If you’ve followed my African Follies series, I’m sure you’re ready for RETURN FROM AFRICA, a unique musical travelogue that celebrates a memorable 6-week adventure to West Africa that I embarked on in December 1995. I distinctly remember landing at the airport in Accra, Ghana sometime after midnight - stepping out into the arrival area, I was greeted by a rousing reception of Ghanaians who were stationed behind the chain linked fence, then whisked off to my hotel by my friend. It was the start of a very momentous journey!

Although I had experienced African culture in the Diaspora while traveling extensively in the Caribbean, nothing in my past experience really prepared me for this trip. My eyes (and my mind) were wide open as I traveled to metropolitan cities and out into the African bush passing thru colorful marketplaces, artisan villages and dirt poor rural villages. On this journey, I learned a lot more about the history and diversity of cultures in West Africa than I had in my studies at the University. Traveling is definitely the highest form of education - you learn so much about yourself, the world and about different cultures and peoples.

Of the four countries that I visited, Ghana by far was the friendliest and most westernized and Mali was the most exotic and intriguing. My only regret was lacking sufficient funds and time to make it to legendary Timbuktu in Mali.

I have so many wonderful memories from this trip - of the people that I met and of the many exotic places that I visited. I will never forget this journey - someday soon I will Return to Africa!

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at 7:58 am and is filed under Africa, Ghana, travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.