Welcome to Niger Niger was at the tail end of this three-week, sixteen-country African expedition. You could say it was the last country in Africa-Africa; it was my last stop before heading north to Morocco, where I’d ferry across the straight of Gibraltar to catch my flight home from Madrid. It had been an amazing…
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The energy here made the hair on my arms stand up. Cotonou’s vibe had quickly pierced my soul and was flowing through my blood. I don’t know why I felt so good, but the sudden rush took over my whole body and pulsated through my veins as I let the crowd carry me into the…
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Gabon was chill and had a very comfortable vibe. It was the exact opposite of Cameroon, where people looked at me with scowls and suspicion, and finding places to eat was a challenge. Upgrade I ain’t mad at Gabon. The West African Francophone nation scored points with me simply because it wasn’t Cameroon. That place…
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The overhead speakers were blaring Spanish Christmas music and my senses were overloaded and confused. I absolutely loved the fact that I was in Africa, and Spanish was the official language. The scenery looked like South Tucson, but the people didn’t. Wait, Where? Equatorial Guinea was one of the hand full of countries I was…
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Douala was dirty, dark, and had absolutely nothing fun going on. When I land in other African countries, often I’m immediately enamored with the street life: the colorful painted storefronts, the street vendors, the interesting cars and other random regional idiosyncrasies. There was nothing here to marvel at. Douala had failed me. Or I had…
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The reviews on visiting Chad were not good, with a couple bloggers reporting that Chad was actually the worst country they’ve ever visited. But I liked it. N’Djamena seemed to have all of the culture and the “realness” of deep Africa, but without all the congestion and chaos. Travelers Traveling on to Casablanca, Please Stay in…
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It was not until I was finally in the car when I had one of those, “Dude, what the f*** are you doing” moments, as I saw loads of dudes with guns on the side of the street and then a truck with one of those giant blasters. More Balls Than Brains? I’ve been pushing…
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This place played tricks on my mind. Was I in Italy or Africa? Was it 2018 or 1938? Eritrea was like nowhere else I’d ever been, and its people were as fascinating as its architecture. And why I was the spaghetti so good here??? AARP Member-in-Training Getting old is starting to get tough. I tire…
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