Out of Africa (2)

There are 54 independent nations in Africa, but I have visited just over 10%. This is sad, as each country is unique and has given me the opportunity to understand a lot about my roots.

But I am not crying over spilled milk today, just sharing my initial impressions of Ghana which I visited in 2023.

Kwame Nkrumah memorial 

This was my first trip to West Africa from which most slaves were shipped. 

Interestingly, on that trip, the hotel we stayed at was right on the Atlantic Ocean, across which our ancestors unwillingly traversed. Mine and your ancestors survived that journey but millions of Africans didn't!

Ghanaians tell me that even today when it rains heavily, a number of local people use nets to collect items, even gold, that washes up from the deep where so many sunken trips have ended up over the centuries.

On arriving in Accra, I was immediately struck by how much some sections look like my own capital city, Kingston. 

For like Kingston, the roads are choking with traffic, the sidewalks are overwhelmed by vendors' stalls and hustling pedestrians and in some sections, many buildings and developments appear totally unplanned.

 

Like Kingston too, there is obviously a wide gap between rich and poor as the mansions and slums stand out in contrast to each other.

 

The affluence in Accra is enhanced by wealthy Nigerians who live in the oil-rich state of Benin which is only an hour and twenty minutes away by air and seven hours away by car.

 

 Because the Muslim culture in Benin is strict, things like liquor and wild parties are frowned on there, so they flock to the better sections of Accra to enjoy themselves and their immense wealth which they have no compunction about flaunting.

 

Their parties normally last for days, day and night, I was told.

 

Despite the crowding on the roads in the city, I immediately noticed how disciplined and well-mannered their drivers were in comparison to ours!

 

An interesting experience I had was when we encountered a landslide just outside of Accra, after a heavy shower of rain. This landslide totally blocked our side of the dual carriageway, but in sync, drivers simply turned around and crossed over to the lane on the other side of the carriageway where traffic faced them. That lane of traffic immediately gave up half of their space, no impatience, no honking of horns, no fights, no pulling of weapons, no cursing and swearing at others, and no mishaps

 

It was an amazingly disciplined and seamless operation,  although there were no police present to maintain order or give directions!

 

It is not only on the roads that you see the difference in discipline, but in their everyday life and this is especially marked in the crime statistics, especially violent crime. (According to  Travel and Tour World, "Ghana has recently been recognized as the second safest country in Africa, according to a comprehensive ranking released by global tourism experts. This report, which focuses on recommending top destinations for 2025, highlighted Ghana’s impressively low crime rate, positioning it as a safer destination than countries like Canada, Greece, and Australia. This recognition is expected to influence travel choices significantly, as travelers prioritize safety in their decisions.")

I don't know how accurate the above is. But I felt totally safe on my visit there and far safer than in Jamaica and the USA.  For my poor beleaguered homeland is so notoriously violent! The statistics show that our murder rate per capita, is nine times higher than Ghana’s, which is a very vast country by comparison.

 

Ghanaians on a whole are extremely friendly and welcoming, from political officials and tribal chiefs to the man in the street.

 

This welcoming attitude and peaceful coexistence among the numerous tribes, has led to a marked influx of black people from all over the world, especially the USA.

 

For with the low crime rate all over, the relatively cheap cost of living, (especially noticeable in land prices and construction costs,) plus the strength and stability of the Cedi, the country is very attractive to foreigners.  (The Cedi is the official currency and while it resembles the Jamaican $20 coin, it is worth 10 to US $1.)

 

Another drawing card is the fact that most Ghanaians speak English as well as many tribal languages and many are quite conversant with a few European languages.

 

As a Jamaican, I found Ghanaian food and cooking to be similar to ours but I had to be careful with the meats, as they tend to be extremely spicy. However everywhere you turn there are familiar fruit trees and ground crops.  I couldn’t find a breadfruit tree anywhere though and on describing it to all who would listen, it is clear that it is just was not used or grown there.

 

One marked difference between Ghanaians and us black people in the West that I immediately noticed too, was how short school children keep their hair,

 

Curious as usual, I had to ask and learned that in Ghana, boys and girls attending government schools from kindergarten up to University level must wear their hair trimmed very low.  It is said this is to prevent them from being distracted by vanity!

 

At first, I was appalled to hear this, but if it works for them, who the hell am I to criticize?

