Trees Against a Yellow Sky

I spent fourteen years in Africa, longer than any other place I have lived in. Although I have been gone for ten years, I have pangs of homesickness, when I look at my old photographs. In the shot above, the eroded path on the red clay road was leading out of the village called Omendjadi. The "town" was Lodja, which was about 35 miles away, or four hours by vehicle. The high, arching trees were remnants of a cut-down forest.

We were all volunteer teachers, in the local agricultural high school. Two of us were with the Peace Corps, which supplied training and support to their volunteers. European countries also had a similar type of service, where young people could volunteer in lieu of the compulsory military service. The two men on the trail were French and Belgian volunteers.

We were scouting for a big termite mound on that weekend day. We had a great interest in the natural world, and particularly, insects. Life was simple, and, without any contact with the outside world, we amused ourselves with walks.

Photo by D. Messinger