Blogs from Guinea, Africa - page 8

Mali was rich in its own way. Villagers weren't quite as warm and hospitable in some places, but they held to their integrity. In a place where people earn $400 a year, I wasn't able to purchase a pup for $100 USD, because they follow the traditions of the Bedouin who brought Islam to them. "You seem like a very nice man, and if you could stay a day or two in the village, I'm sure someone would gift one to you." Translating that into a US Economy, we're talking about at least $5000. Know of anybody with that kind of integrity in the States? Beautiful people, beautiful spirits... Pictures will do the talking again.... read more

After a hazardous journey we finally arrived in Koundara. Disoriented, high on fumes and coughing from dust, we paid a small boy to guide us to the closest housing. The next morning we left with the first transport destined for Labe', the principal capital of the Fouta Djalon and the third biggest city in the country. A full day journey in a kaput bush taxi, only breaking down twice as we traversed the Koliba river on a hand hauled ferry and climbed the winding bush tracks into the highlands. The Fouta Djalon is an extensive area of undulating hills and lush valleys. It's not high enough to be mountainous, but high enough to offer pleasant climate with more in common with north European summer than the African hot season fathoming the lowlands. The lusty inflation of ... read more

Where were we at? Oh, yeah, the overpriced airplane trip to Conakry. Dakar is just barely sub-Saharan, and relatively dry. Guinea is at the beginning of the rainforests, and the city itself is a finger jutting out into the ocean. I'm sure it keeps a few people cooler that way... 3 or 4 of them, if they turn the air conditioning on. I was greeted by an online acquaintance of the team - supposedly a trapper, a the only person who hadn't tried to get them to send money. He was accompanied by the airport veterinarian and some other fellow. I received an honored welcome, shuffled on past the customs agents who would have tried to extort funds from me. The fellow, like most in Guinea, hoped to gain a position in the good graces of ... read more

Just before entering Guinea I had an email from a friend about a BBC report of a coup attempt in Guinea. He said, was I going to Guinea Bissau rather than Guinea. I made it clear that I was going to Guinea and that I considered Guinea to be a safe and stable country - the human rights record is not good but it has avoided the descent into Civil War that most of it's neighbours have suffered from. So, what about the coup attempt? It seems that someone shot into the Presidential motorcade and injured one of the bodyguards. Some of the reports that I heard suggested that there never was a coup attempt - that it may have been stage managed as an excuse to arrest political opponents. Whatever the truth, the billionaire diabetic ... read more