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Rock the Casbah

Agadir, Morocco 

May 29, 2023

We sailed into Morocco on Thursday, the 26^th of May, for our last day on the African continent. Overall we found the people living in Africa to be extraordinarily friendly and welcoming. They constantly waved hello and seemed eager to tell us about their countries. But the contrast in material wealth between Africa and Europe (just around the corner)  is just staggering. 

Upon seeing this, the temptation is to blame it all on colonialism.  It is a temptation often shared both by Westerners and people who live in what is now called the Global South—formerly called the third world or the developing world. 

But I’m not so sure that colonialism is all there is to it. Surely Europe wreaked plenty of havoc wherever and whenever they set up their colonies. For one thing, they created artificial countries rather than true nation-states. As the colonial era drew to a close and former colonies gained independence, the borders that remained often reflected great power politics that ignored local conditions. Tribal  and ethnic histories were all but ignored. The same can be said about the Middle East, South America and parts of Asia. 

There are other factors that bear consideration as well, including culture and political economy. The departing European powers had often attempted to suppress local culture and languages. By and large these efforts were largely unsuccessful. It is reasonable to suppose that this engendered African distrust of Western  institutions. It is also reasonable to assume that is one (among many) variables that explains why so many former African colonies adopted socialist-authoritarian models upon achieving independence. That didn’t really end until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. But the wreckage of that experiment is still visible. Something to think about. 

On a brighter note, Mary Anne and I went on a brief tour of Agadir, Morocco. From what we observed, the country is in far better shape than  most of the other African countries we visited.  We went to a fantasia, which involved a show of dancers in native costume, acrobats and a horse riding show that featured synchronized movements and simulated charges for battle. 

Then we went to a souk—a real souk that was maybe a square mile in size. It looked like whatever you wanted, you could buy. Basically a quasi outdoor shopping mall. Everything from household furniture, freshly squeezed juices, souvenirs and clothing were on sale. 

After the souk we went to a Casbah, which essentially refers to a castle. But Casbahs are not isolated; generally they were built inside cities that were walled-off for protection against would be invaders. Casbahs tend to be on hilltops for the same reason. This Casbah (largely reconstructed) had cannons facing out to the Atlantic Ocean to protect against invading navies. 

There were plenty of tourists and merchants in the walled city. In fact, the Casbah seamed to be mostly for tourists. In some ways it looked like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie. Among other attractions there were donkeys, camels and goats meandering around while under the watchful eyes of their owners. A number of tourists went for the camel rides on offer. Not us. 

After leaving the Casbah we headed back to the ship. It was our last day in Africa, and it really leaves you thinking. Next, we to set sail for Spain. 

JFB

The Canary Islands 

May 27, 2023

We arrived in the Canary Islands, “the Canaries” as the locals refer to them on the 24^th of May. After a spending a few weeks visiting countries on the coast of West Africa, it was a bit of a relief.  

The Canaries are claimed by Spain, and have been for centuries. So landing in Santa Cruz on Tenerife was like landing in Europe. After Tenerife we went on to Arrecife on the island of Lanzarote, also one of the Canaries.

The Island of Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands. It is also the most populous, with about 1 million inhabitants, or 43% of the archipelago’s total population. It is often frequented by Europeans on holiday. It gets about 5 million tourists (from all over the world) every year.

The city of Santa Cruz, the capital, is charming and clean. In fact it is pristine. It has the amenities you would expect if you were visiting Spain. 

While there, we viewed Mount Teide. Located in Mount Teide National park, a UNESCO heritage site, it stands as the highest elevation in Spain, and the tallest elevation on any Atlantic Ocean island. We also went on a walk on a walkway high up in Santa Cruz overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. 

After going through Santa Cruz we visited a banana planation where we learned about banana plants. Then we made our way to a well laid out botanical garden before returning to the ship.  

The Island of Arrecife

Arrecife on island Lanzarote, where we arrived on May 26,  was next. Lanzarote is in many respects very different from Tenerife. While Tenerife is a bit of a playground for European tourists, Lanzarote is far less populated. There are only about 155,000 people living on the island.

Vineyards are a particular attraction of Arrecife. Needless to say, we visited 2 of them in La Geria, a Government protected wine region on the island. One of the unique features of La Geria vineyards is that the soil consists  largely of lava from various volcanic eruptions over the years. Another is that the island is very windy. 

