‘Immersed in West Africa’ by Terry Lister is a highly proficient book that sheds absolute truthful knowledge on five West African countries that the author traveled through while staying there for almost 2 months.
If you being a digital nomad, specifically interested in Africa can look up to this book that can serve hot for five countries: Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. Terry commences and ends his travelling at Senegal. Reason was clear, it’s much better in terms of many things as compared to other four that he traveled through, like Europe African countries can also be traveled in short distances by local commute options as neighboring countries are connected through roads. But Terry points out specifically in all chapters, very few routes were motorable, otherwise inconvenient to someone from Caribbean.
More so often the book provides with an honest account of a solo traveler from Bermuda. Terry had already covered 22 African countries but West Africa was first time in his list. Thinking of his old experience, he came to the West side in high spirits but the struggle for basic needs and comfortability puts a challenge to his travel itinerary. But it looked that he had no plans of sticking to a travel schedule as Africa doesn’t give that scope, especially West side.
West side was checking his mettle. Nevertheless, he remains strong and carrying millions of francs in one of the countries was a normal may be because of high rate of inflation. But say anything in West African he struggled for ATMs, credit card payments, and there was bamboozling during foreign exchange. But till the end, he fought well. Being in Africa and chances of getting robed are high, it can be assumed from the difficult experience of this solo traveler.
What countries and which one was the best? He could tour through Senegal, Mauritania, The Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. It was evident from the picture that each country was once a colony of some European country, yet it looks alive with its leftover colonized culture, like Goa and Pondicherry in India.
For students of African history and cultural lineage, this book is quite rich with its content. But Terry also kept the contemporary values, feel, vibes, and mood of these countries at the table. Whatever ups and downs Terry faced while being among the locals, he jotted it down with total conviction. Senegal was not only safe but also sounded conducive to foreigners like travelers and digital nomads and onsite job goers. Had he covered Ghana, it could have been more adventurous.
Certainly those who frequented to Africa can deal with West Africa, though there are some good and great countries on this side like Namibia and Ghana but he didn’t put on his list. Africa is very uncertain, in one movie it is said ‘This is Africa…’ and it depicts a lot. Terry’s experience may be uncomfortable or false to those reading, but it certainly an eye-opener sort of travel endurance. One could conclude that the rest of the world has very little know-how about these 5 West African countries.
And rest of the feel you can get through the image gallery. Terry was spotted happy at the falls and parks but other pictures of transport and cars were otherwise. Africa is super adventurous if you like to delve into it carefully, otherwise enjoy the armchair experience through the eyes of someone solo and brave traveler like Terry Lister.
Saby Tech 