http://therandymon.com 2012-05-17T16:32:41+01:00 text/html 2012-01-06T15:10:41+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/233/ Early morning, waters of the Mediterranean lapping at the edge of the harbor, the Castello built on a pile of rocks stands forgotten in time. Sea birds perch along its roofline. The peal of the church bells reverberates off the mountain behind my back. Latitude N44° 20'48.8", Longitude E 09° 13' 57.3". Where the heck am I? . text/html 2012-01-06T14:56:22+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/232/ the turn-offs towards the little coastal towns were better suited for motorcycles than 4 wheeled vehicles, or even our little, rented VW Polo. Down and around hairpin curves, each of which threatened to rise up by its elbows and hurl us onto the rocks below, the little seaside ports always just around the next curve. . text/html 2012-01-02T14:54:53+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/231/ The common understanding is that you visit West Africa for its people (the bright fabrics, the music, the culture and the intriguing ceremonies), and East Africa for its wildlife (the big game in particular). In practice, this generalization fails under scrutiny, as do they all. West Africa in fact has its share of opportunities to view big game (for the record, East Africa has its share of anthropological attractions too; was it even necessary to mention?). Senegal, too has a wildlife reserve, by the name of Bandia. Here are some pictures from our expedition: . text/html 2012-01-01T19:22:50+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/228/ Saint Louis, former capital of French West Africa, boasts a splendor still evident in the old buildings, the 19th century French colonial architecture of long eaves, gabled verandas, and tiled roofs; the stuccoed buildings' color remain the paintbox of the tropics. And the music and art remain. Run down but likable, its charm is unmistakable, an island nestled between the shores of the broad, chocolaty Saint Louis River, and a fitting melange of cultures, aesthetics, and traditions.. text/html 2011-12-29T17:34:53+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/230/ We live in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the largest socio-economic minority is the Lebanese, some of whom work with or for the American community. Put that together and what do you get for Christmas? You get this: Santa Claus enjoying a cold beer at the Christmas celebration, while watching the Belly Dance troupe shimmy. Awesome.. text/html 2011-12-22T15:20:58+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/227/ The riverfront is commanded by an imposing set of concrete wharfs where the fishing boats offload their catch and where the Senegalese military maintains part of its flotilla for patrolling the Atlantic. Flocks of graceful cranes skim a few meters of the river water, white with black wing tips. In the afternoon light, they wade at the water's edge, picking in the grass. But the town itself, rows of two story stucco homes in colonial architecture and tiled roofs, shadowed by coconut palms and fronds of bougainvillea, does a brisk regional trade in the usual goods. . text/html 2011-12-22T15:08:37+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/226/ Ostensibly luxurious hotels offer deep pools and carefully manicured garden borders, fishing excursions into the deep waters off the coast for Marlin, massage with essential oils, henna treatments, and gift shops full of neat little things. The dozen or so hotels that have set up shop along the long, placid coastline south of Dakar all vie with each other for "correctness" and quality of restaurant. They're nice enough, and comfortable. But I had the pleasure of traveling to the Petite Côte in the company of several dozen well-educated African colleagues, and was able to see the place through their eyes. And I learned more about France and the French than I did about Africa that weekend.. text/html 2011-12-22T10:30:58+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/225/ Our travels through Germany concluded, intentionally, with a stay in Munich at the end of September. The fact that coincided with the last days of Oktoberfest was no accident. We are fortunate to have friends there, who accompanied us to the festival and helped interpret what was going on. I was caught off guard. I'd expected the long tents, and immense, wooden tables of beer steins and salted chicken But I hadn't expected the carnival rides. . text/html 2011-12-22T09:56:02+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/224/ Halfway between the castle and the riverside town stood the stone walls of a small cathedral, the Gothic Wernerkapelle, partially constructed 700 years ago but never finished. The windows sills were ready for glass, the walls were solid, but it was open to the sky, and the floor was nothing more than packed earth. . text/html 2011-12-22T09:41:45+01:00 http://therandymon.com rsw@therandymon.com http://therandymon.com/content/view/223/ This is a picture of one of my fondest moments in Benin. I'm standing next to the King of Pobé, and as you can see from the smile, I'm happy. Benin retains extensive royalty, and at most public meetings of importance you can expect a king or two to be present. They are treated with extreme deference and legitimate respect. "But what role," I thought, "can they possibly play in a nation also having a president, a National Assembly, regional representatives, and a dozen ministries? I found out, in Pobé. .