Trans Africa expedition 10

In Bamako we met a friendly guy called Mamoud, who enthusiastically guided us around the town for a few days. After considering our schedule carefully, we decided to invite him to be our guide for a week or so to visit the more interesting north of Mali. We drew up a little contract with Mamoud so that all parties would know what was included in his fee. We were due to leave for Mopti at 11.00am - the bus finally pulled out at 18.00! Transport in Mali is a real challenge to everyone's patients, especially when it is 40 degrees in the shade! After a long night with numerous prayer stops we finally pulled in to Mopti at 6.00am. Mopti, the 'Venice of Mali', is built on three islands at the confluence of the Niger and Bani rivers.

 Mamoud immediately led us to the house of his relatives where we would stay. The family lived in a simple adobe house and were warm and friendly to us. Our washing facilities consisted of a kettle of water on the roof! At the evening meal we all sat down together on the floor and ate with our hands out of a communal bowl - I just prayed that my immune system was at 100%! For the night the family gave us a couple of millet mats to bed down on the roof under the stars. The family despite their obvious poverty oozed with generosity and enthusiasm to make our stay pleasant.
(to be continued)

Trans Africa 9 - Mali

On Monday 9th March Paula an I flew from Algiers to Bamako, the capital of Mali. We had arranged to keep in touch with the progress of the overland tour via telex, with the aim  of rejoining the group in Nigeria. We both felt pretty nervous as the plane touched down in Bamako, we were on our own now! Mali is one of the poorest nations in the world. It was dark as we rode a cab into the city center, all we could see were small groups of people huddled around fires lit beside the road. There seemed to be no high rise blocks in this city only shanty type buildings. We managed to find a very basic hotel which was quite obviously a local brothel - but still it was expensive!

The prices in Mali seemed to be a complete anomaly, as the people were exceptionally poor but the prices seemed to be at an international level. The unrealistic prices were the product of the artificial   pegging of the currency to the French Franc, also many people seemed not to be using currency but instead a bartering system! We had now left behind the Arab world of North Africa and were beginning our exploration of Black Africa. The saleswomen of the Grand Marché were a blaze of color with their coordinated body wraps and head scarves, the atmosphere at the market was very different to the souks of Morocco and Algeria. The climate here was also quite a contrast reaching a scorching 40 degrees almost everyday!
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Trans Africa expedition 8

To me the trip seemed to be getting bogged down with the logistics of getting the truck down to Mali, so my plan was to fly. I worked out that flying to Mali would meant that I would be able to complete the trip and only miss the stretch of dessert from Tamanrasset in southern Algeria to Mopti in northern Mali - this loss would be insignificant. I realized that I would have to leave the trip and go it alone, but that seemed all the more exciting. Paula came to the same conclusion which was lucky as I probably wouldn't have left her - things were getting a little more serious between us!

Against the instructions of the trip leader Paula and I headed into the city to try an organize flights down to Mali. There was a definite tension in the air with a significant army presence and tanks on some streets. Paula, however, was intent on photographing the architecture and for this we ended up getting arrested for suspected espionage! Apparently there were army snipers etc. in some of the building that Paula had decided to photograph. We were hauled into a police station and questioned about our motives, luckily they believed us and we even got to keep the role of film!
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Trans Africa 7 - Algeria

The general security situation in Algeria was slowly worsening and the next stretch of desert across the border into Mali was now supposed to be plagued with bandits. After much deliberation the trip leader finally decided it was too dangerous to attempt the crossing and we would have to find another way around! With heavy hearts we began to retrace a footsteps and head north to the Algerian capital of Algiers.

After a couple of days driving we arrived at the town of Ghardaia, which is famous for its Mozabite people who follow an extreme Islamic culture. The Mozabite women are totally veiled in black and are only permitted to show one eye! The town was fairly untouched by tourism and we enjoyed browsing through the authentic medina without the usual persistent 'guides'. The people seemed to take us in their stride which made the whole experience far more rewarding. After another long day on the road we arrived in the capital, Algiers, which was in a "State of Emergency". The political unrest had led to the situation, but overall the city seemed quite calm. Our trip leader forbid the group to enter the city, but I had other plans!
(to be continued)

Trans Africa expedition 6 Tamanrasset

On 22nd February, my birthday, we crossed the border into Algeria and camped on the outskirts of Taghit, an oasis town. The oasis blesses Taghit with green fields and palm trees, but behind the town rise huge 150m high sand dunes which form the edge of the Grand Erg Occidental. The endless, shifting sands of the sand sea were how we all had imagined the Sahara! From Taghit we spent several days driving south through thousands of kilometers of desert to In Salah and onto Tamanrasset.

