Date: 25th March 08
Location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Weather: Scattered cloud and blue skies and really humid, 35°c
Status: Ben – bitten by mozzies, Colonel – blowing fuses
So Easter came and went, and with it lots and lots of people here at the camp too but excitingly a Dutch couple in their MAN truck turned up so we chatted lots about the potential for the journey ahead and the drive to Cape Town.
Its on, and we intend leaving in around a week once we’ve sorted the visas, vehicle repairs etc and exactly which way we’re going and who will be coming with us! There are two interested parties, one being an Aussie girl called Alex and the other a guy from Hong Kong called Kerry. I have sent them both emails letting them know our intended departure date and will await a response! Could be interesting….
End of day location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
23rd March 08
Date: 23rd March 08
Location: Big Millys, Ghana
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: All good
Here we go again people, Ben’s heart is riding the emotional rollercoaster once more and this time is seems to have the biggest rises and falls yet. Compare it to the Richter scale!
After an amazing week together Silvi leaves to go back to the orphanage in around an hour and that’ll be the last time we see each other, unless something awful happens with her current relationship, and I’d never wish that on anyone. We spent our final evening together playing shithead by gaslight and sat talking until 2am and laughed til we were sore….this I will miss more than anything.
But I never came on this trip to fall for someone more to achieve the tasks I set myself in the UK and so the next paragraph explains how its all going to get back on track very soon.
Case, the dutch guy who holds the key to the next part of the expedition has been under the weather like his girlfriend but we still managed to have a quick chat about the way we’d like to approach taking on the central belt of African countries. Our biggest fear is trying to get hold of an Angolan visa and so I’ll make this my priority on Tuesday as we try and find out the best place to get hold of it, if it’s at all possible. Everything depends on this one.
So tonight will be a quiet lonely experience, Matt the Aussie should be back from his weekend’s activities so a beer will be the best cure for a damaged heart me thinks. And then I get on with it; too much time sitting still doing things I didn’t plan to!
Marching south again soon….
End of day location: Big Milly’s Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms
Location: Big Millys, Ghana
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: All good
Here we go again people, Ben’s heart is riding the emotional rollercoaster once more and this time is seems to have the biggest rises and falls yet. Compare it to the Richter scale!
After an amazing week together Silvi leaves to go back to the orphanage in around an hour and that’ll be the last time we see each other, unless something awful happens with her current relationship, and I’d never wish that on anyone. We spent our final evening together playing shithead by gaslight and sat talking until 2am and laughed til we were sore….this I will miss more than anything.
But I never came on this trip to fall for someone more to achieve the tasks I set myself in the UK and so the next paragraph explains how its all going to get back on track very soon.
Case, the dutch guy who holds the key to the next part of the expedition has been under the weather like his girlfriend but we still managed to have a quick chat about the way we’d like to approach taking on the central belt of African countries. Our biggest fear is trying to get hold of an Angolan visa and so I’ll make this my priority on Tuesday as we try and find out the best place to get hold of it, if it’s at all possible. Everything depends on this one.
So tonight will be a quiet lonely experience, Matt the Aussie should be back from his weekend’s activities so a beer will be the best cure for a damaged heart me thinks. And then I get on with it; too much time sitting still doing things I didn’t plan to!
Marching south again soon….
End of day location: Big Milly’s Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms
22nd March 08
Date: 22nd March 08
Location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Weather: Clear blue skies, slight breeze and still damn hot! 35°c
Status: All good
A.M.
A few days on and I’ve had a good amount of time to sit and think about the decisions that I’ve had to make recently and they still feel like the right ones.
Went to visit MSC, the shipping company who’ll send the Colonel to South Africa for me and the earliest they can get in into a container is March 31st so another ten days or so of sitting still which infuriates me, but is also a very good thing as it allows me to recover totally and to up the training too. I’ll have to hang around for a few days after the ship leaves to sign the customs papers and then I’m off to Cape Town to continue what I consider to be Part 2 of the project, the easier part and the time to see and meet up with amazing friends I haven’t had a chance to see for years!
Moved out of the lovely fanned bedroom and back into the tent so woke up boiling hot and headed out for a run down the beach to the nearest village around 5kms away.
The beach is full of people as it’s the Easter weekend so running through and around the fishing boats, umbrellas and also the huge amount of human crap that washes up at high tide was certainly interesting! By the time I got the to village I was boiling up and decided to head inland and follow the coast road back to the camp and how it amused the locals “abruni, abruni” was all I heard (meaning white man) as I ran through the village!
Its Easter Saturday and the camp has filled up now to full capacity so its not quite the little oasis of peace and solitude that is has been for the past week but the vibe is good and Silvia is here until tomorrow and then heads back to the orphanage to work for another couple of weeks before coming back here to Big Milly’s with her boyfriend….I intend being long gone before that happens as I’m not sure if either my heart or head could take it.
The travelling life is a funny thing, it throws you into situations and circumstances you didn’t think you’d get into, challenges the body and mind more than you’d ever do stuck at home in a routine but also allows such fresh thoughts and ideas to be germinated from deep within that it constantly educates and changes your opinions and mindset. There’s nothing more meaningful behind this statement, purely an observation…..I think it’s a really good thing.
P.M.
Then just as you think you’ve got everything straight in your head and you know where you’re going….everything changes!!
A M.A.N. overland truck pulled into camp this afternoon with dutch plates on so after a while up walks Case the driver and starts to chat about the usual things; vehicles, routes etc. One thing led to another and it appears that he needs to get to South Africa as quickly as possible to, has only himself to do it with once the girlfriend leaves in a weeks time and just wants to go for it……..SO THAT’S WHAT I’M DOING!!!
THE BIG PLAN IS BACK ON……. We’re sitting down today to talk about the logistics involved but its seems I’m back on to complete the adventure/journey/mission as I wanted to, by travelling all around the coast.
Excellent.
End of day location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 20kms running
Location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Weather: Clear blue skies, slight breeze and still damn hot! 35°c
Status: All good
A.M.
A few days on and I’ve had a good amount of time to sit and think about the decisions that I’ve had to make recently and they still feel like the right ones.
Went to visit MSC, the shipping company who’ll send the Colonel to South Africa for me and the earliest they can get in into a container is March 31st so another ten days or so of sitting still which infuriates me, but is also a very good thing as it allows me to recover totally and to up the training too. I’ll have to hang around for a few days after the ship leaves to sign the customs papers and then I’m off to Cape Town to continue what I consider to be Part 2 of the project, the easier part and the time to see and meet up with amazing friends I haven’t had a chance to see for years!
Moved out of the lovely fanned bedroom and back into the tent so woke up boiling hot and headed out for a run down the beach to the nearest village around 5kms away.
The beach is full of people as it’s the Easter weekend so running through and around the fishing boats, umbrellas and also the huge amount of human crap that washes up at high tide was certainly interesting! By the time I got the to village I was boiling up and decided to head inland and follow the coast road back to the camp and how it amused the locals “abruni, abruni” was all I heard (meaning white man) as I ran through the village!
Its Easter Saturday and the camp has filled up now to full capacity so its not quite the little oasis of peace and solitude that is has been for the past week but the vibe is good and Silvia is here until tomorrow and then heads back to the orphanage to work for another couple of weeks before coming back here to Big Milly’s with her boyfriend….I intend being long gone before that happens as I’m not sure if either my heart or head could take it.
The travelling life is a funny thing, it throws you into situations and circumstances you didn’t think you’d get into, challenges the body and mind more than you’d ever do stuck at home in a routine but also allows such fresh thoughts and ideas to be germinated from deep within that it constantly educates and changes your opinions and mindset. There’s nothing more meaningful behind this statement, purely an observation…..I think it’s a really good thing.
P.M.
Then just as you think you’ve got everything straight in your head and you know where you’re going….everything changes!!
A M.A.N. overland truck pulled into camp this afternoon with dutch plates on so after a while up walks Case the driver and starts to chat about the usual things; vehicles, routes etc. One thing led to another and it appears that he needs to get to South Africa as quickly as possible to, has only himself to do it with once the girlfriend leaves in a weeks time and just wants to go for it……..SO THAT’S WHAT I’M DOING!!!
THE BIG PLAN IS BACK ON……. We’re sitting down today to talk about the logistics involved but its seems I’m back on to complete the adventure/journey/mission as I wanted to, by travelling all around the coast.
Excellent.
End of day location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 20kms running
19th March 08
Date: 19th March 08
Location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Weather: Scattered blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: Ben – getting better, Colonel – 100% fixed
Got the answer I didn’t want but have expected all along from Owen yesterday after 3 months of waiting for him to arrive. He won’t be joining me for theexpedition and therefore the sole responsibility of completing Afritrex as I planned it originally comes down to my nicely browned shoulders so important decisions which I’ve been thinking about in my head can finally start to happen.
Owen is a great thinker of ideas and a very good friend but needs constant nagging and chasing to make things happen or they become irrelevant in his continually chaotic, self absorbed world. I wish him all the luck for the coming year but feel sad that what he dreamt of is now more than a world away from ever happening. Enough…
So next step is to get the vehicle booked on a ship and sailed down to SA, I will fly there in advance to welcome it into port and intend staying with friends in the meantime to train as hard as my body will allow to get ready for the Comrades in a jut 90 days time.
I am very fearful of not being able to make and finish what I set out to achieve and this set back has only made it harder but given me added motivation to make Afritrex the success I know it will be. The malaria seems to be subsiding and I’ll go for a short run this afternoon to ‘sweat out’ the rest of it. Doctor’s order of course!!
Easter will be spent here on the beach between saying goodbye to Silvia for the last time, drinking a wee bit so as not to set back the recovery and getting the truck packed up ready for shipping. Going to be a difficult holiday period me thinks!
End of day location: The Beach, Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms (but soon to be loads)
Location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Weather: Scattered blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: Ben – getting better, Colonel – 100% fixed
Got the answer I didn’t want but have expected all along from Owen yesterday after 3 months of waiting for him to arrive. He won’t be joining me for theexpedition and therefore the sole responsibility of completing Afritrex as I planned it originally comes down to my nicely browned shoulders so important decisions which I’ve been thinking about in my head can finally start to happen.
Owen is a great thinker of ideas and a very good friend but needs constant nagging and chasing to make things happen or they become irrelevant in his continually chaotic, self absorbed world. I wish him all the luck for the coming year but feel sad that what he dreamt of is now more than a world away from ever happening. Enough…
So next step is to get the vehicle booked on a ship and sailed down to SA, I will fly there in advance to welcome it into port and intend staying with friends in the meantime to train as hard as my body will allow to get ready for the Comrades in a jut 90 days time.
I am very fearful of not being able to make and finish what I set out to achieve and this set back has only made it harder but given me added motivation to make Afritrex the success I know it will be. The malaria seems to be subsiding and I’ll go for a short run this afternoon to ‘sweat out’ the rest of it. Doctor’s order of course!!
Easter will be spent here on the beach between saying goodbye to Silvia for the last time, drinking a wee bit so as not to set back the recovery and getting the truck packed up ready for shipping. Going to be a difficult holiday period me thinks!
End of day location: The Beach, Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms (but soon to be loads)
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
16th March 08
Date: 16th March 08
Location: Big Millys, Ghana
Weather: Humid and hot 35°c
Status: Ben – very under the weather, waiting around, but being cared for!! Colonel – Oiled and lubed but electrics giving problems
Awaiting THE phone call from Owen on Monday which will give me a final answer on how exactly the next step of Afritrex will go and where and when I leave here.
Current mindset is that its now too late to drive south with the ever present problems of the forthcoming rains but if Owen says yes and gets out here by the end of the week then I’d love to give it a go and may consider it still.
