Tag: africa

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Travel

Kahama AIDS Tour

“Live, Dance and, above all, Respect yourself; Cause when all is gone, all you got is health.”

If you had 7000 HIV tests, how would you go about raising public awareness so that people would want to take them in rural Africa?

The NGO, GUTz, came up with the innovative solution of throwing music concerts to attract locals to test sites, linking up with famous musicians to create a festive environment.

Across the span of 4 days, we hit up rural villages deep into the interior of Tanzania, south of Lake Victoria, in the Shinyanga and Kahama region.

Located at the bottom of the image

This is a part of the country so remote that even Tanzanians don’t visit, so you really get a feel for the village culture.

How did we get around? Sometimes by motorcycle, which is a common method of transportation in most any developing nation. You just stand by the road and hail a cyclist, like you would a taxi. And off you go.

Other times we rolled by Land Cruiser.

We packed round 5 makeshift canopies and placed them on top of our vehicle, then would set up shop each morning, each day at a different site.

It is estimated that around 7% of the Tanzanian population (aged 15-49) is HIV-positive so it is dire to educate these individuals, especially in the rural communities, about the virus. Tanzanian beliefs regarding health are often shrouded in folklore and shamanism, however, which presents an imposing challenge to creating change.

Lines for testing

One of the interesting things about traveling to remote areas is that they could be steeped in thousands-of-year-old beliefs and traditions yet still have Coke and beer available at every corner shop, which is sometimes just a wooden frame.

In our ever globalizing world, consumerism travels faster than education unfortunately, for it really takes effort to educate a poor, rural region when there is no profit incentive to do so.

So the children get cavities instead.

My role on the team was to help GUTz document activities alongside my filmmaker, Ben. Regarding the kids here, they sometimes greet you suspiciously…

While other times with a fist bump.

But this is the reason why some people are driven to venture far out to remote regions and countries to do community work. At the end of the day, there’s a void to how much happiness can be bought.

To gain a clearer sense of purpose and conviction, at some point we have to contribute to the well being of others. If that’s to our friends and family, great. If that’s to those living thousands of miles away, that’s not too bad either. For its interactions like these that will instill in the next generation less bigotry and hate.

So I’d like to encourage all nomads out there. Always remember you’re a representative of your country and ethnicity. I don’t mean that as a matter of pride — what I mean is that your actions carry greater weight than what you do as an individual. Treat others well and greet them with a smile. That gesture will carry itself forward.

And, above all, as long as we still got our health, let’s keep it moving.

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Travel

Ethiopian Wedding Crasher

“Across the continents we explore, all’s fair in this game of love and war.”

Probably the most memorable entry I’ve had into a nation is Ethiopia. I had just flown in from Tanzania, was tired from a hangover to celebrate my last night out, and I had arrived to Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia) expecting a calm night of rest.

Greeting me upon my arrival was a man by the nickname King Rasta who had other intentions. I was introduced to him by someone I knew from Tanzania. He told me we’re heading to a wedding. So I replied, “Why not.”

But to wake me I told him I would first need a drink, to which his friends happily obliged.

It is instances like these I love about traveling. Just the sheer spectacle of it all and how you can never predict how your trip is going to unfold because you’re open to anything, stuff like heading straight from the airport to a wedding without even having dropped off your backpack.

In terms of location, Ethiopia is north of Kenya and Tanzania and south of the Middle East, of countries like Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Because of its relative centrality between the Middle East and the interior of Africa, the locals here looked very different from the Africans I saw in Tanzania. There was a much greater Arabic influence in its people, both in appearance and customs.

Ethiopia also felt much more developed than Tanzania, as it was unlikely most Tanzanians could afford such lavish affairs for weddings. I heard from Rasta that a family may celebrate their wedding for a month-straight if they could afford it, with each day another festival.

Sounds like my kind of people.

After the wedding party, a group of 20 of us headed to a lounge. It was here my first time drinking Johnnie Walker with carbonated water like Perrier. The Ethiopians I was with all drank whiskey this way. I didn’t like it at first but I find it ironic that right now I’m drinking the same mix. I usually drink my whiskey straight but I end up drinking too fast, so I grabbed sparkling water a few nights ago to slow my pace.

