[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4906764.stm[/url]

Something note many were aware of, but even 'the best boy in class' had it's problems. When I was there in 2003 I travelled through that region where violence between the two families was pretty heavy, in fact in the whole region supporters of either of the two attacked each other as well. Didn't get to see any of it, but I'm glad it's over since I might spend some more time there this trip :D

Not of importance to you guys, but of great importance to me, lol

Re: Ghana king's burial ends long feud

Thats news i want to follow more often in the next few years.

But question...what was the reason of you to go to Ghana? It's not what you would call a normal touristic destination.

And how safe did you feel back then?

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Haha, it's because of my studies (African Anthropology, specialization in politics and development), I will be going again this year to do research for my thesis. As for the last time i went there: I've not felt insecure at any time when I was there, even when I might have had reason to do so...Ghana is in general an incredibly hospitable country, the people are very laid back and friendly too. When you're there, simple adapt to their rhythm, and you will not have a worry in the world ;)

In fact, for a first time in Africa, I highly recommend that country: easy travelling, pretty cheap and still already a bit tourist focused, so they're definitely improving the infractructure in the most visited areas.

Feel free to ask more info if you need it mate, I'll be happy to answer any questions if I can..

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Hey!!

Glad to have met you. I developed quite an interest in Africa the past year. Ever since i did a trip through southern Africa i want to go back and really dive into its culture. The trip was last May and i've travelled through 5 different countries.

Afterwards, because of the culture shock, i felt that i did not spent enough energy and time in discovering the lifes and habits of the people down there. It was a shame that i was firstly a bit intimidated by all the stares and people who want to sell you everything. Within three days after i landed in Johannesburg i stood near the Zimbabwen border. That was even before really spending any time in african cities or villages cause all i had pretty much seen was the Kruger Park. The experience at the border in Zimbabwe was a bit intimidating and has made somewhat paranoia which lasted for almost 1,5 week. Later on in South Africa, at the end of the journey, i was over that point and even dared to walk around with a good digital camera in Hillbrow (Johannesburg) just before dusk. And Hillbrow is one of the unsafest places as i may believe, a place where nobody advices you to go to, a world-known ghetto for its criminal activity.

Strange that at first you are afraid in places where you do not really have to fear the local population and later on you take actual risks just because you got used to the whole environment.

But like i stated Africa has become alive for me. I've just finished reading 'Ebbenhout' and currently reading 'Dark Star Safari'. I do that to indeed learn more about local cultures and how Africa has been lived by its travellers. It's also a good reading for the minor i'm gonna follow next year. Today i registered myself for the minor 'mondiale ontwikkelingsvraagstukken en interculturaliteit'.

Anywayzs... you must be a real Africa guru by now. I should keep that in mind :D

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africa wont be fixed until Yao shows up with a monster army and takes control through force like the old school chinese emporers. give it 10 years IMHO> then......

+1500 for yao.

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WTF, where do you study Xessex? You're either Dutch or Belgian as far as I can judge, and yes, I've read Ebbenhout as well ('Ebony' - Ryszard Kapuchínsky, nice read Sightless!!), I love how the book gives you an insight in African daily culture albeit a bit superficial since the man covers more than 2 decades of travelling in 1 book.

If you want to go back, do it man: just don't go with one of those preprogrammed 21-day tours this time, just pick 1 or 2 countries and stay for at least 3 to 4 weeks in each of them. Don't move around too much all the time, just dive into the local culture when you're at a spot. People will get to know you and introduce you to the real Africa, the one you don't see as a tourist. That is one hell of an experience dude...and always stay open to new influences of course. I was like a damn 5-yr old kid there, but they love it when the 'white man' shows a genuine interest in their lives!

I'm no Africa-guru by far, but i do know a fair share about the continent now of course ;-). Let me know where you are studying mate, we might be able to exchange some info: I myself am in Leiden btw...the only place with the real African Studies Centre in the Netherlands. Belgium has Gent as far as I know, it's in a collaboration with our university as far as I know.

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Oh and Sightless: I'm planning on building my own merc army (possibly a platoon of child soldiers added here and there) and conquering the continent within the next 20 years. Shouldn't be too hard, seeing how long all those rebel fucks seem to persist out there with virtually nothing and a crappy political agenda...;)

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i will need a silenced M14 Assault rifle. a sniper rifle with 1 mile range and heat sensor scope. lots of ammo and some air cover from a B2 bomber.

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I can get you an AK-47, maybe a Dragunov sniper rifle, lots of ammo (can get that @ discount with one of my homies in Liberia) but...there ain't nothing even close to a B-2 in the whole of Africa I'm afraid :ROFLMAO: . Heck, the French shot the only 2 gunships from the Ivorian Royal Airforce (a bit pretentious to name it that) to shit...

How about a goat with a bomb strapped to it? I know it's a bit of a makeshift solution, but heh...it ain't all hypermodern out there bro :mrgreen:

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[quote=Yao]WTF, where do you study Xessex? You're either Dutch or Belgian as far as I can judge, and yes, I've read Ebbenhout as well ('Ebony' - Ryszard Kapuch?nsky, nice read Sightless!!), I love how the book gives you an insight in African daily culture albeit a bit superficial since the man covers more than 2 decades of travelling in 1 book.