Heard from Silvia when I’d collected the car from the garage as she’d been admitted to hospital in Kumasi, some 250kms/9hrs drive away, as she was vomiting uncontrollably. The doctors didn’t know exactly what was wrong so kept her in overnight as a precaution, but that in an African hospital can sometimes make you worse. Her reports of 10 people to a room, sick over the floors, full toilets and a three hour queue for the pharmacy rang true with my experiences in SA and so we decided to get her on a bus back down here as quickly as possible to recover by the coast.
As I waited for her to arrive it was time to get some more training done and headed off for my usual beach run, but this time I started to experience a dull pain under my RH ribs which got progressively worse. Later in the evening Silvia arrived feeling terrible from the bus ride down and headed straight to bed, and as I was now having hot and cold flushes did the same.
What a terrible night, every 5mins I changed from sweating profusely, to shivering violently and knew something was wrong. Wendy, the owner of the camp knew immediately I was suffering from the early stages of Malaria, as she’d had it 30 times in her stay in Ghana so she headed to the medicine cabinet and brought me the necessaries and some water.
4 Malarone and 2 Paracetamol started to bring me back to life and stopped the fainting feeling, with the same again 8hrs later and now as I write this sat in the hammock feel almost human again…luckily! Off for lunch now to try and get some goodness back in the system asap.
End of day location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms…..AGAIN!!!! ARGGHHHHHHHH
Location: Big Millys, Ghana
Weather: Humid and hot 35°c
Status: Ben – very under the weather, waiting around, but being cared for!! Colonel – Oiled and lubed but electrics giving problems
Awaiting THE phone call from Owen on Monday which will give me a final answer on how exactly the next step of Afritrex will go and where and when I leave here.
Current mindset is that its now too late to drive south with the ever present problems of the forthcoming rains but if Owen says yes and gets out here by the end of the week then I’d love to give it a go and may consider it still.
Heard from Silvia when I’d collected the car from the garage as she’d been admitted to hospital in Kumasi, some 250kms/9hrs drive away, as she was vomiting uncontrollably. The doctors didn’t know exactly what was wrong so kept her in overnight as a precaution, but that in an African hospital can sometimes make you worse. Her reports of 10 people to a room, sick over the floors, full toilets and a three hour queue for the pharmacy rang true with my experiences in SA and so we decided to get her on a bus back down here as quickly as possible to recover by the coast.
As I waited for her to arrive it was time to get some more training done and headed off for my usual beach run, but this time I started to experience a dull pain under my RH ribs which got progressively worse. Later in the evening Silvia arrived feeling terrible from the bus ride down and headed straight to bed, and as I was now having hot and cold flushes did the same.
What a terrible night, every 5mins I changed from sweating profusely, to shivering violently and knew something was wrong. Wendy, the owner of the camp knew immediately I was suffering from the early stages of Malaria, as she’d had it 30 times in her stay in Ghana so she headed to the medicine cabinet and brought me the necessaries and some water.
4 Malarone and 2 Paracetamol started to bring me back to life and stopped the fainting feeling, with the same again 8hrs later and now as I write this sat in the hammock feel almost human again…luckily! Off for lunch now to try and get some goodness back in the system asap.
End of day location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms…..AGAIN!!!! ARGGHHHHHHHH
Thursday, 13 March 2008
13th March 08
Date: 13th March 2008
Location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Weather: Blue skies and sunshine, little wind 34°c
Status: Mental rollercoaster, every minute of the day
Wow, what a week and what a mad, mad time for me! There’s so much going on in my head its going to be a bit of a strange diary entry today so try and bear with me……
4 days since the last diary entry and been in the same location now for a while as I wait for Owen and also for the car to come back from being serviced courtesy of fantastic man called Fraser.
Fraser used to be an overland driver and has spent many years travelling the world and has a vast knowledge of Africa, the roads, the people and how to do it, so we’ve sat and had many a chat about what lies ahead and how best to take it all on. Before the driving he joined the French foreign legion and served for 3 years, then on a piss up in London decided to quit, went A.W.O.L. and started the overlanding.
Since then his life has changed hugely; he worked for the Red Cross as a Logistics Manager in many difficult and dangerous situations including the devastating tsunami which effected my world in the biggest way with the loss of dear Char. He’s now a multi-millionaire who installs power stations in Africa, owns a goldmine, oilfield and also manages several hotel chains……truly incredible stories!
Fraser has been kind enough to pay for the Colonel to be fully serviced, cleaned and prepared for the next step….huge thanks obviously go out to him.
So the next step and where I go from here, obviously south in time for the Comrades but I’ve yet to decide how exactly I do it. Owen’s no-show has upped the anti and put the pressure on for a number of reasons, I can’t drive south alone for safety reasons so am looking for a temporary passenger to join me but most are too afraid of Nigeria and the Congo to jump on board so the options come down to shipping the Colonel to South Africa which defeats me and the mission but may be the only choice I have.
Owen has given me a final date of Monday for an answer and a decision so if he decides to come out we’ll probably take on the drive south trying as hard as we can to beat the rains which will arrive in the next fortnight and get there overland as we’ve always planned to do……but this is Owen and I will wait, patiently!
Stayed in a room here last night so was amazing to have a full nights sleep with a fan blowing away and caught up on some essential zzzz’s, then as I left in the morning almost had a heart attack as stood in the doorway was Silvia…..back here for only 20mins to find her friends glasses but incredible to see her again if only for such a short time. This is truly mentally challenging and hard work.
Luke leaving has been difficult too, he’s made the first part of the journey amazing and has been the best person I could ever have spent my time with and I miss his company, words and thoughts. Be strong Luke and set out to achieve what we’ve talked about and use this experience to better things, I know you will! Oh and give Roo a big hug from me J
End of day location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms
Location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Weather: Blue skies and sunshine, little wind 34°c
Status: Mental rollercoaster, every minute of the day
Wow, what a week and what a mad, mad time for me! There’s so much going on in my head its going to be a bit of a strange diary entry today so try and bear with me……
4 days since the last diary entry and been in the same location now for a while as I wait for Owen and also for the car to come back from being serviced courtesy of fantastic man called Fraser.
Fraser used to be an overland driver and has spent many years travelling the world and has a vast knowledge of Africa, the roads, the people and how to do it, so we’ve sat and had many a chat about what lies ahead and how best to take it all on. Before the driving he joined the French foreign legion and served for 3 years, then on a piss up in London decided to quit, went A.W.O.L. and started the overlanding.
Since then his life has changed hugely; he worked for the Red Cross as a Logistics Manager in many difficult and dangerous situations including the devastating tsunami which effected my world in the biggest way with the loss of dear Char. He’s now a multi-millionaire who installs power stations in Africa, owns a goldmine, oilfield and also manages several hotel chains……truly incredible stories!
Fraser has been kind enough to pay for the Colonel to be fully serviced, cleaned and prepared for the next step….huge thanks obviously go out to him.
So the next step and where I go from here, obviously south in time for the Comrades but I’ve yet to decide how exactly I do it. Owen’s no-show has upped the anti and put the pressure on for a number of reasons, I can’t drive south alone for safety reasons so am looking for a temporary passenger to join me but most are too afraid of Nigeria and the Congo to jump on board so the options come down to shipping the Colonel to South Africa which defeats me and the mission but may be the only choice I have.
Owen has given me a final date of Monday for an answer and a decision so if he decides to come out we’ll probably take on the drive south trying as hard as we can to beat the rains which will arrive in the next fortnight and get there overland as we’ve always planned to do……but this is Owen and I will wait, patiently!
Stayed in a room here last night so was amazing to have a full nights sleep with a fan blowing away and caught up on some essential zzzz’s, then as I left in the morning almost had a heart attack as stood in the doorway was Silvia…..back here for only 20mins to find her friends glasses but incredible to see her again if only for such a short time. This is truly mentally challenging and hard work.
Luke leaving has been difficult too, he’s made the first part of the journey amazing and has been the best person I could ever have spent my time with and I miss his company, words and thoughts. Be strong Luke and set out to achieve what we’ve talked about and use this experience to better things, I know you will! Oh and give Roo a big hug from me J
End of day location: Big Milly’s, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms
9th March 08
Date: 9th March 08
Location: Big Millys campsite, Accra, Ghana
Weather: Humid as ever, sunshine and 35°c
Status: Recovering……slowly
Been on the birthday mission for a few days now and having the best send off for Luke too! Daily life has been alternating between swimming in the ocean, eating amazingly well prepared food with the best service and drinking the local beer, Star!
This was always going to be the part of the trip where we kicked back, rested, and enjoyed the backpacker’s lifestyle of having fun in the sunshine.
Met some of the best people here as well, a Dutch couple called Anke and Tom who have made me laugh more than I’ve done in years. He works for the UN peacekeeping in Afghanistan, is 19 years old and so funny my sides split…..the phrases and words he’s learnt from us, however rude and crude, are now part of his daily……sorry hourly vocabulary, and we now know what a swaffel is too, I think in England its something to do with making tea, if you email me I’ll explain it further as its not the cleanest of humour!
Had some awesome bands playing in the evening here with acrobats, snake-men and dancing like you would never believe, Wendy the English lady who runs the site has done an amazing thing with her business and is a pleasure talk to and know.
Tonight is a quiet one……
End of day location: Accra, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms
Location: Big Millys campsite, Accra, Ghana
Weather: Humid as ever, sunshine and 35°c
Status: Recovering……slowly
Been on the birthday mission for a few days now and having the best send off for Luke too! Daily life has been alternating between swimming in the ocean, eating amazingly well prepared food with the best service and drinking the local beer, Star!
This was always going to be the part of the trip where we kicked back, rested, and enjoyed the backpacker’s lifestyle of having fun in the sunshine.
Met some of the best people here as well, a Dutch couple called Anke and Tom who have made me laugh more than I’ve done in years. He works for the UN peacekeeping in Afghanistan, is 19 years old and so funny my sides split…..the phrases and words he’s learnt from us, however rude and crude, are now part of his daily……sorry hourly vocabulary, and we now know what a swaffel is too, I think in England its something to do with making tea, if you email me I’ll explain it further as its not the cleanest of humour!
Had some awesome bands playing in the evening here with acrobats, snake-men and dancing like you would never believe, Wendy the English lady who runs the site has done an amazing thing with her business and is a pleasure talk to and know.
Tonight is a quiet one……
End of day location: Accra, Ghana
Distance covered: 0kms
Friday, 7 March 2008
6th March 08
Date: 6th March 08 – my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Location: Accra, Ghana
Weather: Hazy sunshine, humid like never before and 35°c
Status: All good, mission accomplished…..part 1
We’ve done it!! Arrived in Accra after 3 days travel from the north of the country and we have found our little oasis by the coast!
So a hell of a long way travelled, through 3 countries (Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana) over the last few days and the destination which we set for ourselves back in Morocco has been reached.
I gave Luke a clipping from a paper which my aunty Jenny was reading in Essaouira which related to the African Cup of Nations and the title was “Ghana Bound”, I placed it under Luke’s beer as a fortune cookie-style message….at the time I didn’t realise its significance but my man has been, seen and delivered more than I could ever imagine. The perfect start to my mission and a warm up to the mad, mad experience I’m about to have in central Africa.
We left Mali and travelled as quickly as we could south through Burkina Faso but wish we could have stayed for longer as the introduction of green, lush fertile soil for the first time in 3 weeks was a refreshing change and well needed! We basically travelled through the country in 2 days only seeing what passed our window but as we went the temps dropped and the humidity rose until the point where we sweated more than ever before, even sitting down was an effort!
Through the borders with no problem as we had the visas we needed and stayed at another catholic mission in Ghana before taking on the long drive south to the capital. It was a 10hr slog but with the aid of the gps and some amazing map reading skills from Luke, and we arrived at Milly’s campsite right on the beach about 30kms west of Accra.
Today, the 6th March is Independence Day in Ghana and also my birthday so the bar was the first place to visit and we used it to its full potential…..hence my slightly disjointed diary report!
We will service the Colonel here, pack Luke off to the UK and think about the next challenge ahead…..travelling by myself for the first time on the expedition, it’ll be hugely different but in the same sentence, another part of the experience.
