Advertisement
Published: January 13th 2015
Edit Blog Post
Kempinski Hotel
This where Advin and I stayed We flew in from Tromso at 12:25 am. We took a cab to the Kempinski Hotel where we were going to stay. We arrived at our hotel at about 12:45. We had already slept on the plane, so we were not as tired, but we took a 4-hour nap. 5 am rolled around and we met our guide, Sylvestre, who agreed to show us around for 20,000 Central African francs, which is $19.80. He took take us to a village, just outside of N’Djamenga. We could hear Sylvestre’s accent, which but he did a great job at English. In Chad, the
official languages (language(s) chosen by government to promote internal cohesion) are Arabic and French. Sylvestre was talking to us about how the country has had
intrafaith disputes (disputes between sects of a major religion) with Islam and
interfaith disputes(disputes between major religions) between northern Muslims and southern Christians. He was going to take us to visit Sara people, who make up the majority of southern chad. “Sara” is a term to refer people from non-muslim tribes. This was great, as we wanted to experience a real African culture. We arrived at 6:00 am. When we arrived, we met 17-year old
Roads
The road to the village. Angela. She happened to be one of the few girls to not have been married yet. She also spoke Arabic, just like Sylvestre. Angela showed us her parents, grandparents, two brothers and two sisters. She explained to us that there really is no division of labor among men and women. They both work in the fields to be able to provide for the family. We kind of had in mind what an African tribe is like from what we see on TV and in movies. Angela took us to see the fields where they would work. We saw her father herding cattle. We had already farmed before, so this time we just looked on as Angela’s brothers did the work. we went back to the center of the village, where there was a large gathering of people, as if they were waiting for someone. It turns out, they were waiting for us. Angela had told everyone that Advin and I were 18 years old. This called for a Man Initiation Ceremony. Advin and I were going to be initiated as young men. They gave us each a handmade spears out of stone. We wanted to take pictures of the people,
The Village
This is where we went to visit. One can se the difference between the wealthy and poor in places like Chad. but we got so caught up in the moment, we did not get the chance to. Also, Sylvestre warned we might frighten the people with the camera. We then got a new challenge: see who can dance in the circle while everyone else chants the longest, me or Advin? I’d say we were going at it and then Advin trips, falls, and I laugh. So technically, I won. With only 2 hours left until we had to go back to the airport, Angela’s mother made lunch. It was Millet porridge, typical in Southern Chad. Advin looked at it and did not know what to think. Yet, we both took a spoonful and taste just like rice pudding. We loved it. We had a long discussion with Angela and her family about what they wish they had in life and how do they feel living here. They said it’s not bad. They have food all year, they are surrounded by loved ones, and they always find ways to entertain each other. She wonders that it would be like to have a full education and a career in an office, but she imagines it might get boring after a while. I told
Angela
This is the wonderful Angela. her she was right on. After that, we said our goodbyes and Sylverstre took us back to the hotel, then to the airport for Our Flight to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
COSTS:
Flight: $4,210.84
Hotel: $295
Cab to Hotel from Airport and Back: 2 x 3.7 km = $7.40
Money for guide: $9
Total: $4522.24
Bibliography:
"Independence." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 11 Jan. 2015..
This source helped us more with the history of Chad. It helped us learn why it is the way that it it now. It helped us see how it got there. As Americans, we have perceived visions of what African countries are like. This source opened our eyes more that what they already were.
Reyna, S., "Sara." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.. 2014, and Elizabeth Knowles. "Sara." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 1 Jan. 1996. Web. 12 Jan. 2015..
This source was more specific on the Sara people. It taught us about there culture and their traditions.
Farming
A picture of some locals farming. We wanted to know more about where we were going to go. Understanding Angela and her people would not be possible without this source.
"Chad." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 12 Jan. 2015..
As Americans, we have perceptions of African nations not from what we learn in school, but from what we se in Television. This source helped us get a better understanding of what Chad is really like. It up us see if those assumptions about infant mortality rates and poverty are correct. This way we won't offend anyone in visiting this country.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.09s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 11; qc: 58; dbt: 0.0498s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb