Edition 49: Winter 2009/10

Horns, headlights and a slice of panic cut through the dusty air of the Cairo night. I had just managed to extricate myself from an airport taxi whose driver seemed all too much in a hurry. While I didn’t have to shouldter-roll out of the moving vehicle, the whole experience felt a little too close for comfort, and I was rattled. As his dented chariot danced off through traffic, disappearing into a swirling sea of brakelights at Midan Orabi, I felt a slight sense of accomplishment... and then it hit me – I’m in Africa, and my backpack is still in that car.

Everyone remembers their first moments in Africa. Thankfully most don’t involve quick escapes and midnight police reports, but for many there is an undeniable sense of trepidation that balances out the inevitable excitement. Nonetheless, it’s usually not long before the scales start to slide heavily towards the joyful end of the spectrum, and this is when you know you no longer have any choice – Africa will be part of your life. For me, all it took was another taxi ride, this time through the southwest of the city to the Pyramids of Giza. For others, it can be something much more simple.

I was reminded of this when reading Penny Batchelor’s story on accessible safaris in Kruger National Park for people who are in wheelchairs or have mobility issues (‘For one & for all’, page 44).

New to the world of safari, Penny was transfixed by something that many of us now simply dismiss, the beauty of an impala.

For Scott Bennett, another well-travelled writer with no previous Africa experience, it was the birdsong during his morning coffee in the bush that truly captured his imagination (‘The hidden trail’, page 64). While they both had remarkable adventures, it will be those formative experiences that bring them back to Africa.
Those of us who return to Africa again and again should learn from the newcomers and look at everything with fresh eyes, embracing the old with the new. If we take this to heart our future adventures can only become more rewarding, whether we are pushing our boundaries in areas like northern Kenya (‘Another world’, page 72), Algeria (‘Essential Africa’, page 94) and West Africa (‘On the road’, page 58) or driving our family through Namibia on a self-drive holiday (‘Baby (and husband) in tow’, page 76).

The range of destinations, experiences and emotions on offer in Africa is unmatched anywhere else on earth. Perhaps that’s why I still have a dash of trepidation to go with my heap of enthusiasm each time I land somewhere new on the mighty continent. It’s like starting all over again, but this time with a firmer grip on my beloved backpack (Yes, the same one... It was returned a few days into my stay in Cairo).

Matt Phillips, Editor