Page 114 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2025 GRAND VOYAGE

donned faux Zulu attire and gamely at-
tempted the dances—far more challenging
than they looked, even for Beate and Leo.
We earned plenty of applause—and hearty
laughter—from our hosts.
Our cultural immersion continued with a
visit to the village sangoma, or traditional
healer. We were ushered into his home, a
tiny, dimly lit room filled with jars of herbs
and powders—tools of his trade. The heat
was stifling, even after the visibly sweating
sangoma opened a small window.
The sangoma explained how his ances-
tors’ spirits had chosen him to serve as the
community healer, guiding him in diagnos-
ing and treating ailments. To demonstrate,
he cast bones, shells, and small stones
from a leather bag. A small blue stone
landed near Mary, and the sangoma re-
vealed that it symbolized her deep connec-
tion to water. Considering we had been
traveling the seas for six weeks, his insight
felt remarkably accurate.
Our final stop was the compound of a
woman who supported her large extended
family by crafting sleeping mats. Seated
on a low stool, she worked with calm preci-
sion, surrounded by family members rang-
ing from a week-old baby to grown
children and grandchildren. One of her
daughters deftly demonstrated the intri-
cate weaving process, transforming estu-
ary reeds into sturdy mats. Invited to try
their hand at weaving, our companions ea-
gerly joined in, impressing everyone with
their skill.
An Afternoon on the St. Lucia Estuary
After a leisurely lunch, Ashley led us to
the pier for a river safari. I hesitated, vivid
images from jungle movies flooding my
mind—hippos upending boats and croco-
diles lurking for stragglers. Ashley chuck-
led. “You’ll be safe,” he assured me. “The
boat’s sturdy, and our guide’s as sharp as
they come.”

114 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2025