diary | Wayne Visser

December 16, 2012December 29, 2012

South Korea Notes 2012

12 March 2012

Flying to Seoul tonight. Speaking at a conference on ISO 26000 & CSR. It is my first visit to Korea so extra exciting.

13 March 2012

Clues that you are in Seoul:

Clue #1 – there is a pre-installed laptop in the hotel room.
Clue #2 – the flat-screen TV is nearly cinema size.
Clue #3 – the toilet has a console with 13 buttons … I’ll let you guess what they are all for 🙂
Clue #4 – the desk lamp is touch-sensitive.
Clue #5 – plug sockets fit all international plugs; no adaptors required.
Clue #6 – there is a free-to-use mobile phone in the hotel room.
Clue #7 – “vegetarian” includes fish & chicken.

14 March 2012

The ISO 26000 & CSR conference in Seoul was good. Delish veggie dinner at Sanchon temple restaurant, with exquisite traditional Korean dancing.

15 March 2012

Talking with CEO of Citibank Korea the other night, he admitted that 60% of the global financial crisis was caused by greed, pure & simple. Another interesting lesson: the Korean government is funding social enterprises – but subsidisation increases failure rates and lowers productivity.

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October 2, 2011June 22, 2012

Galapagos 2011 Notes

02 October 2011

It is 8.30 pm and I am sitting at the ocean front bar of the Sol y Mar hotel in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. My first impression of Galapagos is that the variance of micro climates within a short distance is remarkable, from arid, cactus strewn desert to lush humid forest.

On the way from the airport to the hotel, we stopped to see the giant tortoises. What surprised me the most was their abundance. It was almost like stumbling across a herd of cattle or flock of sheep. Their size and ancient features are incredible. Apparently, they live to 120 years and their shells weigh 250 kgs when full grown.

We also visited a volcanic cave, with a 300 m tunnel where rivers of lava used to flow. The main town hugs the coastline and I spent many pleasurable minutes mesmerized by the frigates and delighted by the occasional pelican gliding by. I already feel very calm and peaceful here, especially now as I listen to the waves lapping against the key.

Even so, I have finished by Pisco Sour and popcorn, and my pickup is as 6 am, so I will head back to my room for an early night.

03 October 2011

Today’s excursion began with a 1 hour bus ride across the island and then a 2.5 hour boat trip out to Bartholomew Island, where we climbed to the top of the volcano and then snorkelled in the bay.

The island is entirely volcanic and one of Galapagos’s newest (approximately 1 million years old, versus 5 million for the rest of the archipelago). It is like peering through a tear in the fabric of time, back to the beginning of creation. There are just a few plant species that have managed to gain a foothold on what is otherwise a barren landscape of contorted lava rock (black and rust-coloured) and lava ash.

The snorkelling was breathtakingly beautiful and I was lucky enough to see a large school of bright yellow-tailed fish, as well as a sting ray (it is so big! Maybe 1.5 metres across). I also saw small iguanas and exquisite bright red crabs. We had occasional company from frigate birds, sea longs and penguins alongside the boat, and were treated to boobies bomb-diving for fish. All in all, an exciting and relaxing day, worth every bit of the sunburn that I am now suffering with.

04 October 2011

Today was perhaps one of the most blissful of my life. In the morning, I went to Tortuga Bay and spent a few hours sitting on the volcanic rocks overlooking the lagoon, flanked on both sides by marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. My goal was to photograph the boobies in flight, but ‘doing’ soon dissolved into ‘being’ – a feeling of at-one-ness with nature and contentment in the moment.

En route – a 45 minute walk along the beach – I encountered colonies of marine iguanas, and managed to snap a pelican as it launched to capture a fish in the shallows. I also spotted a white finned reef shark gliding past in the turquoise water, and saw (for the first time) crabs scuttling along the surface of the water between rocks about one metre apart.

I wouldn’t have believed it possible for my day to get any better. However, as I took a water taxi to a nearby beach in the afternoon, I chanced to meet Jacqueline de Roy. Since she is 85 and had several heavy bags, I offered to help carry these to her home nearby. She invited me in and we got talking. What a fascinating life she has read.

She arrived in Galapagos from Belgium with her late husband in the 1950s and never left. At the time, there were only about 150 people loving on the islands (today, the population is about 200,000). They did various things to survive, from farming (bananas) to tour operating and selling crafts (ink sketches on wood, pottery, sculptures and silver jewellery). Along the way, they helped scientists to collect snails, butterflies and moths, and even have several species named after them.

Their daughter, Tui de Roy, ended up becoming a renowned wildlife photographer, with books about Galapagos, the Andes, albatrosses and New Zealand (where she now lives). Needless to say, I was easily tempted into buying some of Angelique’s silver jewellery (iguana and penguin pendants and blue footed boobie and tropic bird earrings), as well as one of her daughter’s spectacular books called ‘Galapagos: Islands Born of Fire’.

The whole encounter was one of those rare, random meetings of strangers who open a window on each other’s lives and part mutually enriched in spirit. It reminds me of Indira and my discovery of Kookaburra Cottage in Australia. These are the golden nuggets we are sometimes lucky to find along life’s dusty pathways – the real treasures of existence.

Ecuador 2011 Notes

01 October 2011

On my flight to Quito from Guayaquil in Ecuador, I watched a really good movie on the plane – directed by Woody Allen, called Midnight in Paris’. It’s about an aspiring writer who gets in touch with his nostalgia through travelling back in time, finally learning to live in and appreciate his present, albeit one in which he is more true to himself and his muse.

Also, I bought some books at the airport that I’m enjoying – Solar, by Ian McEwan, Slow Love, by Dominique Browing, and Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. This last one is a story told by a boy who recently arrived in London from Ghana. It has echoes of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The workshop in Quito went well. Then I spent some time with a colleague, Maria Sara, visiting the indigenous market, while my friend Roberto went to the service for his father, who passed away a month ago. I managed to find a beautiful tablecloth and authentically traditional bag.

After Roberto’s service, he took me to a restaurant overlooking the city. The changing light as the sun set was truly magical, especially as there were storm clouds gathering. After coffee at his brother in law’s, we came home and he played some piano and guitar for me. I even had a strum and tried to dredge up my memory of songs I used to play.

I found out a bit about refugees in Ecuador – a few hundred thousand, mainly from Columbia. The law here is very open and welcoming, which also has its own problems. In Columbia, there are apparently about 4 million internally displaced people.

Well, tomorrow I leave at 6.15 am for Galapagos, via Guayaquil. I am looking forward to a few days break, and the wildlife I will hopefully see. I will take lots of photos.

02 October 2011

I’m on the plane at Guayaquil, in transit from Quito to Galapagos. Once again, I am struck by how fortunate I am. This little escapade is being paid for by someone else (CEAL) as an incentive to induce me to stay on to speak at their conference next week, for which I am most grateful.

As much as the chance to see the islands’ exotic creatures, I am looking forward to getting more connected to Darwin’s story, a second link, after his Cambridge history. It is hard not to be swept up by the profound eddies of fate which brought Darwin to these islands and helped to confirm his theory of evolution. In a world of grey ordinariness, we inevitably bask in the reflected colourfulness of great discoverers, wishing that we could be the ones who left a luminous mark on the cave walls of history. I am no different.

Despite this imminent prospect of adventure – or at least new sights – I am reminded of Alain de Botton’s observation in ‘The Art of Travel’ that the only trouble with ‘getaway’ holidays is that we take ourselves along. And so when I read about the tragic fictional character of Nobel Prize winner Prof Beard in McEwan’s ‘Solar’, I am looking for my reflection on the page.

Related Diaries

Galapagos 2011 Notes

Related Poems

Galapagos | Serenity

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September 17, 2011June 22, 2012

Vietnam 2011 Notes

17 September 2011

I recently returned from a trip to Vietnam, where I was delivering a CSR workshop for the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce. It was my first visit and unfortunately, besides work, I had just a few hours to visit the museum in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) before going to the airport. It struck me as quite a poor and crowded city, very Western in some ways (clothes, etc., after French colonialism of 150 years) and very Eastern in others. Much like Cambodia, it is hot and humid, but a massive and bustling river flows through the city. They are not geared for tourism at all, which is quite refreshing actually (I guess Hanoi, which we looked at, would be different).

The museum was in a zoo garden and only opened at 1.30 pm, so bizarrely I found myself watching a very friendly giraffe, who likes to have his head scratched by visitors, and an orangutan with massive hands who seemed nearly human. The museum was interesting, but all pre-dated the war, which was a pity. My hotel – the beautiful colonial era Hotel Majestic – had a wonderful terrace overlooking the Saigon River (and the mad, hooting traffic alongside), although I did feel uncomfortable with all its opulence in the midst of a country where the average GDP per capita is approximately $1,000.