The camp we’re staying at has a BIG night on Saturday, tomorrow, so hopefully it’ll be a relaxed one tonight before…..as I think the phrase goes, “tearing the ass out of it!!!”. To celebrate Independence Day of course!!
Will write the next entry when I feel human again J oh and one more thing….just met a wicked couple of local guys after Luke had tried on ANOTHER local costume except this time it was in pure black….but here they wear it as a funeral costume, and as we haven’t one to go to they suggested wearing it for my birthday…..so “lets get DEAD!” love it!
End of day location: Accra, Ghana
Distance covered: 460kms
Location: Accra, Ghana
Weather: Hazy sunshine, humid like never before and 35°c
Status: All good, mission accomplished…..part 1
We’ve done it!! Arrived in Accra after 3 days travel from the north of the country and we have found our little oasis by the coast!
So a hell of a long way travelled, through 3 countries (Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana) over the last few days and the destination which we set for ourselves back in Morocco has been reached.
I gave Luke a clipping from a paper which my aunty Jenny was reading in Essaouira which related to the African Cup of Nations and the title was “Ghana Bound”, I placed it under Luke’s beer as a fortune cookie-style message….at the time I didn’t realise its significance but my man has been, seen and delivered more than I could ever imagine. The perfect start to my mission and a warm up to the mad, mad experience I’m about to have in central Africa.
We left Mali and travelled as quickly as we could south through Burkina Faso but wish we could have stayed for longer as the introduction of green, lush fertile soil for the first time in 3 weeks was a refreshing change and well needed! We basically travelled through the country in 2 days only seeing what passed our window but as we went the temps dropped and the humidity rose until the point where we sweated more than ever before, even sitting down was an effort!
Through the borders with no problem as we had the visas we needed and stayed at another catholic mission in Ghana before taking on the long drive south to the capital. It was a 10hr slog but with the aid of the gps and some amazing map reading skills from Luke, and we arrived at Milly’s campsite right on the beach about 30kms west of Accra.
Today, the 6th March is Independence Day in Ghana and also my birthday so the bar was the first place to visit and we used it to its full potential…..hence my slightly disjointed diary report!
We will service the Colonel here, pack Luke off to the UK and think about the next challenge ahead…..travelling by myself for the first time on the expedition, it’ll be hugely different but in the same sentence, another part of the experience.
The camp we’re staying at has a BIG night on Saturday, tomorrow, so hopefully it’ll be a relaxed one tonight before…..as I think the phrase goes, “tearing the ass out of it!!!”. To celebrate Independence Day of course!!
Will write the next entry when I feel human again J oh and one more thing….just met a wicked couple of local guys after Luke had tried on ANOTHER local costume except this time it was in pure black….but here they wear it as a funeral costume, and as we haven’t one to go to they suggested wearing it for my birthday…..so “lets get DEAD!” love it!
End of day location: Accra, Ghana
Distance covered: 460kms
3rd March 08
Date: 3rd March 08
Location:
Weather: Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Status: All good
Up early, coffee, porridge and bread with choccy sauce J
Lots of km’s therefore lots of corrugations and boy did they feel like they were bashing the shit out of the Colonel, but he took it well and only questioned me at fuel stops!
After travelling down 120kms od roads that were supposed to be tarred and were actually dirt and roadworks, we finally arrived at our destination….the border!
Entered Ghana with all the visas, documents and local Cedi you’d ever need so made our way to another Catholic mission (there seems to be a theme running through here!) and ate a spot of lunch wellan omelette baguette anyway and Luke fell in love with the waiter, so he parted with his money, tshirt and mu,erous phtotos and we decided to go out to dinner!
Found a African-stytle western motel which was good for a chicken burger and chips and the headed home.
End of day location: Wa, Ghana
Distance covered: 290kms
Location:
Weather: Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Status: All good
Up early, coffee, porridge and bread with choccy sauce J
Lots of km’s therefore lots of corrugations and boy did they feel like they were bashing the shit out of the Colonel, but he took it well and only questioned me at fuel stops!
After travelling down 120kms od roads that were supposed to be tarred and were actually dirt and roadworks, we finally arrived at our destination….the border!
Entered Ghana with all the visas, documents and local Cedi you’d ever need so made our way to another Catholic mission (there seems to be a theme running through here!) and ate a spot of lunch wellan omelette baguette anyway and Luke fell in love with the waiter, so he parted with his money, tshirt and mu,erous phtotos and we decided to go out to dinner!
Found a African-stytle western motel which was good for a chicken burger and chips and the headed home.
End of day location: Wa, Ghana
Distance covered: 290kms
2nd March 08
Date: 2nd March 2008
Location: Sikasso, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and sunshine 40°c
Status: All good
Another day, another country so a good early start of baguette, chocolate sauce then porridge and coffee before getting the wheels turning again.
We made good progress on perfect roads, got to the border for lunch which was so shoddy its untrue. Half a baguette, with just mayonnaise and nothing else…..yum.
Checked out of Mali and into Burkina Faso with not a problem and said thank you to the police for being the best yet on the trip, and onto the next country. It’s difficult having so little time in some of these places, a year really isn’t long enough to stop and say hello to everyone and to meet their families and friends which is a real shame sometimes.
Got to Bobo-Dioulasso as the day drew to a close so cleared the city and found the newly finished, but not allowed to drive on express short cut to Ghana. Balls, again our plans have been thwarted so in the morning we’ll have to ses if the locals can tell us for how long the trees-across-the-road diversions will last for!
End of day location: Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Distance covered: 430kms
Location: Sikasso, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and sunshine 40°c
Status: All good
Another day, another country so a good early start of baguette, chocolate sauce then porridge and coffee before getting the wheels turning again.
We made good progress on perfect roads, got to the border for lunch which was so shoddy its untrue. Half a baguette, with just mayonnaise and nothing else…..yum.
Checked out of Mali and into Burkina Faso with not a problem and said thank you to the police for being the best yet on the trip, and onto the next country. It’s difficult having so little time in some of these places, a year really isn’t long enough to stop and say hello to everyone and to meet their families and friends which is a real shame sometimes.
Got to Bobo-Dioulasso as the day drew to a close so cleared the city and found the newly finished, but not allowed to drive on express short cut to Ghana. Balls, again our plans have been thwarted so in the morning we’ll have to ses if the locals can tell us for how long the trees-across-the-road diversions will last for!
End of day location: Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
Distance covered: 430kms
1st March 08
Date: 1st March 08
Location: Sikasso, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and sunshine but cooler, only 38°c
Status: Ben – shit, Luke & Colonel – all good
Woke up feeling awful for some reason, spent the next two hours throwing up in the bathroom (will explain later), lovely feeling when it so hot and your surrounded by the most mosquito’s ever!
Got it together enough that by 10.30am we were on the road and heading out of Bamako, passing the airport we headed south and east from the capital to finally stop 320kms later outside a small village where we set up our bush camp and enjoyed a spectacular 400gm T-bone steak each washed down with a 2004 Bordeaux around our camp fire. Live is very very good again JJ
For the first night in about a week we’re moving quickly again which feels superb, the evenings are cooler and there’s no Mozzies here, amazing!
REASON FOR BEN’S DOWNFALL: uncooked egg in a Calzone pizza served at lunch
RESULT: 4hrs of visiting the porcelain telephone to god and speaking only in ‘hughie and ralphs’
METHOD TO RECOVERY: lightly season two oversized fresh T-bone steaks, cook over an open fire until rare, pour two glasses of fine red wine, served at room temp and consume with pleasant company.
End of day location: Sikasso, Mali
Distance covered: 320kms
Location: Sikasso, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and sunshine but cooler, only 38°c
Status: Ben – shit, Luke & Colonel – all good
Woke up feeling awful for some reason, spent the next two hours throwing up in the bathroom (will explain later), lovely feeling when it so hot and your surrounded by the most mosquito’s ever!
Got it together enough that by 10.30am we were on the road and heading out of Bamako, passing the airport we headed south and east from the capital to finally stop 320kms later outside a small village where we set up our bush camp and enjoyed a spectacular 400gm T-bone steak each washed down with a 2004 Bordeaux around our camp fire. Live is very very good again JJ
For the first night in about a week we’re moving quickly again which feels superb, the evenings are cooler and there’s no Mozzies here, amazing!
REASON FOR BEN’S DOWNFALL: uncooked egg in a Calzone pizza served at lunch
RESULT: 4hrs of visiting the porcelain telephone to god and speaking only in ‘hughie and ralphs’
METHOD TO RECOVERY: lightly season two oversized fresh T-bone steaks, cook over an open fire until rare, pour two glasses of fine red wine, served at room temp and consume with pleasant company.
End of day location: Sikasso, Mali
Distance covered: 320kms
29th Feb 08
Date: 29th Feb 08
Location: Bamako, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies, harmattan dust in the air and 43°c
Status: All back on track and loving it!
Second day of chasing visas and a highly successful outcome! We got to the Ghana embassy early, dressed in shirts and trousers to look our best and were instantly told that they took 48 hours to process and wouldn’t be ready until Tuesday…4 more days sitting still!!
Had a chat with one of the smart-looking top dogs there and put together a story on the spot, describing the urgency of our journey to Ghana to meet my sick mother whose arrived there and is all alone (sorry Mum!) and somehow it worked. He told us to complete the 4 identical forms and wait until 12.30 to collect them, as we were about to leave he said wait for another half hour and they’d be done!!!
Ha ha, how we laughed at the way we’d played the system and won….so we headed of to the ex-pat supermarket and spent the next hour marvelling at the huge range of western products and even a wicked range of French wines, vintages all at amazingly low prices. We bought enough to see us through the next week or two and couldn’t believe it when the bill came to £25 each….we had ground coffee, wine, t-bone steaks and more, tomorrow nights meal will be awesome!
Back to the mission to repack the car again and get our selves ready for the big off tomorrow. We need to get to Ghana as quick as possible now to get Luke home and to meet Owen, oh and also to be in Ghana for their Independence Day on March 6th….my birthday and a chance to have some fun!
Arrived there to find a group of 5 American girls staying….superb! so drank beer and chatted away for a few hours to the sounds of….”oh you guys are so cute”, “we’ve majored in…..”, “I’ve got a boyfriend but he likes it when I do this to his hair!”etc etc.
Morgan, Abbey, Emma, Madeline and ??? were brilliant company and off early in the morning so headed to bed. Quick note to the young ladies – Madeline you are SO cute !
Night
End of day location: Bamako, Mali
Distance covered: 15kms round the city!
Location: Bamako, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies, harmattan dust in the air and 43°c
Status: All back on track and loving it!
Second day of chasing visas and a highly successful outcome! We got to the Ghana embassy early, dressed in shirts and trousers to look our best and were instantly told that they took 48 hours to process and wouldn’t be ready until Tuesday…4 more days sitting still!!
Had a chat with one of the smart-looking top dogs there and put together a story on the spot, describing the urgency of our journey to Ghana to meet my sick mother whose arrived there and is all alone (sorry Mum!) and somehow it worked. He told us to complete the 4 identical forms and wait until 12.30 to collect them, as we were about to leave he said wait for another half hour and they’d be done!!!
Ha ha, how we laughed at the way we’d played the system and won….so we headed of to the ex-pat supermarket and spent the next hour marvelling at the huge range of western products and even a wicked range of French wines, vintages all at amazingly low prices. We bought enough to see us through the next week or two and couldn’t believe it when the bill came to £25 each….we had ground coffee, wine, t-bone steaks and more, tomorrow nights meal will be awesome!
Back to the mission to repack the car again and get our selves ready for the big off tomorrow. We need to get to Ghana as quick as possible now to get Luke home and to meet Owen, oh and also to be in Ghana for their Independence Day on March 6th….my birthday and a chance to have some fun!
