Good Music

Tananas used to make some of the best music before the untimely death of Gito Baloi.

Enjoy!

Olduvai Gorge

In 1960 I got my first subscription to National Geographic Magazine. That year there was an article that fascinated me greatly. It was about the discovery of Australopithecus boisei, or Zinjanthropus man, by Louis Leakey in Olduvai Gorge in Tanganyika. Little did I dream that about 10 years later I would have the privilege of visiting the site.

Olduvai Gorge

Olduvai Gorge

Olduvai Gorge

The site of the discovery of Zinjanthropus man.

Leakey's assistant, I believe his name is Francis, showing the major excavation site at the time of my visit. It was covered to protect it from the elements.

Small markers indicate fossils being carefully excavated from the site.

A portion of a leg bone of a prehistoric elephant.

Almost any stone lying around contained fossilized remains.

I later was able to see the Zinjanthropus man skull at the National Museum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Fort Jesus

Construction of Fort Jesus began in 1593 on Mombasa Island. The Portuguese moved to Mombasa from their trading base at Malindi along with the local ruler of Malindi.

For almost a century and a half the Portuguese based their activities along the eastern coast of Africa in Fort Jesus.

In March 1696 a fleet from Oman laid siege to Fort Jesus for 33 months.

Fort Jesus came under the rule of Oman.

This ended Portuguese rule north of the Rovuma River.

In 1699, 1703 and 1710 unsuccessful efforts were made by the Portuguese to retake Fort Jesus.

The Portuguese did retake the fort in 1728, but surrendered it again to the Arabs in 1729.

The British came upon the scene in the early 1800's as they began efforts to stop the slave trade.

Mombasa was a British Protectorate for a couple of years and then annexed to the sultanate of Zanzibar.

When the British colonized Kenya, they used the fort as a prison for a while.

In 1958 the fort was declared an historical monument.

James Kirkman (center above) excavated the fort from 1958-1971.
(He also excavated the ruins at Gedi.)

Gedi

The ruins of the ancient city of Gedi lie a short distance south of Malindi, Kenya.

Based upon the mosque and Islamic architecture, Gedi was an arab town dating from the 15th century. Some date the habitation of the town as early as the 12th-13th centuries. Archaeological evidence indicates trade with China although it was not an important enough center to be included in accounts of Arab, Swahili or Portuguese historians of the time.

Gedi was abandoned in the 16th century. It is uncertain as to the cause of this abandonment. The Galla, a fierce tribe that moved south from Somalia, occupied the site for a time in the 16th century and they, too, abandoned it.

In 1948 Gedi was made a national park. James Kirkman excavated the site in the 1960's and is one of the foremost authorities on the site.

Malindi Postscript

Most tourists visiting Malindi concentrate on the beaches or the monument Vasco da Gama built to commemorate his visit to Malindi in 1498. However, the pillar tomb near the Juma Mosque is a mystery that lives on today. It dates from the 15th century and is unlike anything found in other Muslim cemeteries. Some believe that it was built for deceased Portuguese. The significance of the pillar is unknown.

Bohm's Bee-eater

Africa has wonderful bird life.

Bohm's Bee-eater: taken at Mvuu Camp in Liwonde Game Park, Liwonde, Malawi.

Robert Mugabe is #1

"This year, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe takes the top spot on PARADE's annual World's Worst Dictators list, replacing Im Jong-Il of North Korea. . . . Rankings are based on dictators' human-rights violations, the suffering their leadership has caused, and the amount of absolute power they wield. Sources include the U.S. State Department, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders." -- PARADE Magazine, 22 March 2009

Last year Mugabe ranked 6th. To read more about what lifted Mugabe to the top, visit The World's Worst Dictators. Also read the article 'Stop the Rape and Terror' from the same issue of PARADE.

Another Look at Victoria Falls

Looking down on Victoria Falls

The bottom of the falls

Going over the falls

The wall of Devil's Cataract

Main Falls Framed

African Signs

One often encounters interesting signs in Africa. Below is one I saw in Voi, Kenya in the early 1970's. The shopkeeper couldn't understand why the wazungu were taking pictures.


For more funny signs check out Getaway Magazine's collection.

Pink elephant is caught on camera

We used to see "pink" elephants beside the Nairobi-Mombasa highway when passing through the Tsavo area. That was because the elephants dusted themselves with red dirt regularly. This appears to be the real thing.

Pink elephant is caught on camera

Animal Camouflage

Animals have an amazing ability to blend in with their surroundings. Many times it is only upon careful observation that nearby animals can be detected. Below is a giraffe in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Can you see it? (Click on photo to see larger size.)

Click here to reveal the giraffe.