Consequently the wine growers ply their trade by planting  the vines in holes they dig in the lava and then building walls around them to serve as windshields. The vineyards wind up looking like moonscapes. 

We also visited the Monument to the Peasants, Monumento al Campesino, built by Cesar Manrique, a local hero. It is designed to pay homage to the local workers, especially the farm laborers who do the backbreaking work of picking the grapes in the vineyards. It is an impressive display, and well worth viewing. 

We expect to dock in Agadir Morocco on May 26. That will be our last stop in Africa before we dock on the Spanish mainland. Which means that we will be in Barcelona before too long. 

JFB

Mindelo, Cape Verde

May 21, 2023

On Sunday morning, May 21, we docked in Mindelo, the port city of the island of Sao Vincente. It is known for its carnival traditions, first originating from Portugal. Later cultural influences came from Brazil.  Mindelo, home to 93% of the island’s population is often considered to be the cultural capital of the Cape Verde archipelago. 

Mindelo, which is now essentially a fishing village, was founded by Portugal in 1793.  Cape Verde formally achieved its independence from Portugal in 1975. After 15 years of one party rule Cape Verde became a multi-party democracy in 1990. It has made considerable progress since then. For instance, the think tank Freedom House gives Cape Verde its highest ranking in its Freedom in the World survey. 

Cape Verde is a high scoring country for Freedom of the Press. The Heritage Foundation ranked it the 47^th freest country in the world and the 2^nd out of 47 in Africa. To put that in perspective: it’s a little worse than Peru (44) and better than Spain (51). 

Cape Verde is also doing better economically than many other African countries with a per capita a bit above $7,700. That is much higher than Sao Tome, Mozambique, Senegal, Madagascar and Togo, for instance. 

Mary Anne and I took a shuttle into the town to take a look around. It was quite pleasant. There were plenty of boats of all shapes and sizes tied up in the harbor; the city was clean and the European influence on the architecture was more than obvious. While wandering around the city we stopped in a local cafe and had some delicious coffee and then headed back to the ship.   Cape Verde was an interesting place to visit and we’ll see how it stacks up compared to Tenerife and the Canary Islands. 

JFB

The Ivory Coast

May 17, 2023

We had a short visit to the Ivory Coast, or Cote d’Ivoire. The visit was short because we docked 4 hours late for some unknown reason and the scheduled tours had to be shortened so we could sail on time later that evening. Instead of going on a scheduled tour, we decided instead to take a shuttle bus into an area known as the Plateau in Abidjan to do a little exploring.

Our first stop was St Paul’s Cathedral, one of the largest in the world. It was designed by the Italian architect Aldo Spirito in 1980, was consecrated by Pope John Paul II and serves as the main church for the Archdiocese of Abdijan.

One of the more notable things about the cathedral is the immense stained-glass windows. Because the windows are so large, they let a lot of light into the church. Another thing to note: the windows’ religious imagery is placed in African settings. There are, for instances, scenes with elephants in them. 

After exploring the Cathedral we stopped off for lunch.  The restaurant, L’Ambassadeur, at the Hotel Tiama was French.

There are quite a few French restaurants in town largely due to the fact that the Ivory Coast was once a French colony. Anyway we had a delightful lunch complete with wine. 

Then we caught the shuttle back to the ship which was being given a touch-up painting by the crew and by 5:00 PM we sailed away toward Dakar, Senegal, our next port of call. 

JFB

Takoradi, Ghana

May 16, 2023

We arrived in Ghana, officially known as the Republic of Ghana, on May 15. Located on the West Coast of Africa, Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence from colonial rule on March 6, 1957. Ghana is the second largest cocoa producer in the world, and claims that it produces the best quality cocoa. It has a growing oil industry, is a major exporter of gold and has large deposits of bauxite, manganese and diamonds. 

Ghana is classified as a lower middle income country. It also has a medium Gini  coefficient of 43.5 signifying a  relatively benign distribution of income. Per Capita income expressed in terms of Purchasing Power Parity is just under $7,000, about 2.5 times that of  neighboring Togo.  

