Africa is Alive

Africa is so alive.

The singeing smell of diesel fuel settling along the paved roads. Dense body odor filling the packed markets. Unpredictable and startling bumps along uneven dirt roads. The tinny sound of steady African beats emanating from cheap cell phones. The heavy scent of "Africa" on your body when you return home after a long day. Laughter and screams from the small kids down the road. Long, studied greetings about the day, family, and life. Lively Bantu conversations taking place all around you. The surprise sighting of other wazungu. Cows, birds, chickens, roosters, goats, and dogs as your alarm clock. The smell of burning grass and garbage floating through the evening air. The inexplicably huge sky. The oily sweet taste of fried dough. The comforting protection of a mosquito net. The ambivalence towards big bugs. The satisfaction of a cold shower after a hot day. Small African hands caressing your fascinating white ones. Sweet fresh fruit. Hot spicy tea. The musty dampness of the backseat of a taxi. The distant claps and songs of friends after dark. The burst of magenta and indigo and orange minutes after the sun dips below the horizon.

What do these make you feel? Oddly enough, my reaction and response has been different on every trip.