Arrived there to find a group of 5 American girls staying….superb! so drank beer and chatted away for a few hours to the sounds of….”oh you guys are so cute”, “we’ve majored in…..”, “I’ve got a boyfriend but he likes it when I do this to his hair!”etc etc.
Morgan, Abbey, Emma, Madeline and ??? were brilliant company and off early in the morning so headed to bed. Quick note to the young ladies – Madeline you are SO cute !
Night
End of day location: Bamako, Mali
Distance covered: 15kms round the city!
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
26th Feb 08
Date: 26th Feb 08
Location: Kita, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and so much sunshine, 49°c!!!!!!!!!!
Status: All good except the Coloel who needs a new part J
Hell and heaven….the only way to describe the difference between yesterdays road and today’s. We left Kita and pulled straight onto a perfect new tarmac road which ran all the way to the capital, Bamako and how the spirits lifted! We put the cd on, kicked back and took in the scenery as the temperature rose and rose.
The suspension on the colonel was really a concern on the way in, as I braked there was definite pull to one side and getting to a safe place to park up became paramount in my mind but after 120kms we finally pulled into the outskirts of the city, Luke’s now highly improved navigation skills took us directly into the centre and before too long we found our destination…a catholic mission in the centre of all the typical African city madness!
We arrived and found the doors were always closed between 13:00 and 16:00hrs so we had to sit and wait in the street outside, baking in the hottest temps yet which touched nearly 50°c with constant street sellers and annoyances at the window. When we finally got in, it was another oasis in a mental city with a secure courtyard which we could set the tent up in for the night.
Its run a by a group of sisters and has a WIDE array of people staying here for next to nothing, a superb American man whose travelled extensively over the last few years….watching people, a brilliant man from Hong Kong who doesn’t say much but doesn’t need to as he’s great company and a car load of French sandal wearers on “a mission”…..oooooo.
So we settled in and went out for dinner with the two guys and both have asked me separately if they could join me for the journey to Cape Town, should Owen not make it! It’ll take a bit more than a night out to trust someone with the Colonel as I run in front, there’s only so fast I can go!
Then Luke headed out for the night of Malian music with a new friend, Charlie. I wrote the address of the mission on his arm….just in case, I know Luke J wrote this and went to bed.
End of day location: Bamako, Mali
Distance covered: 180kms
Location: Kita, Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and so much sunshine, 49°c!!!!!!!!!!
Status: All good except the Coloel who needs a new part J
Hell and heaven….the only way to describe the difference between yesterdays road and today’s. We left Kita and pulled straight onto a perfect new tarmac road which ran all the way to the capital, Bamako and how the spirits lifted! We put the cd on, kicked back and took in the scenery as the temperature rose and rose.
The suspension on the colonel was really a concern on the way in, as I braked there was definite pull to one side and getting to a safe place to park up became paramount in my mind but after 120kms we finally pulled into the outskirts of the city, Luke’s now highly improved navigation skills took us directly into the centre and before too long we found our destination…a catholic mission in the centre of all the typical African city madness!
We arrived and found the doors were always closed between 13:00 and 16:00hrs so we had to sit and wait in the street outside, baking in the hottest temps yet which touched nearly 50°c with constant street sellers and annoyances at the window. When we finally got in, it was another oasis in a mental city with a secure courtyard which we could set the tent up in for the night.
Its run a by a group of sisters and has a WIDE array of people staying here for next to nothing, a superb American man whose travelled extensively over the last few years….watching people, a brilliant man from Hong Kong who doesn’t say much but doesn’t need to as he’s great company and a car load of French sandal wearers on “a mission”…..oooooo.
So we settled in and went out for dinner with the two guys and both have asked me separately if they could join me for the journey to Cape Town, should Owen not make it! It’ll take a bit more than a night out to trust someone with the Colonel as I run in front, there’s only so fast I can go!
Then Luke headed out for the night of Malian music with a new friend, Charlie. I wrote the address of the mission on his arm….just in case, I know Luke J wrote this and went to bed.
End of day location: Bamako, Mali
Distance covered: 180kms
25th Feb 08
Date: 25th Feb 08
Location: Kita, Mali
Weather: Clear blue skies and damn hot sunshine, 44°c
Status: Ben & Luke – tried, hot and frustrated, Colonel – locks and handles seizing up in the dust!
The hardest day yet on the trip both physically and mentally; lack of food, cold water and a decent road meant that frustrations hit a peak and we tested ourselves to the limits….no chance of training today at all!
Left our bush camp early to try and get to Bamako in time to get to the bank before it closed but the quality of the roads soon out pay to that idea. When we pulled into the first village to say hello a guy came up to us and drew a little map of the raod ahead and told us of the problems we’d face, and he wasn’t wrong at all!
The road changed from sections of loose gravels, to the fine dust which had entered every part of the vehicle and even included some challenging crossings of dry river beds which meant using a good run up, low range and difflock…again not the nest way to treat a broken suspension!
The 75kms to the “promised land” of the tarmac road took a little over 5 hours and with the lack of a decent breakfast both of us felt tired and irritable, so when we finally arrived in Toukoto, passing over a 500m rail bridge, and were greeted by more of the same road surface we hit a low point and both questioned continuing for the day!
Several of the people we’d spoken to talked of a good tarmac road which would slingshot us to the capital, but an African’s opinion of a good road is very different to ours! Yes it was a main road, well wide enough to take two cars, and yes it had been graded but none of the bridges or river crossings had been finished so it was the same up and down the verges as we’d had for the past four days! When Charlie the German ex-special forces had described it as an amazing journey he hadn’t been wrong, but all we wanted was a fast exit!
After two hours we arrived in the town of Kita and our first electrically fed piece of civilisation for almost a week, we wound our way down the back streets and found the dusty campsite we’d planned to stay at! A little oasis in the middle of town, with cold showers, dinner at eight and right in the centre near to a local bar. So we headed there for some light refreshment and met a gent from Ghana who gave us the address of his sons in Accra who well call and meet when we arrive in the country, returned to the camp for fish and potato supper and hit the tent after a mad, testing and exhausting day.
Will clean and fix the locks tomorrow and make the three hour trip to the capital…..finally!
End of day location: Kita, Mali
Distance covered: 170kms
Location: Kita, Mali
Weather: Clear blue skies and damn hot sunshine, 44°c
Status: Ben & Luke – tried, hot and frustrated, Colonel – locks and handles seizing up in the dust!
The hardest day yet on the trip both physically and mentally; lack of food, cold water and a decent road meant that frustrations hit a peak and we tested ourselves to the limits….no chance of training today at all!
Left our bush camp early to try and get to Bamako in time to get to the bank before it closed but the quality of the roads soon out pay to that idea. When we pulled into the first village to say hello a guy came up to us and drew a little map of the raod ahead and told us of the problems we’d face, and he wasn’t wrong at all!
The road changed from sections of loose gravels, to the fine dust which had entered every part of the vehicle and even included some challenging crossings of dry river beds which meant using a good run up, low range and difflock…again not the nest way to treat a broken suspension!
The 75kms to the “promised land” of the tarmac road took a little over 5 hours and with the lack of a decent breakfast both of us felt tired and irritable, so when we finally arrived in Toukoto, passing over a 500m rail bridge, and were greeted by more of the same road surface we hit a low point and both questioned continuing for the day!
Several of the people we’d spoken to talked of a good tarmac road which would slingshot us to the capital, but an African’s opinion of a good road is very different to ours! Yes it was a main road, well wide enough to take two cars, and yes it had been graded but none of the bridges or river crossings had been finished so it was the same up and down the verges as we’d had for the past four days! When Charlie the German ex-special forces had described it as an amazing journey he hadn’t been wrong, but all we wanted was a fast exit!
After two hours we arrived in the town of Kita and our first electrically fed piece of civilisation for almost a week, we wound our way down the back streets and found the dusty campsite we’d planned to stay at! A little oasis in the middle of town, with cold showers, dinner at eight and right in the centre near to a local bar. So we headed there for some light refreshment and met a gent from Ghana who gave us the address of his sons in Accra who well call and meet when we arrive in the country, returned to the camp for fish and potato supper and hit the tent after a mad, testing and exhausting day.
Will clean and fix the locks tomorrow and make the three hour trip to the capital…..finally!
End of day location: Kita, Mali
Distance covered: 170kms
24th Feb 08
Date: 24th Feb 08
Location: Bafoulabe, Mali
Weather: hazy sunshine, bloomin hot at about 44°c
Status: Ben – all good, Luke – fed up with African roads and progress, Colonel – all greased up and ready to go (apart from a broken suspension!)
Up early and treated the Colonel to a good greasing session to keep everything underneath running smoothly after a couple of really dry and dusty days bouncing around to get here, the suspension bush which has sheared is a cause for concern but there’s nothing that can be done until we get to Bamako so will just have to take it easy and keep and eye on it.
Made slow progress for the first hour of the day along the usual twisting dry and dusty tracks until we suddenly arrived at the Balofe river, which flows into the Senegal river which we were at a week ago. An absolute pleasure to see some flowing water after the last couple of days on the road, so once we’d found a suitable spot we both jumped in (after checking with the locals it was ok first!) and washed the dirt, grime and heat from our bodies.
Made our way up the river to the delightful town of Bafoulabe which runs for a few kms along the river, it’s a lovely place after the dry roads with fields of vegetables, tree lined streets and happy faces everywhere saying hello as we drove through the narrow main street.
The ferry across the river departs a couple of kms to the north so we made our way to it to find it on the opposite bank empty. As we were the only vehicle there they tried to charge us CFA10,000 but with my diplomacy and Luke’s ranting they dropped it to CFA6000…which the guide book quotes, ha Africans!
A nightmare of a road followed for the next 50kms as it tracked another river to the east on what we thought should be the main road to Kita. Now we’d heard it was good tarmac but the one we were on was made up of the finest cement dust which got everywhere! Think we may have taken a wrong turn but we decided to hack it and after driving for 4hrs decided to set up camp at the edge of the road for the night.
One part of the road for the day followed an old railway line which ran from the capital to the coast many moons ago but has now been removed leaving a raised road with no tracks, and annoyingly no bridges to cross the riverbeds, so every km or so you have to drop off the side off the road, cross the rocky bed and then head back up onto it…really not the way to look after a screwed suspension, but nothing else to do!
Dinner on the fire of rice and sweetcorn in a sweet chilli sauce….oooo the pleasures of Waitrose and the goodies from Mum, thank you! Bed early for the assault on the next town for money, visas and cold beer!
End of day location: halfway between Bafoulabe and Kita, Mali
Distance covered: 100kms
Location: Bafoulabe, Mali
Weather: hazy sunshine, bloomin hot at about 44°c
Status: Ben – all good, Luke – fed up with African roads and progress, Colonel – all greased up and ready to go (apart from a broken suspension!)
Up early and treated the Colonel to a good greasing session to keep everything underneath running smoothly after a couple of really dry and dusty days bouncing around to get here, the suspension bush which has sheared is a cause for concern but there’s nothing that can be done until we get to Bamako so will just have to take it easy and keep and eye on it.
Made slow progress for the first hour of the day along the usual twisting dry and dusty tracks until we suddenly arrived at the Balofe river, which flows into the Senegal river which we were at a week ago. An absolute pleasure to see some flowing water after the last couple of days on the road, so once we’d found a suitable spot we both jumped in (after checking with the locals it was ok first!) and washed the dirt, grime and heat from our bodies.
Made our way up the river to the delightful town of Bafoulabe which runs for a few kms along the river, it’s a lovely place after the dry roads with fields of vegetables, tree lined streets and happy faces everywhere saying hello as we drove through the narrow main street.
The ferry across the river departs a couple of kms to the north so we made our way to it to find it on the opposite bank empty. As we were the only vehicle there they tried to charge us CFA10,000 but with my diplomacy and Luke’s ranting they dropped it to CFA6000…which the guide book quotes, ha Africans!