 Tamanrasset, at a latitude of 22 degrees, is in the extreme south of Algeria in the foothills of the majestic Hoggar Mountains. The well known desert community is frequented by the noble Tuareg nomads. We were now deep in the heart of the Sahara dessert. From Tamanrasset we hired Toyota Land Cruisers for a tour of the Hoggar Mountains National Park. The tour was spectacular and we spent the night in the secluded mountain hermitage of Pere de Foucauld. The morning sunrise against the pinnacles of the Hoggar mountains was quite unforgettable.
Gavin & Co.
foto: Janin
(to be continued)

Trans Africa expedition 5

Crowded with Arabs, Africans and Berbers, the old city of Marrakech had a mystical air to it. At night we congregated in the famous square of Djemaa El Fina with the snake charmers, story tellers, acrobats and street sellers. It was a magical experience to sip mint tea and enjoy people watching at its best! The ancient souks and the Djemaa El Fina square were intense and exhausting, so Paula and I decided to spend the day at the world famous Mamounia Hotel. The hotel is regarded as one of the best in the world and certainly the finest in North Africa. Winston Churchill apparently spent months in this opulent hotel. Paula and I  passed a long, peaceful afternoon around the pool enjoying a sumptuous seafood buffet. The refinement of the Mamounia seemed a universe away from the truck and crew.

 Next we had a very scenic drive over the High Atlas mountains down to the spectacular Todra Gorge. On the journey we passed several picturesque oasis towns built from mud bricks - one such town was Tinerhir. At Todra we camped at the base of the gorge which was about 80m wide and a good 300m high. Paula and I did a demanding 30km day trek up the gorge to the small village of Tamtatouchte. At the village we were invited to drink tea with a friendly local family. On the trek we passed herds of donkeys and camels.
(to be continued)

Trans Africa expedition 4 Forcible kissing

Being blond and female Paula drew allot of intention from the Moroccan men and I soon had to be quite protective. On one occasion while we were in a small store Paula walked into a section where I could no longer see her and then one of the guys tried to forcibly kiss her. In reality I seemed to draw their affection as well - a little more worrying!
From Fez it was a full day's drive south along the north side of the Middle Atlas mountains to the fascinating city of Marrakech. Marrakech seem to have such an exotic reputation and we were all very keen to experience it. The drive took us through some pretty varied countryside, from twisting alpine like roads to baron desert like landscapes. For lunch we pulled off the road in the middle of nowhere and set up a picnic on the sand. The 4 wheel drive truck certainly gave us freedom to stop where ever we chose! Traveling on the truck also gave us a chance to see the countryside away from the normal transport routes that we would have been restricted to had we been traveling on public transport.
Gavin & Co.
foto: Janin
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Trans Africa expedition 3 Fez Morocco

From Rabat we traveled to Fez via the Roman ruins of Volubilis, built in the 1st century BC. For me the ruins were not really that impressive, but they made a pleasant stop on our journey. The city of Fez was quite a highlight of Morocco and it's culture. The old city and medina were built at the beginning of the 9th century and used to be considered as the 3rd holy city of Islam. We stayed for a couple of days and toured the Sultans Palace, Jewish Quarter, Jewish Cemetery, main medina and the El Bali medina. For me the medinas were the real highlight, with the  never ending maze of winding narrow streets and every little cubbyhole containing an "industrial unit".

Despite the harsh Moroccan sun, much of the medina seemed almost dark due to the overhanging houses hiding the sky. The medinas seemed to be a complete onslaught to the senses, with the sights, the colors, the smell of spices, smoke from the charcoal fires, the squalor, the sound of the little workshops and children playing etc.
In Fez we visited a mosaic factory where we watched the men and children painstakingly arrange the minute tiles to build the colorful mosaics. We also toured a pottery and a huge tannery with colorful natural dye pits. The tannery looked as though it must have been the same for hundreds of years and really made us feel that we were looking back in time. It was fascinating to learn about all of the natural dyes that were being used, but after 10 minutes or so the pungent stench of the dye pits drove us away.
(to be continued)

Trans Africa expedition 2

We took the route Paris - Bordeaux - San Sebastian - Madrid - Costa del Sol - Gibraltar.

