T.I.A.

There's a phrase that anyone who's traveled in Africa long enough is bound to hear. It's "T.I.A." or "This Is Africa". It's uttered at moments like the "8:30" bus leaving at 2pm. Or like when I walked into the local tourist office for some information:

Me: "Are there hiking trails in the area?"
Guy: "Yes."
(Long Pause)
Me: "So... can you tell me about them?"
Guy: "Yes."

It went on like this for a while before I finally was able to get some information out of him. It's not a language thing since most people here speak pretty good English, it's just an Africa thing. But more on that later. Let me update everyone on what I've been up to recently.

After Vic Falls I made my way across Zambia with a stop in the capital, Lusaka. Zambia seems to have much more empty, open space compared to most of the African countries I've been in so far. I guess the highlight of Zambia for me would be the gigantic market in Lusaka. It could be described as the world's largest thrift store. All the clothes Americans send to charity seem to have found their way to the Lusaka market. Your old tennis shoes don't look so bad when they've been thoroughly scrubbed clean.

I made my way quickly across Zambia in order to reach Malawi. I was yet again drawn to beautiful, sunny beaches. I stayed first at Senga Bay on Lake Malawi and then spent some time further north at Nkhata Bay where I met many travelers who had planned to visit the town for a few days and ended up staying for weeks.

Lake Malawi is an aquarium enthusiast's paradise. You can swim with all the cichlids that you see in the pet store. Throw on a pair of goggles, step into the water and it's as if you're swimming inside an aquarium. The fish are brightly colored and all hanging out right by the shore.

I am currently in the town of Arusha, Tanzania. It's a big tourist town since it's where most people base themselves for safaris on the Serengeti and surrounding parks. I've had to fight off lots of touts and it definitely wears down your nerves. But I've booked a four-day wildlife Safari which I am totally psyched about. I used to watch The Lion King over and over when I was younger. I'm ready to see some lions and hippos!

It's been over a month since I arrived here in Africa so I have a few observations that I thought I would share:

On people: Carrying things on top of your head looks to be a very efficient way to transport anything from food to jugs of water to really heavy-looking logs. I've considered trying to carry my pack on my head but I'm afraid of getting laughed at by the locals. The typical woman carries a load on her head and a baby tied to her back. Strollers don't exist here, not that they would do any good on the non-existent or heavily cracked sidewalks. Handshakes seem to be pretty weak compared to the firm western handshake. It's not unusual to see guys holding hands while walking down the street. It's not gay, it's just a sign of friendship. It's a sign of respect to touch your left hand to your right elbow when shaking hands or handing over money. It's important to ask about someone's well-being before launcing into a question. Hissing is a common way of trying to get someone's attention. Sometimes it's as if I'm surrounded by snakes. I have to introduce myself as "Jennifer, like Jennifer Lopez" because that's the only way people seem to understand my name. And even though I'm white I still get called "sista".

On food: Boneless chicken is a foreign concept over here. And chickens are everywhere. On the bus, in the road, you name it. I've woken up to the crow of a rooster many times even in the city. Everywhere you turn there's a guy selling boiled eggs with a little bag of salt. The food here is very similar to food in the Southeastern U.S. There's a lot of grits, collard greens, fried chicken and boiled peanuts. In Africa you eat with your hands. Instead of napkins you get a bowl of water or use a sink in the corner of the restaurant. And finally, I predict the newest diet fad in the U.S. will be vacations to Zimbabwe.

On drinks: Coke has apparently branded the southern part of the African continent. It's advertising is everywhere but once you cross the border into Tanzania it seems that Pepsi has cornered most of the market. Sodas taste a little bit different here. Not only do you drink them from a glass bottle but they're made with real sugar. I found out that the U.S. is the only place where corn syrup is used because it is less expensive than sugar. Any beer that costs more than the equivalent of two U.S. dollars is an expensive beer. In fact, you could get dinner with your beer and the total would still cost you less than one beer at home.

On transportation and communication: If you have a car, you have a business. You can buy just about anything from a bus window. I actully had someone try to sell me a full-length mirror while I was sitting on a bus. Silverware anyone? Electic razor? Large knife? Some of the stuff that goes on here would be material for candid camera shows. I once rode in a taxi where the guy filled the trunk with large sacks of maize that kept falling out only for him to run back and try to stuff them back in over and over again. Everyone here has a cell phone. Even if you live in a village with no electricity you can charge the battery at a shop in town.

On the environment: The night sky is absolutely incredible. I've never seen so many stars in my life. Africa is not very developed so there is minimal light and air pollution. It seems nobody here has heard of trash cans so they just throw everything on the ground or out the bus window. I decided to "do as the locals do" and tossed my banana peel onto the ground. A guy picked it up off the ground and told me not to do that. I was dumbfounded, but then again, this is Africa.