My Photography Wanderlust

Visiting Africa Series #5 : Elmina Castle and the Island of Gorée– Slave Forts…. a Visit of Conscience

This story sums up the series on my October trip to Africa and speaks to the most profound part of my visit in recognition of Black History Month. So little is known about how Africans were enslaved and transported to the Americas. How the Portuguese, the British, the French and the Dutch built and managed a series of slave ports on the West African coast which transported over 12 million slaves to the New World with more than 2 million dying during this treacherous journey*. We visited two slave forts—-the island of Gorée and the Elmina Castle, both tell a story that should never be forgotten… a visit of conscience.

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My Photography Wanderlust

A Review of the 2023 New York Travel and Adventure Show….and what not to do! 

“Travel is back and stronger than ever”…. that seems to be the motto for this year’s annual travel show. In early January, the former New York Times Travel show was packed with folks booking deals on what is expected to be another crowded travel year. Besides over 100 exhibitors of vacation destinations, there were plenty of celebrity speakers on all that is good and bad about traveling in 2023. For sure, there was plenty of advice on how to travel like a pro and discover one-of-a-kind destinations. Here is what I learned ….

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My Photography Wanderlust

A Visit to Loreto, Mexico…A Road Less Traveled and all its Splendor

Loreto, Mexico is in the Baja California Sur peninsula about 300 miles from Cabo San Lucas. The town faces the Sea of Cortez, an amazing body of water of the color of lapis lazuli where whales come to mate and birth their young between the months of January-March. The town is surrounded by what is known as the Sierra de la Giganta, a mountain range of rugged golden hills in a desert environment of immense beauty and mystery. If you are looking for a road less traveled or a change of scenery, you may want to head out to Loreto. Here’s why?

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Art Destinations Arts/Culture Film/Theater Review

 A Review: From Beyond King Tut… The Immersive Experience

The rise of immersive exhibitions are making their way through the US, offering us a new way of learning and exploring the arts competing with art fairs, galleries and museums for your eyes and money. More recently, I dragged my kid sister to see the King Tut immersive exhibition in NYC before it closed, now headed to its next major city. There are pros and cons to what this new entertainment media offers and its potential. This latest craze in interactive art and virtual reality stimulation so far is gaining traction. Here’s how?

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Art Destinations Arts/Culture Film/Theater Review

A Review: Whitney Museum Exhibition on Puerto Rican Art in the Wake of Hurricane Maria …..”no existe un mundo poshuracán”

This exhibition by Puerto Rican artists and curators at the Whitney Museum is a first step in helping to understand the complexity of Puerto Rico/US colonial status disguised as a commonwealth. The exhibition merges the long-term damage of US policies on the island’s sovereignty and its economy with the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria followed by more disastrous policies and the recent earthquakes hence the phrase “no existe un mundo poshuracán.

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My Photography Serving Humanity

2022: Year in Review: The Best and Worst Events in an Unsettling Year

As 2022 comes to an end, I can’t help thinking about what went well, and what didn’t. I remain stupefied over how quickly this year has left us. Yup, so much that I wanted to accomplish and didn’t quite get there. Yet, grateful to be alive and healthy to try again. In thinking back and reflecting on the events of 2022, we can be both grateful and disappointed at how the world is changing. Let me rephrase that…..how our humanity is changing. In reviewing all that we have seen and heard in 2022, here is my best shot at what made the cut for me….

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Art Destinations Arts/Culture

2022 Art Basel Miami … Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in Grand Style

After two years of uncertainty caused by the pandemic this year Art Basel was in full force not holding anything back as the art world descended on the city of Miami for a week of art, fashion, music, and partying. Thousands of art collectors, dealers, artists, curators, celebrities and party animals will experience what is most likely the biggest international art fair in all of North America. Every December this art fair, which is now an entire week, gets bigger and better as it is no longer just concentrated at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This year, Miami Art week had over 80+ venues throughout the city of Miami with its fair share of controversy starting with over two billion in art sales even as we are approaching a recession….

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My Photography Wanderlust

Visiting Africa Series #4: Ghana…the Gold Coast

Our next stop was to Accra, Ghana’s capital, where we stayed the last three remaining days of our 16-day trip. Too short of a time to really experience all that this country offers but enough to walk away with a deeper understanding of West African culture and its connection to America’s African diaspora. Driving through the Ivory Coast, you get to see the contrast between the natural beauty of this country, and its people….

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My Photography Wanderlust

Visiting Africa Series #3: Dakar, the Gateway to Western Africa

Upon arriving in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, you are immediately taken in by a uniquely contrasting society. A developing country that became independent from France in 1960, blessed with amazing sites, cuisine, customs and history, yet with its fair share of struggles in building a robust economy for its people. The city of Dakar is home to a beautiful coastline with a historical role in what is known as the African Diaspora…..

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My Photography Wanderlust

Merida MX Series #6: Merida’s Doors…Their Beauty and History

The magic of opening a door that could lead to something entirely different never escapes me and is why I am so fascinated by the architectural designs of doors from all over the world. I am drawn by the intricacies of both new and older colonial style doors on homes, churches and buildings. In Mexico, doors represent both protection and pride as well as an invitation to come in.  Walking through Merida’s streets photographing so many captivating doors, I could not help wandering about the history and cultural elements that built this unique craftmanship…

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