As some of you know, I went on vacation last week to Guinea. The plan was travel down south, and then back up through the country until getting to the Fouta Djalon, this tropical rainforest-like area high up in the mountainsl; go hiking and make it back to Mali, all within a week's time. It actually took a little longer than week, but we were successful in getting to the mountains and going hiking. Now I'm not the biggest hiker in the world, but the sights were truly beautiful: 1000ft cliffs, waterfalls, lush vegetation, crazy rock formations and a little wildlife to boot (I promise pictures will be coming soon to an album near you). It was impressive to see such an amazing area because the reality is that most people have never heard of this area, even those from West Africa. It would be a great tourist spot and should be promoted more by Guinea as one of its great natural resources, but like so much of the country, that potential is left alone.
Which brings me to the rest of the country. In some ways, Guinea is a little better off than Mali, at least the parts that I saw. The huts are a little nicer than the ones in my village, and the villages themselves seem to be a little cleaner, a little more organized. The cities seemed a bit nicer than the one I'm used to, Kita, with them seeming to be set on a more organized system. There wasn't as much sewage as I'm used to, and the architecture was a bit more interesting, compared to the square, squat buildings that make up most of Kita. Food is also much cheaper than in Mali, and there seems to be a lot more business going on, more people setting up little enterprises to make a little extra money. In that respect, I was impressed with what I saw in Guinea and realized that there is a lot of promise in Guinea- if they ever get their act together. Unfortunately, along with the beautiful landscape and vast amounts of natural resources (including lots of gold) they also have huge political problems. For those who haven't heard political news from here in a while, back in December the longtime Guinean President died, throwing the country into a bit of a mess. Luckily there was no bloodshed but the military staged a coup, putting a young Captain in charge. Now, I'm sure most of you know where this is going: the military promises presidential elections will be held in December of this year, but most people think thats a bold-faced lie. But, to make things worse, the President is now showing some signs of having mental problems. Not just the issues that come with loving power too much and thinking everyone is trying to kill you, but some honest bi-polarity problems that make him more than the usual unstable. Add to this an army that hasn't been paid in a while, a really terrible currency and bordering neighbors like Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, and you have a country that is going to be having some problems for years to come. However, I do have to recommend Guinea as a place to go, if you don't mind some adventure. The country IS beautiful and the people are nice, and if you can get past the initial problems, then I think it is a great place to be.
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