So we did a hell lot of research about which countries are worth heading to for a good life without effectively striking a match to my wallet. And believe you me, you can do that in Africa, the Africa of rib-stickin’ out infants and giraffes.

Being sort of a safe person, I was also somewhat concerned about the safety of my booty (as Miss United States just said on Miss Congeniality 2) (yea, I multi-task sometimes). As a journalist, if a newspaper wanted me to stake out for a few days in the middle of a war in Sierra Leone, I’d be there – grit, gumption, and notepad. But considering I was also gonna take my bubblegum with me on this trip, I didn’t want to be somewhere I’d be lying flat on the ground half the time.

So keeping my two most important concerns in mind, my bubblegum did some online research and found the perfect two webpages for me – one about the Global Peace Index and the other about Global Cost of Living.

Invaluable information. I do plan to use it, of course, just not in 2010.

I did more research than I could accommodate here. I have a very wide spreadsheet full of nifty facts about African countries like the demand for ESL teachers, expected wages (circa 2009), dominant religions, prominent schools etc.. So if you’re looking for anything specific about any of the countries , just get in touch and I’ll get back to you with the info.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the Cost of Living in Calcutta (now Kolkata, though I much prefer the former name since its so much easier to pronounce for non-Bongs around the world), here’s a rough guide…

A cold drink – Rs. 10 / $0.20
A bottle of mineral water – Rs. 20 / $0.42
A plate of rice and fish – Rs. 50 / $1.00
A cup of tea – Rs. 10 / $0.20
A plate of good biryani – Rs. 100 / $2
A small hotel room – Rs. 600 / $12.45
A fancy hotel room – Rs 2000 / $41.52
A women’s blouse from a good department store – Rs. 500 / $10.38
A men’s plain t-shirt from a good department store – Rs. 400 / $8.30
A liter of milk – Rs. 15 / $0.31
A pair of nice shoes (women’s) – Rs. 800 / $16.60
A pair of nice shoes (men’s) – Rs. 700 / $14.53

But I love the fact that WordPress allows me to back date my post, so I’m gonna back date it anyway. So when did I really write it? Go figure!

For two months now, Pratik and I have had a growing sense of urgency about our impending departure from this gray and green country. Have I told you Silicon Valley is Gray. And Green. Except on the weekends when we escape to the Pacific, life drifts by day after day in different shades of gray and green.

The concrete, the buildings, the mountains in the distance, the freeways, the monotonous colors of business suits.. and maple trees topped in sparse green.

Though there’s no way I’m gonna get bored of our weekend trips, the same beaches and scenic byways tend to get redundant. Our trip to Portland was a much needed break from California, as much for the place as for the lovely people we met. More about them in another post.

Where should we go?

So essentially, both Pratik and I felt it was time to move on. And then the inevitable questions arose. Where should we go? Should we head back to India, find a stable job, travel when we can? Or should we take a three month break in Europe as we had earlier planned before heading to India (…to find a stable job, travel when we can…)

Or maybe, just maybe, excuse me for suggesting this, pardon us for our ridiculousness, but maybe, ah yes, we’ve heard it’s dagger-dangerous, yes of course it’s mad of us to think we’ll ever be gainfully employed again, oh yeah we know it’s a hippies’ idea of life…

But maybe, we can explore the thought (mere thought, I beg you) to travel to Africa. Mom, mom, MOM, listen to me, I might just back alive.

There I’ve said it. It’s out now. We want to go to Africa. On an extended trip, not a safari vacation.

It will surely be more of an adventure than many other places in this world, barring iced Antarctica (which, truth to tell, I am not remotely interested in, considering my toes will probably fall of the moment I land and not even be able to wiggle their dissent) and the mysterious underwater world of Mermen (which, I am determined I will explore in my limited capacity; the scuba certification is just a dive away).

So Pratik and I started doing some tentative online research about two months ago. Looking for opportunities for travelers in Africa, looking for the most peaceful nations to go to, looking for organizations that really needed volunteers.

The most important pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were filled in by the Couchsurfers we have met and contacted in the last month.

An African-American of Ghananian descent who surfed our couch, and who’s traveled to Ghana twice to volunteer. A lovely young lady who used to live in a Harry Potter-esque house  in Medford, CA and is now on her way to an 8 month volunteer assignment in Tanzania. A middle-aged couple who has traveled the world and just returned from a 5 month volunteering stint in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Nicaragua. And many others whom I have only emailed via CouchSurfing but who have been very forthcoming, prompt and helpful and given us loads of tips and suggestions. Thank you all so much!

So yeah, Africa is the continent we have zeroed in on. The hunt for a good job/volunteer position in Africa is on. But there is lots of information that I will share in the upcoming posts that might just be really helpful to those planning a trip to Africa. And hopefully, all this online research will land us in Africa too.