If you want to go back, do it man: just don't go with one of those preprogrammed 21-day tours this time, just pick 1 or 2 countries and stay for at least 3 to 4 weeks in each of them. Don't move around too much all the time, just dive into the local culture when you're at a spot. [/quote]

I study journalism in Tilburg. I started with that last September. My ambition is to become a foreign reporter/correspondent in faraway places (Africa/South-America). I just love to see things not so known to me and culture which are quite different than ours. Quite frankly i kinda dislike the culture in Holland.

My journey through africa has been with a friend and not an organized one. I hate travelling that way. So we rented a car from a local company, a 5-year old Mazda 323. With the car we travelled from South Africa (Johannesburg) to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia back to South Africa (Cape Town). From Cape Town to Johannesburg we took the scenic route along the coastline and spent a day or 4 in Durban. Splendid holiday, 12.000 KM in 5 weeks.

Owkay i will stop here about my holiday. Thats not interesting for other to read. So you've read 'Ebony' as well. I liked it a lot and the tone of the book contained more respect for the local people than in Dark Star Safari which i'm reading now. But euhm would you by any chance know some other books about Africa, which contain much info about its culture bt is still readable ?

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Hmm...i don't know much books in the style of Ebony to be honest, but that is because I constantly need to read scientific work on the continent. If you want to learn a shitload about it's political history though, you should find [I]Afrika: van de koude oorlog tot de 21e eeuw[/I] by Roel van der Veen. Fucking ace, it's an easy read and damn near a chronicle on the continent's political history of the past 5 decades....

I'll try to find you some titles if I can, it might be interesting for me as well to read some of those books...

The trip you made sounds like a great one by the way...maybe a bit too much distance within 5 weeks, but on the other hand I'm sure it has given you a great first oversight and taste of that part of the continent! What is it though that you don't like about the culture here? I mean...not that i'm so fond of our country myself, just curious here ;)

Oh, and I'm originally from Breda myself :D So it might be cool to meet up sometime and talk a bit about all this while enjoying a cool Hoegaarden in the summer :drink:

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I'd rather have a Erdinger Hefe Weissbier :drink:

What i don't like about here. To start with the pace of this society. It's so frigging fast and it and your role in it is over sooner and sooner. Before you know you've worked your ass off for about 10 years in a company and then you turn 33 or so and somebody who hasn't seen you ever decides you are not neccessary anymore. Statistically seen your production rate drops at that point. It heading towards that 15 minutes of fame ike you see on the television. For a short while you're on top of everything but the next thing you know your moment is gone forever. Not too mention the struggle here for material things and the chitchat about all those things that do not matter. I find it truly laughable when people in Holland go on a strike for like 1% more salary. Gimme a break stupid wankers. What on earth can you possibly do with just that 1 percentage. People are so caught up in how society wants you to be nowadays that they don't even aks themselves what life should be about, let alone do something about it. They just move so programmed, but in the meanwhile just few of them dare to admit they are living like retards following the herd. I find Africa far more honest, even though seen from here its seems like a pile of shit.

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hahah, I get your point man. I think my opinion is not that far off, though I'm even more pissed off by our government ripping us all a new asshole at this moment; right now I literally feel like I'm working for our govt, not the other way around. As long as I play the good citizen, work my ass off, pay taxes on every breath I take and pick up the turd my dog drops (which I usually leave for Balkenende) I'm a good boy.

In the meantime we have a PM that does in no way represent my interests either domestically or internationally, we have a government that is too chicken shit to really deal with the minorities around here that refuse to integrate, we got gayish members of parliament with blonde dyed hair that actually win votes, the economy is dictating what is good for this country and not our wellbeing, anyone that has been in local/regional/national politics and gets laid off receives 70-fucking-thousand euros a year compensation, Balkenende keeps insisting that we're doing better fincancially (despite the ridiculous healthcare system we have now), our cops get beat up and when they return the favour they get indicted, the dept of justice makes an estimate how how much they [I]intend to receive from us[/I] in fines (traffic violations mostly), the NS says it has achieved it's minimum percentage of scheduled rides (but omits to mention they're been fucking around with the numbers) so we can expect to pay more for a train ticket as per ASAP, the Joint Strike Fighter has become more expensive yet again, Ijust read that in fact we're losing up to 2% of our yearly spendable income while a salary raise of 10% for the ministers and 30% for our PM has been proposed and I'm suffering from the worst case of hemarrhoids since Aristotle.

How much do you think I loathe our precious little piece of dried out swamp on the Western edge of Europe? :mrgeen:

Anyway...this may not be such a bad place to be, but that is only if material wealth is your highest aim. If not, then there is a whole beautiful planet to be discovered and experienced, and I intend to do exactly that ;-)

Erdinger is good shit btw, and so is that new blonde beer by Grolsch I tasted last week...

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Haha, good shit that whole post of yours. Even better than my Erdinger i dream of :D

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I just needed to rant :D

btw, hit me up on [email]blowkick@gmail.com[/email] dude, no harm in having contact with someone in the nieghbourhood that has the same interests IMO ;)

Re: Ghana king's burial ends long feud

it.will.never.be.fixed.they.have.nothing.to.offer.the.outside.world.other.than.diamonds.and.we.have.those.already.