Egypt – Luxor City Scenes

Luxor is a city in Upper (southern) Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. Its population numbers 376,022 (1999 survey), and its area is about 416 km2 [1]. As the site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterised as the "world’s greatest open air museum". The ruins of the temple

Tanzania – Dar es Salaam (1)

Dar-es-Salaam is a city of about 2 1/2 million people that bustles during the work day and is quiet at night. It’s not the capital of Tanzania but is the largest city in the country and one of the most important shipping ports on the African east coast. Countless shopkeepers sell every imaginable type of

Zambia – Lusaka

Lusaka is the capital of Zambia; it’s a non-descript city of about 1.5 million people that bustles in the day and rolls up at night. In recent years, Lusaka has become a popular urban settlement for Zambians and tourists alike. Its mostly stable government and improved infrastructure sector have increased donor confidence and as such

Kenya – Nairobi: City (1)

Kenya has been among Africa’s economic and political ‘successes’ since independence in 1963. Nairobi is one of the continent’s premier cities. I arrived two days after the national presidential elections on December 27, 2008. The results were angrily disputed and riots broke out all over the country. Some of the images (#40-52) here reveal the

Tanzania – Serengeti Plain

The Serengeti is hard to take in at first given the density of wildlife that appears at first to be in peaceful coexistence–except for the occasional necessary food kill. The Serengeti is located in north-western Tanzania and extends into southern Kenya. It covers about 30,000 sq km and hosts the largest and longest overland twice-yearly

Zambia – Victoria Falls (1)

Victoria Falls are very spectacular from any point of view, land or air. Although the Falls constitute neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, the claim is that it’s the largest is based on a width of 1.7 kilometres (1 mi) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), forming the largest sheet

Egypt – Abu Simbel Temple

Abu Simbel is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 290 km southwest of Aswan. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself

Kenya – Nairobi: City (2)

Kenya has been among Africa’s economic and political ‘successes’ since independence in 1963. Nairobi is one of the continent’s premier cities. I arrived two days after the national presidential elections on December 27, 2008. The results were angrily disputed and riots broke out all over the country. Some of the images (Nairobi Gallery 1, #40-52)

Tanzania – Dar es Salaam (2)

Dar es Salaam is a city of about 2 1/2 million people that bustles during the work day and is quiet at night. It’s not the capital of Tanzania but is the largest city in the country and one of the most important shipping ports on the African east coast. Along the north shore are

Zambia – Victoria Falls (2)

Victoria Falls are very spectacular from any point of view, land or air. Although the Falls constitute neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, the claim is that it’s the largest is based on a width of 1.7 kilometres (1 mi) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), forming the largest sheet

Egypt – Siwa Oasis Village

Siwa Oasis town is isolated 350 miles west of Cairo and is home to the ancient Temple of Ammon (Amun) where Alexander the Great came in 331 BC to consult the oracle. The other main ruin, the 13c mud brick Shali fortress, is in the town center. Today the town (23,000 people) is a picturesque

Northern South Africa

The South African coast stretches 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Modern human beings have inhabited South Africa for more than 100,000 years. European settlement expanded during the 1820s as the Boers (original Dutch, Flemish, German and French settlers) and the British 1820 Settlers claimed land in the north

Zambia – Train to Zambia

The Tazara train from Dar es Salaam to (almost) Lusaka, Zambia takes about 43 hours–give or take some hours–and covers a distance of about 2000 kilometers (1200 miles). Along the track and across the green landscape life teems with energy, rural peasant life, curious children, aggressive vendors and even a wedding (photos 58-63). The track

Egypt – Luxor: Ramesseum Temple

A huge temple built by Ramses II to honor himself. He ruled for 66 years from 1279-1213 BC (19th dynasty). The Ramesseum temple was intended to impress Ramses’ subjects but eventually fell into ruin . The major artifact here is a huge seated Ramses statue, but an earthquake toppled the colossus in centuries past (photos

Gay Burundi

 Intro: Homosexuality in Burundi is less than a heartbeat away from the grim political and social clouds that have loomed over Burundi since 2007. Peace is very fragile. This short report from the web site ‘Behind the Mask’ is a small window into the daunting situation for gays in Burundi and one man’s escape to

Southern South Africa

The South African coast stretches 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Modern human beings have inhabited South Africa for more than 100,000 years. European settlement expanded during the 1820s as the Boers (original Dutch, Flemish, German and French settlers) and the British 1820 Settlers claimed land in the north

Zambia – Livingstone Town

Home to the spectacular Victoria Falls, Livingstone is a modest town of about 100,000 people bustling with commerce, tourism and the usual hardscrabble laborers. On the outskirts of town are many rustic houses and some nicer homes as well as various private grammar schools. The roads in these areas are unpaved and rough and the

Egypt – Luxor: Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is the location of some of the world’s greatest ancient artifacts: the tombs of the pharoahs who ruled the Egyptian Empire. For a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth

Egypt – Luxor Museum

Luxor Museum is located in the Egyptian city of Luxor (ancient Thebes). It stands on the corniche, overlooking the River Nile, in the central part of the city. Inaugurated in 1975, the museum prides itself on the quality of the pieces it has, the uncluttered way in which they are displayed, and the clear multilingual

Homosexuality in Ethiopia

Introduction A three part commentary by a gay Ethiopian living in South Africa. He tells of threatening conditions and persecution of LGBT people in his native country. The entire contents of this story are from the highly valuable and useful Pan-African web site Behind the Mask which has useful information about 36 countries on the

Egypt – Karnak and Luxor Temples

The Karnak Temple Complex, (photos 1-38) universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings. It is located 2.5km north of Luxor in Egypt. This was Ancient Egypt’s main place of worship of the Theban Triad with Amun as its head, in the monumental city of Thebes.

It’s Normal to be Gay: Worldwide Gay Survey

Intro: Despite daunting persecution of gays in many countires, a guest author surveys mid-nineties optimistic gains in gay expression, gay pride activity and legal status around the world. Bangkok   by John Duvoli The Economist Revised June 1, 2008 Photos by Richard Ammon                                                                         Across the world a radical idea about homosexuals is gaining ground: