The Brazilian travel influencer says she is fine but was harassed
“I have experienced some complicated situations in recent days while traveling overland through West Africa. I have been to Senegal, Gambia, GuineaBissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and have just arrived in Liberia. I was harassed.” “I arrived at one of the borders and had to change my route. Route to avoid being followed or something happening,” explains the influencer.
He adds: “The last video I sent to my family was crying after the harassment and then I went no contact. Check out the video and I’ll gradually post everything I’ve experienced and the places I’ve been to over the last few days.” (see video below).
Video that the influencer sent to the family crying
“Thank you so much for the messages, the support and all the help. Every day you get closer to the end and approach the new cycle! Only my family was notified when connecting, don’t believe anything that hasn’t been shared here. I don’t think so.” “I don’t have a team that my cousin and advisor helps.”
The travel influencer was born in Carrão, in the East Zone of São Paulo, and took a trip last year with the aim of visiting all countries recognized by the United Nations (UN). There are 200 countries on the itinerary.
1 in 4 Brazilian woman reports situations she experienced during the route, such as difficulty finding water Photo: Reproduction/Instagram Brazilian woman reports situations she experienced during the route, such as difficulty finding water Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
“Nataly was in contact with her family 48 hours ago and the contact who last saw her is 24 hours old. Nataly travels cross country to save money. She was in Guinea on the way to Sierra Leone and since then we don’t know anything else,” the family had published on social media in São Paulo this Sunday (29).
Check out the July 2022 video about Nataly’s world trip below:
Traveling against prejudice: Nataly wants to be the first black Brazilian to visit every country in the world
2 of 4 Nataly Castro had to wear a veil in Muslim countries Photo: Reproduction/Instagram Nataly Castro had to wear a veil in Muslim countries Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
“What motivated me to look for new opportunities and throw myself into the world were episodes of bullying, some situations that I experienced in the school where I studied, such as teasing, people threatening , catching me leaving, people pushing me, spitting on me. They tried to push me down the stairs, among other very difficult situations, such as nicknames and jokes. People didn’t accept that I was a black student who was making a difference in school and who teachers and principals could rely on.”
Because of these attacks, Nataly struggled with mental health issues until one day she found purpose.
“One evening I was at my grandmother’s house and was very depressed until I decided to go out on the balcony, look at the sky and see a plane. Just then I wondered where the plane was going? Where do these people go, what is it like up there? Imagine if I got on a plane like that and catapulted myself into the world?”
As Nataly traveled the world, she discovered that racism is not about places, but about people. In Poland, for example, she suffered attacks on the streets.
“I was walking and noticed people crossing the street to avoid being on the same sidewalk as me. People pointed fingers, they called me black, they called me monkey, which is monkey, I felt so uncomfortable that I cried and started crying in the middle of the street because of the situation I was living in, “I couldn’t believe it,” he remembers.
“Being a solo woman traveler is already a challenge because we go to places where there are safety issues and harassment… And being a black traveler is also another challenge because people in many places are not used to being a single person to see.” . black woman visiting an airport, VIP lounge, restaurant or hotel resort stay. What happens is that in a lot of the places I go, I see some looks of curiosity and other looks of racism.”
3 of 4 Nataly Castro in Greece Photo: Reproduction/Instagram Nataly Castro in Greece Photo: Reproduction/Instagram 4 of 4 Nataly Castro Photo: Reproduction/Instagram Nataly Castro Photo: Reproduction/Instagram