Images by Rick Valenzuela (Lightstalkers)

Antoine Sylla bails over a wave at the Ouakam surf spot in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2006. Sylla, a surf instructor, tracked this surf swell online for weeks as it worked its way south from Wales to Ouakam, a spot that is only surfable a couple of weeks each year.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Antoine Sylla bails over a wave at the Ouakam surf spot in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2006. Sylla, a surf instructor, tracked this surf swell online for weeks as it worked its way south from Wales to Ouakam, a spot that is only surfable a couple of weeks each year.
Antoine Sylla bails over a wave at the Ouakam surf spot in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2006. Sylla, a surf instructor, tracked this surf swell online for weeks as it worked its way south from Wales to Ouakam, a spot that is only surfable a couple of weeks each year.

Musicians and concertgoers rest on an abandoned construction rig at a punk show at an outdoor bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Saturday, March 4, 2006.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Musicians and concertgoers rest on an abandoned construction rig at a punk show at an outdoor bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Saturday, March 4, 2006.
Musicians and concertgoers rest on an abandoned construction rig at a punk show at an outdoor bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Saturday, March 4, 2006.

An election worker tallies a vote for Mali's popular incumbent President Amadou Toumani Toure, known by his initials ATT, after polls closed in the l’école de Quinzambougou, in the capital, Bamako, on Sunday, April 29, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman are running for president. More than 1,000 international observers are monitoring the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

An election worker tallies a vote for Mali's popular incumbent President Amadou Toumani Toure, known by his initials ATT, after polls closed in the l’école de Quinzambougou, in the capital, Bamako, on Sunday, April 29, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman are running for president. More than 1,000 international observers are monitoring the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.
An election worker tallies a vote for Mali's popular incumbent President Amadou Toumani Toure, known by his initials ATT, after polls closed in the l’école de Quinzambougou, in the capital, Bamako, on Sunday, April 29, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman are running for president. More than 1,000 international observers are monitoring the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

Mali's incumbent President Amadou Toumani Toure casts his ballot at the Ecole Fundamentale de l'ex Base Aerienne in the capital, Bamako, on Sunday, April 29, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman are seeking the next five-year presidential term. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Mali's incumbent President Amadou Toumani Toure casts his ballot at the Ecole Fundamentale de l'ex Base Aerienne in the capital, Bamako, on Sunday, April 29, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman are seeking the next five-year presidential term. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.
Mali's incumbent President Amadou Toumani Toure casts his ballot at the Ecole Fundamentale de l'ex Base Aerienne in the capital, Bamako, on Sunday, April 29, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman are seeking the next five-year presidential term. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

A man dries out woven trays after washing them in the Niger River in Mali's capial, Bamako, on Saturday morning, April 28, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman and the current head of state, Amadou Toumani Toure, are seeking the next five-year presidential term in Sunday's election. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

A man dries out woven trays after washing them in the Niger River in Mali's capial, Bamako, on Saturday morning, April 28, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman and the current head of state, Amadou Toumani Toure, are seeking the next five-year presidential term in Sunday's election. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.
A man dries out woven trays after washing them in the Niger River in Mali's capial, Bamako, on Saturday morning, April 28, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman and the current head of state, Amadou Toumani Toure, are seeking the next five-year presidential term in Sunday's election. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

A man rinses woven trays in the Niger River in Mali's capial, Bamako, on Saturday morning, April 28, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman and the current head of state, Amadou Toumani Toure, are seeking the next five-year presidential term in Sunday's election. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

A man rinses woven trays in the Niger River in Mali's capial, Bamako, on Saturday morning, April 28, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman and the current head of state, Amadou Toumani Toure, are seeking the next five-year presidential term in Sunday's election. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.
A man rinses woven trays in the Niger River in Mali's capial, Bamako, on Saturday morning, April 28, 2007. Mali, twice the size of France, is one of the world's poorest countries, ranking 175 out of 177 in the United Nations Development Program's human development report. Eight candidates including one woman and the current head of state, Amadou Toumani Toure, are seeking the next five-year presidential term in Sunday's election. More than 1,000 international observers will monitor the elections in the shadow of last week's flawed polls in Nigeria.