A nightmare of a road followed for the next 50kms as it tracked another river to the east on what we thought should be the main road to Kita. Now we’d heard it was good tarmac but the one we were on was made up of the finest cement dust which got everywhere! Think we may have taken a wrong turn but we decided to hack it and after driving for 4hrs decided to set up camp at the edge of the road for the night.
One part of the road for the day followed an old railway line which ran from the capital to the coast many moons ago but has now been removed leaving a raised road with no tracks, and annoyingly no bridges to cross the riverbeds, so every km or so you have to drop off the side off the road, cross the rocky bed and then head back up onto it…really not the way to look after a screwed suspension, but nothing else to do!
Dinner on the fire of rice and sweetcorn in a sweet chilli sauce….oooo the pleasures of Waitrose and the goodies from Mum, thank you! Bed early for the assault on the next town for money, visas and cold beer!
End of day location: halfway between Bafoulabe and Kita, Mali
Distance covered: 100kms
23rd Feb 08
Date: 22nd and 23rd Feb 08
Location: Bush camp, near the border between Senegal and Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and sunshine, 35 - 41°c
Status: Ben – tired legs, Luke – tired of bugs and the Colonel tired of the dust!
We’ve left the comfort of the tarmac roads for the next few days as we’ve taken the advice of our old German friend Charlie, and have headed from the national park east towards the Mali border on a road which passes through the bush and, according to our map, does not exist! SUPERB!!
The road started off ok and was a mixture of graded sand and gravel, but as the day and the kms wore on more rocks appeared and the surface became little more than a track just wide enough to get the Colonel down.
We passed through a few villages and were always greeted by hoards of kids wanting to say bonjour and surprisingly very few asked for presents, pens or footballs; it happens the further you go from the tourist route as they’re not used to people giving them the whole time!
Managed to get an hours run in too in the middle of the day so finally finding some routine to the training although the heat really punishes you.
As we wound our way down the tracks we passed east across the border and into Mali, the division between the two countries being the river which we had to cross. After watching a motorcyclist weave his way through I set off and made it to the other side no problems…will get the video onto the site when I get a chance.
Made camp just off the track and had omelette and chips before turning in for the night.
Our second day was relatively the same as the first except the road got gradually worse but the scenery more stunning with outcrops of vertical rock rising from the featureless landscape which in places was burning as the heat of the day ignited the dry grass all around, made it fun to drive in!
Arrived at the first village in Mali and made our way to the police station to have our passports stamped signalling our arrival in the fifth African country of the trip, hurrah! As we left the building it was interesting to see the notice board with photos of drug smugglers, a run-over corpse, a burnt out village and a skeleton….oh how welcoming!
Decided after 20mins of driving our intended route out of the village that the average speed of 8kmh just wasn’t acceptable and coupled with the fact that the OTHER suspension bush on the Colonel had now broken, we’d better to take the easier but longer road north towards the ferry over the river and the new tarmac road towards the capital, Banjul. Disappointing not to be using the road which Charlie had recommended but for ours and the vehicles safety, the only option!
End of day location: 20kms short of Bafoulabe, Mali
Distance covered: 130kms & 120kms
Location: Bush camp, near the border between Senegal and Mali
Weather: Hazy blue skies and sunshine, 35 - 41°c
Status: Ben – tired legs, Luke – tired of bugs and the Colonel tired of the dust!
We’ve left the comfort of the tarmac roads for the next few days as we’ve taken the advice of our old German friend Charlie, and have headed from the national park east towards the Mali border on a road which passes through the bush and, according to our map, does not exist! SUPERB!!
The road started off ok and was a mixture of graded sand and gravel, but as the day and the kms wore on more rocks appeared and the surface became little more than a track just wide enough to get the Colonel down.
We passed through a few villages and were always greeted by hoards of kids wanting to say bonjour and surprisingly very few asked for presents, pens or footballs; it happens the further you go from the tourist route as they’re not used to people giving them the whole time!
Managed to get an hours run in too in the middle of the day so finally finding some routine to the training although the heat really punishes you.
As we wound our way down the tracks we passed east across the border and into Mali, the division between the two countries being the river which we had to cross. After watching a motorcyclist weave his way through I set off and made it to the other side no problems…will get the video onto the site when I get a chance.
Made camp just off the track and had omelette and chips before turning in for the night.
Our second day was relatively the same as the first except the road got gradually worse but the scenery more stunning with outcrops of vertical rock rising from the featureless landscape which in places was burning as the heat of the day ignited the dry grass all around, made it fun to drive in!
Arrived at the first village in Mali and made our way to the police station to have our passports stamped signalling our arrival in the fifth African country of the trip, hurrah! As we left the building it was interesting to see the notice board with photos of drug smugglers, a run-over corpse, a burnt out village and a skeleton….oh how welcoming!
Decided after 20mins of driving our intended route out of the village that the average speed of 8kmh just wasn’t acceptable and coupled with the fact that the OTHER suspension bush on the Colonel had now broken, we’d better to take the easier but longer road north towards the ferry over the river and the new tarmac road towards the capital, Banjul. Disappointing not to be using the road which Charlie had recommended but for ours and the vehicles safety, the only option!
End of day location: 20kms short of Bafoulabe, Mali
Distance covered: 130kms & 120kms
21st Feb 08
Date: 20th and 21st Feb 08
Location: Niokolo National Park, Senegal
Weather: Hazy sunshine, 38°c
Status: All good
Summary of two days here as we travelled all day yesterday and only arrived late at night!
Headed out of town east towards Tambacounda and spent the next 7hrs battling with the huge trucks on possibly the most boring and uninspiring road yet, potholes and detours at the sides all day long, so we were really happy to arrive at the gates to Niokolo National Park. Well happy until we got the usual fleecing at the gate for more money!
Had to have a guide with us even though there were only two roads in the park and even good signposting, at the cost of another CFA6000! Luke decided to kick off getting us nowhere and when we realised it only £6 we gave in an took ‘Pap’ with us to the camp.
Sat down for a cold beer and headed to bed ready for the alarm call at 7am to go and see the animals…..oh why did we bother getting up!?! Left the campsite and in the next 3hrs of driving around spotted a total of 6 warthogs, 2 antelope and a solitary squirrel. Probably the biggest waste of money so far on the trip and NOTHING compared to the bountiful parks in the rest of Africa. ‘Apparantly’ there’s lion and elephant but noones ever seen them….yeah right!
Left the park and travelled east to Kedougu to have our passports stamped before leaving Senegal and pulled into a pub for lunch. Sat and chatted to a local and in through the door walked a couple of german guys who were also in a Land Rover. So the next hour was spent discussing repairs, layouts and service schedules, much to Luke’s disgust. Decided to find a bush camp together and drove out of town to a remote spot where we set up camp, made a fire and cooked dinner.
Was a good day, a little cooler and good to chat to some other Overlanders who’ve just travelled the piste route we’ll be on for the next few days. Full moon and headed to bed.
End of day location: Kedougu
Distance covered: 330kms & 135kms
Location: Niokolo National Park, Senegal
Weather: Hazy sunshine, 38°c
Status: All good
Summary of two days here as we travelled all day yesterday and only arrived late at night!
Headed out of town east towards Tambacounda and spent the next 7hrs battling with the huge trucks on possibly the most boring and uninspiring road yet, potholes and detours at the sides all day long, so we were really happy to arrive at the gates to Niokolo National Park. Well happy until we got the usual fleecing at the gate for more money!
Had to have a guide with us even though there were only two roads in the park and even good signposting, at the cost of another CFA6000! Luke decided to kick off getting us nowhere and when we realised it only £6 we gave in an took ‘Pap’ with us to the camp.
Sat down for a cold beer and headed to bed ready for the alarm call at 7am to go and see the animals…..oh why did we bother getting up!?! Left the campsite and in the next 3hrs of driving around spotted a total of 6 warthogs, 2 antelope and a solitary squirrel. Probably the biggest waste of money so far on the trip and NOTHING compared to the bountiful parks in the rest of Africa. ‘Apparantly’ there’s lion and elephant but noones ever seen them….yeah right!
Left the park and travelled east to Kedougu to have our passports stamped before leaving Senegal and pulled into a pub for lunch. Sat and chatted to a local and in through the door walked a couple of german guys who were also in a Land Rover. So the next hour was spent discussing repairs, layouts and service schedules, much to Luke’s disgust. Decided to find a bush camp together and drove out of town to a remote spot where we set up camp, made a fire and cooked dinner.
Was a good day, a little cooler and good to chat to some other Overlanders who’ve just travelled the piste route we’ll be on for the next few days. Full moon and headed to bed.
End of day location: Kedougu
Distance covered: 330kms & 135kms
19th Feb 08
Date: 19th Feb 08
Location: Kaffrine, Senegal
Weather: clear blue skies and sunshine, 44°c!
Status: All very good, well fed and watered and leak fixed.
Woke up early as the fan in the room had stopped as the power went out at 7am so got up and had a full on breakfast of omelette and bread with jam in the courtyard. Really had a superb night in the company of a Senegalese lady and the carpenter from the hotel as we sat under the mango tree in the garden watching the fruit bats and waiting for the mangos to drop all around!
Asked for the bill for the night and the lovely lady patron at Eddies told us that the room and dinner were all on the house, fantastic! Its an awesome place with the most friendy staff so if you get a chance for a week off work make your way to Farrafenni on the north of the Gambia river!!
Headed out of town, well almost 300m before we hit the Gambian border post, completed the usuals and moved another 300m to the next post, had to do the same again then drove for 5km until we had to do it all again as we’d gone back into Senegal. Love the borders here as they’re really relaxed…unlike some to follow!
Made our way to Kaolack to get some cash, had some lunch…uninspiring fish and rice but good and spicy, filled up with fuel and hit the road to the east towards Tambacounda and the National Park. Another crappy road full of potholes and police posts and only made 108kms before we decided to pull into another run down hotel to use their car park for the night.
End of day location:
Distance covered:
Location: Kaffrine, Senegal
Weather: clear blue skies and sunshine, 44°c!
Status: All very good, well fed and watered and leak fixed.
Woke up early as the fan in the room had stopped as the power went out at 7am so got up and had a full on breakfast of omelette and bread with jam in the courtyard. Really had a superb night in the company of a Senegalese lady and the carpenter from the hotel as we sat under the mango tree in the garden watching the fruit bats and waiting for the mangos to drop all around!
Asked for the bill for the night and the lovely lady patron at Eddies told us that the room and dinner were all on the house, fantastic! Its an awesome place with the most friendy staff so if you get a chance for a week off work make your way to Farrafenni on the north of the Gambia river!!
Headed out of town, well almost 300m before we hit the Gambian border post, completed the usuals and moved another 300m to the next post, had to do the same again then drove for 5km until we had to do it all again as we’d gone back into Senegal. Love the borders here as they’re really relaxed…unlike some to follow!
Made our way to Kaolack to get some cash, had some lunch…uninspiring fish and rice but good and spicy, filled up with fuel and hit the road to the east towards Tambacounda and the National Park. Another crappy road full of potholes and police posts and only made 108kms before we decided to pull into another run down hotel to use their car park for the night.
End of day location:
Distance covered:
18th Feb 08
Date: 18th Feb 08
Location: Bessi, Gambia
Weather: Hazy to start then clear blue skies and sunshine….45°c today! Wicked J
Status: All really good, happy and relaxed in good company!
Left the riverside location after watching the locals haul a huge load of fish from the river including a 50kg specimen which was the biggest he’d ever caught and the pride of the locals!
We headed east along the river along some of the worst roads yet, potholes everywhere, deep ruts and generally followed the sand tracks rather than giving the suspension a good bashing.
Our progress was slow and we managed only 85kms in 5 hours of driving…a taste of whats to come in central Africa!
Decided to try and go for a run today as the training has taken a back seat for the last few days so on the dot of midday with the temp at 42°c I got my kit on, Luke drove, and we headed east on the road through little villages with the people all laughing at me as they relaxed in the shade on their public holiday for Independence Day! Managed about 40mins until the heat became unbearable and then called it a day, very different to training in the UK in Feb!!