When Mary Anne and I got there it poured rain, so our tour was kind of attenuated. But from our vantage point, Ghana looked like a fairly poor, but developing, country. There was the usual assortment of shacks, and a limited number of top hotels. One hotel we visited was billed as a 5 star hotel and we saw African dancers perform in native costume. Another aspect of the continuing story of West Africa is that the people with whom we came into contact were very friendly.  

Ghana is generally regarded as a stable democracy. But it wasn’t easy getting there. Its first President as an independent state was was Kwame Nkrumah who ruled as president and prime minister from 1957 to 1966. Nkrumah was an authoritarian leader however and aligned himself with Mao Tse Tung’s China. He was deposed in a military coup in 1966.

Nkrumah eventually became known as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and formed the Kwame Nkrumah Technological Institute, dedicated to teaching his theories of communism and socialism. 

Ghana seems to be on the right track, but it has a lot of challenges, not the least of which is the influence China seems to have in Africa with its belt and road initiative. We can only wish Ghanians well.

JFB

A Voodoo Ceremony in Togo 

May 15, 2023

We sailed into Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, on Sunday May 14 to witness a Voodoo ceremony in a village named Sanguera. In a way it was a study in the contrasts that are endemic to so many African countries. 

On the one hand we witnessed a Voodoo ceremony that included energetic, almost frenzied dancing in which the participants supposedly went into trances. One goal of the ceremony was to serve as protection against witchcraft.

At the same time, a native professional photographer was there, complete with pro equipment, to photograph the proceedings. And it looked like plenty of villagers had smart phones, regardless of what any witches thought.  

Throughout the villagers were extraordinarily friendly and welcoming. They, as well as virtually any other Togolese people with whom we came into contact, or even just passed by as we drove along on a tour bus, smiled and waved. The people to all outward appearances, are just plain friendly. 

What is really surprising is that Togo ranks dead last in the UN Happiness Index. Perhaps it is because Togo is a desperately poor country with a Per Capita GDP of only about $2,600 expressed in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Anti-poverty protests in 2017 resulted in a crackdown by security forces. 

Another factor could be the nature of the government. Essentially it’s a one-party state. The current president, Faure Gnasssingbe, took over after his father’s death in 2005. His father became president in 1967 and by 1969 banned opposition political parties. Regardless, what we was a group of very warm and friendly people.

We did have a bit of an altercation with the local gendarmes on the way back to the ship from the Voodoo ceremony. It seems that the bus driver was accused of going through a red light.

The police held up our party of maybe 30 people; a crowd gathered while we sat and waited and there was plenty of shouting back and forth between our security guard and the police. Eventually they got it sorted out, which probably means a bribe, and we made it back to the ship. 

Now we head off for the Ivory Coast.

JFB  

Sao Tome & Principe

May 13, 2023

We arrived in Sao Tome, the capital city of Sao Tome and Principe, on May 12, 2023. Sao Tome and Principe is a tiny island country with a population of about 225,000. The country achieved its independence in 1975 and promptly declared itself to be ”a revolutionary front of democratic, anti-neo-colonialists, and anti-imperialist forces.’’ (See the NY Times at this link).

Shortly afterward then President Manuel Pinta Da Costa, a Marxist, nationalized the country’s cocoa plantations and put them under state management. It should be noted that President Da Costa had studied economics in Cuba and East Germany. 

To the surprise of roughly nobody this side of rationality,  cocoa production collapsed. Since cocoa was the principal source of Sao Tome and Principe’s foreign exchange earnings, this was a problem. Combine that with the collapse of the Soviet Union and by 1990 democratic reforms began.

But even after reforms, Sao Tome and Principe remains a lower middle income country.  Real GDP Per Capita is estimated to be about $4,400. Recent growth rates have been between 2% and 3%. The unemployment rate is about 15% and  inflation, according to the latest available statistics (2017 & 2018), has been running between 5.6% to 7.8%. 

The literacy rate is high at just under 94%. The median age of the population is 19 years old. The government owns 90% of the land. There is still a corruption problem that impedes economic advancement. 

Mary Anne and I went on a tour that included the capital city of Sao Tome, a coffee museum situated on the island’s largest coffee plantation, a fort turned into a museum, and a cathedral. We also stopped at the island’s only 5 star hotel for lunch and saw local dancers and performers in native costume. 

