I’ve returned from South Africa this morning, after a 20-day journey around Africa. Both portions of the trip – Angola and South Africa – were equally intense, in different ways. It will take some time to sort out the experiences in my head, still spinning with impressions. I expect a series of blog posts about my African adventure. In the meantime, thought I’d share some photos of beautiful children of Angola. These impromptu photo sessions were so much fun – the kids were truly excited to be posing for photos, even more so when they saw themselves on the screen. Their smiles will stay with me, a lasting memory…

These first two pictures were taken on my first morning in Luanda, when we went out for a wander around the neighborhood and its local market. I will always remember that walk, not only because the market was an incredible sight, but also because my neck managed to burn quite seriously in a span of just one hour. Don’t ever disrespect the African sun by forgetting to smear on lots of sunblock!

On our road trip around Angola, en route between the coastal town of Lobito and Luanda, we stopped for lunch at a roadside market. A friend had recommended a shack there, Baraca da Maria Mulata, where we sampled some of Maria’s famous food. On the way to the car, we were accosted by a dozen children selling different products. Needless to say, we drove away with pineapple, sugar cane and bananas.

On the way out of the town of Sumbe, we suddenly heard loud music and saw a crowd of people gathered on a clearing by the side of the road. We stopped the car and found ourselves in the midst of a Carnaval rehearsal. The music was entrancing, with local teenagers playing handmade instruments and young girls dressed in colorful costumes dancing to the rhythm. It took me a while to peel my eyes off this unique spectacle, the music echoing in my head as we drove off…

The last day of our road trip, as the sun was slowly dropping behind the horizon, we drove past a no-name village with circular mud huts along a palm-lined river bank. Bathed in stunning light, it looked so inviting that we stopped for a walk to the river. As we walked through the village, people greeted us with wide smiles. We were soon followed by a group of gorgeous kids just back from river swimming…