Nicolás Bueno, a Spanish adventurer who has travelled to different African countries, including Nigeria, on a bike, tells ALEXANDER OKERE why he embarked on the dangerous trip.
Can you Introduce yourself?
My name is Nicolás Zenón Jarne Bueno. I am 32 years old. I am from Spain. I was born in Madrid, the capital of Spain. I spent most of my youth riding motorcycles, studying, and travelling. I love adventures and meeting new people from different cultures. The world is amazing because of the differences, and I am passionate about finding them. I also have a YouTube channel where I upload videos of my African adventures on my motorcycle.
Is that what you do for a living?
I am a content creator. Mainly, I create videos about my travels through Africa. Also, I upload some other experiences related to nature and adventure. I also manage my social media activities on different platforms. I love to share my adventures and experiences with people, so they can also be part of this adventure.
When did the idea of touring the continent on a bike begin?
It began when I was little. I have always loved travelling, motorcycles, and documentaries. I have always loved to discover places, sleep outside, grow personally and, now, I have the opportunity to do it altogether on my YouTube channel, Ride Me Five English. It is like a dream that has become true. I am so thankful for all this.
What was the motivation?
The main motivation was to travel to see Africa and its diversity with my own eyes. It is a place that has been ‘calling me’ for a long time, especially the hidden parts where almost no other tourist has been to before. I love to travel to places we don’t find on TV, where nobody wants to go because they are scared, feel uncomfortable, or have negative beliefs in their minds. The inner sense of adventure pushes me to do this kind of thing.
Your Instagram page shows you have also been to Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Gabon, Congo, and Cameroon, among others. How many countries have you toured on a bike so far?
I travel to meet people and find new experiences. I don’t care about the quantity, but the quality. That is why I do not count them. I just travel and enjoy them as much as possible.
How many days did it take you to tour the countries you have visited?
It depends on a lot of things. There is no schedule rule while I am on the road. If I like and have the chance, I stay longer. If not, I travel faster. I will give you a few examples of things that can affect the days I spend in different places. If the motorbike needs checking, this would mean staying a few days to repair it or waiting for some accessories to arrive at the place where I stay, whether I feel good or not. Sometimes, I could fall sick for a few days or need a rest after hours of riding. And if I like the country very much, I could stay longer than expected. At other times, I could meet someone very nice and spend a few days with them.
Did that happen in Nigeria?
In Calabar (Cross River State), I met one James Okina and his mates. In general, I do not plan my travel; I just start travelling and see where the trip takes me. In some countries, I spent just a week and in others, up to three months.
How many African countries do you intend to visit throughout your trip?
As much as possible, I love travelling and finding different people, cultures, food, and experiences. The more I visit, the more I like travelling.
How did you get into Nigeria?
In this case, I entered through the Benin Republic. I had to apply for a (Nigerian) visa in Burkina Faso a few weeks before. It was one of the most expensive – around $100 – I had an interview with the ambassador and a couple of days later, he gave me the Nigerian visa. I entered through the Idiroko border post. It was a good border. I just got all my documents and they (officials at the border) were nice to me. Nobody asked for ‘extra’ money there and in a couple of hours, I was inside Nigeria.
Was it your first time in Nigeria?
Yes, it was my first time. Before entering Nigeria, I read a little bit about the country – a few articles on the Internet talking about its countryside, people, culture, money, religion, history of Nigeria, and the actual situation. To be honest, I was a bit scared about the stories I heard during the previous months. But as soon as I entered, I realised it was a very interesting country and the people were very friendly.
What was your first impression when you got into the country?
My first impression was there were a lot of people everywhere. It was very busy. It is a dynamic and full-of-life country – the people have a lot of energy. I have seen many young people; I saw how young the country is, and the bright future it will have.
What did you observe about Nigerian cuisine?
The food was nice and I tried to taste as much as possible. I liked jollof rice, egusi soup, and garri. I am also surprised with the flavour and taste of fruits here on the African continent; they are really natural and tasty. In Europe, fruits have lost their flavour.
What were the challenges you encountered in Nigeria?
I had some challenges with the police. There are many checkpoints, which is very good, but you never know if they are going to play games or not. You can watch my encounter on my episodes from 42 to 49 on Instagram. I have to say I didn’t have big problems in Nigeria. Nobody tried to steal from me. The roads were in good condition and the people were friendly with me. Maybe the most tricky part was riding for me. Riding in Africa is crazy sometimes. It gets to the next level.
There was a viral video of your encounter with some policemen. Can you share in detail how it happened?
Many times, the policemen ask me for money or presents. In this case (the viral video), my camera was recording and he (policeman) asked me for some money a few times, then he asked me where I came from, where I was going, whether I had a family, job, etc. He tried to get something from me. It was quite intimidating when it came from a policeman. But after so many months travelling on the continent, I got used to dealing with these situations. So, I managed as much as I could. In the end, he (policeman) let me leave.
What went through your mind when one of the Nigerian cops flagged you down?
Since I started this journey, I got used to being flagged down by cops. But Nigeria is one of the countries with more checkpoints on the continent. Sometimes, they stop me for curiosity, others to ask for money. In the beginning, I used to feel scared, uncomfortable and didn’t know what was going to happen. That made me a bit nervous because I was in a different country. The police act differently in each country. One would have heard bad things on TV about Africa and its people; although later, you see most of the news on TV are lies. So, to be honest, it is not a nice feeling. But it is part of the game. As time goes on, you learn how to deal with them and you start to develop your own strategies, depending on the way they (policemen) approach you, the tone of their voices, or the way they stare at you. You learn to know if he (policeman) is going to ask you for money or if he is coming positively.