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August 28, 2011June 22, 2012

South Africa 2011 Notes

28 August 2011

Just back from our Cape holiday in South Africa. The first few days were spent in Swellendam, with visits to the dams (where poor Dusk, now 15 years old, ripped her back claw and needed rushing to the vet) and Barrydale (for the family’s traditional Sunday lunch at the Country Pumpkin). Then we went to Hermanus, where we spotted a single whale and Veneta & Indira swam in the icy water at Grotto Bay, before we headed to Bertie & Magda’s house in Kraaifontein, where we spent two nights.

The next day, I met with Guy Lundy while the girls went to the aquarium at the Waterfront. As it turned out, we had a bird’s eye view of a municipal strikers’ protest down Hertzog Boulevard, during which some of their members callously looted nearby hawkers’ stands. I then picked up Marie Steyn (now 82 and still sweet as ever) and we joined I & V for lunch at the Waterfront. After Marie confessed that she’d never had a ‘sparkler’ at the Spur restaurant, I told the manager that it was her birthday (even though it wasn’t) and she duly received a sparkler in her ice cream desert, complete with a round of happy birthday sung by the waiters.

After dropping off Marie, in the afternoon we headed to Kirstenbosch to meet with Gordon Oliver. There was a stunning exhibition in the Gardens called ‘Untamed’, combining Dylan Lewis’ sculptures, Ian McCallum’s poetry, Enrico Daffonchio’s architecure and David Davison’s conceptual design. In the evening, we had dinner with Karen Weinberg, who is almost fully recovered from the brain virus which wiped out her speech capacity some 18 months ago.

On our second day in Cape Town, we went up Signal Hill and Table Mountain (the weather was windy but clear). We had hoped to take a ferry out to Robben Island, but it was booked up a day in advance. Back in Swellendam, we did excursions to Montagu hot springs, the Duiwelsbos waterfall and Sulina’s Faery Sanctuary, before heading to Oudtshoorn for a visit to the Cango Caves, Cango Ostrich Farm and a Wildlife Sanctuary. I got to ride one ostrich (for about 10 metres) and to ‘kiss’ another (allowing it to peck a pellet from between my lips). The next day we went all the way to Seaview via Mossell Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay (where we swam). A day later, we heard there had been a shark attack at Plett, so I guess we were lucky.

A visit to the Elephant Sanctuary outside Knysna gave us all a chance to feed and touch some tame (but free range) elephants, while Lion Park in Seaview gave Indira & Veneta the chance to handle some 6 week old lion cubs, as well as to spot some giraffe and hartebees. When we finally made it to Addo Elephant Park, the weather was cold, with light showers, so not ideal for game viewing, but we managed to see some kudu and elephant fairly close up.

On our final day, we managed to get the Robben Island ferry and to visit the prison. The prisoner stories, displayed in some of the cells, were most interesting, so it was frustrating not to have much time to look at these (having spent excessively long on the bus driving to less interesting sites around the island). Nevertheless, I was inspired to buy Ahmed Kathrada’s Memoirs, so that should give similar (and much more detailed) insights.

Overall, it was a good holiday and wonderful to spend a bit of time with my parents and see the great progress that has been made on the property. The garden is looking very established and the lodge is three-quarters complete. It was an ideal time of year to visit, with all the early spring flowers and green cultivated fields. The weather was cool most of the time, with some rain, but we had some great sunny days too.

My impressions from talking to friends and family is that poor political leadership is a constant frustration, exacerbated by waves of labour strike action (the media now refers to a ‘strike season’ every year). Indira was clearly shocked by conditions in the squatter camps and townships, as well as the pervasive division of labour along racial lines (virtually all blue-colour jobs are still done by black people). However, I saw positive signs as well, such as solar panels on the roofs of thousands of low cost houses, well maintained roads and other infrastructure and a healthy climate of political debate.

The overwhelming social challenges did make me wonder more deeply about whether I am doing enough; whether my vision is too tame and my actions too pedestrian. I also felt more nostalgia on this trip than previously, so maybe something is shifting in my attitude to both my work and South Africa. Now that I am back in London, there is not much time for reflection, as I head off on my Singapore-Philippines-Vietnam trip in a few days. However, sooner or later, I feel I will need to make a big shift in my work. I sense it is time for another bold career move.

