Welcome to Africa

As my plane touches down in Cape Town, South Africa and stops at the gate, my excitement is stymied by the usual frenzied atmosphere in the plane. Departing a plane anywhere can be a lesson in humanity, but dearting a plance in Africa (or least parts of it) can be an experience to experience (if you haven’t already) not too uncommon in much of the less developed world. Here is what I expected based on previous arrivals to certain places in Africa – such as Ethiopia:

“Practically before the plane is even at the gate, there is a mad scramble for luggage and departure, with people jockeying for position with little regard for others. And while at first it may seem incredibly rude and insensitive, I get the sense that it is just the “way of life” in over-populated and under-developed countries – as I have witnessed this several times before in different places around the world. There doesn’t appear to be any ill-will towards others, it is just the commonly accepted way to behave in such places. My hypothesis is that people in these countries are simply so desperate to survive and improve their position in life that it comes at the cost of appearing to be totally selfish and inconsiderate. And while certainly many of these individuals are probably, in fact, selfish and inconsiderate (as they can be everywhere), I suspect that many are simply used to, or forced to, fight for every opportunity and for every scrap that opportunity puts before them. So who am I, brought up in a life of relative luxury and ease, to criticize these people for behaving this way. In such situations, it baffles me to see “westerners” from affluent countries getting frustrated and over-anxious, because it does absolutely no good to do so. I find that the best thing to do is just “go with it”. Patience and tolerance, I find, are the keys to maintaining ones sanity in such situations – not to mention the health benefits of not stressing out over a situation you simply cannot control. SO, if you are planning a trip to Africa, go mentally prepared for crazy, hectic, and crowded situations and stay calm – relax, your in Africa!”

Ok, that is what I expected based on past experiences and I was psychologically prepared to take a deep breath and remain calm and patient, but I have never flown into Cape Town, South Africa before. To my surprise and delight, the plane disembarkment was orderly and unfrenzied and there were no over-anxious people scrambling to get off the plane so as to be the first to get to Customs and Immigration. Moreover, the Cape Town airport was logically organized, exceptionally clean, wonderfally signed and surprisingly uncrowed. Indeed, arriving in Cape Town was a far better experience than arriving in most US international terminals. Getting through Customs and Immigration was a breeze as well and took maybe 15 minutes in a line. So, I’m off to a very good start!

As I departed the plane, all I could think of was “Africa”. For me, the very word Africa conjures up deep-rooted ancestral stirrings, buried deep in our human DNA, owing to our evolutionary origins. Africa – more specifically East Africa – is well-known to be the cradle of humanity, where our species first evolved from our primate ancestors. It’s hard to explain adequately, but for me, I get a strong sense of “returning home” every time I step foot on African soil, and it gives me great pleasure. Africa also stirs up wondrous images of unspoiled landscapes – albeit ever shrinking in extent – with vast herds of large animals roaming freely as mother nature intended, and where large predators can still be found in great numbers living in a landscape where predator-prey dynamics rule; in other words, where the natural “circle-of-life” is still operating unaffected by modern human interference. Africa also stirs in me a sense of urgency because of globalization and human-caused global environmental impacts such as rapid climate change that are increasingly threatening the natural world. I get the sense that the ideal African wildlife experience that I described above, and that I cherish so much, is rapidly diminishing and someday may only exist as a memory and in nature documentaries of the past. Hence, my African journey – to see and experience the wonders of Africa while it still exists – somehow feels urgent.

Enough philosophizing – a good night sleep and then off to meet my “green dragon”.