Africa Trip V -The Final Episode

Bonjour,

This is the last chapter that i will wrote about my trip to Africa. It's an exciting event, give new hopes and lot's of new experience that enrich my knowledge towards communication with other human being. Here are some of learning experiences that can be shared among us:

1. As a backpacker, you should do some homework about the places that you intend to go. A big mistake that been occured while in Heathrow Airport, is NOT well prepared, apparently we messing around the airport terminal, and 3 to 4 hours precious transit time has been lost. We actually do nothing in London. We learn from our mistake in London and done some homework before visiting goree Island -The Door of No Return. No need to appoint a tourist guide that will cost additional money from your pocket. we also do some research before venture into Paris using the metro.
   
2. Stay away the hot weather and "hamatan" wind. the hot weather can make your nose bleeding and "hamatan"(very small particel of dust coming from sahara desert) is not a suitable place for an asthma patient like me. It's not advisable for us walking around the city, but this give us the opportunity to explore the ourskirt of Abuja.
3. Anywhere you travel, you will hear ghost story.We went to Zuma rock and Gurara waterfall...nothing fancy aboout this two attractions...but near to Zuma rock stand an abandoned hotel reported by local folks that the voice of the spirits disturbing the hotel workers and customers can be heared at night...finally they abondoned the hotel completely....I try to take some video images with my JVC camcoder by zooming it...but until now is unbelievable...there is none that being captured in the tape...a bit scary to hear and view the hotel from the main road....
4. Sacrifies for its local inhabitants is common practices in this part of the world...they sacrifies anything from an animals blood, goat heads, etc. to their god/spirits at the gurara waterfall or the Zuma Rock. There's still people live in primitive culture and believe the Animism.
5. Make sure an arrangment being made before making any orders. One good thing here at Abuja are their passion on the art, especially for the sourviner and their culture. Everywhere you can see nigerian proudly wearing their traditional garments called "yoruba". Unfortunatly there aren't any ready made yoruba for me...eagerly to wear it on this year Hari Raya...i went to Wuse Market buying the suitable material..but unmanaged to get a tailor to sewing it.
6. Their have a superb skill in making painting...the price a bit steep for an outsider and western tourist but still you can bargain for it. The painting is worth of buying in Abuja rather that Dakar. I think irfan painting is much better painting done in dakar, especially in goree Island.
   
7. Lag of maintainance in both African country. More obvious when we attend friday pray in so called National Mosque in Abuja. The mosque is in bad condition..The people didn't bother to make sure the mosque in good and clean condition. The smell, dusk, sand and spider web...is everywhere seen in the mosque. But their spirit to done their solat is unquestionable. In abuja, when the time come to solat...the done it in jamaah....everywhere...near a gate of a house..in open field...below a tree..you can name it..in Malaysia..sometime you can see, there are more surau than the jamaah inside it...people tend to solat in their own house by themself. In Dakar, the spirit to attend friday solat in one of their small mosque...make me so humble and small in front of Allah..AlMighty Allah show to me, this black people come in dirty shirt...without slippers,..without proper attire, praying in the sand..the wind blowing the sand..i'm proud to solat beside and with them...this is a true muslim brothers...
8. Africa Team is the best team i ever work so far...keep up the good work team...for the next trip..most probable i won't be there....hope you all can maintain the good spirits. I'll weill remember and miss your all. Mersi beaucoup...
9. While writing this article, I'm still in jet lag condition...don't know when it will over.
   

Mersi, voyez-vous la fois prochaine