Joe Benning Photography

Travel & Photo Blog

  •   Reston, VA

A Quick Trip into Abidjan

The Ivory Coast May 17, 2023 We had a short visit to the Ivory Coast, or Cote d’Ivoire. The visit was short because we docked 4 hours late for some unknown reason and the scheduled tours had to be shortened so we could sail on time later that evening. Instead of going on a scheduled […]

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A Quick Tour in Ghana

Takoradi, Ghana May 16, 2023 We arrived in Ghana, officially known as the Republic of Ghana, on May 15. Located on the West Coast of Africa, Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence from colonial rule on March 6, 1957. Ghana is the second largest cocoa producer in the world, and claims that […]

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Adventures in Voodoo

A Voodoo Ceremony in Togo  May 15, 2023 We sailed into Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, on Sunday May 14 to witness a Voodoo ceremony in a village named Sanguera. In a way it was a study in the contrasts that are endemic to so many African countries.  On the one hand we witnessed a […]

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Adventures in Africa

Sao Tome & Principe May 13, 2023 We arrived in Sao Tome, the capital city of Sao Tome and Principe, on May 12, 2023. Sao Tome and Principe is a tiny island country with a population of about 225,000. The country achieved its independence in 1975 and promptly declared itself to be ”a revolutionary front […]

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The West African Coast: Namibia

Walvis Bay, Namibia May 11, 2023 We arrived at Walvis Bay in Namibia which is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.To the north it shares land borders with Zambia and Angola, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek. But the capital […]

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Piracy on the High Seas

Pirates!   We recently have learned a few things about pirates in the Atlantic Ocean – yes that’s right, the Atlantic.   Apparently, piracy is big business off the West coast of Africa, as cargo ships with refined petroleum pass through these waters.  Several African countries on the West coast are rich in oil, and […]

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A Quick Tour of Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa May 9, 2023 We flew into Cape Town from Durbin on May 5 at the conclusion of our Safari. Then we headed off the next day on a half-day tour of the city. Last time we were in Cape Town (back in 2018) we didn’t think much of the place. In […]

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Photo Safari at Phinda Forest Lodge

Zululand, South Africa May 8, 2023 When we arrived in South Africa, we immediately went by van to Phinda Forest Lodge for a photo safari (we were part of a group of 8 passengers from the ship).   Phinda is one of the many lodges owned by a company called “&Beyond” which promotes sustainable travel […]

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Visiting Mozambique

Maputo, Mozambique May 7, 2023 We just finished—wait for it—a pirate drill. Apparently we are about to enter a high-risk area (HRA) for piracy. Not something you see every day.  Anyway, we arrived in Maputo, Mozambique on Monday, May 1st. Now officially known as the Republic of Mozambique, it has a population of 30 million […]

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