We are heading northwest towards our next port of call, Angola. There isn’t much Americans in their 70’s remember about the Continent of Africa. We do remember the wars in Angola. Exactly what, against whom, and any other real details we don’t recall, but we do remember it was bloody and bad.
We are the generation which grew up looking at Africa through the eyes of Edgar Rice Burroughs. We watched our jungle hero, played by Johnny Weissmuller, “Tarzan the Ape Man” on small black and white on television screens which were between 5” and 12”, and mostly round. We got to go to Disneyland and ride on the Jungle Cruise through darkest Africa. Those of us who are white, went to basically all white elementary and high schools.
We learned that Africa is the “Dark Continent”. Full of terror. A place of a vicious and savage people who wore animal skins, if they wore anything. This was supported by none other than National Geographic, our major source of pornographic material in the 60’s, so it had to be right.
We learned white missionaries had gone to Africa to tame, educate and convert the dark African people. We watched “African Queen”. The natives lived in simple grass huts and were depicted as simple helpless children. Ernest Hemingway’s book “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” had been made into a movie. This showed us how dangerous it was in Africa. “Mogambo”, “The Macomber Affair” and other movies, depicted a dark and menacing continent. Even our Saturday morning idle, John Wayne, showed us how bad it was in “Hatari”.
As we grew, we heard the stories of the native tribal war lords fighting with the white rulers of the countries of Africa. No real distinction was made between countries. There was the Rhodesian issue in the 70s. Young people today even know what chrome is, or why it belonged on cars. Of course, many of us were concerned with the Viet Nam War. The unjust oppression of the Viet Nam People. We were quick to pick sides and protest anything.
Least we forget there was South Africa and apartheid! There was also birth control and abortions, to either celebrate or protest. There was the “Zero Population Growth” movement. Then there was Watergate.
During these years there wasn’t much concern with Africa or what went on there. At least not unless it had some direct effect on our lives. It was good the natives were overthrowing their oppressors of course. Independence was always a good thing. Colonial domination of native people was over! College was over, the time to protest had passed. Now it was time to get a job, or simply get stoned to avoid any responsibility at all.
Some chose to get a job. Some went to Golden Gate Park, to turn on, tune in and drop out. Eventually many, even those who tuned out, would get married, get a job and move on. Children soon followed and they began focusing on their careers. Africa simply fell by the wayside. Sure, we heard things every now and then, but nothing that really concerned us. Even as we came out from under of desks, which we were during the nuclear war drills, we just didn’t see Africa as anything but the Dark Continent.
Then there was Colonel Muhammad Gaddafi and the problems in Libya. There was a six-day war in Israel. Oh, this was followed by the Arab created oil crisis, following the Yom Kippur War. Entebbe was highlighted although where was Uganda? Who was Idi Amin? Countries in Africa changed names, rulers and whatever else, and we continued not to notice.
Apartheid had ended. A black man, Nelson Mandela was ruling South Africa. All of a sudden Africa seemed less important. It must be at peace now, all is right in the world. The Middle East and our oil supply was important, after all we had to get to work and take the kids to school.
Yes, there was some news out of Africa. Lucy, a 3.2-million-year-old progenitor for the human race had been found. Then there were Somalia pirates. We probably heard many other things but honestly most of it went into one ear and out the other. After all we had today to deal with here at home.
In 2013 my sister Cathy, our cousin Peggy and I decided to visit out cousins in South Africa. This was our first trip to Africa. After a long eleven-hour flight from London, we arrived in Johannesburg South Africa. One of our South African cousins, Dianne McClarty, arranged it all for us. We visited for a day in Johannesburg, even taking a side trip to Pretoria, before taking off for a safari at a camp near Kruger National Park.
What we saw didn’t completely reinforce what we learned as children and young adults. Johannesburg had large modern buildings, and shopping malls, which could have been on the San Francisco Peninsula or even Kansas City, which really weren’t totally expected. However, we did see huge shanty towns. Poverty existed on an immense scale.
Then we boarded a South African Airways flight to Hoedspruit. It was a short flight, only about an hour long. We landed on a grass field and were met by a driver with a van that some hippy in San Francisco in 1960 would have thought was really neat. We rode form the airport to Arathusa Lodge, about 100 kilometers away (60 miles). The ride consisted of a lot of dirt roads through a couple of villages. We saw baboons, not only at the side of the road but in the middle of it. It was thrilling for us Californians. So new so different.
Part of the thrill was being out on safari in deep dark Africa. We probably didn’t connect this back to our childhoods at the time. We were too engrossed in the new experiences. We only spent three nights out in the “jungle” of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Honestly now it doesn’t even sound dangerous.
