The Strange, Beautiful Pull of a Country You’ve Never Been To
Have you ever felt an unexplainable pull to visit a country you’ve never set foot in? A place you have no ties to—no family roots, no ancestral connections, no practical reason to go—but still, something deep inside whispers, Go there.
It’s a funny kind of pull, isn’t it? Mysterious. Intangible. Almost otherworldly. It makes you wonder if it’s from another life, a past existence, or maybe even a parallel one.
Why would you feel so strongly about a place that, on paper, has nothing to do with you?
And yet… the feeling lingers.
That Country for Me Is Ireland
Now, I have no personal connection to Ireland. No Irish heritage. No family stories passed down. I’m not Irish-American. And yet, somehow, I feel a deep draw to that little green island across the sea.
Maybe it’s not just Ireland. Sometimes, I lump in Scotland and Wales too—they’re in the same neighborhood, after all. But it’s Ireland that pulls at my spirit.
Why? I’m not entirely sure. But I have a few guesses.
The Lilt of Their Voice
Maybe it’s the way Irish people speak—the cadence, the rhythm, the musicality of their voices. I remember once listening to an Irish man talk. I don’t even remember what he was saying. That wasn’t the point.
What caught me was the sound of his voice. It felt like a little musical performance, like poetry with a melody. I wasn’t listening to the words—I was listening to the song underneath them.
Is that strange? Possibly. But it was beautiful.
The Landscapes That Call
And then there’s the landscape.
Those emerald-green hills, dramatic cliffs, moody skies, and lonely coastlines. The kind of scenery that makes you feel like you could sit for hours, staring out at the sea crashing against the rocks, and just be.
It feels like a place where you could walk with your thoughts. A place for quiet reflection, for journaling, for reconnecting to yourself.
It looks like the kind of place where stories are born.
The Warmth of the Culture
Maybe I’m drawn to the idea of Irish pubs, filled with laughter, storytelling, traditional music, and warmth.
A space where people gather—not just to drink, but to connect. The kind of cozy, lively place where you don’t need to know anyone to feel welcome.
And oh, the music. Celtic music, especially when paired with traditional dance. Fiddle, flute, drum. It’s full of life, rhythm, history, and joy. I’ve always loved it. Maybe the music remembers something I’ve forgotten.
Maybe It Was the Books…
Or maybe it started with a book I read long ago. One of those sweeping family sagas set in Ireland, where the characters were strong, the land was wild, and the stories dug deep into the human spirit.
Sometimes the seed is planted early, and we don’t even know it.
The Pull Is Strong
I haven’t been to Ireland. Yet. But I have a feeling I will go. One day.
The pull is too strong to ignore.
And when I do go, I imagine I’ll arrive and feel something familiar. Not necessarily like I’ve been there before, but like I’ve finally stepped into a story that’s been calling my name for years.
What About You?
Have you ever felt that kind of pull?
To a place you’ve never been—maybe you saw it in a movie, read about it in a book, heard its music, or caught a glimpse in a photograph—and something inside you stirred?
Maybe it’s Morocco, or Bali, or Ghana. Maybe it’s Paris in the fall, or the quiet beaches of Zanzibar.
And here’s the question: Have you gone?
Have you followed that whisper and turned it into a journey? Or is that place still waiting for you?
What If It’s Time?
Maybe now is the time to explore that mystery.
Book the ticket. Make the plan. Follow the pull.
Sometimes the places that call to us—without explanation—hold something powerful for us. A lesson. A memory. A piece of our soul we didn’t know was missing.
So go. Follow the nudge. You never know what you’ll find.
Vegan and Vegetarian Meals in West Africa
What’s the Difference Between Vegan and Vegetarian?
Before we get into the delicious plant-based food options in West Africa, let’s clarify the basics. Vegetarians avoid meat, poultry, and fish but may consume dairy and eggs. Vegans take it a step further—no animal products at all, including dairy, eggs, and honey. If it comes from an animal, it’s off the menu for vegans.
Can You Eat Vegan or Vegetarian Meals in Ghana?
Absolutely! If you’re visiting Ghana or another West African country and wondering whether you can maintain your plant-based diet, the answer is yes. West African cuisine is naturally rich in plant-based ingredients, thanks to an abundance of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans. Many traditional dishes are already vegan or vegetarian—or can easily be modified.
