Le Guinéen (The Guinean)

“Please don’t be saying that Africa’s poor, we got the whole world knocking on our door.” Emmanuel Jal

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“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Conakry where the local time is just after 5 p.m.” These were the sweet words mentioned by the Air France pilot June 17^th moments after we touched down in Conakry, Guinea from Paris. The flight was about six hours which included a brief stop in Nouakchott, Mauritania. This was my first time entering both countries and I couldn’t be more excited.

I originally wanted to go to Cameroon, because I miss home, but we all know that going to Cameroon isn’t the smartest idea at the moment, unless your trip is to the French part and back.  Many of you know or perhaps have seen or heard that Cameroon, for some time now, has been going through some crisis. Basically, the English region, which is 20% of the country is trying to form a separate state — but that is a story for another day.

My last trip to Africa was in 2015. I went home. It was the summer after my junior year in college and I knew it’ll be my only chance to spend a lot of time home, since I would be finishing my degree and getting a full-time job after my senior year. I think I was home for forty-five days. When I told people, I was travelling to Guinea, many asked, “Why Guinea?” “Where is Guinea?” “What is in Guinea?” “Which of the Guineas,” and to be honest I didn’t know what to expect, but I was ready for an adventure, a new experience, and a different air to breathe. A friend of mine who was my neighbor here in the States had moved back to Guinea and I wanted to see him so that’s the why part. Guinea is on the West African coast bordered by Sierra Leone, Mali, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. As far as for what was in Guinea, that was the exciting part I couldn’t wait to find out.

I booked my flight April 23^rd, thus confirming my getaway. Being the aviation enthusiast that I am, I’d previously read that Airbus would be stopping the production of their A380 in 2021. This is the biggest passenger plane ever built. It has two full floors of seats and a wingspan of almost 262 feet. This was the perfect opportunity to fly in one as I didn’t have any planned international trips after this one. The best option was to fly from John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport in New York. I booked my flight with Air France which would transit via Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport in Paris. The first part of the flight would be on the A380.

I don’t exactly remember if I got my visa before buying the plane ticket, but the process was weird… in a good way. I never visited the Guinea Consulate in New York. Remember I said my Guinean friend used to be my neighbor? Well, his mom is still here and when she was going to visit her daughter-in-law who lives in New York, I gave her my passport and all the relevant documents to obtain a visa. The daughter-in-law knew someone at the consulate who could approve my visa application. A week or so later, I had everything I needed to cross borders.

My friend actually wanted me to come in March since the weather would be perfect. Africa has two seasons: dry and rain. I couldn’t go because it was my last semester in my graduate program. Also, the trip would serve as a graduation present to myself. Imagine working 9-5 Monday to Friday only to wake up every other Saturday and be in class from 9-6. Ouch!! Until I actually bought my ticket and sent a screenshot to him, he still thought I was kidding. He was over the moon when I showed him the airline confirmation.

Graduation came and went, and it was time to travel. June 16^th was the day. Packing for the trip was easy. When you travel internationally, you can normally carry two 50-pound luggage’s and a carry-on. I always travel lite, but I had a lot of things to go donate and my friend’s wife was also sending him a care package. Everything entered and there was still some space for more. From where I live to JFK is a little under two hours. My girlfriend made the trip with me to the airport. I still remember when she stood a floor level up watching me slowly disappear to my gate. We were talking on the phone the whole time. From my point of view, she looked like Jesus on the cross after he’d died, and everyone was returning home.

After getting through airport security, I made my way to my gate and there she was, the A380. I’d never seen one up close before. She was elegant, exquisite, extraordinary, and excellent. I instinctively took out my phone and snapped a picture. The time was 18:32. It was a wet evening, but I sat confidently in my window seat (essential) fully assured that, this 446-million-dollar aircraft will safely get us to Paris. That is exactly what happened.

We touched down around sunrise in Paris. It would’ve been just after 2:30 am in New York. The layover was under 2 hours. Back in New York while in line to check in bags, I met a Guinean who lives in Philadelphia. His name was Aliou Thiam. He was with his wife and son. Aliou was excited that I was visiting his country, but equally disappointed that would only be there for 10 days. We revisited this conversation again when I spotted him in Paris. From Paris, we made a brief stop in Nouakchott, Mauritania. We didn’t get out of the plane in Nouakchott, but no one will ever say I’ve never been to Mauritania. From Nouakchott to Conakry, Guinea is a little under two hours. It was daytime so I was able to see some of the city from above. It’s very flat and dry as it sits in the Sahara Desert. The airport itself opened in 2016 and can handle two million passengers a year. Not bad for a Saharan country. I don’t remember seeing any planes there at the time, at least from my side of the plane, but their flag carrier, Mauritania Airlines, as I later found out, offers flights to Abidjan, Bamako, Casablanca, Conakry, Dakar, etc.