The people were very friendly. But quite a few young people, according to our guide, are moving out, primarily to Portugal. Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe maintain good relations. In fact Portugal, has a gun boat standing guard in Sao Tome’s harbor.

So it was good to see the country, and its going to interesting to see how things turn out.

JFB

Cape Town, South Africa

May 9, 2023

We flew into Cape Town from Durbin on May 5 at the conclusion of our Safari. Then we headed off the next day on a half-day tour of the city. Last time we were in Cape Town (back in 2018) we didn’t think much of the place. In fact we were amazed at the number of people who told us that Cape Town was their favorite city. 

When we went on tour this time we were very pleasantly surprised. The city had its gleaming office towers and apartment buildings, elegant modern homes in the coastal areas, and bars and restaurants galore. We concluded that we just visited the wrong parts of the city the last go around. 

A bit surprising because we had stayed in a first rate hotel. In fact, one of the best. We must have just made a wrong turn. Some sections we visited this time were just a few blocks away.

Not that the country South Africa, and the city Cape Town, don’t have their problems. They do. The South African rate of unemployment is estimated at anywhere from 30% to 40%. (Nobody really knows for sure what the real number is).

The population of South Africa is about 60 million people. It has the 39^th largest economy in the world and is classified as a newly industrialized economy. It has the most technologically advanced economy on the African continent. But crime, poverty and inequality are widespread. 

Some of the problems most likely stem from apartheid, which came to an end in 1994. There are also governance problems. Even though it is now a democratic state, South African politics is essentially a one party state, dominated by the African National Congress.  One party states are typically fonts of corruption and poor governance. (Note: see Chicago, Illinois). But transitioning to a full fledged democracy from an authoritarian state to one that respects the rule of law, property rights and due process was never going to be easy. 

The hope for South Africa is that it can emulate the courage and vision of its modern founder, Nelson Mandela, and complete its transition to an advanced liberal democracy.  

When Mary Anne and I toured the city we spent most of the time on Table Mountain, so named because it looks like a table because the top of it is flat.

One thing we did was to take a cable car to the mountain top and hike around a bit. The view from the top was truly spectacular. We also visited some coastal areas as well as the center of the city. It is now no longer a mystery to us why so many people are so enamored of Cape Town. 

JFB

Zululand, South Africa

May 8, 2023

When we arrived in South Africa, we immediately went by van to Phinda Forest Lodge for a photo safari (we were part of a group of 8 passengers from the ship).   Phinda is one of the many lodges owned by a company called “&Beyond” which promotes sustainable travel in natural places that need to be conserved.  It is an interesting company founded by members of the Getty family and South African investors, and the business model includes alliances with local Zulu tribes, local landowners and others.  

Over the course of 3 days we went on 5 game drives.  Before we even snapped animal pictures, we learned a lot about the area and its history – it is partly a sand forest (rare), partly grasslands, partly woodland and partly wetland.   With this diverse ecosystem Phinda has trees, bushes, plants, spiders, birds, orchids, cacti and animals not found anywhere else on the planet.   The scenery was stunning. With the help of an extraordinary ranger and tracker team (Dan and Bheki) we explored it all.  

The game drives were great, and each lasted a lot longer than expected, because we found so many animals – lions (and lionesses), elephants (alone and in a big herd) , giraffes (ditto), zebras, white rhino, hippos, leopards, a cheetah, Cape buffalo, antelope, nyalas, wildebeests, warthogs, suni (tiny deer), monkeys, lizards, turtles, spiders, birds, etc.    And we saw lots of babies (lion cubs, elephant and giraffe calves, etc.), too.  

Phinda Forest Lodge was great – 16 large glass-walled cabins, lovely staff members, beautiful outdoor dining areas where we enjoyed incredible candle-lit dinners near roaring fires (it was cool and dark by 6:30 pm), and guides to get you from dinner back to your cabin after dark, as animals roam freely throughout the area.  

Joe took a lot of pictures, and tried to capture the feeling of being in Africa, in the bush.   It was an incredible experience, and we would go on another safari in a heartbeat!  

Now, off to check out the West coast of Africa, starting down in Namibia, with the world’s oldest dessert.   

Best wishes to all, 

Joe and MA

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