This is the third and last edition of Overland Trip I Want To Take- explaining theoretical road trips that I’ve recently planned out. The series was inspired by a trip I’m currently planning, but generally I always fantasize about crazy journeys while I have free time. Hopefully in the next few years I’ll take one or more of these and then be able to post about the actual trip!
If I had a choice (and all the money and all the time and guaranteed safety) this is the tour that I would take. West Africa is one of the few parts of the world left for me to explore and so I’m eager to learn about it, see its people, experience its culture, and visit its sites. That said, there are a few reasons why I haven’t made the trip and why it might be hard to do. These reasons are: language, safety, and cost/time.
Language: Most countries in West Africa are French + local language speaking. I don’t speak French. What actually bothers me with French is that I can understand so much of it because I speak (conversationally) Spanish and Italian. So when I hear French I have a natural impulse to listen to try to figure it out. Usually though, I can’t, and that is frustrating. This would be easy to overcome by having a French-speaking travel companion. I’ll keep it in mind.
Safety:Though I generally think I travel smart and am thus not too worried about security threats, this is a bit of a volatile part of the world, I don’t have too many contacts there, and again, not knowing the language adds another risk.
Cost / Time: I put these two together because they’re very dependent on one another- the longer you travel, the more it costs. Traveling overland in West Africa takes a long time because of inefficient roads, lots of borders, and also because cities are so close, the buses stop more often. The itinerary below would take, I imagine, a couple months. Furthermore, though food and hotels generally aren’t too expensive (7 West African countries are on the list of 20 poorest in the world), there is one big expense: visas. Each of the 15 countries in the circular tour below require a visa, with an average cost between them at more than $100- it’s close to $2000! Furthermore, these aren’t visas on arrival- these are visas where you have to go to an embassy beforehand and apply, have a waiting period, etc. Because many of these are small and generally poor nations, there aren’t many embassies around. The best process would be to start in one of the bigger nations in the region (i.e Senegal, Ghana, or Nigeria) and apply from there.
All of this together makes the trip a little bit of a tough sell. Splitting it up into two or three trips would probably make more sense. Either way, it would be important to start somewhere for a couple weeks where you could apply for the other visas, have the money and time to endure all the waiting and bureaucracy, and likely have a French speaker. Because of this, I’ve cut the itinerary up into three parts (red, yellow, and pink) and added the blue as ways they could, theoretically be combined.
Lagos to Abidjan
This would be the easiest section for me to do as English is widely spoken in both Ghana and Nigeria, most of these countries are rather safe, and the road connections are quite straight-forward. The trip could start in Lagos, Nigeria- Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest and one of the fastest growing cities. Nigeria, thanks to oil, has been quickly developing in the recent past, and is now seen as one of the main centers for business in Africa. The route from Lagos to the next locations, the two narrow countries of Togo and Benin, would be quick, only a few hours between each main point all the way to Accra, Ghana. Ghana is the country in West Africa I most want to visit, as I have many friends from high school there and it is famous for its old British colonial forts and a wonderfully preserved jungle. The final jaunt on this section would be a half day trip from Ghana to the Ivory Coast (or Cote d'Ivoire) and its fascinating capital- Abidjan. The second largest city in West Africa, Abidjan has an interesting developmental history as it has somewhat shrunk from past economic and political heights in the past 20 or so years. Supposedly it still holds the charm of a once regional center that is trying to fight its way back.
Monrovia to Dakar
This route would likely be easier (visa wise) starting in Dakar. Either way, this will be a complicated path as the countries here are more of the unknown and tense ones in the region / world. Though Liberia and Sierra Leone both being English-speaking may be useful, they both have long and somewhat recent histories of violence. In many ways this actually makes the nations safer, as disarmament has taken place and people are trying to get over their painful past. Liberia would be great to see as it was actually founded by freed black slave from the USA and it’s capital, Monrovia is named after James Monroe. Moving up North would be the two Guineas: Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Guinea supposedly has next to no transport infrastructure, so that could a be a harrowing journey trying to navigate through the rather large and diverse nation, but hopefully there would be a way to have some experiences there and then make it to Guinea-Bissau, one of the few Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa (the others being Angola, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, and Cape Verde). The final stretch would be through the tiny nation of Gambia, another English speaking nation, and then on to Dakar, Senegal. Along with Accra, Dakar is the city I most want to see in West Africa, one Christmas a Senegalese friend of mine from boarding school came to spend the holidays with my family, she cooked one night and if what she made then was any indication of what I’d eat in Dakar, I’d go just for the food! Another incentive is that one of my advisors from university works heavily in Senegal and so I’m sure I could talk to some inspiring individuals there.
