How to travel in Africa: #6 You are a foreign devil

On September 28, 2010, in Posts in English, by Baobabguides
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In Baobab Guides we have thought that, as we know everything about travelling, it would be great to share our infinite wisdom and help other travellers. This is why we have created this article series ‘How to travel in Africa’.

Foreign devils? Pic by Immmu

You should always start your trip with loads of good intentions, and then never cease trying to fulfill them all. You will always sleep in accommodation whose owners are locals, you’ll always eat locally produced foot, you’ll integrate in the country by always taking public transport, you will learn the country’s language, you will only buy crafts produced by the local people, every single time ask kindly for permission to take pictures, take all the garbage you produce with you, etc.

Our advice: Do it all, do never stop. Never have a local-food break by eating spaghetti (Italian food, the horror!). Never sleep in a more comfortable hotel when you can spend the night in in a local family’s guest room. Don’t even think of hiring a car. Taxis are forbidden, you can only take buses. Forget about hot showers. Do never accept a ‘foreigner price’, bargain to death for a local one. Accumulate anger and resentment.

Deep down you are a foreign devil and you know it. Foreign devils are known for having been brought up with western tastes and habits, so during the trip they try to do all those things and so relieve their guilt, up to the point when they get fed up and stop trying altogether.

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How to travel in Africa: #3 How to bargain

On September 12, 2010, in Posts in English, by Baobabguides
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In Baobab Guides we have thought that, as we know everything about travelling, it would be great to share our infinite wisdom and help other travellers. This is why we have created this article series ‘How to travel in Africa’.

Regatea, regatea. Foto de Guillermo Fernandez

One of the key moments in every trip is the shopping time! You need to go shopping and buy a lot of stuff -things called souvenirs-, the more the better, so when you are back at home everyone hears in awe our tales and adventures in this exotic destination. Nevermind that quite likely those cloths you bought in Kenya will be for sale in a shopping mall near home, even cheaper. Nevermind also that you already have thousands of hand made crafts collecting dust somewhere at home.

And then, as everything is different as in your country, here prices are not fixed. Instead, you need to bargain for every single item you want to buy. That’s lots of fun! The key to the bargaining game is to win and not let them go away with their outrageous prices. Negotiate until the end. You’ll know that you are doing it right if the seller looks increasingly pissed. With luck maybe a small crowd will gather around you to see your magnificent performance.

Remember, they want your money in their pockets. For that, they’ll always say skyrocket prices. Prepare your counter attack always offering ten times less what they ask for, and don’t give in if they look offended and pretend not to carry on with the negotiation. Fight to death for absurd quantities like 25 cents. The point here is not to spend less -you don’t care about that, you spent 1000$ just in the flight to come here-. The point is to win the negotiation. A dollar less that you pay is an incredible triumph.

Another good technique is to negotiate for a very long time and then at the last minute decide to leave and not buy anything. This is a great and the sellers will love it, even if they don’t admit it.

Taxis are specially fun, above all when you try to set the price at the end of the lift instead of at the beginning.

Enjoy!

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How to travel in Africa: #2 Compare everything to your own country

On September 11, 2010, in Posts in English, by Baobabguides
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In Baobab Guides we have thought that, as we know everything about travelling, it would be great to share our infinite wisdom and help other travellers. This is why we have created this article series ‘How to travel in Africa’.

There are many sunsets like these in your country, or better. Pic by "Extra Medium"

When you travel, try to compare everything you see to that our your own country. You’ll normally discover that almost everything in your beloved homeland is better that here, specially if you are travelling through a undeveloped area. This is a great source of satisfaction and will make you feel much better than the poor people living here. You’ll be travelling in a much happier way.

The food in your country is nice and tasty, here it’s strange. The roads in your country are modern and safe, here everyone drives like crazy. Timetables are religiously respected in your country, here nobody’s punctual. In your country people aren’t trying to cheat you all the time. At home people are serious and work hard, here they are lazy and and only think about partying and drinking. Or to the contrary, in your country people know how to enjoy life while here they are cold and distant.

Here the sunset in very nice, sure, but in your country it is the same or even better. You may be seeing the Colorado Canyon but in your country there is something bigger and better.

In your country there are also elephants, giraffes and lions (you’ve got very nice circuses and zoos). In your country the religion is kinder and the culture is more interesting.

In your country, in your country, in your country … well, you get the point. Ah, and don’t forget to let the locals know all this, they will appreciate your kindness in sharing this information!

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