and hope, are the words that come to my mind when I think of all the good people in Trinidad. This time I made time to go outside Port of Spain to visit a few of the open schooling centres , and I was not only in awe with the beauty of the land I was in awe by the sheer hunger for education amongst the youth who can for one or other reason not access conventional schooling. I reminded me to count my blessings before I dare complain about life’s challenges. Trinidad has warmed my heart and I will always treasure my experiences of T&T.

The past six months (part one)

The past six months I was privileged to visit my Motherland, Namibia, as well as Trinidad &Tobago, The Bahamas, New Zealand, and Tonga. Each of these countries is unique and inspired me in a very special way.
I knew that Namibia is a beautiful country, however being away from it for so long and being deprived of its beauty made me appreciate it even more this time around. Namibia is a “land of contrasts” and I was privileged to visit contrasting places such as a farm in the south and my place of birth. It made me think of the many people who have walked the road with me, some of whom are long gone and some of whom are spread around the globe. The beautiful sunsets, sounds of birds and animals cannot be compared to any other in the world.
Coming from the South we visited my brother and his family on their farm in the Komas Hoch land it was refreshing to drive in the veld and appreciate the wildlife and beautiful landscapes. It was an amazing experience to enjoy the hospitality of family and friends from the south in Mariental and Rehoboth to the north in Windhoek and Swakopmund.
We were treated to Namibian Braaivleis, sitting next to the fire, listening to stories and having loads of laughter, to having dinner while overlooking the Windhoek from Heinitzburg Castle and having the most scrumptious prawns in O'Portuga :-)Our daughters enjoyed the real Namibian Boerewors served on Brotchens with home made sauce, Jam and Peanut butter the most.
Walking alongside the mighty Atlantic Ocean with my beautiful daughters and watching my husband fishing, was an experience which I cherish as I struggle to get use to the cold in British Colombia. I guess the wonderful time in my Motherland will carry me until next time.