Thoughts of an IC Medical Student

Imperial is not generally regarded as a university that allows much free time to its students and for a reason beyond my comprehension, Medicine at Imperial is considered to be a discipline that gives even less free time. So I hope you can imagine my bemusement when I found myself staring at a gaping 4 month holiday at the end of my 3rd year as an Imperial Medic (which incidentally I thought was the easiest year in my education after Year 10 at school).

I had taken 2 long gap years before university specifically to travel to various parts of the world but due to my Pakistani Nationality at the time, and the implied visa restrictions, the heart of adventure and romance that is Africa was off-limits. Nevertheless, things always have a way of eventually working out and so now with a recently acquired British passport, I was determined to use this gargantuan holiday to explore Africa! I was confident I had the money thanks to a healthy income from my gap years, but the actual £4000 expense was a rather crude surprise when I totaled it upon return and humbled me to my first ever maximum overdraft! During the 2 months I spent abroad I focussed on East Africa, visiting Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and The Democratic Republic of Congo.

Now, a few important details you need to know to get you up to speed with my state of affairs. I got around using all the local means of transport, whether it be the matatu, the boda-boda, or even the 4 seater saloon taxi that 9 people are expected to cram into - 5 people in the back and 2 people on each front seat, including the driver seat! I couldn’t speak any of the local languages so relied on the few English-speakers or those who understood my body language, although when it was draped in a 20 kilo rucksack and 2 bags, I imagine it would be a little more difficult to interpret. I stayed for more than half of my trip with local families getting acquainted with all things African but otherwise crashed in the dingiest of hotels, mingling and making friends with the natives. I ate mostly local food, but sadly it is not something I am going to remember Africa for, with a staple diet of tasteless Ugali and various boiled vegetables.

Ugali - the staple African diet

The final vital detail I wish to convey is that I travelled alone. Naturally, I was apprehensive about doing so but I feel this was very much the defining factor in all that I learnt and experienced. It forced me to trust the strangers I encountered and dissolve better into the many environments I chanced upon. It was definitely a daunting situation to be in when encountering for example drunken adolescents with machine guns or huge gangs of glue sniffing kids in the slums, or even when some of the strangers you trusted to lead you tried to take you away from the direction you know you should be headed. These situations were made worse by the fact that I nearly always had £800 of camera equipment on me and cash split up into a few separate very secretive stashes. Thankfully though, the only thing I ended up losing on my whole trip was a bottle of Pantene Pro-V and the vast majority of the interactions I had were pleasant!

However, by far the most daunting situation I found myself in was being stuck in the middle of Congo with only 7 US dollars to my name and with rebel fighting closing in from all sides! I had no means of transport or accommodation nor any associates, or a common language for communication, and I needed at least 50 odd dollars to escape via bribing officials and boarding a boat! All before the gunfire got close enough to be audible! More on this predicament some other time…

Anyway, it is nevertheless still with conviction that I call Africa the world’s most stunning continent and its people truly the most beautiful in the world. I will talk more about the natural beauty and the awesome landscape when I cover the diverse wildlife of Africa, but for now I want to talk more about its grand people! I had presumed a lot of danger and hassle, and even though that may have been the case in some parts of the largest cities, the reaction I got from most people was anything but. Perhaps I had been lucky and not come across trouble or maybe the fact that I was in rural parts for most of my trip had a part to play. Regardless, I just want to share a few situations with you that I want you to imagine in Britain or in any other developed country for that matter.

In Uganda a travel operator from whom I bought a permit at no profit to him comes to my camp site to drop this permit off but then gives me a tour of Kampala, takes me to enquire about further transport, chats to me for a long while about the horror of living under Idi Amin and then refuses to accept money for his time.

At the village of Kinigi in Rwanda people become incredibly fascinated by my lighter skin tone. A huge crowd of 30 plus children follow me for above an hour while adults stare from behind the safety of a door or window. The brave among the children attempt to communicate with me with ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’ before running away giggling whilst others repeatedly call me mwzungu, which means a white person. The hair on my arm generated a lot of interest, as body hair amongst locals is unheard of, and received much attention and stroking, as one would a pet! All this was the result of sincere curiosity at my different appearance but not with the slightest bit of malice. It left me feeling like the latest addition at a zoo but elated nonetheless.

A woman who nicknames me ‘Mr Pakistan’ haggles for 20 minutes on my behalf to get me a cheap taxi; Random people on the street invite me to join in with them in their game of street-size Ludo; A motorcycle taxi driver takes a big detour from an agreed trip to help me find a shop that sells chocolate and takes no extra cash for it; etc.

My new best friends

I have so many stories like these that there is no way I can relate them all and no way I can tell you how welcome the people of Africa made me feel. Everyone was warm and not conceited, with the culture imparting on me a great sense of decency and dignity. For example when I was staying alone in hotels, many people invited me to have dinner with their families. Moreover, people really respect each other and being a practicing Muslim I never felt any hostility even when I prayed in an airport waiting room! Overall, I remember all the people I came across and the friends I made with very fond memories. It left me pondering though as to what is it about poorer countries that people generally tend to lead seemingly happier lives there? Perhaps it is a question we all need to ask ourselves.

This expedition of sorts started in late July 2007 (after a trip to Pakistan during the Red Mosque siege!) and ended in late September 2007. From the thrill of tracking & snapping wild animals in their natural habitat to escaping conflict; from running mobile health clinics to getting involved with the UN and guerrilla rebels; from climbing 6000m high Mt Kilimanjaro to active volcanoes; from white water rafting to studying the Rwandan Genocide in depth and too much more - this was an all encompassing voyage! …and also included a meal at Nandos.

I feel so grateful that I could avail this opportunity to develop my insight into so many different things in life, and feel so lucky that all the necessary requisites were in place. This was the most thrilling adventure I have ever embarked upon and one that has shaped my life in ways that even I myself don’t know yet! Over the next few weeks, I will do my best to share this development in character with you while giving you an account of major events. All throughout I was careful to document as much as safely possible using photography so also look out for my accompanying photos.

The corresponding photo album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71708&id=222402734&ref=mf

Portobello Market, African style

 

Boda-bodas on the lookout for customers in the centre of town