Key Ingredients in West African Plant-Based Meals
West African cuisine features a variety of naturally plant-based foods. Some staples include:
- Grains and Starches: Rice, millet, maize, cassava, yam, and plantains
- Legumes: Black-eyed peas, groundnuts (peanuts), and cowpeas
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, cocoyam leaves (kontomire), bitter leaf, and ewedu leaf (jute leaves)
- Fruits: Mangoes, pineapples, papayas, coconuts, avocados, and bananas
- Spices and Sauces: Palm oil, chili, ginger, garlic, shito (a spicy pepper sauce), and tomatoes
Popular Vegan and Vegetarian Dishes in Ghana and West Africa
Many traditional West African meals are either naturally plant-based or can be made so with slight modifications. Here are some must-try dishes:
- Waakye – A filling popular rice and beans dish often served with fried plantains and shito. Skip the meat to keep it vegan or vegetarian.
- Red-Red – A flavorful bean stew made with palm oil, served with fried plantains.
- Palava Sauce – A spinach or cocoyam leaf stew that can be prepared without meat or fish.
- Kelewele – Spicy, fried plantains, often cubed and seasoned with ginger and chili (pepper).
- Jollof Rice – An iconic, spicy tomato-based rice dish, which can often made without meat.
- Yam, Plantain, and Cassava Chips – Deep-fried yam, plantain or cassava.
- Tofu Dishes – Tofu is available in some places as a protein substitute.
- Moin-Moin – A Nigerian steamed bean dish that’s often vegan.
- Puff-Puff – A popular deep-fried dough snack that can be made without dairy.
Eating Vegan and Vegetarian in Ghana: What to Expect
Ghana has plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, making it easy to eat plant-based. However, in urban areas, the rise of Western style fast food has led to more processed food options. If you’re looking for whole, plant-based meals, consider visiting local markets and traditional restaurants rather than relying on international fast-food chains.
Tips for a Vegan/Vegetarian-Friendly Trip to Ghana
- Communicate Your Dietary Needs – When dining out, ask if a dish contains meat, fish, or dairy. Many local restaurants are happy to modify meals.
- Call Ahead – Some hotels and restaurants offer plant-based meals, but it’s always a good idea to confirm in advance.
- Explore Local Markets – Fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts are widely available.
- Bring Snacks – If you have specific vegan-friendly snacks, consider packing them, as specialty vegan products may be harder to find.
Final Thoughts
Eating vegan or vegetarian in Ghana and West Africa is not only possible but also enjoyable. From hearty local soups and stews to popular flavorful plantain dishes, you’ll find a variety of delicious and nutritious meals. So, get ready to enjoy West Africa’s plant-based delights on your next trip!
To read more about the vegan and vegetarian scene in West Africa, visit Spicy Tasty Vegan Cuisine’s YouTube Channel for cooking lessons and valuable information. The owners are currently based in The Gambia where they live and train chefs and visitors on vegan cooking and lifestyle. Enjoy!
Planning a trip to Ghana (or The Gambia)? Want to explore the best vegan and vegetarian spots? Let me help! Contact me for travel tips and customized plant-based food tours in West Africa at: mary@maryoluonye.com
Blaxit:
Black Americans Exit America
Blaxit is the word used to describe the latest migration of Black people in America to other countries. In this article, I use the term Black people to refer to African Americans and People of African Descent.
Past migrations
This is not the first time that Black people in America have migrated en masse. After slavery in America ended in 1865, Black people moved steadily from the American south to the north.
Why? They moved because the north represented freedom from the extreme violence and oppression that continued to exist in the south after slavery.
Black people began moving in the late1800s which led to two waves of Great Migrations. By the end of the second Great Migration in 1970, six million Black people had left the south.
Ironically, Black people in America are still searching for that seemingly elusive safety and promising future.
Blaxit in a nutshell
Brexit, the term used for withdrawal of the UK from the European Union, was modified to Blaxit in 2016 by Ulysses Burley III to describe the exit of Black people from America.
Blaxit in a nutshell, is the growing movement of Black people leaving America in search of friendly, welcoming countries where it is less stressful, less racist, less violent and less murderous than America.
Where Black people are going
Some people have already decided that their new home will be in an African country and Ghana, The Gambia, South Africa, and Tanzania are some popular choices.
Others are looking to countries such as Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
Not for everyone
But Blaxiting is not for everyone. For many it’s not so clear cut. Sometimes making a choice to leave America means leaving family behind because not all family members want to leave.
Some make the heart-wrenching decision to leave anyway and resolve to return to America periodically to visit family.
And for many others, the very idea of leaving America permanently is unthinkable. They are Americans. America is their home and no one is going to make them feel like they have to leave their own country.
Blaxiting is the best option for some people, but not for others. For those who choose the Blaxit journey, the key to success is to do your research and then make the informed decision that is best for you.
7 Incredibly Insensitive Things People Do When They Visit Africa
You’ve done the research, read the travel guides and watched the documentaries about Africa.
