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Eric Holcomb

Address: 1900 NE 3rd St STE 106 PMB 361, Bend, OR 97701-3889
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June 2001 African Total Solar Eclipse Trip

Click on thumbnails to see larger versions of these pictures.

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Eric traveled all the way to sub-Saharan Africa to watch the first total solar eclipse of the new millennium, which happened on June 21, 2001. Eric also spent two days at the Hwange Safari Lodge and two days at the A'Zambezi River Lodge near Victoria Falls. (Both of these lodges are located in Zimbabwe; the eclipse was observed from about 30 miles north of Lusaka, Zambia.) The following pages contain many interesting photos of the eclipse, the African people, the wildlife and the falls.

Eric's statement regarding situation in Zimbabwe (3/17/02): I am very concerned about the reelection of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, after a presidential election rejected by many in the West as flawed, and about Mugabe's stated objective to accelerate the seizure of white-owned farms. According to opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, the election result is ''daylight robbery,'' charging that bands of pro-Mugabe youths imposed a reign of terror on opposition strongholds. Although I chose to travel to Zimbabwe in 2001, I would not do so again under the present circumstances. The present circumstances are unfortunate since Zimbabwe is for the most part a friendly country with a great cultural heritage and great natural wonders. I sincerely hope that it will be possible to form an acceptable government of national unity as Zimbabwe faces the challenges of the 21st century.

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