Foo - A Third World Eye Opener

I recently moved to Africa and thought I would post up some pics for those of you who have never seen anything like this. It would truly blow your mind to know people are living like they are when we have all the things we do in the US and still complain about it. I tried not to get many of the homeless because it's not really nice to take a picture of them, I feel it kind of exploits them. But you will get the idea of a place like this.

The Central Market where you can buy handmade things, stolen things, linens, clothes, shoes, etc. Kind of like the "Walmart" of Africa.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/lucky53s/CentralMarket.jpg
Donkeys, the main mode of transportation for a lot of people and goods.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/lucky53s/Donkeys.jpg
Main Street Nouakchott, this is near the center of the city.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/lucky53s/MainStNouakchott.jpg
People living and sleeping in the medians along a major street.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d156/lucky53s/median.jpg
Just thought I'd share my experience with everyone.

I was actually planning on moving to Africa, I had heard lots of good things about it. But your pictures made me change my mind. :rolleyes:


Donkeys, the main mode of transportation for a lot of people and goods.

Hey, that's a pretty sweet 'yota in the background.


People living and sleeping in the medians along a major street.

Living and sleeping? Looks like they're having a picnic.

It's daytime, but if you want to tell yourself that they picnic under the stars to make yourself feel better then go ahead.

This is just more proof that most of us have so much to be thankful for. You may not have the car you want or the big mansion that you think you should have, but compared to a large portion of the globe, we are all quite well off.

Lucky, thanks for sharing this.

Thanks for sharing these pics! I've never been to Mauritania - still on my 'to do' list.

Moving to Egypt at the age of 13 certainly 'shook me up' so to say. This is the reason why I often get so frustrated at the 'Road Cycling' forum, where you see people with too much money waste it on needless toys.

Anyway, you in Mauritania for the long run, or just visiting?

This is just more proof that most of us have so much to be thankful for. You may not have the car you want or the big mansion that you think you should have, but compared to a large portion of the globe, we are all quite well off.

Lucky, thanks for sharing this.

+1 and thanks to Lucky.

It's a strange thing to think that many of us (myself included) are likely in something like the top 1% of the world as far as individual wealth is concerned. With great fortune comes great responsibility.

Lucky, do you think the area where you are would benefit from one of those African bike programs?

Thanks lucky. Always good to get some perspective. Also, thanks for doing what you do for the rest of us.

Tends to change you perception for sure.

+1 and thanks to Lucky.

It's a strange thing to think that many of us (myself included) are likely in something like the top 1% of the world as far as individual wealth is concerned. With great fortune comes great responsibility.


No, no, no!!!

It goes, "With great power, comes great responsibility." - Uncle Ben (not the rice guy) from Spiderman.

ps. No need to go to Africa for perspective...Most border shantytown ghettos of Mexico look just like that.

Spent some time in the villages in South Africa. Rough places and sad faces. We are most certainly blessed!

ps. No need to go to Africa for perspective...Most border shantytown ghettos of Mexico look just like that.

The truth. When I went to the Philippines last year, it reminded me a lot of Mexico.

I haven't checked this in a while so I will catch up. For those of you who haven't seen pictures like this, you're welcome. There will be more to come. I just started hanging out with some British English teachers here who are much more involved in the community than I am. Sadly the only interaction with locals involved in my job is shooting them when they try to overrun the US Embassy. :( I will be here until next fall, the exact date isn't sure but sometime around Aug-Oct. I think riding a bike on these streets would be too dangerous. I'm scared riding around in a Suburban. And all the side streets are dirt. Sadly I think the biggest help to a country like this would be any level of traffic laws and control. Even when cops direct traffic nobody pays attention. Lucky for me it's a fairly safe country. I don't have to worry about IED's or getting killed just for being American.

Please take care, lucky. ((hugs))

Thanks Siu. I'm settling in as well as can be expected and I'm actually making friends outside of the Embassy so it's kind of nice in an Enlightening and Unique kind of way.

Well you always have us, okay?

that's why I'm here tonight. For some moral support.

Wow, Lucky. Thanks for posting these pix AND for letting us know that you are doing well. Keep us in touch; you have a long and exciting year ahead of you. Be safe.

I still want a Mercedes.

Oh yeah, I'm still thankful for the things I will be able to buy when I get home. It's sad here but it won't stop me from my little luxuries.

From 14 to 18 I lived in Botswana and schooled in RSA. My outlook on life is much different from most of my peers at work. Some of my peers came from places like India or Malaysia and we can relate.

thanks lucky, my in laws went to africa on mission last year. It does change your perspective even just seing the pictures and listening to them retelling all they saw. It sure changed them a lot when they came back.

I just saw a whole new side of life here. The local food markets are much worse than the local shopping markets. I just went for the first time and I'm
in awe. I wish I had my camera but I only tagged along to stop by the shopping place and get some toga material. More pics will follow, promise.

You do realize, you can live in a trailer, sleeping on roach infested mattresses, to the point that only you or your kid can eat, and still be in that 1%, right?

It's true, some of us have it good, but we are comparing two different economies (and two drastically different costs of living) here, and we need to fix our own too.

Those charts are grossly skewed...keep that in mind. Africa does have it really bad, but with some of the weird political happeneings there, I don't think many of the governments there want it fixed.

If you looked around a bit, you could take pictures just about like those in the U.S., too...well, maybe not the donkeys...

I'm not talking about economies at all. I'm just looking at the standard of living. Meeting basic survival conditions. There is a big difference in being repressed or being so poor and hungry and homeless that it actually kills you. Don't get me wrong, this is nowhere near the worst place in the world. I recently read that Burma is the most restricted (politically and freedom of speech) country in the world.

If you looked around a bit, you could take pictures just about like those in the U.S., too...well, maybe not the donkeys...

This isn't the worst. There are places in the city that I won't go. And if that still isn't bad enough for you, go on the outskirts. It's pretty bad.

ps. No need to go to Africa for perspective...Most border shantytown ghettos of Mexico look just like that.

Years ago I took a trip into Mexico in a friends light plane. Coming back it was like there was a magic line. Like the pic of Africa south of the border and an upscale neighborhood where every other house has a swimming pool. It was a truely striking contrast.

ps. No need to go to Africa for perspective...Most border shantytown ghettos of Mexico look just like that.

Years ago I took a trip into Mexico in a friends light plane. Coming back it was like there was a magic line. Like the pic of Africa south of the border and an upscale neighborhood where every other house has a swimming pool. It was a truely striking contrast.