Goodbye America Hello Canada With the inauspicious end to 2016.... a year that we would rather delete from our calendar..... and the dawn of 2017, we are in the last couple of weeks of 'shutting up shop' and saying 'au-revoir' to our experiment with the American Dream. Nostalgically, we wonder if we will ever be back for good and if so, how different the country we know as home, will appear when we return. For both of us, the USA is where we have spent most of our adult lives and California has truly captured our hearts. We have always been so happy to say we belong to LaLaLand. But for now, it is back on the road again, to our nomadic existence and the boundless excitement of the world beyond. Big Sur, 2 January 2017 For those of you who know us, our decision to exit 'stage-right' from what we now call 'Trumpistan' will not come as a surprise. We acknowledge that the man is just a symptom of
Hanging on for dear life.... As today is Earth Day (April 22), we have planted two ‘neem trees’ and one ‘cherry tree’ in the CI office grounds. The ‘trees’ are probably just a foot high now, but given that the rains will be with us soon, chances are that they will be strong saplings before we depart South American shores. The ‘cherry’ trees here are not quite the conventional cherry with which most of us are familiar. The small fruit – more orange than deep red – is used to make a fresh fruit drink and without added sugar has a tart flavor. Like many fruit trees, it has two seasons and is hugely popular with kids, who snack on the fruit like its candy. I always believed the neem was indigenous to India, but now I’m not that sure. Mangoes, cashews, tamarind, coconut, carambola, jamun, papaya, pineapple, custard apple, golden apple (aamra), guava, and so much more are ubiquitous all over Guyana. It’s a challenge to find out what was introduced and what originated here.