About AFRICA WHICH I NEVER HAD

I unpacked old files, apparently I found posts that I had never published on the blog. It contained a matter of conclusions from the things I experienced while in Africa 6 years ago, especially in remote areas far from civilization. In urban areas, maybe some of this might not apply. Hopefully this post can open a little perspective before reading my book about Africa which hopefully will soon be published .... :-)

No Hurry in Africa
These words can be found on T-shirts sold in Africa as souvenirs. In many ways these words are true. So before entering Afirka it would be better if we turn the time to "Africa Time". Delays from a specified time are common in Africa. And the delay is not in minutes, but hours that can reach dozens of hours. So, my city is much better in terms of rubber hours ... :-)

Bad Transportation.
Except for Rwanda, almost all buses operating in Africa are very bad. Most buses are not maintained. So striking in the middle of the road is common. Hope that the bus you are riding does not break down in the middle of a national park full of lions because if it happened like that you might be one of the lion eating options at that time. Besides that the roads are very bad. Only the capital has good roads. Don't be surprised if later passengers who board and sit in the passenger seat are not only humans but pets like pigs or chickens. Something like that is not too bad compared to what happened to my friend from Australia who had to be in a bus with a corpse. The train is the best choice,

In God we trust
Believe it or not, as long as I travel by bus and train in Africa, I always see a bus that has flipped over on the side of the road. It is not uncommon for bus and truck drivers in Africa to write prayerful texts such as In God We trust, God with Us, Immanuel, God bless us and so on. They believe the words written on their vehicle like a talisman that protects them so that the drivers are just relaxing speeding on bad roads and hope to stay safe until they reach their destination. I experienced it myself when traveling from Arusha to Mombasa. The mothers on the bus got hysterical. It turns out that riding a bus in Africa can be so full of excitement and adrenaline ... ... :-).

Buyer is not king.
Africa is not a follower of the motto, the buyer is the king. So, don't expect a first-class service especially in a cheap shop, restaurant or hotel. Me and my friend repeatedly experienced unpleasant events when staying in a guesthouse, buying things, buying bus tickets, and so on. For them, providing information to customers is a waste of time. If you take too long, don't be surprised if you will be cheated. Want to complain? It would be wise to check everything before buying something because your complaint only enters the left ear and exits the right ear.

Prices are expensive.
Don't be fooled by African poverty so think that the prices of goods here are cheap. Very wrong. There is no industry in much of Africa, so almost all electronics, clothing and foodstuffs are imported. Don't be surprised if the prices here can reach 10 times the price in my country. So, buy all the items needed in my country before going to Africa. As a comparison the price of gasoline in Tanzania and Malawi is 1.5 dollars / liter.

All tourists are rich people.
these words were spoken by several that I met in several different countries in Africa. If it's not rich, how can they come here? That's their question. If traveling to Africa as an independent traveler, backpacker, hardcore traveler or through a travel agent, we are always considered rich. For all foreigners visiting Africa they are rich. So do not be surprised if many people who want to be 'friendly' and greet you kindly with the end of the easy to ask for money from you. "Give me money" is the sentence I hear most often. My travel companion Tim from America got really fed up with these words because he was the most frequently asked for money.

Community under a tree
People who sit under a tree from morning to evening are what I usually see in Tanzania and Malawi. I don't understand why these people do it all day.

Bars and Prostitution These
two words cannot be separated if you are in Africa. So if it's just for drinking it's almost impossible without being bothered by prostitution. The WTS in Africa is very aggressive. They just want to get dollars as quickly as possible from their guests. So before you feel disturbed by their presence, it is better to be rejected from the beginning unless you are looking for experience or dare to bear the risk of AIDS.

Deadly Diseases
Various deadly diseases multiply in Africa such as AID's, Ebola, Meningitis, Yellow Fever, Bilharzias casing and so on. African countries are the countries with the highest AIDS sufferers in the world. AIDS sufferers in Swaziland and Botswana reach 50% of the population. However, the most feared disease in Africa is Malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium Falcifarum. This type of malaria sufferers can die in just 1 x 24 hours. Taking malaria pills is important.

A genius restaurant waiter
I once entered a restaurant in Tanzania and Malawi with my friends where the waiter did not record customer orders even though there were a large number of customers. So, get ready to receive the wrong order.

