From the South Side to South Africa: American Travel Perspectives on Southern Africa

By Xlibris US

This work is a compilation of journals of travels in various countries in southern Africa, all of which appeared as columns in the newspaper, The Chicago Defender in late 2007. The author of the journals is Ayana Haaruun, who served as the archivist for The Chicago Defender during this period. Haaruun also offers her perspective on the cultures, politics, and other aspects of the region.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499079593

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Copyright © 2014 by Ayana Haaruun.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014917754

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-4990-7957-9

Softcover   978-1-4990-7958-6

eBook   978-1-4990-7959-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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Rev. date: 10/07/2014

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CONTENTS

Johannesburg

Mozambique

Out Of Johannesburg: A Trip Into The Heart Of Africa

Malawi

Epilogue

I expected my visit to Africa to be a romantic experience filled with tears of joy and a feeling that I returned home after a long hiatus. Africa was akin to the parent I had never met; I constantly searched for her likeness in myself and wondered how finally meeting her would change my life.

The opportunity to volunteer in South Africa arrived in the form of a media arts program for rural women. I had grown tired of only seeing idealistic young white people working for NGOs in Africa. However, living abroad, even for a few months, required my own emancipation from the American debt system. So I sold my home, took a leave from the Chicago Defender, and paid off my bills.

I departed Chicago on a crowded flight in the largest aircraft on which I had ever flown. The twenty-one-hour flight, which would transport me to Johannesburg, had comfortable seats, decent food, and crucially, free alcoholic beverages. As we traversed over mile after mile of endless ocean, I considered the millennia of history of Africa—the origins of the human race, the great civilizations, the African diaspora. I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement and wonder at the adventures that were in store for me and believed I would be recapturing a lost heritage, which had faded through my life in the West. Additionally, I was lucky to be seated next to a well-dressed, cool Nigerian brother who worked with the United Nations. He was happy to answer many of the candid questions that I posed about South Africa, helped with my extensive baggage, and kept me amused for most of the flight.

When we finally touched down in Johannesburg and entered the airport, I found I was among only a handful of black travelers. The others were mostly white Americans, Europeans, or white South Africans returning from vacation. Anxious to see black Africa, I rushed through the long airport corridor and pushed my way to the front of the customs line.

Before I knew it, I was staring at the descendants of the mighty Zulus, Xhosa, and Sotho. They were a range of skin complexions and body types but were all dressed fashionably in Western clothing. There was no Pan-African greeting quad. Everyone was too busy vacuuming the floors, cleaning the restrooms, and competing for taxi passengers. Thus far, my first experience in Africa did not seem to me to be much different from O’Hare or Midway Airport in my hometown.

I arrived on a cool Sunday night. The odor of burning coal wafted through the air. June through August is the winter season in South Africa, during which the temperature is normally hot during the day and significantly cooler in the evenings. Most places do not have central heating systems, and it became so chilly that I requested an electric heater for my room.

I was staying at a small bed-and-breakfast with an enclosed front courtyard. In the living room, young white backpackers were studying maps, gobbling pizza, and checking their e-mails. I felt awkward and out of place. The only other black person I saw here was the luggage helper. In the communal kitchen, I found the hotel manager, a British expatriate. He was friendly enough but proceeded to explain to me that South Africa was the most developed country on the continent, largely due to the presence of the Afrikaners (Dutch) and British.