You’ve decided. You’re going to Africa. You’ve got your ticket, visa and have had your shots. You’re ready. You know everything that you need to know.
But here’s the thing. You don’t know everything that you need to know. There are some things you can’t know.
More nuanced things.
Like what you should know before you travel to any African country because by not knowing, you risk inadvertently doing or saying something that is offensive.
And whether you know it or not, it will affect the quality of your dream vacation to Africa.
So how do you make sure that your African vacation is everything that you hope and dream it will be? Here’s a clue. It’s about attitude.
Some attitudes are incredibly insensitive. Here are 7 main ones that should never travel with you to Africa.
1. Bringing Along Pre-Conceived Notions of Africa and Africans
Let’s face it. Consciously or not, we’re all influenced by mainstream media to some extent. When it comes to Africa, what’s often portrayed is extreme poverty, backwardness, unsophisticated uneducated people, needy governments and so on.
But Africa is so much more than that. It is many countries (54), many people and many cultures.
Traveling to Africa with pre-conceived notions is like packing more than you need for a trip and ending up paying costly excess baggage fees for stuff you didn’t even need.
Leaving the extra baggage at home will free you up have a much richer vacation experience in Africa.
2. Taking Photographs of Children Without Permission
How would you feel if a stranger started taking photos of your child and then posted those photos on social media? Without your permission.
But yet for some reason, many visitors to Africa seem to think that it’s okay to do just that. It is not.
The best thing to do is simply ask if its okay to take that picture. 99% of the time the parents will say okay. And because you asked, the quality of your interaction with that parent is enhanced and you will be made to feel even more welcome.
3. Expecting Immediate Acceptance
For many descendants of Africans living in the Diaspora, Africa is viewed as the Motherland. They feel a special kinship or connection with Africa and Africans based on genetic heritage and expect Africans to the feel the same way about them.
So when African descendants are referred to as foreigners or strangers, hurt feelings, resentment and behaviors arise that negatively impacts the quality of interactions between people.
If you’ve ever felt this way, try not to take it personally. Give it some time. Get into good conversations. Learn from, and about each other. If you do this, your vacation is guaranteed to be all the more enjoyable and enlightening.
4. Assuming a Savior Mentality
A couple was considering relocating to an African country, however a video showed them complaining about not feeling fully welcome.
As footage rolled, it seemed that everywhere they went — the market, for a walk, at a restaurant — they constantly pointed out what needed to be done, how and why.
Resist the urge to lecture. Ask questions instead and you’ll find that people are happy to engage in friendly lively discussions with you as opposed to polite and silent tolerance.
5. Nickel and Dime-ing
What’s a vacation without photos and souvenirs to remember it by?
You can buy African souvenirs at market stalls, arts and crafts shops or from street vendors along the roadside. But no matter where you buy, expect to bargain.
Everyone bargains, including tourists. It can be great fun haggling over prices. But it can be no fun at all if you feel that the seller is out to cheat you big time.
Here’s what to do to be fair to the seller and at the same time not be taken advantage of. Start by offering 45% less than the asking price, then bargain back and forth amicably until you and the seller agree on a price.
6. Ignoring Cultural Rules
Vacation is a time to relax and let loose. For sure. But at the same time you don’t want to do anything that constitutes a flagrant disregard of the social or cultural norms of the country you are visiting.
This includes ways of dressing, especially women, and public display of affection. The further away you move from cities and towns, the more traditional and conservative it gets.
A good rule of thumb is to check out what other people are wearing, and how couples behave in public, tourists and Africans alike. Let that be your guide.
7. Speaking Too Loudly
Maybe it’s human nature to speak a little louder than usual when you’re not sure that someone understands you. Or to speak noticeably slower, or with exaggerated enunciation of words, or worse yet, do all three at the same time.
But speaking this way will actually make people wonder what is wrong with you. If you’re visiting an English-speaking (Anglophone) African country, chances are that most people you run across, especially in cities and towns, will have a good grasp of the English language.
Using a raised voice in normal conversation is jarring on the receiving end. Speaking in a normal tone of voice is always the best way to go.
Now You Know
You are aware of the 7 insensitive attitudes that many people unwittingly take along with them when they visit an African country.
All that’s left now is for you to get on board, fasten your seat belt, relax and enjoy your flight.
When you arrive at Destination Africa, you’ll be met by some of the world’s friendliest, most welcoming people.
And one thing you’ll know for sure is that you won’t be offending your hosts by making any insensitive mistakes. You’ll feel confident and free as you learn about and enjoy all that Africa has to offer.
Originally published at http://www.travellearnafrica.com on May 18, 2020
