Africa. Just saying the name puts a massive smile on my face.
One of the reasons I love Africa so much is that the names of all the places I’ve been to there sound so phonetically pleasing…stick with me on this one folks. All the places I’ve spent time in either end in an ‘ooooh’ ‘aaaaaahhh’ or ‘eeeeeee’ which makes me smile just saying them; Kenya (ahhhhh) Nairobi (eeeeee) Kembu (oooooh) Uganda (you get the picture)… Leeds, the city I live in, just doesn’t have the same ring to it…sad face.
I’ve been to East Africa three times so far and hope to go back time and time again. Two of those visits were spent teaching English in local schools, in classrooms consisting of me, wooden desks and at least 40 amazing children…quite a challenge, but one I can’t wait to do again.
Dakar, Senegal, is an interesting hub of contrasts, perched on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean at the westernmost point in northern Africa. It’s modern by African standards, but in many aspects still decidedly third-world. It’s got upscale hotels flanked by streets lined with debris and trash. On the roads, there are Maseratis cruising alongside horse-drawn wagons. This mix of modernity and poverty makes for a worthwhile experience for the traveler who’s longing for a taste of culture outside the Western world, while still having some available creature comforts. Here are three ways to get a true taste of Senegalese life during a Dakar visit.
Every country has it’s aspects you don’t want to miss and every country has it’s share of scam artists, customs and tourist traps you would be happier if you could avoid. Egypt is no different. I can safely say Egyptians are the friendliest and happiest people I have ever met. It is not unusual to be invited for a cup of tea or to dinner by someone you met only an hour ago. However, it is also not unusual to hear many stories of tourists getting ripped off by people they thought were being friendly.
Have you heard of the infamous Pharaohs Revenge? Whom does it strike? How do you deal with it? Travellers to Egypt are, for the most part, familiar with this dreaded phenomena. You will find the remedy here, along with a list of symptoms that let you know you have been stuck down, a list of ways to avoid it and how to distinguish it from a simple stomach-upset. Pharaohs Revenge is the Egyptian tummy bug that many tourists to Egypt dread and/or experience. Therefore, most tourists arrive in the country armed with a plentiful supply of medicinal products designed to combat stomach problems. These remedies, for the most part, are not designed to combat the Egyptian tummy bug.
A helicopter, stealth fighter, submarine and an aeroplane carved in stone on the ceiling of a 3000-year-old Egyptian Temple. Astrological maps of the Earth’s sky as it was 5000 B.C.; a 15 year Priestess of Isis who committed suicide in 1285 B.C. re-incarnates as a daughter of a half-Irish master tailor in 1904; healing waters; instructions for magical potions; boats sailing through Star Gates; hidden passages and secret rooms…welcome to some of the mysteries of the sacred, ancient Egyptian Temples at Abydos and Dendera!
I’m sitting in a plane with the side door wide open, clear goggles squeezing my ears together, engine noise blaring behind me, legs dangling off the side, and heart racing because I’m about to jump! I’m about to free-fall from 10,000 feet.
I’m about to go skydiving.
From the creator of A Map for Saturday, Brook Silva-Braga has created yet another amazing documentary called One Day in Africa.
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