of the Highlands searching in the middle of the night for
the way to Lalibela.
So, never take candy from strangers, look both ways be-
fore you cross the street, and ... never take directions from
the locals.
Listen to your mother!
NUMBER 1
This is Africa. The Rule of all Rules! This tends to be
the default when any situation presents itself that is not
going QUITE that way you think it should. Knowing that
things are not easily solved like they are with Western
standards is an important element in setting your mind in
the correct mental space. Failure to do so will not speed
up situations, instead it will cause a lot of grief, person-
al drama and trauma. Repeat the mantra … T.I.A., T.I.A.,
T.I.A. ... THIS IS AFRICA ... and all will be fine … om Shiva,
Shiva!
NUMBER 3
The Streets Are The Playgrounds of The Community.
There's little infrastructure in many parts of Africa and the
paved road is often a novelty for the locals.
The entire community uses roads for commerce, trans-
porting animals, social gatherings, eating, and walking
mile-after-mile finding water and bringing it back to their
village.
Keep your eyes closely peeled for the plethora of dis-
tractions on the pavement that most villagers call home.
You may be the only visitor in hours, days, weeks and the
road belongs to the village, NOT you!
Be prepared to share the road with others. You are just
one of many, a bike amongst the camels, goats, elephants
and warthogs ... and the occasional human.
NUMBER 4
Beware Of Children Bearing 'Gifts'. It took me years to
All other rules below are based on Rule #1!
NUMBER 2
Listen To Your Mother. Heed the advice of your mother
and resist the temptation to take directions from strang-
ers.
Albeit, it may seem like a good idea at the time, it nev-
er goes the way you think it should! Asking the shepherd
in the Ethiopian Highlands how far to the next city is like
asking me for directions to the moon! He has no car, he
has never been more than 10 kilometers from his village,
and he has no knowledge of the roads and directions. It is
certain that he is a nice person and very friendly, but that
is not what you are looking for when lost in the dirt tracks
TRAVERSE
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