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1996

15 photos.

MV Victoria, Bukoba, Tanzania, 2003 MV Victoria
Bukoba, Tanzania, 2003
This ferry goes to and from Mwanza three times a week. A similar ferry, the MV Bukoba, sank in an accident near Mwanza in 1996, and hundreds of passengers were drowned.
mosque, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1996 mosque
Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1996
West Africa has a long history of Islamic influence, especially near the Sahara desert. This mosque is over a hundred years old, yet it is built primarily of mud. It is much smaller than the famous ones in Mali.
blacksmith's chamber, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1996 blacksmith's chamber
Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1996
The traditional blacksmith is still needed in the rural areas, though the tools are gradually modernizing.
storage area, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1996 storage area
Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1996
Houses in Burkina Faso are built of mud, stone or straw. This mud village was relatively traditional, and there were many locations for sacrificing animals. To get to this village, I rode on the back of a small motorcycle. I also toured a stone village on a hill and a pond with giant sacred catfish.
Pont de Lianes (vine bridge), Man, Cote D'Ivoire, 1996 Pont de Lianes (vine bridge)
Man, Cote D'Ivoire, 1996
Near the border between Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea, the Dan people still construct bridges out of vines. The bridges appear overnight, so that nobody knows exactly who constructed or hung them.
tree trunk, Man, Cote D'Ivoire, 1996 tree trunk
Man, Cote D'Ivoire, 1996
Varieties of these trees grow to enormous heights. The roots of this tree do not go very deep because the soil of tropical forests is relatively thin. Ribs in the trunk support the tree like the buttresses of a cathedral. The tropical forests in Cote d'Ivoire have mostly been cleared, and I saw truckloads of huge logs, but Gabon is one country that still has large reserves of tropical forest.
twisted tree, Man, Cote D'Ivoire, 1996 twisted tree
Man, Cote D'Ivoire, 1996
Many trees take on a monstrous, grotesque appearance, twisted by some unknown combination of wind, weather, animals, people and spirits.
Andrew Cooper on a dune, Swakopmund, Namibia, 1996 Andrew Cooper on a dune
Swakopmund, Namibia, 1996
Sand dunes, Swakopmund, Namibia, 1996 Sand dunes
Swakopmund, Namibia, 1996
Pink water near the salt works, Swakopmund, Namibia, 1996 Pink water near the salt works
Swakopmund, Namibia, 1996
women carrying bundles of thatch (grass), Oshikango, Namibia, 1996 women carrying bundles of thatch (grass)
Oshikango, Namibia, 1996
The Owambo people of the region have adopted western dress, influenced by missionaries who arrived about a century ago. Women in Namibia, as in other countries of Africa, do most of the physical labour on farms. In the background is the Oshikango border post. There is a large amount of trade near the Angolan border, especially since the end of the Angolan civil war in 1994. The women may have brought the thatch from Angola, which is less densely populated and less deforested. The thatch is sold at markets and used for roofing.
oshana, Engela, Namibia, 1996 oshana
Engela, Namibia, 1996
The northern part of Namibia is flat and becomes wetter as you go north and east. The rainy season lasts roughly from December to April, and oshanas (seasonal lakes) fill, flowing slowly southward from Angola toward the Etosha pan, where it provides water for the wildlife in Etosha National Park. The roads become muddy and difficult to navigate. Still, the rain is sporadic and unpredictable, and drought affects crops.
Jason Shutters in computer lab, Ondangwa, Namibia, 1996 Jason Shutters in computer lab
Ondangwa, Namibia, 1996
Ongwediva Teacher Training Centre, Ongwediva, Namibia, 1996 Ongwediva Teacher Training Centre
Ongwediva, Namibia, 1996