Backpacking across Africa while being Black and broke

I met Jean Olivier at an art exhibition at Nairobi’s Alliance Française. Short, stout, dark-skinned with dreadlocked hair and in a pair of khaki shorts and a t-shirt, he spoke with a slight lisp and insisted on using the little Swahili he had learnt in his travels.

Olivier is a Haitian-American who had been in Nairobi for a month, living with a friend and exploring the city by matatu (the 14 or 24-seater minivan used for public transport), tuktuk (three-wheeler taxi) and boda boda (motorcycle taxi).

He traversed the city using Matatu apps, and avoided shopping malls.

Olivier had been to the Kenyan Coast and described the beaches as “safe and mzuri sana, kabisa!” As a vegetarian whose only meat dish is fish, he loved the Swahili delicacies of “samaki wa kupaka” (spicy coated deep fried fish) and “mchicha” (leafy local vegetables).

When I met him in Nairobi, he was enroute to Ethiopia, for the North Africa leg of his African journey.

He had done the Southern Africa circuit, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, bungee jumped at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and at the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa.

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Who are you and what inspired you to travel through Africa?

I’m a 31-year old first generation Haitian-American, born and raised in the US. I decided to come to Africa and backpack across as many countries as possible to get answers to questions not covered by the US education system, and to debunk myths in my life about Africa. For example, before leaving the US, I had the impression that I’d be approached by beggars on landing at the airport.

This is a spiritual pilgrimage for me and I wanted to do the Cape to Cairo trip so that I can show people I left in the US Africa through my eyes. I didn't believe Africa was all doom and gloom as portrayed by the international media.

When did you set out in this trip?

I left the US on December 31 last year. My first stop was in Cairo for a connecting flight to my first real destination which was Tanzania, my adoptive home. I spent my first one and a half months on the continent in Tanzania.

I then travelled to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt. I always travelled overland using buses and trains.

Had you been to Africa before this?

Yes, I had visited Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia in 2013 and stayed for one and a half months.

Can you break down your trip by numbers?

I took eight months to travel to 13 countries covering over 24,000km. I spent $6,500 which is all the money I had. I had one mobile phone with seven phone cables, and made zero prior reservations. I had a lot of faith, curiosity and love. Everything else fitted in one travel bag.

How did you manage an eight months trip with $6,500 only?

I used my money on experiences as opposed to flights and expensive hotels. I’m a backpacker, which means I preferred buses and trains, hostels, guesthouses and homestay on invitation. My accommodation cost $4-$9 a night.

I ate local food as opposed to fast-food from international food chains because I wanted to support ordinary people who own small businesses. Whenever I explained why I was backpacking, I was sometimes rewarded by being charged local rates instead of the tourist/foreigner rates.

What were your favourite experiences?

The best so far was when living with my host Fatih Albanna in Khartoum. He would make “ace” (a local bread) and “kerkede,” a hibiscus drink and each day he’d make a different meal, which we’d share together with his nephew. We had great conversations about life, history, Africa and the world.

The other notable experience almost killed me. I was travelling in Ethiopia’s Afar region and suffered severe dehydration and body cramps as the temperatures reached 60 degrees Celsius in the open. The community — fierce, strong and dedicated to their traditions — showed me so much love and support by sharing their dates and water with me. In the evening they sang war songs. Afar is the place where I felt most protected on earth and safe under any government jurisdiction.

The other experience was in Sudan, seeing the Dervish (an Islamic religious sect) in Omdurman practise their signature whirling dance ritual with drumming and singing until they go into a trance. It was special.

Where did you leave your heart?

In Ethiopia. When I die, I want my ashes to be interred in the Afar region. I want to come back to Africa and retire in Tanzania. They have great beaches, food and music and I love it that their socialist background makes them very accommodating to visitors.

Did you feel out of place anywhere?

No. When I travel, people gift me with their language. Based on my knowledge of Swahili, Arabic and Amharic, I was able to fit in and navigate new places and be treated like a local.

Egypt is the only place where I felt foreign, outside of Cape Town, South Africa. The Sudanese had told me about the racism in northern Egypt. I was called “Sudan” (black) on the streets of Cairo. They call black-skinned people “Abeed,” which means slave. I found Egypt very empty on humanity.

You left your job for nine months. How did you save and plan for the trip?

I am self-employed as a sound engineer in the theatre and entertainment industry, so I can take time off whenever I need or want to. I keep low overheads so I save a lot since I am single. When I travel I take the cheapest options.

So, what is your favourite African food?

I have eaten ugali, jollof rice, koshari in Egypt, beyaynetu (injera) in Ethiopia and fool (a beans dish), served with ace (bread). I drank araki (brew made from dates and guava), moohla (a dip made of fermented milk, tomato, onion, dried meat, pepper and powdered okra), and hibiscus in Sudan. I loved fish from the Kenyan Coast.

You were not really alone on your ‘pilgrimage.’

I ‘travelled’ with my friend Tony Williams. He always wanted to come to Africa but died last year. His sister Kenna wanted me to carry his tie through Africa so we met in Nairobi, cut the tie in half and she took one half for her journey through the Middle East, Asia and South East Asia. I took the other half to show him round Africa. I buried his tie on a hill overlooking the great Pyramids of Giza. He will remain in Africa forever.

Your epiphanies?

At the breathtaking Philae Temple complex on an island in the River Nile in southern Egypt that was once a centre of worship. I realised that black people weren’t born with chains. We are not what the system tells us we are.

Have you taken other trips?

Yes, to the United Arab Emirates and India, but that does not even compare with Africa. This is ‘home.’

When do you return?

I want to attend Sauti za Busara festival in Zanzibar, next February.