Nouakchott to Niamey
This part of the trip is really exciting to me because it is through the land that combines French West Africa with the Arab North Africa, though in a much more “untouched” way than people might think of in Morocco, for example. Being a desert region also remind me of my current home, Abu Dhabi, and so it could be eye-opening to see how others (less gaudy than the Gulfis) live in this harsh terrain. Though some might find this section crazy because of the three insanely long (24-50hr) bus rides that would be required, anyone who has read this blog for a while knows my strange obsession with long bus rides, especially in Africa. In fact, the buses might be the highlight of the trip, as much of the things to do in these countries is admire the landscape. The first bus from Nouakchott, Mauritania to Bamako would be the longest, with stories of 2-3 days including breakdowns… From Bamako, Mali it would be great to go up and visit Timbuktu, but currently rebel factions have a hold of it and travel in the North is not advised- hopefully that would change. The next two buses, from Bamako to Ouagadougou (pronounced Waa-gaa-doo-goo) and then onward to Niamey, Niger, would entirely cross Burkina Faso- going from the lush Volta region, through to the Arid west. The final stop, Niamey, is a low lying desert city with a nice river that (along with the mosques) are the main point of interaction. Though the cities along the way may be less than stellar, I think this section would be full of things to learn and reflect on: the identity of Islam in Africa, political economy of landlocked nations, and lots of introspection on those long rides.
So there you have it! A crazy tour through West Africa. If anyone wants to fund it (trip cost + salary deduction for missed time), speaks French, and is a good companion- let me know!
Bonus Trip: In each of the three parts, I’ve included a bonus trip that I haven’t thought through very much at all, but would still like to take. Todays bonus is- The Caucuses and Central Asia. This would be a two part, really requiring a flight in the middle, but a nice jaunt around Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia and then a trip through a few of the stans: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan (the three most prominently on my list) would be really mind blowing since I hardly know ANYTHING about the culture in any of these locations.
Alien Nation. C’est le nom de la collection Automne/Hiver 2015 de Loza Maléombho.
Loza est une designer d’origine ivoirienne née au Brésil. Elle a créé sa ligne de vêtements “Loza Maléombho”.
Vous devez vous dire à présent “Ouais ça va, avec la première image ses vêtements doivent être jolis à cette Loza.” Mais je vous parle pas d’une créatrice de jolies tenues, je vous parle là d’une créatrice de vêtements E X T R A O R D I N A I R E S !!! Et je sais de quoi je parle! La preuve en images:
Vous me croyez maintenant? Et oui! Je ne plaisantais pas! Extraordinaire dans tous et chacun des sens de ce terme.
Loza Maléombho nous montre à quel point elle est pleine de ressources et d’idées, toutes plus folles les unes que les autres. On se rend compte de sa volonté de créer plus que de vouloir faire porter, chaque pièce est unique et devient une oeuvre d’art. C’est incroyable. Je n’ai jamais eu autant de plaisir à rédiger un article sur… à rédiger un article tout court.
Lecôté destructuré du vêtements et les petites pièces qu’elle rajoute en finition sont absolument bien placés. Les différences de textiles et de motifs viennent ajouter de la substance aux vêtements, renforçant l’aspect “alien” de ceux-ci.
