Robbed by my own Fault...Not Africa's!
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I was robbed. So what? I could have been robbed anywhere in the world yet because it happened in Africa, I’ve indirectly affirmed a belief I don’t support…Africa is dangerous.
I traveled through 9 African countries, took at least a hundred public transportation methods, relied on the kindness of strangers more times than I can recall and suffered NO incident until the very end of my trip. I fell prey to a circumstance that could have happened anywhere in the world because I let my guard down. A false sense of security settled into my bones and a few seconds later, my trip took a drastic turn. But who do I fault? Do I fault Africa or do I fault myself? I mean I was the one carrying all my valuables in one bag. I was the one who chose to travel on the cheapest and most bare bones forms of transport. And yes, I chose to travel…da da dum…alone. I was a moving target in any country! So why when I tell people the story, do they immediately fault Africa?
Heck, if I traveled the same way through our beloved U.S.A, hanging out at remote Greyhound bus stations bound for intercity arenas, I’m convinced a few seedy people would cross my path too. And who knows, maybe those people may have been carrying a gun. A fear that, believe it or not, traveling in Africa never reared. Suburban teens don’t have access to guns to shoot up preschool children, gang bangers rarely use arms to achieve, “ghetto peace”, and the only guns you see are in the hands of those sworn to protect. So why then is Africa generalized as, “so”, dangerous. Yes, bad things happen in Africa, and yes, you must be weary of which countries you visit, but bad things they happen EVERYWHERE! And for those of you who still believe your respective countries are “better” or more “civilized”, look again.
To be honest, I debated posting my robbery incident on Backpackers Wanted for this exact reason. I didn’t want one isolated incident to bias people’s views of Africa. I posted the experience so we could all learn from my mistake. What NOT to do. And, if something happens, what to do.
I played the odds for 9 years in 50 countries. I accepted the risk for the rewards and I refuse to focus on the robbery as a, “poor me”, or worse, a “damn them”, situation. Instead, I’ve learned from it and moved on. And that’s what I want for anyone reading this. Learn from my experience but never, for a second, close yourself off to travel because of fear. If you want to be afraid of something, be afraid of your car, your job, your health but do not be afraid of the one thing that can bring comfort and understanding to people from every walk of life - our big, beautiful world.
The purpose of travel is to open your mind. Change preconceived notions. Formulate opinions based on personal experience, not popular belief. So for those of you who have your minds made up about Africa because of what the media portrays, I beg you to reconsider. After all, if you haven’t been there, how can you judge? You haven’t walked a mile in their shoes, so how can you fault? Turn off your television, get out of your bubble and make an opinion for yourself. Africa awaits!!
I traveled through 9 African countries, took at least a hundred public transportation methods, relied on the kindness of strangers more times than I can recall and suffered NO incident until the very end of my trip. I fell prey to a circumstance that could have happened anywhere in the world because I let my guard down. A false sense of security settled into my bones and a few seconds later, my trip took a drastic turn. But who do I fault? Do I fault Africa or do I fault myself? I mean I was the one carrying all my valuables in one bag. I was the one who chose to travel on the cheapest and most bare bones forms of transport. And yes, I chose to travel…da da dum…alone. I was a moving target in any country! So why when I tell people the story, do they immediately fault Africa?
Heck, if I traveled the same way through our beloved U.S.A, hanging out at remote Greyhound bus stations bound for intercity arenas, I’m convinced a few seedy people would cross my path too. And who knows, maybe those people may have been carrying a gun. A fear that, believe it or not, traveling in Africa never reared. Suburban teens don’t have access to guns to shoot up preschool children, gang bangers rarely use arms to achieve, “ghetto peace”, and the only guns you see are in the hands of those sworn to protect. So why then is Africa generalized as, “so”, dangerous. Yes, bad things happen in Africa, and yes, you must be weary of which countries you visit, but bad things they happen EVERYWHERE! And for those of you who still believe your respective countries are “better” or more “civilized”, look again.
To be honest, I debated posting my robbery incident on Backpackers Wanted for this exact reason. I didn’t want one isolated incident to bias people’s views of Africa. I posted the experience so we could all learn from my mistake. What NOT to do. And, if something happens, what to do.
I played the odds for 9 years in 50 countries. I accepted the risk for the rewards and I refuse to focus on the robbery as a, “poor me”, or worse, a “damn them”, situation. Instead, I’ve learned from it and moved on. And that’s what I want for anyone reading this. Learn from my experience but never, for a second, close yourself off to travel because of fear. If you want to be afraid of something, be afraid of your car, your job, your health but do not be afraid of the one thing that can bring comfort and understanding to people from every walk of life - our big, beautiful world.
The purpose of travel is to open your mind. Change preconceived notions. Formulate opinions based on personal experience, not popular belief. So for those of you who have your minds made up about Africa because of what the media portrays, I beg you to reconsider. After all, if you haven’t been there, how can you judge? You haven’t walked a mile in their shoes, so how can you fault? Turn off your television, get out of your bubble and make an opinion for yourself. Africa awaits!!
To read more about the robbery itself, please check out my previous blog, "Robbed Blind in Bloemfontein".