Haiti, Chile, New Zealand, Japan.....the earth's tectonic plates have been jostling for position beneath the surface of the ground we walk upon. Tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanos, floods, droughts, cyclones and storms, this world, our world, is volatile at the moment.
As volatile as it is, it is also fragile. Breaking apart, breaking open, crumbling and deteriorating before our very eyes, under our very feet.
Im from New Zealand. Its a small country. Everyone was effected someway or another by the recent earthquake. 200 dead for a small country is significant. Haiti lost hundreds of thousands and now Japan, the latest findings only hours after the quake struck is that police have found a couple of hundred of bodies on a beach. The worst is obviously yet to come when examining the death toll.
What is one to make from all this? This momentum of natural disasters. I can't help but think of the Mayan prophecy surrounding the year 2012. Next year its all meant to come to a head. The details of what was forecasted to happen on this date in the earths calendar was never recorded, only that it would signify a dramatic event or turn in the earths calendar. Reading between the lines leaves me with an empty feeling considering the Mayans were and still are one of the most respectable and intelligent races to ever grace this planet.
In the build up to this year of 2012 predictions were made that 'waves' of natural disasters would take place, presumably leading to a larger, more profound event.
Is this it?! These succession of events just a prelude of what is to come...?! Pachamama is pissed off. Mother Nature is hurting. She has awoken and she will have the last say as us humans continue to rape and pillage her soul.
This video is interesting, the guys voice is classic at the start, but hang in there..
Beware, 2011 is going to be a rocky one. If you were thinking of traveling, do it. Next year you may not be able to travel to many parts of the world, hell, even this year, a lot of the earth may not be so attractive for a backpacking destination. So dont procrastinate anymore, dont delay any of those backpacking dreams you harbour. Seize the day and get amongst as 2012 is going to be .........
Fair trade travel. I urge you all to think about it for a moment.
Your travels are intertwined with trading with locals no matter where you are. Buying a deep fried papa rellena down the side streets of Bogota, your vegetables from mama down at the local market in Luang Prabang or your fridge magnet you bought for your granny in Rome.
Your trading with locals. Haggling, bargaining, purchasing, buying, swapping, cashing in, cashing up. The locals feel the brunt of your actions. Their livelihoods depend on where and how you spend your money. Think about it...
But does it stop there. Your purchasing power stretches further. In an ever increasingly globalised world we buy goods that have an adverse effect on someone 10,000 miles away. Think about it.....
Your down at your local Tesco......swimming through the aisles blindly, hunting for those bargain stickers, 2 for 1, half price, whatever floats your boat at that particular moment usually gets waxed into your trolley. But do you stop and think about it?! You check the label, those blueberries you bought, have come half way round the world to land on your table. An Argentinean farmer feels the impact of your spontaneous purchasing decision. The locals in the banana plantations in Ghana feel the heat of your purchasing power.
Trade is so seamlessly intertwined into our every day lives we often forget the repercussions of it all. They sell, we buy. End of. Nope, not really. Think about it.
I urge everyone to think about trade and travel. It can make or break people. Your purchasing power is mightier than you think.
Have a positive effect on peoples lives. Think before you buy....
The country that lies inbetween Tunisia and Egypt was bound to feel the heat at some stage. Fever and fear grip this nation, this destination is probably one of the worlds worst places to backpack right now.
Libya is a big country. 40 times larger than Denmark yet only has a population of 6 million. Large swaths of the country are covered by the mighty Sahara desert, almost 90%.
The ruling leader, Muammar Gaddafi, is famous for his Bedouin tent. He takes it whereever he goes. Even pitches it up at the UN headquarters in New York until lately when he was been banned. This sparkled a strange response from the big man, after he refused a Russian plane to land, where it was due to pick up some nuclear waste uranium to despose of in regulation with a UN ruling. The crates of weapon grade unranium were left out in the sun on the runway, guarded by only one solider, where they almost spilled out of their containment due to the temperatures at which they were left. The effects would of been Chernobyl style proportions.