Beaucoup doivent se dire “Mais comment peut-il nous dire de porter ses vêtements sans avoir l’air ridicule?”, ce à quoi je réponds qu’il est plus question de faire de la haute couture qu’autre chose. On ne parle pas de la jouer raffinéouprêt-à-porter, mais de faire de la mode haut-de-gamme. On n’utilise pas le coton et/ou le wax seulement pour faire des pagnes pour la maison, ou pour faire quelques courses au supermarché du coin. Pour Loza Maléombho l’enjeu est de repousser les limites de la création au sein de la mode afropolitaine. Montrer qu’en dépit de toute l’appropriation de la culture africaine qui se fait de plus en plus aujourd’hui, il est possible de faire toujours plus et autrement, parce que nous sommes pleins de ressources. Et le moins qu’on puisse dire, c’est que nous n’étions pas prêts à une collection aussi choc! Et je la félicite pour son travail.
Pour voir le reste de la collection Alien Nation, il suffit juste de voir plus bas. Un vrai régal pour les yeux!
Dressed up in distressed, patched and unconventional clothing, shot on location in Abidjan, stylist and photographer Louis Philippe de Gagoue interprets the Ground-Zero Spring/Summer 2016 ready-to-wear collection with model Tailly Sophia.
The Founders Project is a multimedia installation project headed by Boston based artist and educator Stephen Hamilton. The project re-imagines Boston Public School High-School students as the legendary founders of the West and West-Central African ethnic groups, that are part of the ancestral base for the African diaspora. The pieces will incorporate painting, weaving and sculpture traditions from each of the spotlighted ethnic groups and are to be installed in a to be determined public space in Boston. The project will contribute to a larger syllabus on West African cultural continuity in the African Diaspora designed for High School students.
The Founders Project comes out of a desire to both address the persistent lack of Pre-Colonial African Narratives in mainstream educational discourse and to create empowering visual representations of Boston’s Black Youth. This project both explores and interrogates popular conceptions of “the Ancestors” within the African Diasporic imagination. We explore the concept of the progenitor or “Founder” in West and West Central African Lore as the physical embodiment of a people and their history. Through their narratives, we learn important lessons about the cultural imperatives, worldview, and aesthetics of the ethnic groups who venerate and sometimes even worship them as divine ancestors. Each piece dissects important key symbols pertaining to each of the highlighted individuals personal and broader cultural narratives, glossing not only the historical figure but the cultures that claim them as ancestors. The installations will also expose viewers to the beauty and complexity of the visual arts of west and central Africa. Each piece incorporates accurate handmade reproductions of textile and sculpture arts from specific African ethnic groups, using only dyes, pigments, and materials available in Pre-Colonial Africa. This Juxtaposed with western styles of acrylic painting will result in new works that draw from both ancient African aesthetic conventions and the rich, contemporary and syncretic mural traditions born out of the Black Arts Movement. Be Sure to visit http://www.itanproject.com/the-founders-project/ to learn more! @okayafrica-blog @supportblackart@africanartcollector@afroklectic@africanartagenda
“Ebrie (now Kyaman) dignitaries wearing prestige clothes and regalias.During the colonial period the French sought to consolidate their authority over the peoples of the south-eastern region by creating district and cantonal chiefs. Though untraditional, these offices have survived, and their occupants have increasingly sought to gain status by adopting Akan-style regalia (as have the few traditional paramount chiefs in the region).”_OlivBusua-blog
EFI Accelerator For African Designers 21-22 - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
EFI Accelerator For African Designers 21-22 – CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The EFI Accelerator Programme is back, and they are now taking applications until 31st of March.
With the support of European Union, the Ethical Fashion Initiative aspires to propel creative entrepreneurs forward, providing them the support and guidance they need for a successful global debut; preparing brands to become investment-ready is the end goal.
Queen Máxima arrived in Ivory Coast on Sunday evening. The Air France plane the Queen was traveling on landed at Abidjan airport at 9 p.m. local time, where she was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, Patrick Achi. He said he was glad that the queen had arrived, after which the two started talking in French.
The queen doesn’t really have to get to work until Monday morning. She will visit Côte d'Ivoire, then Senegal, in her role as the United Nations Secretary-General’s (UN) Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.