Arrived in the town of Mansa Konko where we visited the first of the sites for the VC180 challenge, well tried to visit it! Its one thing to arriving in an African town with the intention of finding the exact site but another totally of getting there. We drove around for a while talking with some of the older people to see if they could remember anything but came up with nothing, so made our way to thr roundabout in the centre to record our position on the gps.
We had our first experience with an AK47 today as well…the military checkpoint on the outskirts of the town was the usual stop and show our papers, except we followed the car in front too closely and were told in no uncertain terms….”you have defaulted me!” so we left with our tails between our legs and headed towards Eddies Bar & Restaurant for our nights stay.
Arrived as the only guests at Eddie’s and were warmly greeted, set up our tent in the car park and spent a few minutes talking to the mother of the owner who offered us a shower and then a free nights accommodation in one of the rooms which we gratefully accepted and sat down for chicken and chips. One of the contractors working here joined us and we got chatting about life and our country and it was good to hear him call the UK ‘the diamond in the white man’s world’, so England’s not that bad then!
Almost forgot to say…we got to another police post today and showed our documents as Luke talked to the second officer. The one I was speaking to had a limited English vocabulary and as we swapped address’s/phone numbers/emails which is usual everywhere you go he said several times “thank you for giving me your details, I love you” which doubled Luke over with laughter! Think he meant I like you, at least I hope so!!
End of day location: Farrafenni, Gambia
Distance covered: 100kms but feels like 300!
Location: Bessi, Gambia
Weather: Hazy to start then clear blue skies and sunshine….45°c today! Wicked J
Status: All really good, happy and relaxed in good company!
Left the riverside location after watching the locals haul a huge load of fish from the river including a 50kg specimen which was the biggest he’d ever caught and the pride of the locals!
We headed east along the river along some of the worst roads yet, potholes everywhere, deep ruts and generally followed the sand tracks rather than giving the suspension a good bashing.
Our progress was slow and we managed only 85kms in 5 hours of driving…a taste of whats to come in central Africa!
Decided to try and go for a run today as the training has taken a back seat for the last few days so on the dot of midday with the temp at 42°c I got my kit on, Luke drove, and we headed east on the road through little villages with the people all laughing at me as they relaxed in the shade on their public holiday for Independence Day! Managed about 40mins until the heat became unbearable and then called it a day, very different to training in the UK in Feb!!
Arrived in the town of Mansa Konko where we visited the first of the sites for the VC180 challenge, well tried to visit it! Its one thing to arriving in an African town with the intention of finding the exact site but another totally of getting there. We drove around for a while talking with some of the older people to see if they could remember anything but came up with nothing, so made our way to thr roundabout in the centre to record our position on the gps.
We had our first experience with an AK47 today as well…the military checkpoint on the outskirts of the town was the usual stop and show our papers, except we followed the car in front too closely and were told in no uncertain terms….”you have defaulted me!” so we left with our tails between our legs and headed towards Eddies Bar & Restaurant for our nights stay.
Arrived as the only guests at Eddie’s and were warmly greeted, set up our tent in the car park and spent a few minutes talking to the mother of the owner who offered us a shower and then a free nights accommodation in one of the rooms which we gratefully accepted and sat down for chicken and chips. One of the contractors working here joined us and we got chatting about life and our country and it was good to hear him call the UK ‘the diamond in the white man’s world’, so England’s not that bad then!
Almost forgot to say…we got to another police post today and showed our documents as Luke talked to the second officer. The one I was speaking to had a limited English vocabulary and as we swapped address’s/phone numbers/emails which is usual everywhere you go he said several times “thank you for giving me your details, I love you” which doubled Luke over with laughter! Think he meant I like you, at least I hope so!!
End of day location: Farrafenni, Gambia
Distance covered: 100kms but feels like 300!
17th Feb 08
Date: 16th Feb 08
Location: Sukuta, Gambia
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: Ben & Luke – tired of Senegambia and the awful English tourists/street sellers etc, time to move on. Colonel – new suspension rubber and all ok
We’ve been camped up for 2 days now in Sukuta camp, Gambia and learnt a hell of a lot since we’ve arrived. It’s a fantastic place run by the German owners, Joe and Claudia and a destination for Overlanders on their journeys north and south, whilst we’ve been here there’s been another English guy called Tex whose driving a Unimog (wicked vehicle) and a few other Germans also passing through including Charlie!
Charlie deserves a new paragraph as he’s been fantastic, a 60yr old who’s been in the special forces for 25yrs, works for 3 months a year in Germany and now travels the world for the other 9 months! He’s here to sell the vehicle he’s driven down and as he’s returning to Germany in a few days has offered us loads of his kit; tent, awning, gas, rope etc and if we can find space we’ll certainly take it with us! We’ve sat down with him and discussed the next few countries as he’s been through most, found some brilliant roads on the map and got the addresses for some of his favourite campsites and hosts…its all we could ask for!
When I had a look under the Colonel yesterday morning I found one of the rear lower link suspension bushes had sheared so Joe the owner set about trying to find a replacement…..except this is Africa and it’s a Friday, so half day and again tomorrow and Sunday’s their closed and Monday’s a pubic holiday and the owner of the garage is also in a police cell so we’d be sitting tight until Tuesday at the earliest to find a new one…..that is except for Philip and Stef, another young German couple who are driving a Land Rover and just happen to have the part we need on board!! Hallelujah J J
Fixed the broken part and headed into tourist-ville to get money use the internet and realised quite how much I’m not missing certain things from the UK. Its so awful seeing the fat, sunburnt, England-shirt-wearing tourists parading the streets swigging beer and generally giving a truly disgusting to people of what our country’s about. Time to move on as the street sellers are starting to really get to us every time we stop and we need to get back to real Africa and the next few countries on the trip.
Early start tomorrow as we intend driving along the south of the Gambia river and trying to find some mangrove swamps and the people who live there in stilt houses, should be fun getting there as its off road most of the way but according to Charlie very worthwhile….and its fun throwing stones at the crocodiles as you try and clear the river to walk it before driving through! Love it, video camera to record please!
End of day location: Sukuta, Gambia
Distance covered: 10kms into town.
Location: Sukuta, Gambia
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: Ben & Luke – tired of Senegambia and the awful English tourists/street sellers etc, time to move on. Colonel – new suspension rubber and all ok
We’ve been camped up for 2 days now in Sukuta camp, Gambia and learnt a hell of a lot since we’ve arrived. It’s a fantastic place run by the German owners, Joe and Claudia and a destination for Overlanders on their journeys north and south, whilst we’ve been here there’s been another English guy called Tex whose driving a Unimog (wicked vehicle) and a few other Germans also passing through including Charlie!
Charlie deserves a new paragraph as he’s been fantastic, a 60yr old who’s been in the special forces for 25yrs, works for 3 months a year in Germany and now travels the world for the other 9 months! He’s here to sell the vehicle he’s driven down and as he’s returning to Germany in a few days has offered us loads of his kit; tent, awning, gas, rope etc and if we can find space we’ll certainly take it with us! We’ve sat down with him and discussed the next few countries as he’s been through most, found some brilliant roads on the map and got the addresses for some of his favourite campsites and hosts…its all we could ask for!
When I had a look under the Colonel yesterday morning I found one of the rear lower link suspension bushes had sheared so Joe the owner set about trying to find a replacement…..except this is Africa and it’s a Friday, so half day and again tomorrow and Sunday’s their closed and Monday’s a pubic holiday and the owner of the garage is also in a police cell so we’d be sitting tight until Tuesday at the earliest to find a new one…..that is except for Philip and Stef, another young German couple who are driving a Land Rover and just happen to have the part we need on board!! Hallelujah J J
Fixed the broken part and headed into tourist-ville to get money use the internet and realised quite how much I’m not missing certain things from the UK. Its so awful seeing the fat, sunburnt, England-shirt-wearing tourists parading the streets swigging beer and generally giving a truly disgusting to people of what our country’s about. Time to move on as the street sellers are starting to really get to us every time we stop and we need to get back to real Africa and the next few countries on the trip.
Early start tomorrow as we intend driving along the south of the Gambia river and trying to find some mangrove swamps and the people who live there in stilt houses, should be fun getting there as its off road most of the way but according to Charlie very worthwhile….and its fun throwing stones at the crocodiles as you try and clear the river to walk it before driving through! Love it, video camera to record please!
End of day location: Sukuta, Gambia
Distance covered: 10kms into town.
16th Feb 08
Date: 16th Feb 08
Location: Sukuta, Gambia
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: Ben & Luke – tired of Senegambia and the awful English tourists/street sellers etc, time to move on. Colonel – new suspension rubber and all ok
We’ve been camped up for 2 days now in Sukuta camp, Gambia and learnt a hell of a lot since we’ve arrived. It’s a fantastic place run by the German owners, Joe and Claudia and a destination for Overlanders on their journeys north and south, whilst we’ve been here there’s been another English guy called Tex whose driving a Unimog (wicked vehicle) and a few other Germans also passing through including Charlie!
Charlie deserves a new paragraph as he’s been fantastic, a 60yr old who’s been in the special forces for 25yrs, works for 3 months a year in Germany and now travels the world for the other 9 months! He’s here to sell the vehicle he’s driven down and as he’s returning to Germany in a few days has offered us loads of his kit; tent, awning, gas, rope etc and if we can find space we’ll certainly take it with us! We’ve sat down with him and discussed the next few countries as he’s been through most, found some brilliant roads on the map and got the addresses for some of his favourite campsites and hosts…its all we could ask for!
When I had a look under the Colonel yesterday morning I found one of the rear lower link suspension bushes had sheared so Joe the owner set about trying to find a replacement…..except this is Africa and it’s a Friday, so half day and again tomorrow and Sunday’s their closed and Monday’s a pubic holiday and the owner of the garage is also in a police cell so we’d be sitting tight until Tuesday at the earliest to find a new one…..that is except for Philip and Stef, another young German couple who are driving a Land Rover and just happen to have the part we need on board!! Hallelujah J J
Fixed the broken part and headed into tourist-ville to get money use the internet and realised quite how much I’m not missing certain things from the UK. Its so awful seeing the fat, sunburnt, England-shirt-wearing tourists parading the streets swigging beer and generally giving a truly disgusting to people of what our country’s about. Time to move on as the street sellers are starting to really get to us every time we stop and we need to get back to real Africa and the next few countries on the trip.
Early start tomorrow as we intend driving along the south of the Gambia river and trying to find some mangrove swamps and the people who live there in stilt houses, should be fun getting there as its off road most of the way but according to Charlie very worthwhile….and its fun throwing stones at the crocodiles as you try and clear the river to walk it before driving through! Love it, video camera to record please!
End of day location: Sukuta, Gambia
Distance covered: 10kms into town.
Location: Sukuta, Gambia
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 35°c
Status: Ben & Luke – tired of Senegambia and the awful English tourists/street sellers etc, time to move on. Colonel – new suspension rubber and all ok
We’ve been camped up for 2 days now in Sukuta camp, Gambia and learnt a hell of a lot since we’ve arrived. It’s a fantastic place run by the German owners, Joe and Claudia and a destination for Overlanders on their journeys north and south, whilst we’ve been here there’s been another English guy called Tex whose driving a Unimog (wicked vehicle) and a few other Germans also passing through including Charlie!
Charlie deserves a new paragraph as he’s been fantastic, a 60yr old who’s been in the special forces for 25yrs, works for 3 months a year in Germany and now travels the world for the other 9 months! He’s here to sell the vehicle he’s driven down and as he’s returning to Germany in a few days has offered us loads of his kit; tent, awning, gas, rope etc and if we can find space we’ll certainly take it with us! We’ve sat down with him and discussed the next few countries as he’s been through most, found some brilliant roads on the map and got the addresses for some of his favourite campsites and hosts…its all we could ask for!
