Under African Skies

Last year I took a 16-day photography trip to the west African country of Namibia.

One night -- thankfully, only one night -- we camped out in a remote location. Each of us was provided a tent, cot, sleeping bag and air mattress. While each piece individually was fine, the combination was not. As a result, I was unable to sleep even for a few hours. Even worse, I slid right off the cot and got wedged between the cot and one wall of the tent. After a struggle, I was able to get up, and I pulled everything off the cot and lay directly on the cot under a couple of blankets. The air mattress was history. But by then, the idea of sleep had left me.

As I lay in my tent, I observed the myriad of stars through the mesh top of the tent. The skies were incredibly clear, and never have I seen so many stars anywhere other than during previous trips to Arica.

The African sky also has the most glorious sunsets I have ever seen. The best ever was in South Africa. It was so magnificent that everyone in my vehicle urgently asked the guide to stop so we could photograph it. The sunset pictured was in Tanzania.

Even daylight sees the skies illuminating a glorious landscape of animals found nowhere else on earth. Giraffes of several species, zebras, baboons, wildebeests, lions, cheetahs, leopards and of course, African elephants live on the continent. There is nothing quite like falling asleep, or waking in the middle of the night, to the sound of a lion roaring.

I first visited Africa several years ago, and I quickly fell in love with the continent. Since then, I have returned a total of 11 times. Some of those trips, most of them in fact, were safaris. But three others took me to the northern African countries of Egypt, Ethiopia and Morocco.

I know that my view of Africa is a gilded one. There is rampant poverty throughout the continent. Society is very patriarchal. Many governments are incredibly corrupt. There are occasional terrorist attacks in Kenya and Nigeria. Civil war has destroyed many in Sudan. 

But the African people I have met have been wonderful, friendly and helpful. I sense that the people I encounter in the safari companies and at the various hotels and lodges where I have stayed truly enjoy their jobs. I have the sense that they aren't just going through the motions as they provide services to their guests.

I love going to Africa, as evidenced by my repeated trips
there. The opportunity to photograph African wildlife and experience the thrill of being close to these magnificent animals is beyond words. I am fortunate to let my cameras do the talking for me.

I can't wait for my next African adventure!

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