108 photos.
Greg in a valleyRocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 2004
On our way up to the top of the park on Old Fall River Road, we looked back and saw this view of the valley near the Endovalley overlook.
old taxi parkKampala, Uganda, 2004
Matatus (minivan commuter taxis) are an important mode of transport within Kampala and elsewhere in Uganda for many people. The legal limit is 14 passengers, plus the conductor and the driver; usually the five rows of benches can seat three people each. In Nairobi the matatus can seat 20; each row has four seats. Getting to your matatu in the maze of vehicles in Old Park can be challenging, and traffic jams can cause long delays.
bridge across the Kanoni riverBukoba, Tanzania, 2003
I crossed this bridge many times going to and from Joanitha's house in Buyekera. It can be difficult to see at night unless the moon is out because much of the path is unlit.
MV VictoriaBukoba, 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.
picnic overlooking Lake VictoriaBukoba, Tanzania, 2002
The center of Bukoba is fairly flat, but the surrounding hills give beautiful views of the lake below.
airstripBukoba, Tanzania, 2002
The Bukoba airport is scenically located near the lake; planes pass over Musira Island. The airstrip is not paved, and the big number 13 and a carcass of a crashed plane are not very reassuring.
Lake VictoriaBukoba, Tanzania, 2002
Bukoba has a nice sandy beach and scenic views of Lake Victoria. The concrete structure in the foreground is the 100-year-old remnant of a German communication tower. Musira island can be seen in the distance.
Joanitha descending to Karobera BeachBukoba, Tanzania, 2002
We visited the small, sandy, picturesque beach below. It was a long 10 km hike back into town.
Joanitha viewing Falcon busKagera, Tanzania, 2002
Our bus was stuck in the mud for over an hour, precariously close to falling into a ditch.
Greg and Deqa at 'Miami Beach'Bukoba, Tanzania, 2001
Marialena guided us through a fishing village just outside Bukoba to this pretty spot on the beach where we sat and talked.
CCT Bishop Kisanji Women's Training CentreMorogoro, Tanzania, 2001
VSO volunteers were given use of this centre as a place to be trained in Tanzanian culture, the Swahili language, health and administrative matters.
road, Etosha National ParkOkaukuejo, Namibia, 1997
A dirt road, a tree, some bushes, some rainclouds; an ordinary African scene that is indescribably compelling.
melonsSossusvlei, Namibia, 1997
Finding these melons in the middle of the desert was a delightful surprise. Desert melons are a popular source of food for the Nama people of the center and south.
Sossusvlei PanSossusvlei, Namibia, 1997
The Sossusvlei pan is nestled among the world's tallest sand dunes in the southwest. It only fills with water for a few weeks about once every ten years; otherwise it is dry. For those few weeks the desert miraculously becomes green.
fishing boatsElmina, Ghana, 1997
The coast of West Africa is bustling with business, such as fishing, shipping, petroleum and tourism. Hand-made nets and boats compete with more modern equipment.
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.
oshanaEngela, 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.
mine fieldOhangwena, Namibia, 1995
I passed this mine field every time I walked from the dining hall to the post office. Large armored trucks would drive through the mine fields and set off mines around lunch time. The border between Namibia and Angola remains fairly heavily mined, and many people, especially children, continue to be killed or injured by mines long after the end of the war. Children think the mines are toys and pick them up. An education and de-mining campaign has helped somewhat, but it is much more expensive to de-mine than to mine. The US continues to be one of the few countries that refuses to sign the international treaty banning land mines.
souvenirs on Post Street MallWindhoek, Namibia, 1995
Souvenirs for sale include baskets, wood bowls and animal carvings, necklaces, and drums, most of which are made in the North. Downtown in the capital city is very similar to a European city: modern, clean, and many rich people. When you go to the suburbs you see the poor people in small houses crammed into dusty lots. During the Apartheid era, non-whites were driven into the suburbs, and though the law has changed, the inequalities are slow to go away.
ferryZanzibar, Tanzania, 1995
We took a ferry like this to get to the island. It only took about an hour, but it cost about as much as a three-day train trip to Zambia.
view of Auas Mountains from Harmony CentreWindhoek, Namibia, 1994
This photo was taken from my Peace Corps training site. It represents my first view of Namibia: hot, dry and dusty, short shrub-like trees with thorns and few leaves, savannah and mountains of the central region, and beautiful rainbows and sunsets. When we volunteers arrived in November it was said that we brought the rain. Rain is considered good weather. Windhoek, the capital city, is in a semi-desert region, and water shortages become a major problem during droughts. Water must be piped from dams and rivers as far as several hundred kilometres away to meet the growing water needs of the city.
