What World is not available
My last day in South Africa have flown fast. The World Cup has completely changed the atmosphere of a European city surrounded by skin African soul. People walk through the streets and experience the city with a new freedom. "There are more cops than tourists", I said the other day a friend. It is true. Get to embarrass some Spanish newspapers see full-page opening their issues because a correspondent Mark had been stolen from his hotel (for him, certainly, an ordeal). Great news for open a newspaper, in a place with high crime rates, but has made a huge effort to offer their best face (that did not read a word). One gets the feeling that the media are waiting for the first hook, I include, to explain what we had already written from home: This is an unsafe country and unable to organize a World Cup. Make an editorial about it from a comfortable office, a miles de kilómetros y con el único dato de que un compañero ha sido robado me parece una soberana idiotez.
Actually, ¿qué esperamos los occidentales cuando viajamos a países que no forman parte de nuestra cultura, buena o mala (no entro en debates demagógicos sobre las culpas de los blancos o las bondades de los negros)? ¿La misma forma de vida? Me hice esta reflexión un día que fui a hacer una desaconsejable visita, cerca del parque Kruger, en barco, a un lugar en el que me dijeron que había hipopótamos para fotografiar (por influencia de mi hermano – no por el peso de mi hermano- se ha convertido con los años en mi animal favorito). Tras el anodino paseo en barco para turistas bobos como yo vuelvo a la furgoneta: el conductor tarda 15 minutos en regresar (se estaba despidiendo de un amigo); luego sube a un tipo, que le dice que si le acerca a casa (otros tantos minutos); luego para a recoger a otro tipo, al que también acerca a casa… Y ahí me descubrí yo, algo estresado con la tardanza, a punto de indicarle al guía que intentara no convertir la furgoneta en el autobús de la comarca. Hasta que pensé: este tipo me llevaría a mi también a mi casa. No había maldad en su comportamiento, ni un intento de aprovecharse de extranjeros con pasta, había una forma de vida, normal, que es la de recoger a gente en una camioneta con espacio (éramos tres y cabían quince). Me callé la boca y acabé compartiendo unas chocolatinas con todo el furgón, ya que ante el ya asumido retraso en la vuelta al hotel, le dijimos que se desviara para comprar algo de comida (lo de repartir es un decir, el conductor se comió medio paquete).
Un africano se pone una máscara en una boda y nos parece que es un primitivo al que hacer fotos, pero nosotros hacemos lo mismo, sólo que usamos traje y corbata.
¿La World Cup tiene los mejores transportes del mundo? No ¿Es este lugar seguro? Not (Probablemente la misma respuesta se podría contestar en muchas ciudades españolas, aunque no a estos niveles). Pero qué hacemos entonces, ¿nunca les damos la oportunidad de organizar un evento como este porque no tienen un vagón de metro en la puerta del estadio o nos subimos a los caóticos minibus y disfrutamos de la fiesta? Today I met a Spanish, Luis, which has a craft shop and African masks in Green Market Square (Store recognizes their homelands by the two flags you have in the entrance). The man has lived here for seven years, with his family. "Venimos Africa with preconceived ideas, for better and for worse.
Un africano se pone una máscara en una boda y nos parece que es un primitivo al que hacer fotos, pero nosotros hacemos lo mismo, sólo que usamos traje y corbata. There are different ways of understanding the world, but project our ideas on them and the judge ", I explained. Is security? It's complicated, but I have not had any problems. We must tread eye, yes. In Africa they do not give value to give us death. In Granada (there is) I have put my knife in the neck or have seen the junkies burn doors for heating houses in winter. But that we are used, Here we seem to be in another world (I thought of images of the Cañada Real, Madrid). I say again, without demagoguery, caution must be rationally.
The effort made is so great that pity seeing as we still have concern on what we had already written from home.
Yet, understand nothing. We talked constantly of the World robberies. I live in Cape Town, the best city in European terms across Africa (not me, I know nothing and only took three months to live here. It is the opinion of many travelers who have kicked this continent and I have met on this earth). But in this "paradise", to do anything, people never left alone to wander the nights and the obsession with security was very high. I say this in the past because everything has changed since a few weeks ago. Tell two stories: I went to see the France-Uruguay with Delphine, a French friend who invited me to the party. After, after taking some, I said that a taxi accompanied. “No, May voy andando. I like walking for once alone at night in this city ". It was about two o'clock. I grabbed one of the dreaded minibus to go home. They get three young white South Africans, with their Bafana Bafana shirts, and the first thing they do is ask how much it costs? It was the first time I took a minibus in your life, probably, sure that there was no danger. The effort made is so great that pity seeing as we still have concern on what we had already written from home.
PD. Tomorrow I can come up with something serious, people not invented the high numbers of deaths and robberies in South Africa, but I've been living here for three months without any problems (intend only reflect my experience, not instruct anyone).
The photo is a joke to degrease
Comments (4)
ricardo
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Wise reflection, Java. I totally agree with you. Once, western Ethiopia walking in the direction of Sudan in a pick-up, began the journey ended a dozen three. Now ascended a woman with chickens, then one with a Kalashnikov slung, a young woman with her little… It was a constant up and down of people crowding in the rear of the vehicle. Eso slowed down from viaje, but experience enriched. When exiting insisted on accompany them to their village and they offered you home. It is the soul of Africa and indeed very often when you start your trip.
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Xavier
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It's your life and, here, this PROMETO, they have done everything possible to please foreign tourists. Tell you one anecdote: have six lines of buses, the European, so that there was a whole wave of criticism on transport (Cape Town Spoken). No one catches them, of vacíos, because they are worth 8 Rands, while the minibus worth 5. Me neither the lame never. Whites have car; and blacks and many foreigners go by minibus. That does not mean tonight I put a knife in the throat or worse when you leave glasses, but I knew where it came from and my success will not change anything the attempt, this month, please the guests at the party. The downside is that outsells explain that the canapes were shit without trying to understand before anything.
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Mariano
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You're right, Xavier, people write thousands of miles often without knowing anything or do not want to report truth.
I'll give an example San Juan de Puerto Rico after Caracas, Moscow and Cape Town is the most dangerous city in the world but unless the foreign ministry on its website says anyone living in Green Island, and tourist district insurance ¨ ¨, in less than a year killed 8 people in different shooting right next to my apartment.
Anyone have any idea what that country is unsafe? For not, still easier to say and write that Puerto Rico is the island of enchantment (This also is true, that is a very cute) but that country has a drug war for a few years. What happens is that fashion is not yet
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Xavier
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Especially journalists, we tend to explain in two minutes time to situations requiring understand. Wonderful profession filled mine less wonderful things.
A hug Mariano
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