Gaddafi is up there with the worst of the present day Arab ruling dictators. After Saddam Hussein and Tunisia's Ben Ali, Gaddafi has earned his stripes of terror infliction, abuse of power and ravage display of corruption. He also exposes a reflection of some Western governments hipocrisy. A closed and isolated country in many respects up until the past 10 years when oil reserves have been tapped and international business has started to flow and in some instances, gush.
Its now a precarious situation. A delicate power vacum potentially could follow Gaddafi if he vacates as there is no such thing as organised opposition to his regime. A 40 year gap.
Gaddafi came to power riding the usual wave of reform and aspiring political ideals.
His socialist flag was soon lowered from the mast, abandoned as power corrupted the libertating hero rising from the ashes of a 1969 coup. You have to understand the geopolitcs of the era to put this episode into context. Revolutions and coups were taking place worldwide, a lot of them based on the model of socialism and to a more extreme extent, communision. Fidel Castro had liberated Cuba from a dictatorship, (to effectively turn it into another), .... Che Guerva had helped and was attempting to do so in Bolivia and even the Congo. The legend Omar Torrijos had overthrown the Panamanian government. From Peru and Brazil to Sudan and Somalia, 1969 was a torrid time for regime changes on a global scale.
The man has deluded himself with power over 41 long years.
He is Africa's longest serving ruler. During his reign he has desposed of those close to him, getting rid of those that assisted him in his original coup, public hangings of 'counter revolutionaries' or people who thought differently from him. Although he has some mates....
The green passport of LIbya is always in that last list of least desirable nationalities on most immigration forms.
What has spurred these recent developments across the middle east? The uprisings In Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Dijdouti, Morocco, Sudan and Bahrain? Its no secret that a lack of faith in the ruling powers is one of the reasons, but the real reasons are deeper. People are fed up of decades of blatant corruption, decades of human right violations, state controlled media, the margalisation of the youth and the disregard for the elderly have all played a part in these revoltuions unfolding around the world.
Its serious here. So far over 500 people have been merked by the security forces loyal to Gaddafi.
Security forces are generally well paid in Libya, quite crazy to think that some of the most well paid people in society are those that weld authority and can abuse it the easiest. Although reports are emerging that some defections from the military were occuring nationwide, after officers and entire battalions have refused direct orders to fire on protestors. 2 fighter jets have even landed in Malta after the pilots refused orders to fire on protestors. They are now claiming political aslyum.
This is a very hostile environment to be anywhere near. But....
(budgetpacker accomodation)
The Mediterranean is lush with life. Fruitful and green, its abudent with beautiful beaches, swaying palm trees and turquoise warm waters. What more can you ask for for a beachpacking experience? Tripoli is a culturally rich city on the edges of the Mediterranean. The red castle is a glimpse into life in during the Ottoman empire, Medina, the famous market that dates back to the fourth century. Its cheap, its cheerful, its warm, its not crowded. Its a budgetpackers ideal destination. Why wouldn't you consider Libya as your next backpacking destination?!
Gadafis regime has closed the doors on most of the world during the last 40 years, only in the last 10 years has tourism had a chance to really breath. Theres a reason for this. The ruling regime generally despise the west and its culture. Just take a look at the responses dribbling out from the regime at the moment, blaming the EU, Britain, the US and even Canada of all nations, I mean no one has blamed Canada for anything since South Park.
Dont go backpacking in Libya right now. Helicopters are raining down bullets upon the streets, fighter jets are launching strikes on crowds of people gathered below their telescopic lenses, snipers are picking off protestors from elevated government controlled buildings. The regime has proven in the past, that brutality and terror are the methods to deal with problems. Extermination of this dissent has been broadcast on state run tv by the presidents son. Quote, "we will keep fighting until the last man standing...even the last women"...... He then said that if agreement is not reached immediately then "rivers of blood will flow..." Sounds ominous. Make no doubt about it, this uprising is set to be the bloodiest. Dont get involved. Grab your backpack and go bush in Botswana instead.
That's the countries tourism slogan. Maybe they should change it to, Egypt - Where it all went wrong.
Every embassy in the world has told it's residents to leave. There are hundreds of thousands of steamed up people taking to the streets all over the country.