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April 8, 2011June 22, 2012

Nigeria 2011 Notes

08 April 2011

Finally, I made it to Nigeria, a country I expected to visit much sooner than now, given its strategic importance in Africa and CSR. I got back from Lagos via Paris this morning. The CSR training for Trucontact went well and seemed appreciated. My hosts, Ken Egbas and colleagues, were gracious and generous. As it turned out, I saw very little on this first trip, beyond the training venue, my hotel and the crazy traffic in between.

I come away with mixed feelings. Certainly, the raw vitality and aggressive ambition (or is it just survival instinct?) is palatable. And as in so much of Africa, the culture and its people are colourful, hopeful and friendly. But there is also the malaise of powerlessness in the face of endemic corruption and greed among politicians, not to mention the inertia of crumbling state apparatus and economic injustice.

The greatest hope being clung to is rediscovering good, public-serving leaders, who remain a fantasy. The greatest source of faith is a Pentecostal brand of Christianity that gives its followers strength in knowing that God is on the side of the oppressed. What is somewhat depressing is knowing that Nigeria’s hardships are largely self-imposed, inflicted by the power-hungry on the opportunity-starved. The society is culturally robust, but morally and economically weakened by the cancers of raw greed and desperate need.

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August 18, 2010June 22, 2012

Costa Rica 2010 Notes

I am in Costa Rica now, or I should say San Jose. I immediately feel comfortable here, and I am trying to figure out why. Partly, it must be that I just love the tropics – the lush vegetation and colourful wildlife. And somehow that ‘pura vida’ (pure life) rubs off on the people, who are friendly and helpful. Another reason must be that this country and this city wears its colours on its sleeve. By that I mean that there is art everywhere – on the walls as murals, in painted tiles, and with the vibrant rainbow textiles.

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August 15, 2010June 22, 2012

Panama 2011 Notes

15 August 2010

I am on the bus, having just crossed the border into Costa Rica, a process that took about 3 hours. Apart from queuing in the dark until the border opened, and the usual passport checking, each bag had to be individually checked by hand (twice!). We also had a dog sniffing for drugs. Hardly surprising really, in this part of the world.

Now let me tell you about my tour yesterday. We visited both sets of locks on the Pacific ocean side. I suppose what I didn’t realise was how long the canal is – around 50 miles. It links a natural lake with the coasts. To take advantage of the lake, the locks raise the ships about 26 metres. It takes 22 hours to transverse the canal, and only Panamese pilots can do the navigation. The idea for the canal was first proposed by a Spanish king in the 1500s, but it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the French began construction.

Mostly, the labour was brought in from the West Indies and many thousands died of tropical diseases. The Americans took over after the French gave up, from about 1903 until it was completed in 1914. It was then owned and operated by the Americans until a revolution (by students) in the 1960s, after which there was a sharing arrangement. However, it was only in 1999 that the Americans finally gave the canal back to the Panamanians. As far as i can tell, this is when the country started to prosper, and probably accounts for all the ‘bamboo-like’ apartment blocks and hotels that have shot up.

There are a few things I grew to love about Panama in my short time there. It is such a colourful culture. For example, lots of the public benches are painted with bright scenes by the school kids. And then there are the psychedelic public buses, each unique and painted with fantasy and superhero montages (dragons, knights, cartoons, etc.). Some of these turn into disco buses at night, with flashing lights and music pumping. It made me laugh, seeing all these people dancing in the aisles (and no, I didn’t get on one!). What else? Ah yes, fresh mango slices with salt, pepper and vinegar. Yumm!

Looking out the window now, we are unmistakably in the tropics, a green mosaic of palm plantations and natural forests – my kind of paradise (except for the things that buzz and bite! I saw some humongous specimens at the Panama Canal museum yesterday).

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July 31, 2010June 22, 2012

Brazil 2010 Notes

31 July 2010

I am loving being in Rio. I guess it has to do with the warm weather, the beach and the surrounding mountains. It all feels more natural and relaxed. I can see why it has a reputation for ‘fun in the sun’. I write this from the botanical gardens. They are a real oasis of green and shade. I walked this morning from the hostel and around the lagoon (Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas), as far as the gardens. The path around the lagoon (which is more like a lake) is about 7.5 kms and a great favourite for walkers, joggers, bikers and skaters.

