I love reading about South Africa, so even when I can’t be there in person, I like getting updates about what’s happening!

Google Alerts are fantastic at finding out what’s going on and even better at letting you know about blogs writing on your subject.

I have found a number of very good blogs and websites through these alerts and I want to share them with you, so I have created a page especially for my favourites. I will continue to add blogs I think have extra special connections with South Africa and give great information.

Take a look now at Blogs We Love and whet your appetite for a visit to South Africa!

Well, I am doing the real travel stuff! Not because I am actually travelling in South Africa, but because my internet connection here in Spain is playing up, so I am down at one of the local internet cafes writing to you to let you know that service is still maintained, albeit virtually.

Enough of me and my difficulties – here´s something far more interesting! How about ´Creating Art´ or ´underlining something beautiful´? Why not take to the Dolphin Coast to celebrate the art of inspirational living at the Umdwebo Festival in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal?

A “Cognac, Coffee and Chocolate evening” or what about a “Blacktie and Ballroom Gown but no shoes” gala dinner on the Salt Rock beach? There´s also an Opera Concert or a Bollywood Bhangra Beach Bash! Whew!

Theatre, art, fashion and food fundi´s will also have much to indulge in. Only problem is making sure that you are there 13-19th November. Go on, take the time to relax a little and enjoy the finer things in life.

To find out more go to Umdwebo 2006 Festival.

South Africa Travel experiences – how would you go about researching a destination that you’ve never visited before, but one that is definitely on the “hot” list? Have you ever thought about radio shows?

I’ve just come across Rick Steve’s radio show because I am doing a course with my friend, Wayne Kelly of On Air Publicity. I wanted to learn how to be the best radio show inerviewee that I could and who better to coach me than my mate Wayne.

Part of the homework for this week is to listen to radio shows, to find out how interviews are conducted, what kept you listening and what would you do to be more interesting/informative.

I chose to listen to Rick on Spain. Boy, have I learnt a lot about the country I have chosen to live in! Quite by chance Rick is doing a show on Saturday about South Africa with Carmin Arnot, who is a native of Cape Town. I urge you to listen in if you are at all interested in South Africa. It is bound to be highly informative and I am sure will whet your appetite for this facinating country.

Blogging is the way to go, no doubt about it, especially if you have a book within you.

Tertia Albertyn blogs the much admired So Close from her home in Cape Town. Her blog started because of her inability to conceive and became her salve as she chronicled her journey through infertility to the miraculous birth of her twins.

The blog is written with a huge amount of personality, love, humour and honesty which I am sure spills over into the book.

Now, because Tertia took the huge step of writing the book and chronicling her thoughts on her blog, the book, “So Close” is set to become a South African bestseller and on the international bookshelves by the end of the year.

Congratulations, Tertia! May there be many books within you, but most importantly – Keep blogging!

Tertia also gives out some good advice about blogging in general, so bookmark her site for great information as well as taking a peek at Tertia’s world. Another good site to find South Africa’s finest bloggers is at South-African-Blog-Directory.

It’s doubtful whether the little 1 year old boy that Madonna is desperate to adopt from Malawi noticed his stop in Johannesburg, South Africa, but you can bet your life that the world will.

Controversy surrounds this boy as the incredibly wealthy Madonna seeks to get what she wants quickly by setting up an orphanage for 4,000 of the 1 million children orphaned in Malawi through the AIDS pandemic sweeping through Africa.

How can she possibly pick out one small child to take back home like a trophy when so many would love that chance? And why is it that she can just waltz straight in and bend the rules so effortlessly? Money talks all right!

Remember my story about Desmond Tutu last week on the occasion of his 75th birthday?� I’d found a great photo that I thought summed Archbishop Tutu up.� Well, I’ve found a better one and another story which makes spectacular reading.

Many thanks to the Washington Post for this story and for the photo.� I am sure you’ll agree you can’t help but smile and join in Desmond’s enjoyment of life!

What a wonderful birthday milestone to celebrate and no one deserves it more than Archbishop Tutu!

Still working tirelessly for oppressed people, wherever they are on earth, whatever the colour of their skin or their creed, Desmond Tutu speaks out against all injustice, but of course particularly when he sees wrong-doing in his own beloved South Africa. Thank goodness there is someone who will sound out the warning bell against transgressions, but always with such calm, measured tones that make you sit up and take notice.

I once heard Archbishop Tutu speak at church in Milnerton, Cape Town one Christmas a couple of years ago, when the incumbent father was on his vacation. He is truly inspirational to listen to, in fact, I didn’t want him to finish! Of course everything good has to come to an end at some time and I shall remember forever his warm handshake as he left the church. He made it feel as if there was only me he was interested in shaking hands with! For that instant he was focused solely on me. What grace.
Tutu is such a charismatic gentleman he deserves all the wonderful accolades that have been paid to him over the last few days. I for one, would like to add my voice to the rest of the world in wishing Archbishop Tutu a very happy birthday and for many more to come!

if you would like to hear Archbishop Tutu speak, why don’t you get his CD’s.� He has recorded his book and it makes facinating listening.� Some of the profits go to his charity as well, so go on, spread a little happiness!� I’ve taken the photo below from the front cover of the CD’s, as I love the look of mischief on his face!

Earlier this year I felt I needed to develope my website to better interact with you, my valued readers. I called upon Howell Burnell, a good friend who writes some of the best web copy around. I chose Howell for a number of reasons, but amongst them was that he has a love of Africa which shone through in our discussions and was just the thing I wanted to bring out in my website. South Africa is my passion and I wanted that to be reflected in the pages.

Howell coined the following paragraph which is on the home page of Tailor Made South Africa Travel, and I loved it immediately as it sums up the South Africa I have grown to love.

There’s a practice in South Africa called Ubuntu. It means: We are each other. It suggests kindness and humanity.

I like to express Ubuntu through service. Your journey is special and I’m going to treat it that way. In fact, I’ll personally attend to every detail.

Here’s why. With over 20 years of South Africa travel experience – and a lifelong background in service and hospitality – I’ve learned the value of sharing what I love with others.

And I want to share South Africa with you…

Imagine my suprise and delight when Bill Clinton, ex-president of the USA spoke of Ubuntu to the British Labour party last week. Not sure that his Ubuntu was quite what I had in mind, but rather prefer what Archbishop Desmond Tutu has to say on the matter, that being in his book ‘No Future Without Forgiveness’, says: “Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language… It is to say, ‘My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in what is yours.”

No doubt Bill Clinton clearly rose to his theme in delivering his speech. I found that some of the comments left on the page were also rather interesting. Take a look yourself and decide which type of Ubuntu you want to get into!