Prisoner of Hopes

Author: Roxanna Mechem

  • Soweto: Travel Goals South Africa

    Soweto: Travel Goals South Africa

    I want to visit Soweto. There is such rich history in the townships. But I don’t want to be a voyeur or an unwanted interloper. At first I decide not to go, but the pull is too strong. We decide to seek out a local guide and join a small guided tour. In this way,…

  • Gold Reef City: Travel Goals South Africa

    Gold Reef City: Travel Goals South Africa

    What is this place? Gold Reef City is hard to describe. The land itself is on the remains of an old gold mine. In 1886, gold was discovered in Witwatersrand and the rush was on. Modern Johannesburg was born out of the blood, sweat, and tears of miners. Today Gold Reef City celebrates that history…

  • Unpacking Apartheid: Travel Goals South Africa

    Unpacking Apartheid: Travel Goals South Africa

    I don’t know what to expect as we arrive at the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg. The exterior of the building is bleak. Drab concrete slabs and the seven pillars of the constitution engraved on seven equally drab concrete pillars comprise the entrance. When we purchase our tickets, we are given a pass with our assigned…

  • Reflections on Freedom: Travel Goals South Africa

    Reflections on Freedom: Travel Goals South Africa

    I experience so many emotions as we arrive at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. It is the site of the Constitutional Court of South African and also the sight of one of the country’s most notorious prisons. Today the highest court of justice sits deliberately adjacent to a place synonymous with racial and political injustice. The…

  • Why Go to a Zoo When You Can Go on Safari?: Travel Goals South Africa

    Why Go to a Zoo When You Can Go on Safari?: Travel Goals South Africa

    There aren’t many people at the Johannesburg Zoo for a Saturday. The weather is great, the zoo grounds are large, the animals are interesting. Where are the people? Are they all at home thinking why go to a zoo when we can go on Safari? Are they on Safari? It is a mystery to us.…

  • Jozi: Travel Goals South Africa

    Jozi: Travel Goals South Africa

    It took us over twenty four hours to get here, and that is not counting the drive time from St.Louis to Chicago to get to the airport. That decision is on us. They have a perfectly good airport in St. Louis, but we thought it would be fun to spend a few days with our…

  • Travel Day Surprise: Travel Goals South Africa

    Travel Day Surprise: Travel Goals South Africa

    For our trip to South Africa we decided to use a travel company (against our better judgement). We generally like to make our own arrangements and be on our own time schedule. But for this trip, a travel company specializing in Africa seemed to make sense. Exoticca promised curated adventures for independent travelers. We wanted…

  • All good things: Travel Goals Canada

    All good things: Travel Goals Canada

    The last morning of a cruise is sad. I wake up for my morning walk and everything is locked up tight. The ship store is closed. If you didn’t get your souvenirs it is too late, the shops aren’t open in port. Golden bars are a jarring reminder that the offerings are no longer for…

  • Is It the Trees or Maybe The Bridge?: Travel Goals Canada

    Is It the Trees or Maybe The Bridge?: Travel Goals Canada

    Judging by the multiple buses full of tourists arriving from downtown Vancouver and the long entrance lines, Capilano Park is a successful and popular tourist attraction. Is it the trees that people come to see? Or maybe the famous swinging bridge? Maybe they just have good marketing, but we are determined to find out why…

  • In the Garden: Travel Goals Canada

    In the Garden: Travel Goals Canada

    It is our last day in Canada. We have been on a month long trek that included ships, trains, planes, automobiles and even a riverboat. We have wandered deep into the Yukon, over the Klondike trails, and down the inside passage. We are tired and we can’t check into our hotel out near the airport…