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March 6, 2012

Namibia


There are many reasons to visit Namibia. While the economic possibilities are intriguing, I really went for the scenery. I had read about the dunes and even seen some pictures, but until you’re actually climbing on them, you cannot really understand just how amazing they are. I recently read that in 2010, 984,000 people visited Namibia. That compares to 16.9 million people going to Read More
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February 8, 2012

Zimbabwe Part III


It’s been called Uncle Bob’s (Robert Mugabe) insane asylum. It’s destroyed the wealth of almost every white investor (and many of the black ones too) over the last thirty years. It’s functionally dysfunctional and the concept of rule of law is as vague as Mugabe’s moods. Why would I ever invest there? One reason, Mugabe is 87. He has to die eventually. This is Read More
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February 8, 2012

Victoria Falls


I apologize in advance for this piece having nothing to do with finance, but you cannot go to Zimbabwe without going to Victoria falls…. And the difficulty in getting there, only made it more worthwhile when I actually got there. Our flight was cancelled “because the national airline didn’t bribe the right guys for the plane to take off,” according to our travel agent–no Read More
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January 20, 2012

Zimbabwe Part I


In the West, many of us think that we know the Zimbabwe story and it goes something like this. The prosperous colony of Rhodesia was abandoned to its fate by the British as they succumbed to socialism after World War II. Ian Smith, the leader of Rhodesia, was condemned by the West for seceding from the British Commonwealth, but he stubbornly refused to let Read More
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January 15, 2012

Mozambique Part II


Like most countries in Africa, no one really knows the numbers in Mozambique. The government numbers are politicized, the NGO numbers completely ignore the unofficial sector—which is frequently many times the official sector, and businessmen operate by guesstimate. How many people live in Mozambique? Any number between 20 and 25 million is about as accurate as it gets. How big is the economy? The Read More
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January 4, 2012

Mozambique Part I


  Let’s start with the most shocking fact from my visit to Mozambique; for a country with an AK-47 on its flag, it sure is peaceful. I’ve been in search of a way to adequately describe Mozambique to friends back home. Jamaica without the reefer? New Orleans without the Popeye’s? Antigua with resources? I still cannot really put my finger on it, but it’s Read More
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December 30, 2011

Off To Africa….


By the time that you read this, I will be on my way to Africa, a continent of unlimited possibilities. Before I talk about what I see there, I think it’s important to walk through a quick historical overview. I apologize in advance for lumping nearly 50 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa into a few quick paragraphs, but the historical similarities become obvious when you Read More
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November 15, 2011

Free Cookies….?


As many of you know, I now live in Mongolia and am focused on building Mongolia Growth Group. As it is a public company, I have felt that this website was an inappropriate venue to discuss the company as I’m so deeply involved in it. I will host a corporate update presentation and reception for shareholders and interested investors on November 17, 2011 at Read More
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September 8, 2011

Gobi Vacation


Every year, near the end of August, I go on the family canoe trip. Normally, it’s been in the Adirondacks, convenient for my parents, less convenient for me. This year, we decided to mix it up and go canoeing in Lake Baikal—or at least that was the plan. Let’s just say that the Russians take their visa process very seriously if you are an Read More
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