Living the Highlife in Africa: Bean Eaters, Minibuses and Seductive Camels

I like to interview interesting people for my blog who are a bit off the beaten path. Phil Paoletta caught my eye when I read his post about the serious problem of malaria. At the same time, I often find myself laughing out loud at his posts. He is the only blogger I know who’s done long term travel in West Africa, and he’s a camel artist as well. Phil was kind enough to answer my questions during a break in his road trip.

Jennifer Barry: What did you do before you started slow travel?

Phil Paoletta: I was teaching middle school in Washington, DC.

JB: I first got interested in your blog because you were traveling through West Africa. Was there a special reason why you chose that part of the world?

PP: I studied abroad in Ghana in 2005. I was a big fan of afrobeat and highlife music in high school and college, and I wanted to go to the source. While there, I fell in love with the people and the vibrancy of life. When I returned home I became deeply nostalgic. I had to go back.

JB: I don’t know a lot of bloggers who have been to West Africa. Is that also your experience? Why do you think that is (or is not) true?

PP: That is my experience as well. Many people do not consider Africa to be a travel destination. Those that do typically head to South Africa or East Africa. It is there where you will find something of a tourist infrastructure as well as renowned attractions: Victoria Falls, Kilimanjaro, and safaris, for example.

It’s true that West Africa does not have large numbers of big game and there are no marquee mountains or waterfalls. But it deserves to be more well traveled. West Africa is home to some of the most interesting and dynamic cultures on earth. The music and dance is unbelievably powerful. And the people – there are no superlatives worthy of describing the friendliness of the people I have met in West Africa.

JB: What are some of your favorite memories of traveling through West Africa?

PP: Vieux Farka Toure is one of my favorite musicians. I had seen him play twice in the U.S. prior to this trip. Meeting him in Mali and spending time at his house was a big highlight.

I also feel blessed to have met Mamou Sidibe. Her voice is heaven. I got to hang out with her after a concert in Bamako. We greeted each other in Bambara and then proceeded to insult each other.

This is one of my favorite aspects of Malian culture. They call it joking cousins. When you meet someone with a different family name, you insult them and they do the same to you. Then you laugh about it and thank each other. It is a great ice breaker. I called Mamou a bean eater (a typical insult in Mali) and she called me a peanut farmer.

Some of my other favorite memories were also the most physically uncomfortable. On a crowded public ferry on the Niger River, in a packed minibus, on a 33 hour bus ride – during these journeys you see what is possible with human to human interaction. Food is shared, jokes are told, new friends are made.

JB: What are the challenges in visiting a country that’s much less developed than the US?

PP: There are a few challenges. The climate is intense. The equatorial sun is brutal. Close to the coast, you are covered in a wet hot blanket of humidity. Inland, the air is dry, but the temperatures are higher.

Transportation is uncomfortable. It is crowded, hot, smelly, but also cheap and interesting. There is not much infrastructure outside of the cities. And depending on the city, there may be regular power and water cuts.

Traveler’s diarrhea is common. There is some nasty microbial life that can take up residence in your gut. Some days are difficult. I have personally dealt with malaria (twice), amoebic dysentery, and a temporarily crippling leg infection (some of this was due to my own carelessness). Having said that, I am trying to get on the next plane back. Not because I am masochistic – I just like the people and the music that much.

JB: I understand you are on a road trip in the US? Do you have travel plans after that?

PP: Yes, right now I am on my way to Arizona with a good friend and whomever else we come across. I will spend a month and a half or so living with his family once I’m there. I have one plan after that: get back to West Africa any way that I can.

JB: How do you afford to spend so much time traveling? Do you have savings or some way of making money on the road?

PP: This past trip to West Africa was funded solely by savings. I was teaching for three years and I also did some web design work on the side. Currently, I am still coasting on travel savings, but I’m looking into a few new income possibilities, namely teaching abroad or pursuing web design once more, to continue my travels.

JB: For my readers who aren’t familiar with camels, what is their allure?

PP: This will be an abridged response. I don’t want the interview to be lopsided by a 5,000 word answer (which I could easily write) to this question. They are the ships of the desert. They can walk on sand better than you or me or any other human. They are graceful and seductive. And they are ticklish.

JB: What are the life changing effects of learning to draw camels?

PP: There are many life changing effects of learning how to draw camels. I will describe a few. One is that you will gain self confidence. Camels are very difficult to draw. Once you master how to draw them, you will have a skill in your pocket that will set you apart from the majority of the population. It is a marketable skill that you could start earning a paycheck from. You will earn the respect of your peers, friends and family. Finally, you will find the meaning of life.

Bio: Phil Paoletta is a West Africa obsessed camel-drawing expert and consultant. He is currently plotting his way back to Mali while making tracks across America. He has handled the urine of strangers and written an ebook on how to draw camels.

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