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  • Not sure if anyone posting in this thread have ever been to Sub-Saharan Africa. Doesn’t seem like it. I’ve been to Kenya, which has the reputation of being civilized and relatively “safe”. I had the idea of cycle touring through south-middle Africa as well and put a good time reading and thinking about it.

    When you go to that continent you have to take to account all the dangers mentioned above by others, but there’s so much more. There are animals that will kill you, the great mammals like lions and elephants that are not only present in the nature reserves but also reptiles and insects that are plenty. Malaria and other parasites you haven’t even dreamt about that will invade you an make you feel sick, weak for weeks. There are huge stretches of land with little or no civilization where your fate may depend on the strangers good will. The mentality there is different to what we know from Europe, Asia or anywhere else. Some people lay their eyes on you without a word or any expression on their face, god knows what’s going on through their head. There are groups of junkies and alcohol addicts like nowhere in the world, places so dark you’d be rethinking your plan for days after seeing it. There is poverty, sickness and trash.

    There is no other place on earth that calls me more than Africa and I think traveling there can and should be done. But going there thinking that “it’s not that dangerous” is a huge mistake. Just my 2 cents.

    Edit: I edited the post so it would not offend future readers.

  • ok, I'll bite, I've worked extensively in the countries you've referred to as "Black Africa" - which I think is not a good name for it in the slightest.

    There are animals that will kill you, the great mammals like lions and elephants that are not only present in the nature reserves but also reptiles and insects that are plenty

    Yes, maybe if you camp in the middle of a wildlife reserve, whilst cooking several steaks over your camp fire. If not then you have no need to worry.

    Malaria and other parasites you haven’t even dreamt about that will invade you an make you feel sick, weak for weeks

    Malarial prophylactics have existed for years. Atovaquone tablets are cheap, work well, and have no side effects if you make a basic level of effort.

    There are huge stretches of land with little or no civilization where your fate may depend on the strangers good will

    This is just pure rubbish. It's an inhabited continent. You're not going to Antarctica.

    Some people lay their eyes on you without a word or any expression on their face, god knows what’s going on through their head. There are groups of junkies and alcohol addicts like nowhere in the world, places so dark you’d be rethinking your plan for days after seeing it. There is poverty, sickness and trash.

    Let me guess, you have read Heart of Darkness recently.
    Many of the nations in the area you have referred to are developing countries, and so they might not look the same as Europe. I can tell you LA has as many problems with "junkies and alcohol addicts" as some of the poorest neighbourhoods on the African continent I've travelled through.

  • So the mosquitos, adders, black mambas, tze-tze are drawn by steaks. Hmm.

    All pharmaceutics has side effects, short and long term. What you’ve said is not true. Also, other parasites are being treated with with different pharmaceutics, chemotherapeutic - this has side effects too. Some are extremely hard to treat.

    Generally speaking the density of population in Africa is rather low. There are stretches converted with forests, savanna or deserts where it’s hard to meet people.

    You’ve worked exclusively on the continent but you know so little. Must be the ignorance.

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