We stopped in a village on the way back to the airport to catch a plane for Durban because one of us, we won’t say who, had to go to the bathroom. The driver indicated it may not be a good idea, but he knew a place where we would be safe. He pulled into a small village that had a central public toilet. It was possible to believe it was the only toilet for quite some distance. There was poverty here, but the people seemed happy. Took advantage of the restroom and moved on.
We flew to Durban, rented a car and spent three or four days droving to Cape Town. We stopped a few places along the way and admired the beautiful South African coast. We rode elephants at Elephant Whispers, a sanctuary for rescued elephants. There was nothing “wrong” here.
We were amazed by the Victoria & Alfred Mall, Franschhoek, the South African version of the Napa Wine Valley, and enjoyed time visiting with family. We did see some things, like a lack of a public bus system and reliance on private VW vans to provide transportation. People, lots of people, getting into one van.
The experience was a white one. Most of the things we didn’t want to see, or did actually seem went in one ear and out the other. Sure they were struggling but they were a newly independent country, these things will work themselves out over time.
Grace has always loved Giraffes. So, in 2023 Grace and I traveled to Kenya for her 16th birthday. The trip was arranged again by cousin Dianne, who was now working for Asilia Africa, a safari provider out of Cape Town. We met in Amsterdam and flew together to Niarobi. The flight left Amsterdam at noon and got into Niarobi at 22:00. By the time we got our bags, made it though customs and immigration it was close to going 24:00. We walked though immigration and out the doors where we were hit with a very warm breeze, masses of humidity and a throng of humanity, fortunately our driver found us quickly and lead us to a van to take us to the hotel.
So many people outside and engaged in doing things in the middle of the night. It seemed a little “directed” but we were exhausted from the plane ride and like I said it was the middle of the night. Driving up to the hotel we were greeted with a security guard, traffic spikes to keep cars from going through the check point before they were allowed to. There was a guy with a mirror looking under the van we were in. There was another guy with guard dog. It was a Sheraton, we’ll be ok.
Even after passing the guard at the foot of the driveway, we had to pass through a metal detector in order to enter the hotel. We felt safe, but perhaps a little unsure. We went to bed and prepared to be picked up in the morning. We went downstairs for breakfast. What can one say the hotel is a Sheraton? Breakfast could’ve been served anywhere in the world.
We then spent the night in a bed and breakfast. It was very nice. The ride to it wasn’t bad, but the roughness of the area was apparent. We went to the Giraffe House the next day and then took off for Asilia Africa’s Rekeno Camp
We went of on safari and had a great time. Interacted with a number of local people. Listened to stories about family life in Kenya. What village life was like. Why there was so much poverty here. My view, at least, was getting challenged a bit.
Now, a year later, we are on a cruise around Africa. Not planned that way, but the way it goes. Actually, it may prove to be a more interesting trip than the one planned through the Mediterranean. Although missing the Suez Canal is still a bit of an issue.
We have stopped in a couple of ports which are in Africa; Port Victoria in the Seychelles, Nosy Be in Madagascar, and Mamoudzou the Capital of Mayotte. These are islands off the east coast of Africa and honestly are basically the same as all the small inslands we have visited. Perhaps a little cleaner, but the buildings and apparent way of life of the people is about the same.
The we stopped in Maputo. Our excursion did nothing to change an opinion of Africa, but we only toured the port area. Port areas aren’t known for presenting the best of a city or country. We got off here to go on safari in Zimbabwe. We spent the night here. The taxi ride out to the hotel was interesting. Once we were away from the port the city changed dramatically. More modern, cleaner and very nice.
Zimbabwe was also more “advanced than” expected. Still a lot of poverty but it seemed nicer. No, I am not sure I can describe that feeling. It was a place you could feel comfortable, if it weren’t for the heat and humidity. The area was beautiful and Victoria Falls was amazing.
We flew onto Cape Town to meet the Mariner. The Victoria and Alfred Mall was bigger than I remember from 2013. The whole city seemed built up. Again it could be anywhere in America.
We left here and went on to Walvis Bay, Namibia, and then on to Luanda, Angola. Suddenly Africa was different. They are both port cities with large commercial shipping operations. It was clear from the guide in Angola that they wanted to change the American image of Angola. The city presented itself as very clean and modern. Poverty, sure, but more than say San Francisco? Not so sure.
We all can remember the Nigerian Prince scams. Probably a number of other unpleasant things, but Africa is growing up. There may be a lot of American prejudice against Africa but it is clear that the Chinese don’t hold to that. They are seeing something in Africa that has clouded by the visions of Africa in our minds.
We need to open our minds and rethink our version of Africa. It is probably more of the “market of tomorrow” than China. Obviously, my vision of Africa has changed. Maybe I have grown up. Maybe I am seeing things for the first time. It takes a lot of work to train an old dog. Hopefully the young ones will catch on sooner than I have.
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