It took us just over a week to get down to the port of Algeciras, where we took the ferry across to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast. Over the week I got pretty friendly with Paula, one of the Canadian girls, and we had quite a bit of fun exploring Madrid and staying out all night in Torre del Mar. For some reason Paula and I had a sprinting race in Torre del Mar where my lead was abruptly ended when I did a half flip across the bonnet of a car - quite dramatic!
 On 2nd February we arrived in Ceuta, Morocco and began our trip proper on the African continent. It felt good to be away from the mid winter European climate and on our way across the world's second largest continent. Our first stop in Morocco was the charming coastal town of Asilah. The fortress like town was riddled with narrow winding streets and  white washed buildings. The people seemed friendly and warm, however there were the typical insistent Moroccan guides who pursued us. I had thought that these types of guys would have been limited to the big tourist destinations. Next stop was the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Paula and I visited the main medina and checked out the hundreds of tiny shops stocked with everything imaginable. The huge variety of spices, grains and nuts caught my attention, as did the little tradesmen shops for leather, carpets and bronze ware. We also had a walk around the Tour Hassan (1195 AD) with its smartly dressed horseback guards.
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Mauritania - Nouakchott, Banc d’Arguin

Omo valley, Ethiopia - Mursi tribe

 

Trans Africa expedition 1 Our motley crew

Africa - Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin
Duration: 9 months
On the evening of Sunday 26th January my best mate, Mark, drove me from London to the port of Felixstowe, where I was scheduled to begin my 9 month Trans Africa expedition! I entered the P&O Passenger Terminal and eagerly scanned the terminal for a likely looking crowd, sure enough there was a small group with backpacks and sun hats! Our boat was due to set sail for Zeebrugge, Belgium at 11.00pm, so I spent some time getting to know the group. It felt strange to think I would be traveling with this group for 20 weeks overland from England to Kenya! We boarded the ship and after a brief chat everyone decided to bed down. I soon realized the tone of the trip when I discovered that our 'cabin' was actually the floor of the lounge!
Our motley crew was made up of 6 English guys, 1 English girl, 1 Belgium guy, 2 Canadian girls, a Canadian couple, 1 Aussie guys, 2 Aussie girls, an Aussie couple, 1 Kiwi girl and the two expedition leaders. The group seemed reasonably balanced with a roughly equal number of guys and girls spread in the age group 21 - 35 years of age. On our routing down through Europe to Morocco the first stop was Paris. I was quite surprised to learn that -6 degrees Celsius was not considered extreme weather, so we were camping! This was the first of many disagreements I had with the trip leader.
Gavin & Co.
foto: Janin
(to be continued)

Safari Journal 5

Arab domination was curtailed by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. The Portuguese built the fort on the coast here to protect their trading interests in spices, cotton, coffee and slaves.

The Omani Arabs threw out the Portuguese in the eighteenth century and they in turn were replaced by British colonial rule at the end of the nineteenth century.
The  vast majority of the inhabitants are Muslim and mosques form some of the most distinctive architecture. The Mandhry Mosque, said to be the oldest in Mombasa, built by the Arabs in the sixteenth century, has an unusual obelisk minaret. Some research (Lighthouses of Kenya) indicates that this could originally have been a beacon, one of many along the coast. Or maybe the mosque came first and the Portuguese used it as a beacon!

The journey back was rather eventful. At Mombasa airport our first attempt at take-off was aborted as we were going down the runway with complete instrument failure - a bit scary! Still, we had a fine view of Mount Kilimanjaro and the famous snows on its peak when we did finally get airborne.

Safari Journal 4

We flew out of the Masai Mara back to Nairobi in an eighteen-seater De Havilland (with British pilots!), landing a couple of times to pick up passengers.

It was a fantastic experience, flying low over Kenya we saw lots of elephant, Masai villages and the Great Rift Valley.

Mombasa
From Nairobi we flew on to Mombasa for three days relaxation on the beach. This isn't really our scene and three days is quite enough.

However, we had lovely rooms at the Jadini Beach Hotel with stunning views over Diani Beach and the Indian Ocean. Diani beach is a vision of paradise: an expanse of beautiful white sand, fringed by tall palm trees, practically deserted except for a few locals trying to sell sarongs and trinkets to the occasional tourist. Small boats and traditional dhows with triangular sails dot the waters near shore.

It had been overcast for  much of our stay in the Masai Mara so it was wonderful to see continuous sun and blue skies.