The amazing thing about Rio is that almost wherever you are, there is the backdrop of the giant stone edifices that are the mountains surrounding and interspersing the city. Often, there is also the sight of water, beaches and forests. That is not to say there is a shortage of concrete. This is a city of about 9 million people. But the buildings and the people are embedded in natural beautiful surroundings. The Tijuca Forest, of which the Botanical Gardens form a part, and which extend to the top of the Christ mountain, is the largest urban forest in the world.

The other thing I’ve noticed is that people don’t hassle or hustle you. There are a few hawkers and traders on the streets and beaches, but they are very passive. I’m sure I’m imposing stereotypes, but it feels like everyone just ‘gets’ that there’s more to life than work and money. Of course, Brazil has had at least a decade of strong economic growth, so I’m sure that helps. I’m also sure that the millions who still live in favelas are far from content, even if things are improving.

The cafes here are also interesting. First, there are more juice bars than coffee shops, which makes sense in a place where the temperature seldom drops below 15 degrees. But also, the cafes are so unpretentious – scruffy even. Just small holes in the wall and plastic chairs on the pavements. It’s almost as if the important thing is the people, the company and the food/drink, not the trappings.

I should mention that I am competing with buzzing things for my drink, which is called Guarana Antarctica, a classic soda in Brazil made from berries from the Amazon. There is certainly no shortage of buzzing, biting things in Rio, and it must be worse the closer to the tropics and the rainforest you get. Yesterday’s tour was breathtaking. I count myself so fortunate to have the opportunity to see such beautiful places in the world.

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July 12, 2010June 23, 2012

Argentina 2010 Notes

12 July 2010

Having arrived and settled into my accommodation in Buenos Aires, I walked for 4 or 5 hours around the city. It is a massive city, quite built up and busy. However, the pedestrianised areas are nice, with little shops and traders. I managed to find an artist that paints tango dancers, so I bought a painting. Speaking of tango, I plan to go to a show on Saturday. This is, after all, the home of Argentinian tango.

Yesterday, of course, I watched the World Cup Final. In the end, I decided to watch it on a giant public screen in the city centre and, as expected, the atmosphere was fantastic. Most were Spanish supporters and I got some great photos of their flag-waving celebrations; even a guy in red tights! So now it is over for another 4 years. I am so proud that South Africa managed to pull it off with any major incidents or problems.

I discovered some great sculptures yesterday, including a massive flower, which is maybe 3 storeys high. I might try to sketch it sometime over the next 2 weeks. Even the hostel has some creative inspiration. There reception desk is made from a green scooter!

19 July 2010

I am having a latte before my tour bus of the city leaves in an hour. It’s been a busy few days with workshops and talks on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. One of the highlights outside of work has been visiting a place called Caminito. It was always a poor area, with houses mostly made of corrugated iron, near the city docks. Then about 10 years ago, some entrepreneurs decided to celebrate the diversity and lively culture of the place, so they opened restaurants and markets and played music on the streets.

Now it is a bit of a tourist destination but, like Camden in London, retains its vibrancy. The houses and restaurants are painted all different bright colours because originally people painted their houses with whatever paint was left over from painting the ships.

At one stage, the government wanted to build big walls to block off this emerging tourist spot from the surrounding poor houses, but one of the restaurant owners (of El Paraiso, which I’d definitely recommend for a meal) managed to stop them, saying it was part of the story and the charm. Besides, local artists could paint murals on the walls of the surrounding houses. It’s a great story of social enterprise and urban renewal.

I am on my way out to do an interview for a magazine, so I will end off here.

23 July 2010

This is my last night in Argentina. I am just back from a radio interview. I have had a great visit in Buenos Aires – busier than expected, but that’s a good thing.

There is a nice vibrancy about the city, especially in some of the restaurant hotspots. (Eeek! I just ordered ‘limonade’, which thought was lemonade and it turns out it is pure lemon juice!).

Anyway, as I was saying, I think B.A. is good for socialites and night life. I am a little sorry I couldn’t travel out of the city, either to Patagonia in the south, with its glaciers or the forests and waterfalls in the north.

What else can I tell you about Argentina? If it’s not red and bleeding, they don’t eat it! Not really a place for vegetarians.