Forget your city break in Cairo. There are mercenary thugs on horseback and hooligans on bleeting camels storming down the cities streets. Chances are the camels won't be the only ones spitting on you. Expect a barrage of confrontation and confusion involving most people you run into. Everyone is involved in this uprising, the fever has spread.
But is it all bad? A revolution is a collective wave of like minded values, a sea of souls gathered together in unity of a common fight. Luckily the fight is directed at the ruling president of 30 years, President Mubarak, and not foreigners. If you love throwing stones at authority and screaming chants in a foreign language, this could be on your list of the worlds best place to backpack.
Petrol bombs and tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets, rocks and concrete slabs flying through the air, it makes for some great photos but the real threat of being struck down by a live round of ammunition is high. Authorities say 11 people have been killed so far, the UN put that figure at close to 300 people in just over a week.
Watch this clip on youtube to see a man shot at close range by the army.
The president is said to be worth $70 billion………thats not just a couple of lazy million lying around a Swiss bank account, thats 70 billion of amassed wealth. No wonder the people are taking to the streets and are really pissed at the high levels of poverty in day to day life.
Visiting the pyramids could take you awhile as most of the tour guides are on the streets. Hotel doors in central Cairo are boarded up and taxis have pretty much ground to a halt, as the streets are too chaotic to drive through.
The media has been all but shut down over the past week, forget trying to log onto your Facebook page as the only tweeting you'll be doing is from a rooftop at the moon. Funnily enough, the revolt in Iran last year took place from the rooftops of its buildings so anything is possible.
Freedom of speech is a pillar of independence, strength and independence in any democratic nation. For 30 years in Egypt the voices of its people have been suppressed and the lid has been finally lifted. Its boiled over. The resulting steam is thick with rage and is flowing throughout the streets of the nations major cities.
So no Facebook, no Twitter, no Youtube. Its not the first time we have witnessed social media trying to bring about social justice.
But perhaps this is the place to go right now? Flights are cheap and hotel prices have been slashed, literally. Although upon closer inspection, the airports may be unmanned so it could be a rocky landing and even shadier reception. But hey, this is living no?! Walzing into hotspots with your backpack on……errrm, no, no its not. Its just plain stupid. It's hostile there right now, there's anger and violence on the streets.
The infrastructure needed for a seamless backpacking trip is simply not functioning right now. Above all, a backpacking trip to Egypt right now would be just foolish and maybe even ignorant.
Protests like these change the world. From Berlin to Bolivia, when people take to the streets, they mean business. It is their last resort of action. It often means violence is imminent, whether its the venting of the peoples frustrations or from the nervousness of the regimes forces.
I have been involved in street protests when they turn ugly. Its definitely not pretty. Trying to get that last camera shot, or just out there to soak up the magnitude and power of the people en masse, in a blink of an eye the situation can flip. Bullets fly, people turn and flee in every direction, its panic x 10,000volts, frantic pushing and shoving, tear gas burning your eyes until your stomach retches upon itself, ripping up the lining of your oesophagus.
I remember witnessing a man getting beaten only metres away from me. As we both fled the onslaught of the charging army, he had slipped as we ran rounded a street corner onto another small side street. I didn't dare stop but as I looked behind me he was being beaten with clubs by several soliders. I will never forget that image of him curled up on his back with his hands and feet raised, trying to cushion the storm of blows reigning down upon him.
Egypt. Nah. Not now. Ill rain check this country for the time being til this storm blows over.
So thanks to President Mubarak and his despicable ways, Egypt has made its way onto my list of the worlds worst places to backpack #8
The country hugs the north east coast of the African continent with the Red Sea combing its entire length and one of the worlds longest mountain ranges dissects the country in half.
Dry desert scatters the coastline where archipelagos lie out in the Red Sea and highlands rise up to 3000m. Although it looks small on the map, small for African country standards, its actually just as big as England.
Unfortunately this beautiful area is also one of the most volatile regions in Africa.
Eritrea is officially one of the worlds worst police states. The president is constantly ranked in the top 10 worst dictators of our time. The government control everything and will certainly know about your presence in the country if you dare to set foot. You need a tourist visa from one of the few embassies scattered around the world, you cant just expect to turn up on one of its borders. Speaking of, the border with Ethiopia and Djibouti are closed indefinitely meaning you have to enter via Sudan, which is in the middle of a country being spit in two.
