Growing up in a small town in egypt, I was eager to find out what life is like outside of the boundaries I knew. I spent hours looking through national geographic magazines and maps trying to figure out how people live in deserts, on mountain slopes, in lush forests.Cognitive learning skills chasing my dream, I started working as a travel organizer and also had many trips on my own. Today, I‘d like to share with you the experience that has changed my life.Cognitive learning skills hi, my name is ahmed, and this is a story about my journey around africa.

The goal of my trip was to discover similarities and differences in the lives of people scattered in remote parts of the continent.Cognitive learning skills I was especially keen on learning cultural, religious, and traditional aspects of various nationalities. There are thousands of kilometers between the countries I’ve visited but I was delighted to find things that unite all of us.Cognitive learning skills

For me, africa was a huge unexplored continent promising never-to-be-forgotten impressions. From endless golden sands of deserts, acacia-covered plains, islets of pristine nature to vibrant national marketplaces, africa has a lot to wow travelers with.Cognitive learning skills since the very first day of my trip, I realized that africa was stashing hidden gems at every turn. That’s why my experience became even more unexpected, colorful, and enjoyable when I abandoned a clear plan.Cognitive learning skills the only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to travel from kenya to uganda, stopping by at 7 more countries in between – kenya, tanzania, zambia, zimbabwe, botswana, namibia, angola, congo, and uganda.Cognitive learning skills

The media have portrayed a rather negative image of africa imbued with poverty, conflicts, inequality, and a multitude of social and political issues coming to the fore.Cognitive learning skills indeed, africa has a long way to go towards stability and peace, but the continent is much more than that. Strong, sympathetic, and hardy people living there is its main asset.Cognitive learning skills I was struck by their cordiality, hospitality, and desire to help me, a stranger, as if they had known me all their lives.

Once, I thought that sub-saharan countries would look alike.Cognitive learning skills well, I couldn’t be more wrong. Now I know that africa is inhabited by thousands of ethnic groups and tribes who speak more than 2000 languages and boast of drastically divergent cultures.Cognitive learning skills nowhere else in the world can you find such diversity? Crossing thousands of kilometers and borders, you will come in contact with numerous dialects from english to swahili, fasten on orthodox churches and muslim mosques, check out modern hipster areas with all blessings of modernity or vice versa.Cognitive learning skills

I must admit that traveling around africa is not always fun. A lot of time it is frustrating, disappointing, and bewildering. You never know what a new day will bring – your bus may break down, you might catch one of the local diseases, your backpack along with all it possesses might suddenly disappear into thin air – this is only a brief list of ‘surprises’ lying in wait for you in the continent.Cognitive learning skills on the other hand, this mix of pleasure and pain is what makes your experience truly valuable.

Remember the most important rule of traveling along africa – you have to bargain.Cognitive learning skills no matter what country you get to, the first thing in the morning is to learn the name of the currency and numbers in the local language. Believe me, this knowledge will come in handy because as soon as the natives figure out you are a foreigner, prices will instantly skyrocket.Cognitive learning skills you must fully master the art of bargaining; otherwise, the journey will cost you an arm and a leg in the end.