One of Aníbal Bueno's snapshots, taken in the cattle camps of Mundari (South Sudan)
Volcano craters, herds of giraffes, remote tribes, Martian landscapes. The Instagram profile of traveler and photographer Aníbal Bueno is full of adventures of those that we have all dreamed of living , captured through beautiful images that perfectly summarize the essence of each journey. In this so-called fourth wave of the pandemic that keeps us, to a greater or lesser extent, locked up at home, it is refreshing take a peek at Africa through his wanderings , As the voodoo ritual of more than eight hours of duration that he witnessed in Benin three months ago. "Dozens of animal sacrifices took place, and the spilled blood poured over human skulls used as fetishes on an altar".
Nor will you forget the visit to the Mundari cattle camps , in South Sudan. "This community dedicates 24 hours a day to caring for their thousands of cows , which they do not kill, nor consume their meat. They massage them daily , mold their horns, shower with their urine, drink milk directly from their udders, collect their feces to form bonfires and cover their skin with that ash, the horns of their favorite cow are tattooed on their foreheads with a knife , give their children the names of the family cows, and even they perform oral sex on them in the morning . A whole strange universe that, moreover, is wrapped in a mystic smoke , because the cow dung bonfires are lit night and day, as sanctuaries with which to communicate with the gods".
In the book 'Forgotten Cultures', Aníbal Bueno tells the story of the Mundari ranchers, as well as those of many other ethnic groups
It is not the first time that Bueno has toured the continent, since he owns two travel agencies that operate in Africa itself and in Asia. In fact, it was precisely South Sudan where he caught the beginning of the first confinement.
"I had to return to Spain quickly and running, with all flights canceling behind my back and solving real logistical puzzles to get home," he recalls. In October, he returned to Africa, and since then, he has been in Benin, Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania.
This time, Bueno travels with his partner, a health worker who, after going through the hardest moments of his professional work during the first months of the pandemic, decided to leave everything and accompany him to discover that part of the world. So far, it has been a very special trip, so much so that Well he asked her to marry him during his visit to South Sudan, to end up marrying in Uganda two weeks later.
THE AFRICAN SITUATION: RESTRICTIONS BY COUNTRY
"In Benin, control is quite strict . Anyone who enters the country is required to undergo a PCR test and another antigen test at the airport itself, there are disinfection booths, temperature taking and various other protocols," explains Bueno.
"Nevertheless, in Tanzania there are absolutely no controls or requirements. They don't even wear masks. . The government relies on faith to end the pandemic, and denies that there are any cases in the country," he continues.
"Between these two extremes, there are intermediate cases, such as Ethiopia or Uganda , where there is some control, but not very strict either. However, throughout central Africa the number of confirmed cases is quite low compared to Western countries," he says.
In his case, he is not too afraid of getting infected , because both he and his partner passed the Coronavirus last April with very mild symptoms. Of course, in order not to be a vector of contagion, they have a resounding control: " We do a PCR test every 15 days and we always travel in small bubble groups with people who have also undergone PCR, in addition to wearing a mask in all closed spaces or crowded places. We also carry out very thorough hand hygiene."
THE LAST VIRGIN PLACES ON THE PLANET
Bueno also follows very strict measures with the groups of travelers he takes to the country with his agencies Last Places and Camino Sin Fin -with both, since October, he has acted as a guide for six groups-. The first is aimed at a demanding public, "that seeks the most powerful experiences that can be lived today at the ethnographic level".
"As the name of the company indicates, we focus on the 'last virgin places' on the planet . We offer trips to meet the most isolated and inaccessible ethnic groups, countries at war or unknown areas. In some destinations, we are the only European agency that operates Good tells us.
to the question of whether these visits can alter the way of life of the groups furthest from the urban way of life , the professional replies: "The fact of pretending that certain cultures continue to maintain their lifestyle at all costs, even when that means giving up better conditions, can be considered a somewhat paternalistic, egotistical, or ethnocentric stance".
"On the other hand, on many occasions, it is precisely tourism that preserves cultures and not the other way around . We, without going any further, try to value some traditions that were disappearing, so that the local communities feel that they have value, that they interest us, and thus recover that identity pride which is often disappearing in an increasingly global society".
In any case, to minimize his impact on these environments, Bueno always travels with small groups and establishes certain standards of conduct regarding the relationship with communities and ecosystems . "If, in some extreme case, we have detected that our presence was not doing good to a community, we have interrupted the trips to that place. The first thing, before the business, are the people ", he assures.
In the case of Camino Sin Fin, the target is completely different: "It is destined to backpackers who want to know some special corners of Africa or Asia at affordable prices".
So they offer budget trips focused on visiting ethnic groups -cutting expenses from the use of vans instead of 4x4 and tents instead of hotels, which also allows a more immersive experience-. "As an example of itinerary and price, we can offer a trip of about ten days through the south of Ethiopia (the magnificent Omo Valley), including the visit to eight ethnic groups, for 990 euros".
Right now, they operate with smaller groups in which all members have undergone PCR and specific destinations, since the airspace is quite restricted and the entry conditions to some countries are still very limiting . In addition, they include travel insurance with coverage against Covid 19 and carry out basic hygiene measures -masks, hydrogel- but also specific ones, such as ensuring that the tents and mattresses used are always the same for each traveler throughout the trip. itinerary.