Pieces of Africa. 
rare situations where I have been involved in this holiday thanks to being able to travel to places as disparate as Ireland and Mali. We know that travel broadens the mind but also can paralyze by contrasting views and questions that arise from them. Obviously
Africa is a tremendously diverse in culture and politics, and server has seen only fleeting passing through Morocco, Mauritania and Mali. All three are Muslim countries. Mauritania is an Islamic republic, is in this country where more is perceived and shows the Islamic lifestyle. It is also relevant juicy receiving "donations" Saudis to build mosques and expand its Wahhabi ideology, "mother" of exalted as those who murdered the French family in Aleg. In all three countries, Mauritania is the most delayed in all areas, his politics is dominated by generals and military coups are constant, we have experience of it as there was one two days before entering the country.
Spain has an important role in the situation in Mauritania, it has significant fishing interests in it, that make our government take a position tolerant toward what happens, even a hit state, in order to maintain the fisheries agreements. This is why a country's status on other people's interest, although it has applied for democratic elections in recent demonstrations.
If anything has marked our visit to Mauritania have been the constant military and police checkpoints, and bribery practiced in the same throughout the country. Each city had more or less important two checks, one at the entrance and another at the exit, then along our journey across the country have spent twenty of them, in which each person must submit a form with all our data. With them can perfectly reconstruct our trip, the route, stops, etc. A state of absolute control where we were watched only because I did not see any Mauritanian deliver chips or "donate" to the guards to "cadeau" (gift). In each felt the helplessness to control the authority represented by the police, because of its arbitrariness, we were at its discretion, could join or not, stand or not, ask the documentation or not, to this and to avoid problems the best solution, the "gift". Sometimes you asked for it directly, you asked for other business or calling you a "contribution" to the gendarmerie.
One of us was extorted at the point of entry to Mauritania by Bir Gandouz the military, when you get you locked up in a small room with two cops inside and one on the door, which remained a closed whenever we were inside. Kafkaesque environment, and a reminder to Josef K. I wonder what they want and how they want to extort you, my myopia Ascente saved me from losing the sunglasses, she liked the boss. Not so lucky a friend had to pay the money trap to recover his passport.
As an Islamic republic can not drink alcohol or enter, but turn a blind eye to alcohol bottles for gifts. Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, is a constant traffic chaos Mercedes 190, the majority car among Mauritanians have one. The market town is full of small stalls with a roof of branches and all kinds of products, among which are the sins listed by the canoes, the same start for the Canaries.
Of the three countries visited is the closest to Europe, Morocco, the most similar to us in terms of development, I was surprised by the Moroccan policy in the former English Sahara, not being aware of it, that it was, but the view reflected in the field. Many ideas in this area contained many suggestions of Machiavelli explained in his "Prince" on how to make a foreign area itself is not only right but also by the conviction of those who inhabit the area that is so, and that is good to keep in the future. In cities such as English Sahara Laayoune vestiges of the past remain English: Castilian streets labeled in hundreds of Land Rover Santana made abandoned by the English and English speakers. It is giving a colonization of the Sahara to Morocco in several ways: the first is building neighborhoods and new homes to move to them Moroccans to have greater presence of the colonizer, the army is another way of colonizing relevant because as the aforementioned cities Laayoune and Boujdour permanent seats are filled with multiple units of the Moroccan army, has reused some old English facilities. Military maneuvers in the Saharan territory have been quite massive and highly visible for us. All Morocco in general, but particularly the Sahara and the aforementioned cities are full of thousands of Moroccan flags and huge portraits of the Moroccan king reminiscent in form and aesthetics to those of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the King is dressed in military , in business attire, with Chile, slaughtering a lamb, etc.
investment of money Moroccan Sahara territory is palpable in the cities, which have, unlike many northern Morocco, beautiful parks, great cleaning, etc. Significantly, the meeting with an entry Saharawi Gandouz Bir Morocco, was a 22 years studying in Laayoune, he and his family were recorded in detail, ad nauseum, as the guy told me they would do. This confirmed the "special" treatment suffering, are suspected to be Saharawi as others are to be Latino in the U.S. or Roma in Italy.
finally comment on the situation in Mali from my experience, seems to be a country that is on the right track, as it has declined in recent years, the GDP devoted to military spending, but has serious problems, such as rising life and food, and having half the population under 30 years, many less 15. That this was not unusual to find in the fields many children work the land despite the many signs against child labor throughout Mali. The old I saw, hand counted.
The country's largest highway, which runs from west to east, has been funded by the European Union, although it must pay a toll for driving on it. Double benefit for them, have and will also take benefit. The EU has multiple projects in Mali, we must also mention the U.S. program against AIDS, USAID, which has many centers throughout the country to offer assistance to HIV-positive patients. AIDS campaigns are visible in all cities, there are multiple posters inviting them to get tested, to show solidarity and help the sick. It's funny that people on the posters displayed are painted white, not black.
In many places in Mali had slogans of the type, "I pay my taxes to the commune, what about you?", "Our goal is security and opportunity for every child." Even the country has its own French-style slogan, "One country, one faith, one destiny." Everyone knows the first thing to change the reality is the intention and at least apparently it occurs in Mali. Both Nioro du Sahel and in Bamako, Mali's capital, distinguished by their proportions of monuments to victims of colonialism. Sarkozy is very dear to Mali after his speech in Dakar in which among other ideas, downplayed the effects of colonialism, in a part of his written speech delivered but not officially stated that "blacks were responsible for selling to his compatriots ". They give consideration to their past and the European presence, and do not hesitate to accuse some of subjugating their customs, their laws and failing to think we are better than them. "The only difference between you and me is this, the skin" a salesperson told me which haunted me in Bamako after saying for the twentieth time that she wanted nothing. Skin wish I was the only difference between you and I thought at that moment!
Of all the cities visited during the trip that struck me most was Djenné, known worldwide for its mosque, a world heritage site. If a medievalist seek a city in the world today like a medieval, there has to Djenné, which serves the city's medieval structure (cathedral and grinding poverty around) but instead has a cathedral mosque. Narrow, unpaved roads, no water, no light, full of fecal discharges mixed with the mud produced by the constant rains, etc. The walk through the medina was an immersion in misery and absolute poverty, but also in her small children laugh when they shook hands, oblivious to everything. Unlike
Morocco and Mauritania, Mali visible Protestant and Catholic churches, which reflects greater religious tolerance. To terminate and cease to bore the slogan that caught my attention most of all, the bank BINYALI "The bank that lends money to the rich." This phrase sums up the situation in Mali today, but I must say that there is hope and it is called education, in all the places I have visited I have seen schools and most guys I've talked to go to them and deposit can only hope for progress in this process so slow and arduous, as if we were to focus on the rich, I'd bet not a CFA viewing our behavior in the distance and when we are among them.
sentenced