A slow internet
The communication system in Africa is the worst, so don't expect to get a good connection to the internet. In Malawi, one hour internet usage costs 6 dollars. Again, the price of 6 dollars or around 55,000 rupiahs can only be used to open 2 incoming emails.

The pungent smell of armpit
One of the hallmark odors that I smelled for the first time riding public transportation in Africa is the smell of armpits. Africans don't use deodorant so the smell of armpits will spread everywhere. The smell is busy. But, instead of complaining it's better to just enjoy it. Eventually it will also become ordinary. A friend of an employee of the Indonesian Embassy, ​​until the trauma, went up in public (angkot) because of the smell of armpits

Bus that is tightly closed.
Africans, when riding a bus, most do not like the incoming wind, so we can be sure that almost all windows are tightly closed. Unfortunately most of the buses or public transportation in Africa without air conditioner. So riding a bus in Africa can feel like in 'hell' if it's not strong with heat and the smell of armpits. The combination of number 12 and number 13 makes a friend of the Indonesian Embassy employee traumatized in public transportation (angkot) and acute headaches ... :-).

No sick in Africa
This motto is adhered to by travelers in Africa because of a very primitive medical system in Africa. Sickness in Africa is more feared by travelers than entering dangerous areas. Many travelers have died in hospitals in Africa because of a lack of drugs and malpractice. Maybe if they don't go to the hospital, they're still alive. Hospitals that can be said to be reliable in Africa are in Johanesberg and Nairobi. I was so scared, Caucasian travelers usually keep their mouths shut when bathing for fear of contracting an illness. Also do the necessary injections before going to Africa and bring enough medicines, especially antibiotics. Anti malaria medicine is a must.

War With the Most Victims After World War 2
Many people may have sympathy with Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Bosnia, and so on. But who wants to sympathize with Congo. The atrocities and horrors of war happened in this place, but almost no one knew. Rape of women is very scary. From the story that I heard when I was in Uganda and Rwanda, rapists often put the tip of the shotgun into the genitals of raped women. My curiosity led me to Gisenyi, the border city of Rwanda-Congo which was one of the refugee camps. The war in the Congo due to the continuation of the genocide in Rwanda has killed more than 5 million people since 1998. Until now the war is still ongoing. Does anyone want to know?

Thief
The term 'Thief' in Africa is a little different from other places. At first I thought "thief" was an ordinary thief, but it turned out to be different. In Malawi, the robber's "thief" used a knife, while in Kenya the "thief" was a robber who used AK-47s, grenades and heavy machine guns .... :-p.

Volunteers (Volunteers)
The best way to get to know Africa more closely is to become a volunteer. The treatment of volunteers and tourists is quite different even though it is the same as strangers (msungu), but volunteering will be easier to enter into the social life of the community. Almost all volunteers said Malawians were friendly and almost all the tourists I met contended about Malawi because of the point 6, "All tourists are rich".

VIP Class
In some places in Africa, the VIP concept that is usually in your head must change a bit. I was confused when buying VIP-class ferry tickets in Tanzania and Malawi. I was confused when I was placed on an open deck with animals carrying passengers without a bench to sit. Looks like I was "braved". Not much different from the train. I bought a VIP sleeper class and hoped for a room with a full AC and a soft mattress. Ticket prices are also quite expensive at $ 32. Apparently, reality is far from a dream. There is only "AC" (free air) and a super hard mattress of an army model ...... :-).

Fighting on the streets
After several times almost fighting, almost robbed and asked for money in various African countries, finally I really fought in the streets of Mombasa, Mombasa with street children who attacked me. Maybe learning a little martial arts is necessary for preparation .... :-)

TIA
Finally, if we experience a number of the above and cannot do anything, we usually travelers in Africa always say, "TIA, This Is Africa. What do you expect? "

Some of the things above are often a hindrance to venturing to Africa. However, Africa is a mystical and exotic continent. The continent is very attractive to people who like challenges and want to learn to be more humble because you will be "forced" to be patient. Too bad if you come to Africa just be a tourist through a travel agent or just a few days' ride because obviously you will not be able to feel the real African life. Who's exploring Africa, will never be the same person again. A more complete story about my trip in Africa has been written and hopefully will be published in a book in the near future. Hopefully someone wants to explore Africa again and not just safari.