When I had a look under the Colonel yesterday morning I found one of the rear lower link suspension bushes had sheared so Joe the owner set about trying to find a replacement…..except this is Africa and it’s a Friday, so half day and again tomorrow and Sunday’s their closed and Monday’s a pubic holiday and the owner of the garage is also in a police cell so we’d be sitting tight until Tuesday at the earliest to find a new one…..that is except for Philip and Stef, another young German couple who are driving a Land Rover and just happen to have the part we need on board!! Hallelujah J J
Fixed the broken part and headed into tourist-ville to get money use the internet and realised quite how much I’m not missing certain things from the UK. Its so awful seeing the fat, sunburnt, England-shirt-wearing tourists parading the streets swigging beer and generally giving a truly disgusting to people of what our country’s about. Time to move on as the street sellers are starting to really get to us every time we stop and we need to get back to real Africa and the next few countries on the trip.
Early start tomorrow as we intend driving along the south of the Gambia river and trying to find some mangrove swamps and the people who live there in stilt houses, should be fun getting there as its off road most of the way but according to Charlie very worthwhile….and its fun throwing stones at the crocodiles as you try and clear the river to walk it before driving through! Love it, video camera to record please!
End of day location: Sukuta, Gambia
Distance covered: 10kms into town.
Friday, 15 February 2008
14th Feb 08
Date: 14th Feb 08
Location: Serekunda, The Gambia
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 36°c
Status: All good, happy, sunkissed and in another country
After the fantastic nights camping in the most rural location yet, we packed up ready for the drive to the border after a few days of talking about it!
Totally different police here compared to what we’re used, they salute us and wave us through rather than trying to get gifts, money and checking every document we have!
The 120kms to the border was an easy drive, although the road deteriorated rapidly as we got closer to the coast and passed by the acres of mangrove swamps which line the estuaries, and before long we’d arrived at the border.
Signed out of Senegal and moved onto the formalities on the Gambian side but this time everyone speaks English….oh how easy after the last few countries! The authorities did however give us the most intense search of the vehicle yet with every item being looked and questioned…all in the name of reducing the chance of terrorism, granted.
As we waited for the ferry across the River Gambia the usual hoards of kids came up to the vehicle to try and sell us everything from cashews to cold drinks, and letting them know that we didn’t need them didn’t seem to get through at all. One was particularly aggressive and ended up telling us we were racist and from Scotland! As we exited the ferry the guy operating the ramp came up to the window and said “hey guys its good to see you again, where’ve you been!”. I think he recognised a camel trophy Land Rover rather than us!
Drove through the streets of Banjul, the capital, and found the road to Serekunda the more touristy part of town where we stocked up with another local currency and then a café for a very late lunch….it only took an hour and a half and wasn’t what we ordered but it’s do.
Drove out of the town towards Sukuta, and the infamous campsite which we’d seen advertised on EVERY tyre, rock and building since leaving Morocco!! When we finally found it a little piece of paradise welcomed us, the walled camping spot is famous amongst Overlanders and is perfectly set up with, sandy campsites, showers, washing areas and well stocked bar….we tucked in!
Plans for tomorrow are yet to be confirmed but will include relaxing and some quality beach time! Enjoy….oh and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY JJ XXX
End of day location: Sukuta, Gambia
Distance covered: 138kms
Location: Serekunda, The Gambia
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 36°c
Status: All good, happy, sunkissed and in another country
After the fantastic nights camping in the most rural location yet, we packed up ready for the drive to the border after a few days of talking about it!
Totally different police here compared to what we’re used, they salute us and wave us through rather than trying to get gifts, money and checking every document we have!
The 120kms to the border was an easy drive, although the road deteriorated rapidly as we got closer to the coast and passed by the acres of mangrove swamps which line the estuaries, and before long we’d arrived at the border.
Signed out of Senegal and moved onto the formalities on the Gambian side but this time everyone speaks English….oh how easy after the last few countries! The authorities did however give us the most intense search of the vehicle yet with every item being looked and questioned…all in the name of reducing the chance of terrorism, granted.
As we waited for the ferry across the River Gambia the usual hoards of kids came up to the vehicle to try and sell us everything from cashews to cold drinks, and letting them know that we didn’t need them didn’t seem to get through at all. One was particularly aggressive and ended up telling us we were racist and from Scotland! As we exited the ferry the guy operating the ramp came up to the window and said “hey guys its good to see you again, where’ve you been!”. I think he recognised a camel trophy Land Rover rather than us!
Drove through the streets of Banjul, the capital, and found the road to Serekunda the more touristy part of town where we stocked up with another local currency and then a café for a very late lunch….it only took an hour and a half and wasn’t what we ordered but it’s do.
Drove out of the town towards Sukuta, and the infamous campsite which we’d seen advertised on EVERY tyre, rock and building since leaving Morocco!! When we finally found it a little piece of paradise welcomed us, the walled camping spot is famous amongst Overlanders and is perfectly set up with, sandy campsites, showers, washing areas and well stocked bar….we tucked in!
Plans for tomorrow are yet to be confirmed but will include relaxing and some quality beach time! Enjoy….oh and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY JJ XXX
End of day location: Sukuta, Gambia
Distance covered: 138kms
13th Feb 08
Date: 13th Feb 08
Location: St Louis, Senegal
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 36°c in the day and now 27°c at night
Status: All fantastic as we get back on the road again!
Up early and left Luke in the tent as I decided I needed to get back in the training groove and headed off north up the beach for a long run, got back an hour later after running all the way to the city outskirts with my newly acquired dog for company! Had a swim to cool off as the temp was already rocketing by the time I got back at 9.30am!
After a bite to eat and doing the farewells to Ibou would looked after us impeccably, and to our French friends who own the campsite we’d been staying at we hit the road again for the first time in 4 days, oh after Luke had bought an amazing little drum for Roofus….which you’ll get to see when he gets backs ok!!
We’d thought we’d try and get to the Gambian border but got caught up in the city and headed to a café for lunch before finally hitting the road out around 1pm…far too late!
So we took a little back road to save the hassle of the police roadblocks (on advice from Ibou) which took us through so awesome little villages and towns with smiling faces and waves wherever we went, once we’d travelled for 4hrs we decided to pull off the road and found a site under a baobab tree in where we thought was the middle of nowhere!
Built a fire and prepared another poitjke and were joined by a young boy, around 15 who sat with us not understanding a word but stayed and shared our dinner and coffee with us before heading back to his village. Sitting with him, under the tree, in the starlit darkness with a fire burning was truly brilliant and very memorable!
Headed up to bed around 9.30pm in preparation for the deluge of Valentines cards we’ll be getting in the morning! Night….
End of day location: Gossas, Senegal
Distance covered: 318kms
Location: St Louis, Senegal
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 36°c in the day and now 27°c at night
Status: All fantastic as we get back on the road again!
Up early and left Luke in the tent as I decided I needed to get back in the training groove and headed off north up the beach for a long run, got back an hour later after running all the way to the city outskirts with my newly acquired dog for company! Had a swim to cool off as the temp was already rocketing by the time I got back at 9.30am!
After a bite to eat and doing the farewells to Ibou would looked after us impeccably, and to our French friends who own the campsite we’d been staying at we hit the road again for the first time in 4 days, oh after Luke had bought an amazing little drum for Roofus….which you’ll get to see when he gets backs ok!!
We’d thought we’d try and get to the Gambian border but got caught up in the city and headed to a café for lunch before finally hitting the road out around 1pm…far too late!
So we took a little back road to save the hassle of the police roadblocks (on advice from Ibou) which took us through so awesome little villages and towns with smiling faces and waves wherever we went, once we’d travelled for 4hrs we decided to pull off the road and found a site under a baobab tree in where we thought was the middle of nowhere!
Built a fire and prepared another poitjke and were joined by a young boy, around 15 who sat with us not understanding a word but stayed and shared our dinner and coffee with us before heading back to his village. Sitting with him, under the tree, in the starlit darkness with a fire burning was truly brilliant and very memorable!
Headed up to bed around 9.30pm in preparation for the deluge of Valentines cards we’ll be getting in the morning! Night….
End of day location: Gossas, Senegal
Distance covered: 318kms
12th Feb 08
Date: 12th Feb 08
Location: St Louis, Senegal
Weather: Last night thunder and lightening, today scattered clouds and sunshine 36°c
Status: All very good thank you!
We were going to leave here today en route to Gambia but after last nights rain and electrical storm have decided to hang tight for now as there’s talk that the road we were going to take is under water and won’t be passable until tomorrow…well that’s a good enough excuse for me to stay on the beach for another night!!!
Had a really interesting few days as we’ve got to know our host Ibou more and more, visited his family’s house (how many kids can you get in there!?!) and hung out with his friends in the evenings listening to music while grilling fresh sardines and snapper on the open fire! Its truly been paradise….
But this expedition must keep on moving to cover the kms and reach the next challenge, although it’s only in June I feel that my training has taken a back seat in the last few days and so I’m off for a run down the endless beach to break into a sweat and then cool off in the ocean again.
Had some awesome news from a best friend Josie out in Mexico, she called the other night using the power of the internet and has decided to come and join me at some stage so they’ll be another passenger at some point in the near future. (Josie if you’re reading this can you email me as yours keeps bouncing back to me!)
Keep following and I’ll keep updating as often as is possible….
End of day location: St Louis, Senegal
Distance covered: 0kms
Location: St Louis, Senegal
Weather: Last night thunder and lightening, today scattered clouds and sunshine 36°c
Status: All very good thank you!
We were going to leave here today en route to Gambia but after last nights rain and electrical storm have decided to hang tight for now as there’s talk that the road we were going to take is under water and won’t be passable until tomorrow…well that’s a good enough excuse for me to stay on the beach for another night!!!
Had a really interesting few days as we’ve got to know our host Ibou more and more, visited his family’s house (how many kids can you get in there!?!) and hung out with his friends in the evenings listening to music while grilling fresh sardines and snapper on the open fire! Its truly been paradise….
But this expedition must keep on moving to cover the kms and reach the next challenge, although it’s only in June I feel that my training has taken a back seat in the last few days and so I’m off for a run down the endless beach to break into a sweat and then cool off in the ocean again.
Had some awesome news from a best friend Josie out in Mexico, she called the other night using the power of the internet and has decided to come and join me at some stage so they’ll be another passenger at some point in the near future. (Josie if you’re reading this can you email me as yours keeps bouncing back to me!)
Keep following and I’ll keep updating as often as is possible….
End of day location: St Louis, Senegal
Distance covered: 0kms
Sunday, 10 February 2008
9th Feb 08
Date: 9th Feb 08
Location: St Louis, Senegal
Weather: Clear blue skies, sunshine with a little breeze, 28°c
Status: All – we have officially landed on planet awesome
Oh my god!! This has been the best 24hrs since we left the UK….life has just hit the greatest heights so far on the trip, let me explain…..
Once we’d gone to bed in Nouakchott the noise started, horns and sirens were everywhere in the city as Egypt had just beaten the Ivory Coast in the football to get through to the African Cup final and being an Arabic country the Mauritanians supported the Egyptians so celebrations went on long into the night!! Couldn’t sleep so went out onto the street to watch the chaos go on into the early hours….
Did a quick service on the car and the patron of the auberge was very interested, so sat with him and chatted for a while until we were finally offered the inevitable camels milk for breakfast! We were both pretty sceptical about trying it but dived in anyway and were pleasantly surprised…it was better than the UHT we’d been drinking for the last few days, but only discovered later on in the day that its actually a laxative, that would account for the rumbling belly then!!
So left the madness of the capital and hit the road again for the final drive through the desert before reaching the border and the comfort of Senegal. Two choices either the chaos of Rosso or a drive down through the beauty of the national park to the border at Diama….easy then!! After a 100km dusty, bouncy track we finally arrived happy to see the officials were still there and the bridge was open!
