I arrived in Senegal at 3.30 am not speaking a french, not knowing a soul, no hotel room-agent forgot to book!-and a very thin budget. I faked being a guest at a five star hotel, could not hide my relief when they said fully booked. Got ready to cry about the manager making a plan for me (it was his hometown), got taken to another hotel. Room available. At that price FORGET it. More calls, room found settled for a few hours.
Day break, have to find an even cheaper place and the manager from the second hotel is true to his word and shosw up to help you find a place, make calls in French, that kinda thing.
I find a place, but relying on people to go ut of their way does not stop with Jean and Senegal. It has been daily butter since I started this journey. Along with feeling secure, caution taken in some cases and only because I am South African like that (and if I don't have my pepper spray, which is lots because why carry a weapon and assume people to be criminal before as honest as you are? However, I am a woman traveling alone, from South Africa, so get my perspective.
I am safe, happy and wishing you an incredible physical and emotional journey soon
Starting with a holiday soon
L
Niger
On the banks of the river Niger, Bamako. Sigh.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
If you are thinking of a detour around here
Bravery has little to do with this. This is the easiest thing I have ever done in terms of getting around and feeling safe. I have never been threatened with violence.
Just so you know and because I want to clarify the bravery issue. Being here is a leap of faith, a measure of curiosity and conviction and being so bored with your routine you will give up the comfort of that routine for a prolonged new experience.
Peace
From a catch 22 cyber cafe..space and aircon. After a day packed with guys, farts and guy smells.
L
Just so you know and because I want to clarify the bravery issue. Being here is a leap of faith, a measure of curiosity and conviction and being so bored with your routine you will give up the comfort of that routine for a prolonged new experience.
Peace
From a catch 22 cyber cafe..space and aircon. After a day packed with guys, farts and guy smells.
L
House keeping.
Before you ask and to avoid misunderstandings.
I am not in Africa. I am in West Africa and I am writing this a restaurant called Portsmouth in Le Riviera 2, Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Africa is too vast to call traveling around one of four regions that make up the continent being in Africa. That statement also distances South Africa from Africa. Of course I have issues with any discourse that puts barriers between us, see the 'about me box' on your left.
However, blogs need names that will roll off the tongue when spoken of . A name also needs to be easily recalled after first being heard of over cocktails, tea, in passing etc. Hence Boogyinafrica. My only consolation is that the law of speaking into teh future allows me such a grand claim. I want to see as much of Africa as possible, Ishallah, rebels, generally corrupt goverments and money willing.
Another thing, I welcome suggestions and ideas. However, I do DO NOT AT ALL appreciate people who think I should be doing this trip they way the would. If you are one those, who find my account boring, tame and not as xxx rated as you would like, book your own journey around here. Otherwise, feel free to ask me questions, drop suggestions and even rumours about what you hear about this side of Africa.
I want to broaden the experience, so if you you know something you would like to share, if you have a West African dream (maybe you want to club hop in Lagos, sip mint tea on the banks of the Niger) holler about a doable west African experience and I will see about letting you live it through me. At no cost to you. Because I am already here and so many have used envy, living through you etc to express how pro thsi expeirence they are. Also, if you have a FAMILY FRIENDLY; ask, whatever positive spin, story, idea you have, travel related tips you have, please. Share.
Hugs
L
I am not in Africa. I am in West Africa and I am writing this a restaurant called Portsmouth in Le Riviera 2, Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Africa is too vast to call traveling around one of four regions that make up the continent being in Africa. That statement also distances South Africa from Africa. Of course I have issues with any discourse that puts barriers between us, see the 'about me box' on your left.
However, blogs need names that will roll off the tongue when spoken of . A name also needs to be easily recalled after first being heard of over cocktails, tea, in passing etc. Hence Boogyinafrica. My only consolation is that the law of speaking into teh future allows me such a grand claim. I want to see as much of Africa as possible, Ishallah, rebels, generally corrupt goverments and money willing.
Another thing, I welcome suggestions and ideas. However, I do DO NOT AT ALL appreciate people who think I should be doing this trip they way the would. If you are one those, who find my account boring, tame and not as xxx rated as you would like, book your own journey around here. Otherwise, feel free to ask me questions, drop suggestions and even rumours about what you hear about this side of Africa.