When I got out of the plane in Conakry, I could almost taste the air. It was fresh, not so humid, and smelled like food. Maybe I was just hungry. Everyone was rushing to get in line at the customs, but I was busy enjoying the views. I was back on African soil. T.I.A. I finally joined the line. Somebody once told me that they were refused entry into a country because they’d planned on getting a visa upon arrival and it backfired. By the time I got to the counter to state my reason for coming to Guinea, I’d taken off my fleece jacket, not only because it was hot but, what was to come. I got to the counter and the security guy asked me why I had an American passport but wearing a Cameroon jersey. I told him, je suis Camerounais monsieur. He laughed and stamped my passport.

I connected to the airport Wi-Fi and texted my friend that I’d landed and was waiting for my luggage. He was already in the area. I grabbed a cart and waited for my bags. The airport had 3 bag-check places, but only one was working so everyone had to be in one line. On my way out the door, a security lady called me to the side. She asked about one of my bags and told me I had to pay for it. This is the other reason why I’d remove that jacket earlier. Many times, when you travel to Africa and you look foreign, you will more than likely get scammed. I’d been there before. I actually didn’t have to pay anything to this lady, but anyone who doesn’t know about this will pull out the cash. I told her I’m Cameroonian and I’m not giving her anything. She kept insisting and I just stood there looking at her make noise. At one point I just grabbed my bags and left, but she chased me, and we came back inside. I sat on the floor because I was getting tired of her. By this time everyone on that flight from Paris had left. I was this lady’s only hope, but all her eggs where in the wrong basket. Another officer showed up and from the medals on his uniform, I knew he was superior to the lady who had quarantined me. I explained to the guy that every single person on that flight from Paris had left, but I was still here. He gave her “the look” and I was on my way. I met Mory outside, explained the delay to him and we laughed about it. T.I.A (This Is Africa).

The sun was setting when we left the airport. I didn’t hear anything he was saying as I kept trying to see as much before nightfall. I spotted some kids playing soccer on a beach and it was a perfect opportunity for a picture. I told Mory to pull over. The beach was on the other side of the road, but that didn’t stop me. The picture was worth it. After taking the picture, I stood there for a minute admiring the beauty of the setting sun, and trust me, the African sunset is something to behold.

People travel for various reasons. It could be to learn, escape, challenge themselves, and perhaps to celebrate. I travel to eat. No, seriously. I’m very fortunate to be able to eat and appreciate everything under the sun. Well maybe not everything, everything, but if it looks decent enough, I’m munching. The first night, we had shawarmas at a spot called Heroes Coffee in Kipé. I stayed at an Airbnb in Nongo. Residence ZK is the name of the place and I highly recommend it. My room number was 102. The place had all the amenities I could need. Mory had booked it for me a month before my arrival. By the way, I also travel for the adventure, seeing, and appreciating the different aspects of other cultures. It’s nice when someone shows or tells you about something, but it’s way better when you go see, and experience it first-hand. I slept like baby that night.

The next morning, Mory came by so we could go to bank to exchange money. I also needed a local sim card for my phone. He lived about twelve minutes away in Yimbaya. We made our way to Prima Center, one of the places I’d written down as a must see. I felt like a millionaire after I exchanged a hundred dollars to Guinean franc. In fact, that $100 lasted the entire 10 days. There was a supermarket within Prima Center, so I did some grocery shopping for essentials: bread, milk, eggs, orange juice, etc. It was already midday by now. We drove to Yimbaya and I saw Mory’s home. It’s a beautiful one-story fenced house on a dusty road right next to the Medina Railway. One evening, the train passed by while I was at his house. It was heading to Kankan which is about 345 miles east of Conakry.

I felt right at home. It reminded me of Bamenda, Cameroon. The place where I grew up. Kids were running around playing and some where taking turns showing of their bike skills. I offered them candy from the care package Mory’s wife had sent him. These were the first friends I made in Guinea. The African Nations of Cup, a soccer tournament for the best team in Africa was right around the corner. Guinea had qualified and there was a lot of national pride around the city. Some mornings, I’d walk around and all I could see was a city plastered in rouge, jeune, et vert (red, yellow, & green).

The rest of the friends I made were all older. Most of them Mory’s family, and friends of the family. I still remember the morning I made scrambled eggs for breakfast and they laughed at me. Scrambled eggs in Guinea? That was a first for them. They did eat it, but that was the first and last time I hosted breakfast at my place. Abdourahmane who goes by Infamous, Sekou, who is a former Olympian, Karamo, Iliassa, and Andrew. There was also Ahnita, who saw my camera and asked me to take her picture. All these people made the trip worth it and I will always appreciate them. Almost a year later and we still communicate.

Ten days went by very fast, but it was more than enough time for me to fall in love with the country and become one of its people. From Kipé, to Nongo, Dubraka, Coyah, Camayenne, Belle Vue, Kaloum, Koleya, Yimbaya, and Forecariah, the views and experiences were plenty.

I felt right at home and that was the most difficult part about leaving. At the airport on my way back, Mory and I had one last lunch. It was around 17:34. He was very emotional although he tried to hide it. He expressed his happiness that I’d made the trip to see him. That was the end. When I sat down in my seat on the plane back, I remembered that the visa was valid for reentry for the next three years. I smiled, opened the book I was reading and waited for takeoff.

Mory Kaba, Le Guinéen