Just a few days over a month in Africa…

The other day I suddenly realized I have white skin,

How strange it is really, white when there’s mostly black.

What’s the difference?

Many things has happened along the road here,

Here is Epupa falls on the border of Namibia and Angola,

Things’ meaning little stories adventures,

and maybe more then all some very surreal situations,

Like this morning when I went for my morning ‘watering’ the treesJ

I practically almost stepped on something that to me looked like an ancient monster but actually was just a big lizard.

Surreal, like to be waiting for a lift on a road that maybe 5 cars passing through this road in a day…

Surreal like finding a Mac computer with reasonable net connection in a place that feels like the end of the world,

a place where you need to drive for 2 days on a dirt road in order to get here,

Surreal like finding myself helping the local transport authority in checking the roads and road signs all along the Namibian desert together with my friend Forman, that is the official inspector.

Surreal like spending 3 days in a funeral ceremony in church, in the family house and in the graveyard.

Surreal like getting used to sleeping in gas stations,

Surreal like seeing naked Himba tribe people with just a lather skirts  on them, walking around talking on their cell phones…

So far my road was mainly involving places with people, little towns, villages and some cities.

Now after I came to this place Epupa falls, for just one night, and stayed so far 5 days.

I realise what makes me feel the best is nature, just seating close to the river and letting my thought drift on the rhythm of the river,

From now on I want the remaining time to be in nature as much as possible.

It makes me quite, gives me a deeper breath.

I had some nice meetings,

But to be honest, for almost all the locals on my road my white skin had the same effect as a Swiss bank account card have on some people.

There’s a monkey 2 meters from me now…

All communication has the underling of getting money out of me,

There was a man who helped me, and I gave him a lot on the 3 days we spent together, as a farewell present I gave him a big tip, the amount that would have sustained me here for 3 days, a second after when I asked if he could get me a bottle of water while I hold the taxi waiting… he handed his hand for money again.

I don’t mean to be Jewish, here white skin  does mean you are rich, and you are rich!!!

, if only you can buy the ticket to come here and take a walk,

here for somebody to buy the same ticket, he would need to be working for a few years, if he finds a job at all in a country with 70 % unemployment!!

But on the personal level, it is difficult to be constantly asked for money in many ways.

Everybody finds me ‘loco’ here,

the kids don’t believe that I have no car or motorbike, when I say I hitch hike, they look at me with disbelieve,

I find it funny and encouraging.

The kids here have a special thing, some kind of innocence, wide open eyes and souls, curios and surprised,

The other day I answered my urge to pic up a little kid that was crying, and hug him, he actually got more scared,

As they explained it was from my white skin…

a few hours past from the time I wrote the last sentence,

Beautiful moon is glowing above the clouds; I take long exposer picture,

I’ve been talking to myself mostly in the last 3 weeks, and I get repetitive boring conversation J

It’s just when nature is overwhelmingly breath taking, just then the circle of thought stops for a while and takes me on a new height.

The frogs here have different sound.

Africa is the used and abused child in the global classroom, everybody from any nation is doing what the hell they like with this place, taking away the treasures of this place, and not really giving anything back,

The people are so poor that they are more then happy to get any leftovers anybody would through at them,

I’ve met a few white men that promised to leave Africa in peace after they cut 15 million euro worth of trees.

The diamonds of Africa as well as all the other valuables are actually owned by European entities.

It is illegal to find diamonds for locals!!!

poverty is a well maintained super profitable business!!

I was as well offered to make a picture story,

of how hungry people are here, get the story to open some European hearts and wallets, and collect the money donated.

I am sorry this text is not just about fun travel and joy,

But this is Africa, at least what I see.

(don’t get me wrong… I’M HAVING A BLAST!!!)

Tomorrow i am moving on,

I have time here to remember those little things and big people that make my road so pleasurable.

Besos all over