I want to broaden the experience, so if you you know something you would like to share, if you have a West African dream (maybe you want to club hop in Lagos, sip mint tea on the banks of the Niger) holler about a doable west African experience and I will see about letting you live it through me. At no cost to you. Because I am already here and so many have used envy, living through you etc to express how pro thsi expeirence they are. Also, if you have a FAMILY FRIENDLY; ask, whatever positive spin, story, idea you have, travel related tips you have, please. Share.
Hugs
L
Long time coming
The blog that is. And just as well because a lot has been happening since I left home on June 23. Some of it even made me book a ticket back home six weeks into the experience.
I will share as I go. For now, I am just giving you the quick down low. I have so far been to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana and and typing this from a cyber cafe in Le Riviera, Abidjan Cote d Ivoire.
I hope you have been keeping up with me via City Press's backpage in my column Boogy's Space. If not, hang around here, there will be more content in the next few days and then daily news updates.
I am off to get the laptop and write posts there before posting them here.
Love and peace from a cloudy but hot as ever Le Riviera
Lerato (but you can call me Boogy)
I will share as I go. For now, I am just giving you the quick down low. I have so far been to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana and and typing this from a cyber cafe in Le Riviera, Abidjan Cote d Ivoire.
I hope you have been keeping up with me via City Press's backpage in my column Boogy's Space. If not, hang around here, there will be more content in the next few days and then daily news updates.
I am off to get the laptop and write posts there before posting them here.
Love and peace from a cloudy but hot as ever Le Riviera
Lerato (but you can call me Boogy)
Bienvenue, welcome
To my Africa. A continent that many of us are past hating, yet still know very little about because most of what we see, hear and read remains traditional-if it bleeds, it leads-news material.
Boogy in Africa is about heart, soul and emotion. It is about my travels around West Africa, a trip I consider a starter in getting to know Africa like the back of my hand. Very soon.
If you believe that Saturn returning story, like I do, then pay attention. If you don't, read and think before you diss.
I think many things and influences, including socialization and boredom, led to me here. A spiritual version of that line is that feel like this moment and my future around Africa is destiny. I am here by my will and by God's design. A well educated version runs along the lines of the typical pan african story about pride and putting one's LSM something money to where her mouth was. The event that pushed me here was my grandmother's death two years ago. She had been critically sick a while and in and out of hospitals for the past few years. We knew she was not going to live as long as her mom and grandmother, they passed on at 86 and 100 plus.
Yet her death was more painful than I thought it would. It just ripped me to pieces. Pieces must be picked up and broken things mended. I had to think about my life, not why hers did not last long enough, and decided that I really need to start living a life that is a manifestation than the pursuit of dreams. One of my dreams being seeing as much of earth as possible, starting with Africa.
The pain of her death pushed me to the decision to travel, instead of once a year two week vacations as planned.
Last year being the first year of her death, I decided I am going to do it and if I needed one emtional reason, I claimed her death and the need to celebrate her life of limited travels as the main reason I had to travel.
Besides, when I get ideas that totally excite me I just can't let go of that idea. And I consider Africa now the best idea of my life (So far.Because if something as simple as this is the best of my life...then gosh, what about the many decades I still have left?)
Boogy in Africa is about heart, soul and emotion. It is about my travels around West Africa, a trip I consider a starter in getting to know Africa like the back of my hand. Very soon.
If you believe that Saturn returning story, like I do, then pay attention. If you don't, read and think before you diss.
I think many things and influences, including socialization and boredom, led to me here. A spiritual version of that line is that feel like this moment and my future around Africa is destiny. I am here by my will and by God's design. A well educated version runs along the lines of the typical pan african story about pride and putting one's LSM something money to where her mouth was. The event that pushed me here was my grandmother's death two years ago. She had been critically sick a while and in and out of hospitals for the past few years. We knew she was not going to live as long as her mom and grandmother, they passed on at 86 and 100 plus.
Yet her death was more painful than I thought it would. It just ripped me to pieces. Pieces must be picked up and broken things mended. I had to think about my life, not why hers did not last long enough, and decided that I really need to start living a life that is a manifestation than the pursuit of dreams. One of my dreams being seeing as much of earth as possible, starting with Africa.
The pain of her death pushed me to the decision to travel, instead of once a year two week vacations as planned.
Last year being the first year of her death, I decided I am going to do it and if I needed one emtional reason, I claimed her death and the need to celebrate her life of limited travels as the main reason I had to travel.
Besides, when I get ideas that totally excite me I just can't let go of that idea. And I consider Africa now the best idea of my life (So far.Because if something as simple as this is the best of my life...then gosh, what about the many decades I still have left?)
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