Things Aren't Always as They Seem....Part 2

So after a comfortable night spent in my hotel room, lying in bed while watching movies and the Olympics, my batteries have re-charged slightly. Sitting on our truck for 12hrs tomorrow may drain them a bit again, but for now, I have energy and will grace cyberspace with another one of my self proclaimed award winning blog posts.

If you believe everything the media tells us (and why wouldn't you since they're always right), you would be lead to believe that Africa is dirty, hot, dry, full of famine and poverty stricken citizens. And while all of that can truthfully be said about certain parts of the continent, can it not also be said about various parts of America, or other countries from where you might be reading this post? So let's address these misconceptions a bit further, shall we.

1. Dirty
For my local followers, I spent the last year before leaving for my trip working in West Baltimore. I have been to plenty areas of Africa far cleaner than that lovely part of town. But to shed more light on Africa being dirty. It is dirty. Don't get me wrong, but would any of you really come to Africa thinking and expecting it to be spic and span. Part of Africa's charm is the dirt? Small towns with dirt roads are everywhere. I have walked through plenty of towns with goats eating garbage while I dodge other farm animals on the way to my desired destination. If there was garbage pick up or the money to lay new roads, of course they would choose to live with those luxuries. If there was running water and internal plumbing, they wouldn't turn those luxuries down. Even though most people live in huts that are made from mud, metal, brick, thatch, plastic bags, and rubber bands, almost every one of them has a satellite dish sitting atop their roof and almost every person owns a cell phone. Even internet cafes are in mud huts. Do you think these people like bathing in puddles and river water? If they could all have showers, they would choose to use them. So in reality, these people, just like everyone of us, is essentially living as clean as they possibly can. Does it feel dirty compared to what we are all used to. A bit. But we are just more fortunate to live in countries where we have been able to do a better job of keeping up with the times and have governments that care about everyone (no matter your political affiliations).

2. Hot
Wrong. This place is cold. I have been traveling for about 100 days through Africa and have been hot for about 4 of them. If you have ever wondered if altitude or being near the equator has more bearing on determining temperature, I am here to tell you that altitude wins every time. Sitting on our truck for hours on end in altitude with the windows rolled up, is freezing. Upper 40's to low 50's Fahrenheit. Even when we drive through the desert, it is only late in the day when people take their jackets off while riding in the truck. Now, all that will change in the coming month when we go through the Sudan and Egypt in 100 degree (40 degree C) weather 24 hr/day. But just know, that Africa can be really really cold.

3. Dry
I have been in Ethiopia for about 2 weeks and it has rained everyday. To be fair, it is the rainy season, and up until this point, there had probably only been a few days that had sporadic showers, but if you travel to Africa, just be aware of when rainy seasons are, because it could really dampen (pardon the pun) your experience.

4. Famine
Everyone farms. There are fruit trees everywhere. Everyone has chickens, goats, and cows to use for eggs and meat. Everyone in a village works for the common cause of feeding everyone. If one villager has money, they make sure to spread their wealth. There are still areas where famine exists, but it essentially exists when the government has issues with a particular region and refuses to allow food to be sent to those regions. So yes Sally Struthers, there are starving children in Africa, but there are plenty of hungry people in the States as well.

5. Poverty Stricken Citizens
Hard to say that people live in poverty, when almost everyone lives the same way. I think the perception of poverty comes from the fact that when you show poorer Africans, they also happen to be living in the type of huts I described earlier with really really sad eyes. Whereas, in the States, our poor people still live in homes with a relatively intact roof and walls that protect you from the elements. I also think there is less of a middle class in Africa than in America which also may create the perception of more poverty. When you are either rich or poor, lots of middle and lower middle class citizens in America would then be classified as poor. Plus, if you live in a country where citizens don't earn tremendous wages, those that do earn those wages can't charge exorbitant prices for their goods in an attempt to move up in life because no one would buy their products. Africa has loads of wealth and poverty. But it might just be poverty compared to our ways of living.

Is Africa everything I mentioned above? Yup. But so is America. I guess the point of all this is to not judge a book by its cover. You might be surprised by what you find out once that front cover is opened.