Map of the places visited so far and some answers

Hello everyone! I can’t upload photos on this computer, so I’m taking the opportunity to share a zoomable map of the places visited so far and to answer some questions from the corresponding Italian blog that might be of interest.

In general, from Johannesburg into Mozambique, up to Vilankulos and the Bazaruto Archipelago, then down into Swaziland, along the South African coast to Cape Town, then Namibia, traveling up and down by off-road vehicle, then east again... Zambia, down into Botswana, back to Zambia, then Malawi traveling up along the lake, and finally Tanzania here in Zanzibar.

The questions from my friend Marco were: “Which place has been the most beautiful so far? What’s the most delicious and unusual food you’ve eaten so far? What about the drink? Have you learned any phrases, or at least a few words in the local languages? Have you made any local friends?”

As for the "most beautiful place", it’s really hard to say, but if I had to pick one, I’d probably say Zanzibar. The thing is, I especially like the sea with a nice beach, and here there are plenty of them. There’s nothing truly spectacular on the island, like Victoria Falls in Zambia, the red dunes in the Namibian desert, or the Okavango Delta in Botswana, etc., but overall everything is very pleasant: the town of Stone Town, the green-blue-turquoise sea, the little streets surrounded by greenery, a certain “Arab” charm, and so on.
Then of course it depends on personal tastes and the reasons for travelling. If you want to see the most authentic Africa, then Zambia and Malawi. For animals, Etosha National Park (or the Masai Mara and Serengeti between Kenya and Tanzania, which I visited on a previous trip). And so on... every place has its own charm and magic, it’s impossible to say objectively which one is better.

As for "unusual food"... well, it’s strange this question came so late. One dish that stands out is something I had in Stone Town. A local guy suggested I eat in the market area, where at sunset women set up small street kitchens. I tried cassava with coconut, something I may never have eaten before. It’s a kind of tuber, like a potato, mashed with coconut into a white paste. Really tasty and very cheap: about half a euro.
Another unusual food is Nsima in Malawi, which is always eaten alongside other dishes. I don’t like it. It’s a sort of white porridge made, I think, from maize. It’s used mostly like bread, to dip into dishes such as curries or soups. People then keep shaping it into balls with their hands, and once it is already coated with various sauces, it was a bit off-putting for me to look at. In any case, it doesn’t really taste of much. In Malawi I didn’t eat very well, and I remember staying at a guesthouse that the Lonely Planet recommended for its “excellent cuisine.” I’m not very demanding when it comes to food and I can easily be satisfied, but there the food was really bad, almost inedible. But sometimes it really feels like Lonely Planet is just making fun of people... I’ve come to realize that. I could give dozens of other examples.
In hostels in Swaziland and South Africa, on the other hand, they almost always prepared delicious traditional dishes, usually a fixed plate with meat, vegetables, and more. Every evening it was something different, and they never disappointed me.
Then I remember a particular skewer I had in Namibia: each piece was a different exotic animal. There was zebra, antelope, ostrich, crocodile! Crocodile has a strange taste, right in between chicken and fish, a bit like snake meat, I don’t like it very much. The other pieces weren’t bad, but overall I was pretty indifferent, since it was just for fun. I don’t really want to add more animal species to those I already eat.

As for drinks, in South Africa they are crazy about Amarula, but it basically tastes the same as whiskey cream liqueur. The wine there is excellent and very cheap. In Malawi I tried the local beer brewed in the villages. It’s very yellow and thick, it doesn’t really taste like beer but more like a generic alcoholic drink. It’s good. Ah, I didn’t mention that Namibia has, probably, the best beer in the world: Windhoek. Maybe the only positive thing left by German colonialism. I drank who knows how many litres of it! It’s the classic easy-drinking beer, very smooth, not too strong in taste, lightly carbonated, really good.

Regarding languages, here in Africa each person knows at least two, sometimes more. First of all, the language of their own tribe, then English, which is now almost everywhere the official language, and then often also that of some neighboring tribe. At ATMs in South Africa, the language selection screen had English, Afrikaans, and then another six tribal languages, which I think changed depending on the location.
I have learned very few words. In Afrikaans I only remember: Dankie = thank you. As I mentioned before, a boy in Malawi taught me a few phrases in Chichewa, but now I only remember: Muli-bangi = how are you? (used as a greeting), to which you respond: Dili-bino = fine. Children used to always shout something like "Giambuia", which meant they wanted to have their photo taken. Here in Tanzania, the main language is Swahili, and people say "Jambo" to greet someone, and "Hakuna Matata" = everything is fine, no problem.

Yes, in general I am meeting many local people, except in Namibia where we were mostly on our own (also because there was often literally no one within kilometres!). People often approach to try to sell or offer something. In some cases it is indeed annoying and they are just trying to trick you, but many also have a genuine desire to meet you and tell you about themselves. For example, the boy I mentioned earlier who took me to the market to eat cassava. The next day he even took me to his home to meet his family. Of course, he had a typical large African family: his mother, aunts, brothers, cousins, and, despite being very young, a beautiful 8-year-old daughter he was particularly proud of. We all watched a really terrible Nigerian movie together, and then some African music videos. Afterwards, when he took me back, I had the feeling that something was missing from the family picture, until it finally came to me and I asked: "And your wife?"... He completely flew into a rage: "My wife?? My wife?? That whore!! Whore! She only cared about sleeping around… with everyone! Whore!!" And so on... I tried to change the subject (which had also become very repetitive), but there was no way. By then he was just muttering to himself, and he went on like that until we parted ways.
As for keeping in touch, I usually use email, but here in Africa it’s very rare. Not only do people often not have their own email address, but they also rarely know anyone who does. Very occasionally someone does have email, for example, I’ve just received one from a singer from Zambia I met on the bus. She said the tour was a success, but that it was a real shame we didn’t meet again. A pity.

Finally, I’ll answer a question from Danilo, who asked me whether Africa is dangerous. In general, Africa is not dangerous, and I have not had any mishaps so far. I have felt a bit of tension in some bus stations, especially in Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. Once in Malawi, a poor guy who had rightly suggested taking a minibus instead of the one I was about to board ended up being beaten by the driver of the latter!
There are, of course, countries that are currently very dangerous or not recommended, such as Somalia, the Congo, and Darfur in southern Sudan.

See you!