Visa restrictions mean you have to inform the time and date of your arrival at the exact overland border post, this means your plans have to be quite stringent, and traveling through Sudan at the moment, a country on the brink of war, things may not go exactly to plan.
Expect bureaucracy at the borders to take you hours, its impossible to cross after dusk so dont get the late bus from Sudan or you could be sleeping rough in a sketchy African border town.
Can you believe that Eritreans actually need a visa to leave the country!?! They rarely get granted one. Every movement within the country feels like you are being watched. Travellers describe it as eery and constantly lurking uncertainty.
'Postcard from Eritrea'
According to the BBC, "Eritrea is the only African country to have no privately-owned news media." Ranked worse than North Korea for the tightness of its media control by the internationally acclaimed Freedom of Press Index. Could be quite difficult to find a flashpacker hostel with free wifi?
In fact, there are plenty of hotels in Eritrea. Hotel suites with cliche 1970s decor go for around $30US. You wont find the best deals on hostelworld or hostelbookers, you have to go straight to the source, the hotels website. The Lion Hotel looks like your best deal with its outside areas and its 'internet service room' http://www.asmera.nl/lion/index.html
No elections have ever been held here, yet the ruling government, and the only party allowed to run is ironically named the The People Front for Democracy and Justice. Go figure....
'Check out this rare yet very bizarre interview with the looney president, he is so arrogant, defensive and calls the journalist insane'
The UN see Eritrea as a destablising state in the Horn of Africa. Across the Red Sea lies Yemen, another 'destablising' state. The government who rule with an iron fist. They use their security forces to commit gross violations of human rights throughout the country. They have been accused of arming militas in Somalia and other insurgent groups in the region. Systematic beatings and arbitrary arrests are the norm for people who try and exercise their universal lawful rights such as speaking out on religion, gathering in groups in public and god forbid you get accused of taking the piss out of the president.....woooo weeee you gonna get a slashing son!!
Nah, its not funny, people die. Not cool.
So with some serious military buildup in neighbouring Sudan to the west, a country on the brink of civil war, to the south remnants of the 30 year war with Ethiopia still linger and no entry nor exit through Djibouti either, chances of your travel plans being ruined are pretty high.
Dont mess with one of Africa's most secretive regimes....it's Eritrea, worlds worst place to backpack #9
bongo bongo its the dirty olde democratic republic of congo (DRC)
well, its not that dirty, its actually known the world over for its vast quantities of natural resources. gold, copper, silver, timber, tin you name it, its probably in the congo. no guesses, that this is a country rich in minerals and blessed with mother natures sparkle. on closer inspection, its rotting from the inside out. its a decaying mess.
formely known as zaire back in the day, this central african country is often confused with its neighbouring country, congo.
they are quite different. there is the democratic republic of congo....
and then the congo...
for one of the worlds richest nations, in terms of its wealth of untapped natural resources,(estimated at $24trillion) the congolese people are amongst the poorest in the world. the average wage is 300 per yr, thats under $1 a day for the majority of the 71 million people who call it home. now seriously, i know the $1 a day call is hard to imagine, but come on, under a $1 a day, and the majority of the country? get real democratic republic of congo. the so called leaders of this country deserve to be pegged to a stake and left to lie under the congolese sun, then have the vultures have their wicked way with them. beak hook to the left eye ball. howwzzzaaat?
the internal conflict has dragged in neighbouring countries rwanda and uganda. perhaps the most famous are the LRA, Lords resistance Army. the notorious child solider renegade movement. 90% of the children arent there by choice, but that doesnt seem to deter them from snatching new recruits. there are some great books and even movies on the LRA from children who have escaped and lived to tell the atrocities that were forced to commit. the documentary below is definitely worth a watch, the story is compelling and revealing of the honest truths, shame about the 3 annoying guys that made it. good job, but they just annoyed me.
