Summer here in Germany has been rather un-summer-y this year. The days start out looking nice, and then the rains begin... the clouds move in. Some days are great, but then the next day is cold and windy. This weather has got me to thinking about my favorite place (so far) on earth... if you can call a whole continent a “place”... Africa.

There is something about Africa that draws me in, and pulls me back. I poke around on YouTube, finding videos of places and music... I poke around in my old photos... and reminisce about this times when I was wandering in places I probably shouldn't have been, but somehow managed to get through with no problems. Like this photo... this is the Rwanda – Democratic Republic of Congo border crossing. No photos allowed... errr... ooops... I took one anyway.

Africa has its problems... no doubt about it. The years of colonial exploitation has left deep wounds and horrible scars on the countryside, and on the people. The poverty is heartbreaking at times.... yet, people there seem so much happier than their wealthy cousins in Europe, Canada, the USA etc.

You see simple homes like these ... less than shacks in many cases... you see the residents working hard.. working harder than anyone in Europe can ever understand...

Then you go around the corner, and you see modern buildings, and infrastructure.... such as Union Trade Center in downtown Kigali (Rwanda).

Or the view from the home I stayed at in Kuicikiro (Kigali)....

In the end for me though, it is scenes like the one on this river that are most memorable...

Anyway... just thought I'd share a few more photos...