Gabon – 156th Country

Gabon – 156^th Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Gabon is my 156^th country.

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Gabon is a country located in central Africa, bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Republic of Congo. The area that is now Gabon was inhabited by various Bantu-speaking groups for centuries before being colonized by France in the late 19th century. Gabon gained independence in 1960 and has since been led by a series of authoritarian regimes. The country has significant reserves of oil and timber, which have been a major driver of the economy, but there have been concerns about corruption and the unequal distribution of wealth. Gabon has also made efforts to promote conservation and ecotourism, due to its rich biodiversity and rainforest habitats.

You might detect a theme, but my trip again was colored by an awful guide for my trip to Gabon.

My trip began with a visit to the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer which was established in 1913 by Albert Schweitzer and Helene Bresslau Schweitzer in Lambaréné. Schweitzer was a true renaissance man who made a giant contribution in the region. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I followed this with viewing a Bwiti ceremony is a spiritual and animist practice of the Bwiti religion in Gabon that involves the consumption of the psychedelic plant root, iboga, for healing, initiation, and connection to the ancestors. And finally, I went for a mini-safari to Nyonié, a park reachable from the capital Libreville via a boat. Unfortunately, one of the worst parks I have been to for animal viewing.