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Journal of African trips

Africa, spring 1999 part III

Agelasto
2004-05-21 18:12:22

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the real Africa. Both are former communist states (still friends of the
almost ex-communist China). At the moment they both exist without much tourism, and
thus without much tourist culture. In this regard each is a pleasure to visit. No one runs
after you yelling, ?Hey, white man, I have a bargain for you.? There not much for the
sight-seer to see in Guinea (Zambia at least has Victoria Falls), but just being there is
sufficient experience. To walk around, observing, witnessing, pondering, without touts is
indeed a vacation from the rest of West Africa.

There are three Guineas in Africa. There is Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony,
located next to the Guinea which I visited. Given the glowing descriptions of Guinea-
Bissau I find in guidebooks (and the desire to find Portuguese food at African prices), I
really want to visit this country, but the week after I arrive in Africa some sort of political
trouble begins in Bissau, the capital, with Senegal sending in its French-trained troops to
put down a coup attempt. Even though fellow travelers assure me that there is no gunfire
reported outside of Bissau, I decide not to take the risk, not to visit even the rural areas
(which in any case are hard to access without going through Bissau). The third Guinea is
called Equatorial Guinea and is located next to Cameroon, on the other side of West
Africa, not on this trip?s itinerary.

The Republic of Guinea has gone through the usual name changes that characterize
African nation-states, which a quarter century after independence are still in a perpetual
search for identity. At one time it was called the Revolutionary Republic of Guinea, and
today it is usually called Guinea-Conakry, after the capital city which holds about 10% of
the country?s population. I have no desire to visit the capital which by all accounts is a
most dismal ...