Experience teaches you all of this. Sometimes, I stop the conversation quickly or let it go longer. At other times, I humble myself or raise my voice. It depends on a lot of circumstances.
Hundreds of times, they have asked me for money, not only in Nigeria but in all of the continent. Sometimes, they ask me for money, water, food or whatever I have. It can be a watch, tools or clothes. They even ask for my contact in order to help them to get a visa. This is funny because a lot of people think I can give them a Spanish visa, which doesn’t make any sense. I have nothing to do with the immigration office, but even if I were working there, it would be impossible for me to give someone a visa. It is a long and complicated process that goes through a lot of people and formalities before approval.
Did you think it was abnormal for a policeman to ask you for money while on duty?
It does not surprise me that much. On the continent, this is very common. I could say they (policemen) have asked me for money in all the countries I have visited. I know their salaries may not be very high, so if they can get a bit of extra money, some of them would try. But a lot of the time, I met nice policemen that were polite and humble.
Corruption is difficult to eradicate when it is so deep in society. It takes time. I am glad to say I didn’t pay a single naira in Nigeria. I think if everybody refuses to pay (bribes), corruption would end sooner. Still, it is easier to say than to do. The first step is to understand this should not be happening.
When I was in Malaysia, Thailand, or Cambodia, I experienced it too, but to a much lower degree. In Nigeria, it was a much more common practice. For example, the police in Spain were a bit corrupted 20 or 30 years ago. Today, I would say corruption is unusual in the Spanish police. It took time, but policemen are supposed to enforce the law, not to break the law. It will take time. The different thing is in politics, where sadly we have a lot of corruption in Spain. I hope corruption ends one day.
Your tour requires that you cross borders. How did you handle issues related to immigration?
I have to say I am very lucky to have a Spanish passport, which means I have a European passport. I know it’s not fair; I would like that everybody could travel anywhere, but sadly, it is not the reality. Sometimes, getting a visa is hard; sometimes, it needs patience. Mostly, you have to go to the embassy of the country you are planning to visit, then fill a lot of papers in the embassy and pay. I remember in Cameroon, I had to use ‘option B’ to get inside the country.
What do you mean?
The borders were closed because of the anglophone/francophone situation. For me, this was the last option, but the policemen on the Cameroon border still didn’t want to let me go because of the war situation. But I managed to convince them and crossed the border after a few hours of negotiation.
Did you have any funny experiences with immigration officers?
Yes, it is not something unusual. Sometimes, they asked me a lot of questions about myself because they couldn’t believe I came from Spain with the bike. A lot of times, they asked for money and one would never know whether it is a mandatory fee or corruption. They are good at playing their games. Once, I had to put up my tent on a border because they (immigration officers) were asking for money and I refused to pay. In other cases, they asked me for money in a polite way. But, most of the time, I meet nice and friendly people around the borders.
What has been the scariest experience on your adventure?
I can remember a lot of them. Crossing Ambazonia in Cameroon was very dangerous. Sleeping at night, sometimes, was scary because I heard a lot of noises outside and I did not know what was going on. A few times, animals chased me while I was on my motorbike, and on a few nights, I heard people walking around and trying to figure out who I was. A lot of animals, like hippos, elephants, snakes, crocodiles, hyenas, wandered around my tent at night. Sometimes, while riding the bike on the highway, I find a truck a few meters in front of you driving the wrong way, so I had to jump out of the road. Certainly, during this trip, I experienced a lot of scary moments.
Have you had any issues with criminals in any of the countries visited?
I have been lucky. In general, people have been good, but there is always a chance to encounter a criminal. Only a couple of times, they tried to put their hands on my belongings but did not succeed. I remember once in Cameroon, four guys were trying to steal from me while sitting on my motorcycle.
Are you married with kids?
I am single. It is not easy to travel for a few years, having your wife and kids at home. I had a girlfriend before coming to Africa, but after a while, we decided to end the relationship as I was going to stay away from home for a few years.
How do you get the supplies, including food and water, you need for your trip?
Usually, in local grocery shops, I buy whatever I need. Sometimes, people kindly help me with some food or little things. I really appreciated that a lot because they gave me something, though they had very little. It is a great example of humility. When I am hungry, I stop by any street restaurant to eat local food.
Do you stop to sleep at night or take a nap when you get tired while on your bike?
Most of the time, I sleep inside my tent in the middle of a forest or jungle. My budget is very tight, so it is the cheapest possible way and allows me to stay in nature and appreciate the beautiful skies full of stars at nighttime. Sometimes, I spend the nights in campsites, especially when I need to work on my videos.
What do you hope to achieve with your trip?
I hope to open my mind, now, about different cultures, meet interesting people, see different ways of living, see things with my own eyes, get out of my comfort zone, feel free, live my life in a different way, and show my followers another face of Africa they do not show us on TV. In the end, I try to understand a little bit about this amazing and diverse world..
Reviewed by Mgbara Zion Barisuka
on
September 05, 2021
Rating:
No comments: