Christ Almighty

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Grace Loveday

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is an important time on the calendar of the Catholics of South America and on Good Friday each year there are parades all over the continent to re-enact the introspection and sorrow of the Passion of Christ. Perhaps the most extraordinary is held in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Invariably heavy rains sweep across Quito during Easter, which many believers see as a dramatic metaphor of God’s tears for human sin and His Son’s passing. Luckily for us, Good Friday this year dawned clear and bright and the sun shone on the tens of thousands of people who flooded the streets to view this religious spectacle. Continue reading →

Viva Havana

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Grace Loveday

I have been grabbed by the hand, twirled around and kissed full on the lips. Havana may be old but she is full of brazen charm and exquisite beauty. I am enthralled, enchanted, intrigued.

Havana, and Cuba as a whole, has a unique personality born from a tangle of influences ranging from her period as a Spanish colony, to African slavery, to her complex relationship with America and a chequered political past … and present. It’s a fascinating and at times overwhelming story and like all good tales I find myself being drawn further in to its spell. Continue reading →

Costa Rica in Pictures

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Grace Loveday

Having crossed the border from Nicaragua at Los Chiles on January 2nd we bussed it to the town of La Fortuna which lies beneath Volcan Arenal. The plan had been to hike, but the weather was against us – rain and low cloud which obliterated any view of the imposing volcano. So, to the beach we went! All the way across to the Pacific coast and the Nicoya Peninsula. Here we hired a 4×4 and explored beach upon beach …..