Voters line up to cast ballots in the French presidential election at the embassy on Sunday, April 22, 2007, in Dakar, Senegal, the birthplace of Socialist Party candidate and assemblywoman Marie-SŽgolne Royal.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Voters line up to cast ballots in the French presidential election at the embassy on Sunday, April 22, 2007, in Dakar, Senegal, the birthplace of Socialist Party candidate and assemblywoman Marie-SŽgolne Royal.
Voters line up to cast ballots in the French presidential election at the embassy on Sunday, April 22, 2007, in Dakar, Senegal, the birthplace of Socialist Party candidate and assemblywoman Marie-SŽgolne Royal.

Voters queue around the Senegalese national symbol, the Baobab trree, to cast ballots in the presidential election at the Ecole Djaraf Ibra Paye in the capital, Dakar, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. President Abdoulaye Wade, 80, is seeking a second term in a field of 15 candidates.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Voters queue around the Senegalese national symbol, the Baobab trree, to cast ballots in the presidential election at the Ecole Djaraf Ibra Paye in the capital, Dakar, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. President Abdoulaye Wade, 80, is seeking a second term in a field of 15 candidates.
Voters queue around the Senegalese national symbol, the Baobab trree, to cast ballots in the presidential election at the Ecole Djaraf Ibra Paye in the capital, Dakar, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. President Abdoulaye Wade, 80, is seeking a second term in a field of 15 candidates.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh (right) and Health Minister Dr. Tamsir Mbowe rub Jammeh's alternative medicine treatment for HIV/AIDS sufferers on Lamine Ceesay, 40, at the president's statehouse ground in the capital, Banjul, on Thursday, Feb 15. 2007. Jammeh said last month he had begun treating 10 patients with secret herbal ingredients that will cure them of HIV/AIDS. His health minister backs his claims, saying that in trials so far patients had gained weight and physically improved.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh (right) and Health Minister Dr. Tamsir Mbowe rub Jammeh's alternative medicine treatment for HIV/AIDS sufferers on Lamine Ceesay, 40, at the president's statehouse ground in the capital, Banjul, on Thursday, Feb 15. 2007. Jammeh said last month he had begun treating 10 patients with secret herbal ingredients that will cure them of HIV/AIDS. His health minister backs his claims, saying that in trials so far patients had gained weight and physically improved.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh (right) and Health Minister Dr. Tamsir Mbowe rub Jammeh's alternative medicine treatment for HIV/AIDS sufferers on Lamine Ceesay, 40, at the president's statehouse ground in the capital, Banjul, on Thursday, Feb 15. 2007. Jammeh said last month he had begun treating 10 patients with secret herbal ingredients that will cure them of HIV/AIDS. His health minister backs his claims, saying that in trials so far patients had gained weight and physically improved.

Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, 80, waits to address supporters at a re-election campaign rally in the city of his birth, Kebemer, on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007. Wade, who has held the presidency since 2000, is seeking a second term in a general election against 14 other candidates scheduled for Feb. 25.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, 80, waits to address supporters at a re-election campaign rally in the city of his birth, Kebemer, on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007. Wade, who has held the presidency since 2000, is seeking a second term in a general election against 14 other candidates scheduled for Feb. 25.
Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, 80, waits to address supporters at a re-election campaign rally in the city of his birth, Kebemer, on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007. Wade, who has held the presidency since 2000, is seeking a second term in a general election against 14 other candidates scheduled for Feb. 25.

Images by Rick Valenzuela (Lightstalkers)

Antoine Sylla bails over a wave at the Ouakam surf spot in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2006. Sylla, a surf instructor, tracked this surf swell online for weeks as it worked its way south from Wales to Ouakam, a spot that is only surfable a couple of weeks each year.

Musicians and concertgoers rest on an abandoned construction rig at a punk show at an outdoor bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Saturday, March 4, 2006.

Voters line up to cast ballots in the French presidential election at the embassy on Sunday, April 22, 2007, in Dakar, Senegal, the birthplace of Socialist Party candidate and assemblywoman Marie-SŽgolne Royal.

Voters queue around the Senegalese national symbol, the Baobab trree, to cast ballots in the presidential election at the Ecole Djaraf Ibra Paye in the capital, Dakar, on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. President Abdoulaye Wade, 80, is seeking a second term in a field of 15 candidates.

Voters line up to cast ballots in the French presidential election at the embassy on Sunday, April 22, 2007, in Dakar, Senegal, the birthplace of Socialist Party candidate and assemblywoman Marie-SŽgolne Royal.