 

 Before visiting Ghana, I had traveled to Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.  But to me, Ghana felt very much like home and to tell you the truth, had I visited that huge low-crime,  developed, democratic, country when I was much younger, that would be where I would have chosen for my retirement.

 

More anon.

Exploring Africa!

I had the opportunity to visit the Motherland twice in 2023, but found it intriguing when quite a few of my fellow countrymen/women, asked incredulously  "how yu go a Africa so often?"

Had I visited Europe or North America twice in a year, it wouldn’t have seemed so strange to anyone.😥.

Snow-capped Kilimanjaro in Tanzania,
as seen from Kenya.

You see, we Jamaicans were brainwashed for decades (even after independence😡!) into believing that the European and North American  continents are the epiphany of civilization, whereas Africa is a dark undeveloped place that no one should visit.

Serious ting.

It may appear strange, but many Jamaicans even think of Africa as a country and not a continent made up of 54 diverse and independent nations!

This is because we have been fed so much negative crap about Africa as a whole, that most have not had the interest to research the facts for themselves.

Anyway, I plead guilty to belonging to the class of travelers who have avoided Africa for far too long!

I actually reached the south-western tip of the continent😊

So, for decades when traveling to faraway lands for pleasure, had chosen some exalted city in Europe, never a country in Africa!

 I was bitten by the travel bug from I was 14 years old, thanks to my parents. For it was at that age that they took me to places as diverse as Cuba (then highly developed and not yet communist), a few small eastern Caribbean islands, Montreal and New York.

So, it was from then that I decided that I wanted to see the natural beauty of the world, interact with every animal I could find, and relive history, but bypass cities and man-made edifices.

Playing with a 40-year-old seal in South Africa

But Africa was never in my plans, because of the negative press with which I had been bombarded for decades.

It was only when my Canadian friends who went to work in Kenya, invited me to stay with them after telling me how wonderful it was there, that I decided to explore.😡.

So, Kenya was the first country in Africa that I visited and it was a wonderful experience.

It was also then I  discovered what a fool I had been all along!

Quite frankly though, I was a bit surprised at how developed Nairobi was, because of the negative images that had been implanted in my brain for decades.(brainwashing is real and has proven to be super-effective for decades!)

Well, that's all behind me now, for it will be Africa every time when going on long-haul trips, for there is so much to see and do and so little time. 

On safari in Kenya with my hosts and friends.

Nairobi is very developed

The reality of Kenya certainly belied the propaganda that I had heard all my life. 

What impressed me immediately too, was how highly they respect their own currency, for that's the only cash they accept.

 Better, yet, they are so technologically advanced, that almost everyone pays with their phone. 

So whether you are buying an orange on the street or a car, just pay with the swipe of your phone.

Since that eye-opening trip, it's been Africa all the way for me.

Hanging out in a lobby in Botswana

My second trip to the Motherland took me to parts of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned for decades), and Cape Town in South Africa.

With Wendy and family.

This was all thanks to my Jamaican friend Wendy, who lives in Lusaka. She has lived and worked in Africa for more than seven years and knows areas of the Continent extremely well. 

I learned so much just visiting museums on this trip!

She was therefore able to guide me on how to travel, where to go, where to stay etc.

 It was a wonderful trek and I am eternally grateful as I was able to travel to places and experience things I had only heard of, but never thought I could do in this lifetime.

A Mandela memorial on Robben Island

Up to now, I still can't believe I saw and did the things which had only been distant dreams for decades. 

Fact is, the education I received on these brief trips have been more valuable and memorable than I have accumulated in many years.

Sections of Cape Town, South Africa

More recently, I had the opportunity to visit Ghana and even got my new name, KORLEKi.

I felt so at home in Ghana for the foods, flora, city scenes, lifestyle, fauna and even the huge gap between the rich and poor, seemed so much like ours at home.

But boy is their culture deep.

Joan, my views: A cultural powerhouse (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

I now understand why Rita Marley made that county her home for some 20 years!

I understand that the properties above are part of the Marley portfolio I Ghana.

Ghanaians are also super-welcoming but interestingly, while I had been under the impression that most of the slaves that were transported to Jamaica had Ghanaian roots, on my visit there, I learnt that only 23% did. 

Joan, my views: Religion and slavery (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

Although i  had long ago been told by my grandmother that our actual roots were in Sierra Leone with the Mandingo tribe, I still felt at home in Ghana and honored to be inducted into the Krobo tribe.😊

These school children reminded me so much of our own💓 

I also discovered that many Ghanaians are outstanding linguists, speaking French, and German due to their close association with Brussels where thousands live and work. 

Most also speak English very well as it is compulsory in school and they all speak many tribal languages as well.

The magnificent Mosi-oa-Tunya which spans sections of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is named among the top 7 natural  wonders of the world.

Because I am crazy about animals, I think the country I need to return to soon is Botswana, although I still have another 48 independent nations in the homeland to sample!

You can easily do both land and river safaris in Botswana 

So much to do, so little time.

Oh well, it was the insightful Lao-tzu who said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," so I should be grateful that I got the opportunity to take that single step a few years ago.

Now its on to the rest of the journey.

Heaven on earth

  I think I finally found the Garden of Eden. 

It’s on the Chobe river in Botswana.

 Omg, what beauty!

The river starts in Angola, separates Namibia from Botswana, flows into the Zambezi River which cascades over Victoria Falls then empties into the Indian Ocean. 

I tell you I have never felt greater peace and tranquility than during the few hours I spent meandering up and down the exotic River at the National Park in Botswana, looking at the animals in their natural habitat.

Hippos cooling off

There are hundreds of species of birds and exotic animals around and soldiers on patrol to deter poachers.

Here we saw a slew of hippos, baboons, wart hogs, elephants, buffalo etc. 

Even the crocs seemed at peace while different types of fleet-footed antelopes grazed on the banks, always on the look out for dangerous predators.

If this is not the best that nature has to offer, please tell me where. 

I now understand why the white man has been trying for centuries to steal African land!

We had taken a one day safari in the Chobe National Park in Botswana from Livingstone, Zambia.

 To get to  Chobe is around an hour drive on good roads,  through Mosi-park-Tunya National park, (which is where you find Africa’s greatest world wonder, Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi river. This river separates Zambia from Zimbabwe.)

At this bridge, you have 4 borders ; Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia.

The Chobe Park is a UNESCO world heritage site. 

Our guide/driver was one of the most focused young men I have ever met, so  I have to do a separate blog about him!

His name is Mwangelwa. (Pronounce it nuh😊)

Remember how careless and unthinking you were at 21?

Not him!

He is a great asset to Cherish Travel and Tours which organized this safari.

Botswana and Zambia share one building for immigration purposes so you just walk from one side of the huge hall to the other, for entry and exit. 

I loved that.

Botswana is one of the most progressive and well run democracies on the continent. It has less than 3 million people and according to a BBC study, “Botswana is “one of the world’s six best countries to live in”.

Their currency is the Pula and unlike Zambia which has strict currency control, you seem to be able to take in and bring out as much as you want.

Zambia’s border is full of signs warning you not to take in or leave with more than 5000 Kwacha.

You don’t learn much about a country in a day, but I was impressed Botswana’s attention to detail.

For example, wherever you drive, there are huge posters encouraging consumer awareness and civic pride.

Protection of their peoples health is of primary importance too, so before you enter their country, you must sanitize your feet! 

Motorists must drive through this sanitized trench to make sure the vehicle’s tires were also treated..

This our guide said was imposed when they had a breakout of ‘foot and mouth disease ‘ some years ago , but it became a permanent feature. 

Yup, lots of countries could learn Link;a lot from Botswana. 

Me, I just saw beauty all around.

Our safari had two components. First on the Chobe River which separates Namibia from Botswana.

Afterwards, we had a great lunch before starting the land tour through the Park.

This safari is by far the best value for money I have ever experienced anywhere.  Link; https://youtu.be/UeNtc_zDrq0

L to right: Some of our group: from Ireland, Tanzania, Latvia, USA.

The black and white bird is called ‘sacred ibis’

A hotel on the Namibia side

We didn’t see any zebras in the park, but when we returned to Zambia and drove into a hotel to use an ATM machine, these were wondering peacefully around.

And, we saw no lions either although we did see this lone buffalo with a huge wound just above his right leg  and the guide said it looked like he had survived a lion attack.

We did however have the great experience of taking cubs for a ‘walk in the park’ and as long as we stayed behind them, we would not be considered prey, the trainer said.

We did and we weren’t. 😊

That’s why we are still here😂😂