When we finally got to Rasta’s house that night, he had prepared for me to sleep in his room. I was shocked by the gesture and initially refused, but he persuaded me that it is Ethiopian custom that a guest take the best room available in the house. He slept in his sister’s old room. The next day I got to interact with his parents, who were just as gracious.

The above gesture was one of the kindest that a stranger has ever offered me, and provided me a greater awareness of what hospitality means. I was only 25 at the time, and this was my first go-through Africa. The experience was so different from what I had conceived prior to my arrival — it was good in the sense that it educated me.

I feel too much of our knowledge these days derives from the Internet and clickbait. So we grow up with a distorted mind-frame in which we know a lot about the world but experience very little of it. My hope in writing these entries is that it compels in audiences to devote more time to actually going out into the world and exploring it for yourself.

Instead of passively viewing content, become an active participant in events. Read less, Do more. As you age, the memories and recollections you have become much more vivid that way, with your growth immeasurable.

Of Sub-Saharan African countries, outside of South Africa, Ethiopia is probably the most known for its cuisine internationally. If you’ve ever eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant, you’re likely to remember the experience because of how unique it is. The staple dish that goes with most any meal is injera, a type of sourdough bread that is spongy in texture. Laying over it are various dishes, which you eat with the bread. Ethiopians will use their right hand to grab a piece of injera as they then mix it up with the dishes. It’s unique in that you’re eating your ‘plate’ with the meal. I couldn’t locate my old photos but found this one online as an example:

Courtesy of Mail & Guardian

I also ate raw meat straight from the butcher. Rasta took me here to try authentic Ethiopian cuisine. This dish, tere siga, requires no preparation and you literally eat it raw, as you cut up and dab slices of beef into mitmata and awaze, which consist of a peppers, cardamom, cloves and salt powder mix and chili pepper sauce, respectively.

Pretty gnarly, right? They’ve eaten this way for centuries. As a polite guest, I dug in.

I honestly can’t say it was tasty. It tastes like how it looks, an acquired taste I’m guessing. Tere siga is a dish in which the meat is firm and dry. Ethiopians assert it tastes different from American cuts because American cattle is grain fed, which makes it more watery and soft as a result.

The above information will likely in no way, shape or form impact my future, but it’s little takeaways like this that make a trip memorable.

Aside from these events, I visited a few museums, cathedrals, and mosques. Ethiopia has some of the oldest human skeletal remains in existence, dating back several millions of years. But other than that, I don’t remember much from these excursions.

It is my memories of Rasta I remember most, and I appreciate his graciousness and the hospitality of all the wedding guests I had met on my arrival in Ethiopia. My stay was brief yet succinct, and then I had to catch a plane to Egypt to see who would greet me next.

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Travel

Mahaba Beach: A Tale of Beachboys, Fishermen, and Tribal Elements

“From beachboys to skaters, nomads to surfers, we follow the sentiments of the seasons as our freedoms guide us; our expressions define us.

It’s not that we don’t care, it’s we realize these times are rare. So let’s grab a drink, not think, and do as we dare.”

In Tanzania, a beachboy is the derogatory term for a young man who has no plans for his future and spends his nights drinking away. Due to their nature, they’re often found at the beach. Due to my nature, I often encounter them. Very few are nefarious in nature, they’re akin to the skating culture of the west coast — those individuals who aren’t living life in a hurry, wake up with eyes blurry, and their last thought is no worry. Nomads in their own right, they live how it is and live for the night.

In My 20s
From Left: Benja and Dudubuya, two popular rappers in the Tanzanian circuit. RIP to the Man on the Right

Encapsulating these elements off of eastern Tanzania, you’ll also encounter Maasai tribesman, often hired as security guards for bars, restaurants, and private homes. You can immediately tell they are Maasai by the way they’re dressed. As the only ethnic tribe in Tanzania who still dress in traditional garb, they are easy to spot and a fascination for western tourists.

Unlike the extroverted and rap-lauding beachboys, the Maasai are more placid in nature and stick to their roots. Many cannot speak English as fluently as the beachboys, who frequent Zanzibar Island and the shores off the eastcoast of Tanzania.

