Abdul-Infinite- I'm Coming To You Live From The Motherland, West Africa....!

[TraceOneInfinite]

Abdul-Infinite... coming to live from the motherland, the historical lands of the great Muslim King Mansa Musa the outer extensions of his Islamic Mali Empire.  The history here is deep.  They used to be the wealthiest in the world.  But the white man changed all that when he came here 400 years ago, and on my first day I tried to breathe in the history of the land and people.

I left on Nov. 1rst, and my plane ticket going back to America is on Dec. 1rst.  So that gives me one month.  I'm a broke dude, that lives on small means in America, but I tried to come up with just enough for this 1 month trip, Allah protect.

First stop is Senegal.  You all might know it as the home of Akon.  Akon is so huge here, he's a source of national pride.  They also love hip-hop here, it's nice to see how much love the African's have for 2pac.  He's a legend here, as big or bigger than Bob Marley.

My first day I visited Goree.  It's the most famous and historical slave island in the world.  The white man started coming to Africa around 400 years ago, and this slave house island was origionally biult and developed by the Porteguese.  Later it was used by, and fought over, by a few European countries such as the Dutch. 

You get to physically go inside the 400 year old slave houses and see what the life was like inside... I went myself deep into the solitary confinement hole, where the tour giude said they used to stuff 15 people at a time.   Then there is one room, where they said they used to keep the "Yoruba" people, who are mostly the strongest Nigerians who were breaded to be the most physically brute slaves, and the tour giude, who was a local who lives in an undeground cave that used to be a military bunker, told us that's why America has the best athletes in football and basketball.

You see the upper deck where the white slave masters traded, and watched over the slaves.  Then, if you go out the back it is the Ocean, which they call the "point of no return"... bye, bye Africa, seperated from family and never to return.  This part brought tears to my eyes.

Anyway, I'm only in Senegal for a short time cause it's where I got the cheapest plane ticket.  Then it's off to the country next door, Gambia, and I'm am looking forward to it, cause the US dollar is stronger in Gambia, and that's the only hope I have to make it on what little money I have.  Also, they speak English there.  Here in Senegal, it's hard to communicate because they speak French, and their traditional language wolof.  I've been trying to learn Wolof from the friends I've met here. 

So far I feel much more comfortable here than the Arab countries I've been too.  They love foriegners here, and they know how to make you feel at home.  Also, for a Muslim country they are very open in mixing with men and women, the society is a very open, loving, and beautiful people.

...more later, inshallah, assalamualaikum.

[Sofa_King_Awesome]

Damn, that's beautiful. Lucky for you. Post up some pics when u get a chance.

[TraceOneInfinite]

Damn, that's beautiful. Lucky for you. Post up some pics when u get a chance.

It's embarrasing to say, but I was too broke to buy a digital camera before I left.  I was trying to save every penny for the trip.

It's okay though, my camera is in my mind's eye.  Like Talib Kweli says on the Reflection Eternal album, "I dive deep into my mind, see, I got a treasury, that floats through my head like a sweet melody"

[es-jay]

^just get a disposable.

[AndrE16686]

Great to read posts like this and its great how you travel to different Muslim countries instead of just the Arab ones to get a wider experience of the (Islamic) World.
Be safe yo.

[boycriedwolf619]

nice man be safe out there. I want to take a trip like that when i'm financially able.

[Machiavelli]

people treated you worse in Arab countries? how so?


and you should go to Morocco man, tight place...

[ToOoOoN!!!]

people treated you worse in Arab countries? how so?


and you should go to Morocco man, tight place...

im going to morocco next year

[Mackin]

Funny how some white folks are treated good in Africa,while blacks are treated like second class citizens

Enjoy Ur Stay in Africa

[boycriedwolf619]

Funny how some white folks are treated good in Africa,while blacks are treated like second class citizens

yea that is true

[Don Rizzle]

i just the love the shit when u go to the markets there they don't want your money they start bargening to take your clothes instead.

[TraceOneInfinite]

Senegal exceeded my expectations (and took most of my money) but so far I am dissapointed with Gambia (although it is much cheaper and less expensive here).

Everywhere you turn in Senegal it is visually stimulating, the way people interact, the way the women do the hair, the fashions, the styles, the scenary, the music and dance is everywhere in Senegal, and I heard alot of great music I'd never heard before.......

....but here in Gambia it is dirty, dirt poor, the place I was staying at when I first got here, they didn't even have soap (I know they use soap themselves when they wash, so I don't know why it wasn't in there) when I asked for it, but they sent one of their maids to go buy me some.  The electricity can sometimes go out for a period of time during the day.  I can give other examples of stuff later.  And the shower wasn't workign so they gave me buckets of water to wash up with.  Someone in the streets tried to act like he knew me and was a customs officer I passed coming in, and said he was in an emergency, to loan him some money, and trick me and all this stuff.  Also, the people have a depressed look and aren't smiling and laughing with one another like senegal.  It's loud, noisy, busy, and smelly here. 

I just got here, so this is all an early assesment.

[white Boy]

why didnt u go to mecca?

[TraceOneInfinite]

nice man be safe out there. I want to take a trip like that when i'm financially able.

That's not bad thinking man... I almost screwed myself by not coming with enough money but I've ran into a little good fortune along the way so I might be okay.

[TraceOneInfinite]

people treated you worse in Arab countries? how so?


and you should go to Morocco man, tight place...

Well... definitely from what I've heard and seen Morocco is one of the best Arab countries to go to, and they have a rich culture and the people are known as some of the best.  But, I went to the Arab countries Oman and United Arab Emirates and I wasn't so impressed.  I wanted to make sure my next trip was to a non-Arab country... nothing against Arabs, but Africans are definitely the coolest people in the world.