Joseph Kony, the hunted leader of the elusive LRA is a sicko, a lunatic, an evil person. just watch this interview with him to gauge his mental well being.
who can forget the infamous joseph mobutu, installed by a CIA coup. he was about as good as it gets as a kleptocrat.
in 1998, the second congo war broke out, a war that is often referred to as Africa's world war. it is the worlds most deadliest conflict since world war II. 5 and 1/2 million people killed. staggering. yet most people are unaware of its brutality let only scale.
rape and sexual violence are described by the UN as the worst in the world. the way in which this weapon of war is used is exasperating. women are raped in what could only be described as a public stage, gang raped in front of their families and other villagers, so as to gain the maximum effect possible. if this is not reason enough for single women travelers to stay away then i dont know what is. and dont think the army will intervene to help you, they are some of the most aggressive perpetrators. just when you thought help was on the way, you hear that ceremonious chorus of a battalion of zips being unzipped.
when the genocide in Rwanda took place in 94, the hutu militias who carried out the atrocities fled into neighbouring DRC. this gave rise to a renegade band of tutsi fighters who claimed to protect the tutsi poplulation from the still raging hutu death squads.
the reality is, no side is innocent of atrocities. so theres a real chance as a backpacker traversing through this naturally abundant paradise, you may stumble upon some sickos who want to touch you up in front of their mates. not such a cool outcome. avoiding the democratic republic of congo is probably better for your physical and mental health.
before you pack up your backpack and head deep into the democratic republic of congo id advise you think twice about how you value your life. check out this recent doco on events that have been unfolding....
Its that nagging moral dilemma that lingers in the minds of potential travellers. If i enter this country am i effectively endorsing the current ruling body, whether that be a shady 'elected' government or a straight out military dictatorship. Am i acknowledging them as a legitimate force? In same way or form, respecting them? The very thought disgusts some travellers. leaves them with a taste of distain in their mouths. So they dont go. Simple.
Other travellers on the flip side may cast these thoughts and reasonings aside and for all god intentions, enter the country believing that their actions will have more or less positive ripple effect on the country and is people. Fair enough. If your a conscious traveller and make attempts to circulate and distribute your money amongst communities and individuals then your intentions for entering that country deserved to be labelled moral in someway.
So there you have it, a traveling moral dilemma. Zimbabwe, where the majority of the nations people have seen living standards drop and where Robert Mugabe resides and rules.
For a start, to travel anywhere is going to require two backpacks or perhaps 3 smaller flashpacks. Due to the worlds highest hyperinflation figures, carrying cash around is going to be awkward. Lets face it, they issued a 100 trillion dollar note. Looooose.
Guys shouldn't hang around too long, Zim has one of the lowest life expectancy rankings in the world, just a mere 44 for males. Not that you'd want to hang around long. Ok theres Victoria Falls, one of the most fascinating waterfalls in the world.
The Zambezi river of course, a major drawcard, famous for its wild roar. A favourite for any rafting enthusiasit out there. One of the more crazier rivers in the world to raft, unfortunately the majority of the best part lies in neighbouring Zambia.
"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt"
And of course, theres the animals.
This is a stunning country, the topography is classic southern africa. A landlocked nation that borders along two of Africa's famous rivers, the bamboozling Zambezi and the limpid and long Limpopo. But it suffers. Zimbabwe suffers from internal bleeding.
The large swaths of rainforest have virtually disappeared. The rule of law is toyed with like a cat and a half dead mouse. Human rights abuses are as commonplace as the bouts of cholera that break out. The government have drained the coffers of the nations wealth and in the process, abused natural resources and abused the human resources, the Zimbabwean people.
The countries recent history is turbulent. I visited when Mugabe first initated the land reform program. It was loco. Quite tense, almost sent the country back into civil war. Its poo control and lack of vision over the entire process has effectively crippled the economy. Perhaps the aims of fairer land distribution were fair, viewed in an objective manner, but the way about which the government and its bands of war vetrans went about it have been the epicentre of conflict ever since Mugabe and the Rhodesian Bush war.
Mugabe has sort to punish and blame the colinizers for most of his countries problems. By no means was Rhodesia a saint of a country, nor its colonial rulers, but Mugabes 30 year rule begs a lot of questions.
So after weighing up the pros and cons of traveling in Zimbabwe it has made it on my list of worlds worst places to backpack at #11.