I first traveled to Mahaba Beach in my mid-2os, as we’d frequently throw parties here. The owner is a local Tanzanian and his wife is from Europe. In terms of hospitality, I am very partial to the owners here because they understand intuitively why nomads travel to Africa, many of whom embrace the local rasta culture.

Owner on the Left

I am very appreciative to Mama Bea, as we call her, because she radiates warmth and offers my students free rein to chill at her beach on field trips.

I co-founded a nonprofit preschool in Tanzania a few years ago and now we have over forty students. And, as any kid, who wants to stay indoors all day?

In terms of location, Mahaba beach is directly across from Zanzibar Island, and you can hire a private boat to take you to and fro Zanzibar if you’re up for it.

When I traveled back to this area in my 30’s, I came with a different mindset, as I was more interested in learning about the local culture here since there are several villages that dot around the region. They make their money from weaving fish baskets (as pictured below) and from fishing.

Seeing as how so few foreigners traverse these village areas, I set out to make a short documentary about the lives of these fishermen. We awoke at 4AM to head out for shooting, catching the sunrise as we overcame our hangovers.

In terms of the fishermen here, they set out their traps overnight and see what they find in the morning. They have to arrive early since sometimes robbers will steal their traps.

The biggest catches here are Yellowfin Tuna and Kingfish for those using nets, while these teenagers capture smaller game from their traps.

After collecting a day’s catch, they head to the local auction to sell it, but they usually only make about $10-15 a day. Having spent several months living here, I’d frequent the auctions to buy fish. Usually a week’s supply of food would only cost me $15-20, and I was the only foreigner out here at these auctions.

They first viewed me suspiciously when my local cameraman and I were shooting videos, and some of the village elders even told the teenage fishermen I filmed that I was scamming them to make thousands of dollars off their content. They thought I came from a big foreign production company when, in reality, I was just a nomad curious about their lives.

But this is life. In my travels, people are often circumspect of my intentions and I’ve ended up in some heated situations when, at the end of the day, my curiosity is what led me to journey.

So I buy them a beer and give them a salute for, at the end of the day, life is short so let’s enjoy it.

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Travel

Uzi Island

“It’s probably a name you’ve never heard of or a place you imagined existing.”

I’ve traveled to several remote locations in my life, and Uzi Island is memorable because the natural elements still reign supreme, as the locals adjust their lifestyle accordingly. To picture Uzi Island is to get a glimpse of how Zanzibar Island was like centuries ago, without all its recent development.

Regarding its locals, there is about 6000 people living here, mainly as fishermen or farmers.

Yet, there is not a single bar, restaurant or hotel in sight, revealing how seldom tourists travel here. There is a school in the area, but that’s about it in terms of landmarks.

The school

Located in the south of Zanzibar, Uzi Island can only be reached by boat or by vehicle during low tide.

Center-South

Either way, you cross its dense mangrove forests, which is a memorable excursion in of itself.

Mangrove forest during high tide
During low tide

While Zanzibar is a tourist mecca for those traveling to East Africa, less than 1% probably traverse this far south. The northeast and northwest are the hotbeds for tourism here.

Spending my days in locations like Uzi Island is hypnotic in the sense that nothing changes from day-to-day but the weather. There is no urge to turn its scenic locations into hotels, build its economy, or to make the most of its resources. With so much of human desire driven by exploitation of our environment, it feels comforting to know places like Uzi Island exist where that drive remains muted.

Daily market
Spinning fabrics

On a personal level, this creates a sort of tension within myself. As I’m reaching middle age, I know I need material accumulation for myself to have a successful future, yet I feel an aversion to it, as I see how people live in remote locations in such peace with their environment. Though poverty is prevalent, the drive to suicide or depression is nonexistent in these locales.

So what should I do? Spend the next twenty years accumulating as much capital as I can, or return to the city realizing that so much of what occupies our mind is a façade? I don’t know the answer to these questions, and I think it’s up to each individual to make that decision themselves.

The only recommendation I can give is that I hope young individuals get the opportunity to travel to such remote locations on their own so they can re-tune their rhythms to nature rather than the market.

The lives here are as worthy as our own, and I’m thankful for such experiences as they’ve widened my understanding regarding the breadth of human experience.

This world is big. Locations like Uzi Island abound everywhere; it’s on us to decide are such locations meant for development or should we leave them as is?