We were living in Zambia at the time – in Lusaka, a city that in 1993 was beset by cholera from infected boreholes, rumours of military coups, incursions over the border by predatory gangs of Zairean military making up for lack of pay, and the populace being structurally readjusted courtesy of financial rigours visited on them by the International Monetary Fund. Elsewhere in the country, people were starving due to severe drought and high maize prices; there was an outbreak of swine fever that caused small farmer chaos, and reported figures for HIV infection were sky high.
It was thus a relief to leave for two weeks of quietness on Mahé, the Seychelles main island. The place was blissful, but there were twinges of guilt nonetheless as we wandered barefoot on near empty beaches: we had the means to take a break from Zambia when most of Zambia’s ten million citizens did not.
For more of the Zambia story: Letters from Lusaka part 1 and part 2,
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Tish Farrell 
You are right, Tish….
Not always we realize that beyond our state of life , there are so many who are starving and facing war , with no chances at all…
Your photo is really awesome , thanks for the share !
Thanks for the v. thoughtful words, Anna.
Beautiful photo. We are so blessed, aren’t we, yet so often forget, complaining about such small things while others are struggling for food, work, even life. Gratitude is a habit worth cultivating daily! Thanks for today’s reminder.
janet
I completely agree, Janet….
That definitely needed saying, Janet ‘Gratitude is a habit worth cultivating daily’. Thank you.
My pleasure entirely, Tish.
I have felt exactly this way.
Another gorgeous photograph counterpointed with another-sadly- so often typical African Tale.
Yep, and much of it down to the big corporate copper rip-off, both past and ongoing.
Sort of … dying to live? I am wondering when Zuma will be shown the door.
Or accidentally fall down some stairs.
Beautiful photo. And yes, we are so lucky, so blessed, pretty much by a mere accident of birth.
Alison
🙂
Wow….and to think that we complain if the electricity goes out for a hour!! This beautiful image really could be a watercolour painting. Thank you and hope you are enjoying the good weather in your garden…janet 🙂
Much gardening being done, Janet 🙂
both Janets have said all i might-i see a watercolor and i see how fortunate some of us are. Thank you, tish for the post.
Thank you, Holly 🙂
Once upon a time in Ghana things were that bad just as in Zambia. In the late 70s to the early 80s after the military takeovers that rocked our country. As if God wanted to punish us for the blood that we let flow by killing the heads of state and top military personals in the coup d’etats, the country went thru extreme famine and droughts. Thank God I survived that period. 🙂
And we’re all so glad you survived, Celestine. Greetings, my dear.
Very nice picture Tish! Good job 🙂
Many thanks 🙂
So well said, Tish! Beautiful photo. 🙂
Thank you, Amy – on both counts 🙂