Take a Trip to Africa

Do you recognize this landform? It’s the continent of Africa, and this is a political map from 2021. Did you know Africa is the 2nd largest and 2nd most populated continent?  Only Asia is bigger. 
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​Over the summer one of my critique partners, Sandra Martin Denis, traveled to Africa. 
​She went on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.
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 Before she left, she had some prep work to do. There were shots to take, for yellow fever, typhoid, and tetanus. And her clothes went to a special place called Insect Shield. Would you believe they soaked them in insect repellent, then let them air dry so she wouldn’t have to worry about bug bites?


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                                    Part 1: The Inspiration for Sandra’s Trip
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​My interest in Africa started when I read the book The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. The series is enjoyable to read. I love the descriptions of Botswana in the books, and the main character, Mma Precious Ramotswe, a traditionally built lady, as she calls herself, not your typical detective.
                   
Precious enjoys drinking rooibos tea, a habit I adopted after reading the books. I also watched a documentary on PBS about a hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti. I knew I had to fly someday over an African park and witness the animal migrations.


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(Rinda) I was curious about rooibos (ROY-boss) tea so I looked it up. It’s from a West Germanic language spoken primarily in South Africa and Zambia. It literally means red bush. I can’t see the red for all the leaves, which are ground up to make a caffeine-free drink that’s been popular for generations.

​It became popular international in the 2000s, coincidentally when the book came out and later a TV series. If you’re curious what it tastes like, Wikipedia said it has an earthy flavor and aroma to yerba mate or tobacco. In the UK, it’s known as bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea. Would you believe you can find rooibos tea on Amazon?      
 
 
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                                                        Part 2: Sandra Goes on Safari—Her Photos & Words

​My dream came true this year when I went on a safari in Kenya and Tanzania. I took a hot-air balloon ride over the Masai Mara and saw hundreds of different creatures.   
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​Seeing animals in their natural habitat, interacting with each other--
zebras with wildebeest, impalas, gazelles….

A leopard hanging in a tree…

​Lions by the side of the road…

​Giraffes munching on acacia leaves…

Cheetahs with their cubs—was incredible. TOTAL MAGIC!

(Rinda) I’m so glad Sandra didn’t forget the elephants, especially the baby!
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​Do you see it in the first photo? There must be something that alerted the adults.
They encircled the baby to protect it. That’s what elephants do when they sense danger.
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Part 3: Sandra Meets the People of Africa—Her Photos and Words
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​I also loved the people I met—their warmth, pride in their countries, and friendliness. I want to return and explore other parts of this vast continent. My memories of Africa have stayed deep in my heart. This photo came from a Masai village in Amboseli Park.

These kids are dressed for school. All children, even in public school wear uniforms. They’re on a field trip at the end of the year to the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi. Buses brought them from villages outside of Nairobi.
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                                                                   They were very well-behaved children. 



                                                                              Part 4: Africa by the Numbers

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​(Rinda) Africa takes up about 20% of the land on earth. It’s home to 18% of the world’s population. In 2021 that was approximately 1.4 billion people. Africans are the youngest people on earth. In 2012 their median age was 19.7. Worldwide, it’s 30.4. (Median means the number in the middle.)

Africa, as of 2021 is made up of 54 nations. There are also 8 cities and some islands that belong to non-African countries. Would you believe Malta and Sicily are geographically part of the African continent, but both belong to the European Union? Algeria is Africa’s largest country, and Nigeria has the most people.

                                                                                       Source: Africa - Wikipedia


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                                                                                A Map of African Languages
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​(Rinda) Would you believe Africa has between 1,250 and 2,100 languages, depending on how you count the dialects? Some say it could be over 3,000!

There are 7 distinct families of African languages. They’re spread across the continent. Nigeria has the most people and over 500 languages.

                                                                  Learn more at: Languages of Africa - Wikipedia