Mombasa is situated on an island and is the cradle of the Swahili culture. Today Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya after Nairobi but it has been an important trading centre for about two thousand years.
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Safari Journal 3

Driving in we saw our first elephants - hoorah! - as well as zebra and giraffe - the bird life is superb too. In the afternoon on our first game drive hyenas - vicious looking creatures - topi, more zebra and giraffe.

Over the next few days we had half a dozen game drives and saw lots of animals, including many elephants and lions. From the lodge we could see a pride of lions on rocks, also zebra.
The most beautiful gazelles inhabit the area. We'd seen quite a few already but never got tired of seeing these shy, graceful animals.
The Bare-faced Go-away bird was another favourite - wonderful name!
Mostly the lions we saw were not very active until later in the day when it was much more difficult to take good photographs.
The hippos were very difficult to see well as the river was quite high due to the recent rains, so we saw lots of ears,snouts and backs but little else!
One of the most attractive creatures was a little jackal. I'd always thought they would look vicious but they don't at all.
We saw lots of birds just at the lodge, and a monkey with a baby on the roof! The ostriches are also a wonderful sight - quite stately birds.
But the most memorable, for me, were the elephants and, in particular, on our very last drive when we saw a complete herd of elephants on the opposite side of the valley with the females and youngsters together and the young males on the outskirts of the group. It was too close to dusk to get good photographs but the memory will stay with me always.
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Safari Journal 2

The thing is to spot as many of the  "big five" as possible - that is African Elephant, lion, African Buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. So we bagged two of the five - not bad for first timers!
Crossing the equator and via Thomson's Falls near Nyahururu to Lake Nakuru National Park. Stayed at Lake Nakuru Lodge in a little cabin with a mosquito net over the bed.
Here to see the vast numbers of flamingos, like pink foam on the shores of the lake. We couldn't get terrifically close to them, but the experience was wonderful.

Apart from the beautiful flamingos there are lots of other birdlife and animals to see on the game drives, particularly antelope.
Still no elephants.

On to the main event, so to speak. We drove from Lake Nakuru to the Masai Mara where everything was very wet! It had been raining recently and the roads were washed away in places. Ben, our driver, was very skillful at negotiating the muddy tracks of water-filled pot holes.
We stayed at Keekorok Lodge which was excellent - some at Cotters Camp were not so comfortable!
(to be continued)

Jackson Safari Journal

A trip over New Year to see the wildlife in Kenya, especially the elephants. We weren't disappointed, seeing a huge variety of animals including lots of lazy looking lions and whole herds of elephant.
Starting from Nairobi and ending with an unusual (for us) three days relaxation on the coast at Mombasa.
We stayed our first night in the Nairobi Hilton and had a really excellent dinner - homemade tomato soup followed by steak. With only a short time in the city we couldn't really get much impression of it - my journal reads "walked around Nairobi, looks a clean city but many lepers in the market area".
The next day we travelled to the Aberdare Country Club via a tea plantation. We didn't stay long, however, just to leave most of our luggage and move out to the Ark for the night.

The Aberdare Country Club is about two hours drive north of Nairobi and set in the Aberdare National Park. The grounds of the club are beautiful and the horizons seem to stretch forever. There are plenty of different types of primates to be seen including beautiful white-tailed Colobus Monkeys - I think we were quite lucky to see these and they were some of the most beautiful creatures we saw on the whole trip.
The main attraction was a night spent at the Ark where there is a watering hole and salt lick, and if you're lucky animals will come and you can get good close-up views. We stayed up most of the night and were rewarded with sights of water buck, lots of African Buffalo and a  lone rhinoceros, plus billions of "bally moths" as one of our fellow travelers put it! This was an escorted group of twelve, split into two mini-buses whose roofs lifted up for the game drives.
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Koper - Historical Coast Town

Koper is the largest and most important city in Slovenian Istria. The city was greatly changed throughout history, but kept important role in the area, which is also felt through all the different names Koper has had through years.

Today Koper represents the administrative, educational, cultural, industrial and tourist center in the area and it is the most important Slovenian port.

The most important highlights:

* Muda Gate,

* Prešeren Square with a famous fountain.

* Tito Square, one of the most beautiful central squares from Dubrovnik to Venice with many important and beautiful buildings,
the Cathedral with great architecture outside and inside,

* Kidričeva Street with interesting facades and palaces.

* And last, but not least: the Promenade represents the main meeting point of locals and tourist and it is one of the liveliest areas of Koper.

