As a young man I traveled to West Africa in search of my identity. I am a man of color, who was born in England. I visited West Africa in the mid-seventies before that area exploded into violence, and witnessed the displacement of its people. My adventure lasted 18 months, and covered the countries of Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone. An adventure like this probably couldn't happen today. The desert has encroached on the south, and poverty has forced the increased migration of peoples from the savannah areas to the coastal countries.Violence has decimated some countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone, and the borders have become much tighter and more dangerous places. This story, then, is about my encounters with the ordinary and real people of Africa, and my perspectives of the underlying issues of the African societies that I experienced throughout my travels. These experiences were an attempt to find my place in Africa, and in the World. The histories and sentiments reported here are still very much true of an African mindset that is proud, energetic, and diverse in its view of the world.