Mursi 3 Mursi women

The Mursi women paint their bodies and face in white.  They also are the ones who wear the lip plates. Women of the Mursi tribe may have their lips cut at the age of 15 or 16.  A small clay plate is then inserted into the lip.  Through the years, larger plates are inserted into the lip causing it to stretch.  The larger the clay plate, the more the woman is worth before she gets married.  It is said that the clay plates were originally used to prevent capture by slave traders.  Although very unique and part of their tradition, the Mursi women only wear the plates for a short time because they are so heavy and uncomfortable.
(to be continued) 
photos: Janin  

Mursi People 2

The religion of the Mursi tribe is classified as Animism, although about 15% are Christians. The Mursi women are famous of wearing plates in their lower lips. The reason of this "ornament" is for avoiding to be catched as slaves. These lip discs are made of clay. Girls are pierced in the age of 15 or 16. They remove the plate when eating. Similar body ornaments are worn by the Suyá people, a Brazilian tribe.
The Mursi or Mursu people are the most popular in Ethiopia's Omo Valley.  They are well known for their unique lip plates.  They are settled around the Omo River and in the Mago National Park.  Due to the climate, they move twice a year between the winter and summer months.  They herd cattle and grow crops along the banks of the Omo River.
(to be continued)
photos: Janin 

Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle

This amazing tour will take you to the Postojna Cave system, located in picturesque Karst Region.

This is unique opportunity to explore the subterranean filled with natural surprises. Enter the mysterious, 20 km long cave system with many great underground galleries and halls. Magnificent cavernous halls with impressive sculptures will take your breath away.

Part of the visit will be done by an electric train and the rest as a walking tour, approx. 1,5 hours.

The temperature in the cave is around 10°C. So, walking shoes and a jacket are recommended.

Predjama Castle, fairy tale Castle perched on a hillside at the mouth of a gaping cavern , a Renaissance gem built in the mouth of a cave.

Predjama Castle — a mysterious, 800-year-old landmark perched impregnably at the mouth of a hillside cave, the largest cave-castle in the world.

See the dungeon, the armory and richly furnished rooms, and learn the legend of Erasmus, the Slovenian rebel associated with the castle.

Its romantic appeal is further emphasized by the idyllic River Lokva, which disappears into the underground world deep down below the castle.

The undoubtedly most famous of all castle inhabitants was the knight Erazem of Predjama, who rebelled against the imperial autocracy in the 15th century. Nowadays Erazem is the main protagonist of numerous legends, which on the one hand glorify him as a passionate, handsome, noble knight, while on the other hand he is described as a bandit and a robber baron, who eventually breathed his last, killed by cannon balls, while in the toilet.

Visitors will learn about the history of the castle and its former owners in the front tower. In other parts of the castle the equipment includes a selection original items, as well as replicas and models. The room with the most opulent equipment is the knight’s room; the castle life in the late Gothic period is presented to visitors in the dining room. The Renaissance hall on the third floor is where hunting trophies of the last castle owner, the Windischgrätz Prince, are exhibited.

Tickets:

Postojna Cave: 25.80 EUR

Postojna Cave & Predjama Castle: 35.70 EUR

Discount for students and children.

Omo Valley 2

Some of the animals that you will find there are the Bitis Arietans (venomous snake), crocodiles and hippopotamuses. The two main national parks in Omo Valley are the Omo National Park and the Mago National Park which are home to the majority of the wildlife in the valley.
The Omo River runs through the valley and empties into Lake Turkana. The river is an important resource and without it the tribes and animals in Southern Ethiopia would not survive. In 2006 work began on the Gibe III dam. The dam will block part of the Omo River which experts state will impact the ecosystem, tribes and animals that live in the valley.
(to be continued)
photos: Janin

Ethiopia Omo Valley

Omo Valley is undoubtedly one of the most unique places on earth because of the wide variety of people and animals that inhabit it. It is located in Africa's Great Rift Valley. The region is known for its culture and diversity.
The tribes that live in the lower Omo Valley are believed to be among the most fascinating on the continent of Africa and around the world. Tours are offered to several towns and villages. It is often you come into contact with the following tribes: Arbore, Ari, Bena, Bodi, Bumi, Daasanech (Geleb), Dorze, Hamer (Hamar), Kara (or Karo), Konso, Kwegu (or Muguji), Mursi, Tsemay, and Turkana when you tour the valley.

It is estimated that the Omo Valley is home to over 200,000 tribal people. Among the ancient African tribes that live in the southern part of Ethiopia, there is a wide variety of wildlife as well. 
(to be continued)
photos: Janin