Did the usual formalities and then realised we had no euros left to pay the bridge fee or our passport fees for Senegal but luckily there a group of French tourists were there to help us out with some. Once we’d crossed into Senegal the next problem was we had no money to pay for the west African car insurance but the kind lady behind the counter told us we could take one of her friends and they would take us to the cash machine and let us get the money which they’d then take back to her…this turned out to be the BEST thing we could have hoped to happen!!
We drove into the city and straight away had beaming smiles on our faces….we’d arrived in black Africa and boy did we know it, the people, the clothes, the buses, the police the whole atmosphere swallowed us up and our newly acquired friend took us through the back streets to avoid the road blocks and once we’d sorted out the money our next stop was his house and family….all 20 of them including at least 10 kids running riot as we turned their Friday night upside down!
It turned out that his family are famous in Senegal for their music and jembe playing so once we’d got 5and boy did we know it, the people, the clothes, the buses, the police the whole atmosphere swallowed us up and our newly acquired friend took us through the back streets to avoid the road blocks and once we’d sorted out the money our next stop was his house and family….all 20 of them including at least 10 kids running riot as we turned their Friday night upside down!
It turned out that his family are famous in Senegal for their music and jembe playing so once we’d got 5 people and 4 drums in the already full car we headed out of town to the beach and tranquillity! Stopped briefly to buy our first cold beers in a month and a bottle of whisky and in the dark made for a long spit of land with water all around.
The next few hours were just the best we sat and chatted in our pigeon French, learned to try and play the drums and drank until we laughed so much the tears began to roll all around as the night wore on.
And that’s exactly where I am now, sat on the banks of the Senegal river under coconut palms with white sand and sunshine, the waters warm, the people so friendly and accommodating and our minds and hearts intensely happy after a testing drive across the desert!
Tonight is the final of the football so we’ll head into town and here we’ll support Cameroon (as now we’re in black Africa not Arabic) and then who knows, another shit day in Africa!
End of day location: St Louis, Senegal
Distance covered: 320kms
Location: St Louis, Senegal
Weather: Clear blue skies, sunshine with a little breeze, 28°c
Status: All – we have officially landed on planet awesome
Oh my god!! This has been the best 24hrs since we left the UK….life has just hit the greatest heights so far on the trip, let me explain…..
Once we’d gone to bed in Nouakchott the noise started, horns and sirens were everywhere in the city as Egypt had just beaten the Ivory Coast in the football to get through to the African Cup final and being an Arabic country the Mauritanians supported the Egyptians so celebrations went on long into the night!! Couldn’t sleep so went out onto the street to watch the chaos go on into the early hours….
Did a quick service on the car and the patron of the auberge was very interested, so sat with him and chatted for a while until we were finally offered the inevitable camels milk for breakfast! We were both pretty sceptical about trying it but dived in anyway and were pleasantly surprised…it was better than the UHT we’d been drinking for the last few days, but only discovered later on in the day that its actually a laxative, that would account for the rumbling belly then!!
So left the madness of the capital and hit the road again for the final drive through the desert before reaching the border and the comfort of Senegal. Two choices either the chaos of Rosso or a drive down through the beauty of the national park to the border at Diama….easy then!! After a 100km dusty, bouncy track we finally arrived happy to see the officials were still there and the bridge was open!
Did the usual formalities and then realised we had no euros left to pay the bridge fee or our passport fees for Senegal but luckily there a group of French tourists were there to help us out with some. Once we’d crossed into Senegal the next problem was we had no money to pay for the west African car insurance but the kind lady behind the counter told us we could take one of her friends and they would take us to the cash machine and let us get the money which they’d then take back to her…this turned out to be the BEST thing we could have hoped to happen!!
We drove into the city and straight away had beaming smiles on our faces….we’d arrived in black Africa and boy did we know it, the people, the clothes, the buses, the police the whole atmosphere swallowed us up and our newly acquired friend took us through the back streets to avoid the road blocks and once we’d sorted out the money our next stop was his house and family….all 20 of them including at least 10 kids running riot as we turned their Friday night upside down!
It turned out that his family are famous in Senegal for their music and jembe playing so once we’d got 5and boy did we know it, the people, the clothes, the buses, the police the whole atmosphere swallowed us up and our newly acquired friend took us through the back streets to avoid the road blocks and once we’d sorted out the money our next stop was his house and family….all 20 of them including at least 10 kids running riot as we turned their Friday night upside down!
It turned out that his family are famous in Senegal for their music and jembe playing so once we’d got 5 people and 4 drums in the already full car we headed out of town to the beach and tranquillity! Stopped briefly to buy our first cold beers in a month and a bottle of whisky and in the dark made for a long spit of land with water all around.
The next few hours were just the best we sat and chatted in our pigeon French, learned to try and play the drums and drank until we laughed so much the tears began to roll all around as the night wore on.
And that’s exactly where I am now, sat on the banks of the Senegal river under coconut palms with white sand and sunshine, the waters warm, the people so friendly and accommodating and our minds and hearts intensely happy after a testing drive across the desert!
Tonight is the final of the football so we’ll head into town and here we’ll support Cameroon (as now we’re in black Africa not Arabic) and then who knows, another shit day in Africa!
End of day location: St Louis, Senegal
Distance covered: 320kms
7th Feb 08
Date: 7th Feb 08
Location: Nouadhibou, Mauritania
Weather: All sorts - 35°c in the desert, rain for 5mins in the heat and now a hot sultry evening!
Status: Ben – tired, amazed and still happy, Luke – overwhelmed but enjoying it, Colonel – another long day in the desert.
A true African experience today like we haven’t had yet!
Left our quiet little beach camp and made for the road again with our destination south of the capital if at all possible.
Passed through the numerous police checks with requests for presents, money and sunglasses at all and made for the new road which happily does exist.
Today was a true sahara experience as the desert lay before us with its enormity there for us to see, the temperature quickly rose from an easy 25°c to an almost unbearable 37°c as the road headed inland away from the coast. At its peak we even had some rain hitting the windscreen but it amounted to nothing and didn’t even settle the dust.
The wind gradually become stronger as the day wore on and by the time we were 100kms north of the capital vast amounts of sand and dust were being blown across the road making driving very difficult as visibility reduced and the sun became weaker. This lasted all the way to the outskirts of the town, and then suddenly disappeared as the sun dropped out of the sky for the evening.
We’d spotted a youth hostel in the guide book which we made for, if only for a different nights sleep from the tent! When we got there, and it was the right place, there was no such thing and Luke headed off to make enquiries for alternative secure parking and accommodation…he came back 10 mins later with a ‘guide’ and we took to the streets once more through the totally mad rush hour traffic of donkeys, trucks and cars that wouldn’t even get to an English MOT station let alone get on the ramps!
When we pulled into the Auberge we knew we’d been brought somewhere far too expensive for our budget and instead camped in the secure car park at a much better rate! Once we’d showered (bloody fine ones too!) and cleared the crap off us from the last two days travel we sat down, opened up to each other and calmed some of our fears and trepidation which had been building for the last 48hrs.
We are in Africa, it is the most different place in the world to what were used to and sometimes it becomes a bit too much with people trying to get things out of you the entire time, corrupt officials and just the whole environment, weather and heat…but were here doing it and I’m so proud of Luke – he’s taken on a huge amount.
Neither of us speak French very well and feel sometimes that we can’t get the whole picture and can’t properly socialise and take part, but we’re trying and getting better every day!
Tomorrow the drive to the border of Senegal and some respite from the heat in a country which we hope may be easier to get to grips with! Still I’m loving almost every minute and Afritrex continues as planned.
End of day location: Nouakchott, Mauritania
Distance covered: 430kms
Location: Nouadhibou, Mauritania
Weather: All sorts - 35°c in the desert, rain for 5mins in the heat and now a hot sultry evening!
Status: Ben – tired, amazed and still happy, Luke – overwhelmed but enjoying it, Colonel – another long day in the desert.
A true African experience today like we haven’t had yet!
Left our quiet little beach camp and made for the road again with our destination south of the capital if at all possible.
Passed through the numerous police checks with requests for presents, money and sunglasses at all and made for the new road which happily does exist.
Today was a true sahara experience as the desert lay before us with its enormity there for us to see, the temperature quickly rose from an easy 25°c to an almost unbearable 37°c as the road headed inland away from the coast. At its peak we even had some rain hitting the windscreen but it amounted to nothing and didn’t even settle the dust.
The wind gradually become stronger as the day wore on and by the time we were 100kms north of the capital vast amounts of sand and dust were being blown across the road making driving very difficult as visibility reduced and the sun became weaker. This lasted all the way to the outskirts of the town, and then suddenly disappeared as the sun dropped out of the sky for the evening.
We’d spotted a youth hostel in the guide book which we made for, if only for a different nights sleep from the tent! When we got there, and it was the right place, there was no such thing and Luke headed off to make enquiries for alternative secure parking and accommodation…he came back 10 mins later with a ‘guide’ and we took to the streets once more through the totally mad rush hour traffic of donkeys, trucks and cars that wouldn’t even get to an English MOT station let alone get on the ramps!
When we pulled into the Auberge we knew we’d been brought somewhere far too expensive for our budget and instead camped in the secure car park at a much better rate! Once we’d showered (bloody fine ones too!) and cleared the crap off us from the last two days travel we sat down, opened up to each other and calmed some of our fears and trepidation which had been building for the last 48hrs.
We are in Africa, it is the most different place in the world to what were used to and sometimes it becomes a bit too much with people trying to get things out of you the entire time, corrupt officials and just the whole environment, weather and heat…but were here doing it and I’m so proud of Luke – he’s taken on a huge amount.
Neither of us speak French very well and feel sometimes that we can’t get the whole picture and can’t properly socialise and take part, but we’re trying and getting better every day!
Tomorrow the drive to the border of Senegal and some respite from the heat in a country which we hope may be easier to get to grips with! Still I’m loving almost every minute and Afritrex continues as planned.
End of day location: Nouakchott, Mauritania
Distance covered: 430kms
6th Feb 08
Date: 6th Feb 08
Location: Nouadhibou, Mauritania
Weather: Fog to start, sun for the middle and cloud and strong winds to finish! 27°c
Status: Ben & Luke – weary and in need of some good food (Luke on the case!), Colonel – happily clocking up the kms.
Wow what a day, we awoke early to get a good head start and were surrounded by thick fog! Headed out of Dakhla and north to join the connecting road south to the border which we stayed on for the next 450kms. A long, long drive!
Passed through some spectacular moonlike scenery which changed from sand dunes to rocky outcrops and long open stretches of nothingness which disappeared off into the distance to the horizon. The dunes are driven by the near storm force winds continually and every so often extend over the road and almost cover it completely.
Compared to the drive the day before there was very little on the road at all with the occasional lorry or military vehicle heading north, the area is desolate, hot and so so huge it’s hard to comprehend. We drove the equivalent distance today of driving from Portsmouth to Edinburgh and saw maybe 10 vehicles…oh and of course shedloads of camels! The military presence in the area has reduced in recent years but the leftovers from years of territory changes have meant that the borders and areas off the clear roads and tracks are littered with mines with signs warning of the danger along the route.
Stopped around lunch for a dip in the cold Atlantic, an orange and a much needed stretch of the legs!
Hit the border around 2.30pm and left morocco for the first time in a month, realising that the insurance for the car had run out 2 days previously…oops, still no questions asked at the border so we had got our exit stamps and customs clearance and headed to no-mans-land…of course after the obligatory requests for presents, cigarettes and packs of cards, so we offered a pack of cards and they didn’t want them as we only had one…not enough for poker apparently!! They waved us through…
The formalities on the Mauritanian side were a whole lot easier, and so much less official. Two wooden sheds with guards who asked for the carnet for the first time which of course we had, got it stamped and away we went. As we left the building we were offered Mauritanian money which we bought and also a guide to get us through the minefields, we declined these as the road was very obvious and there’s nothing like taking a good old fashioned risk anyway!! We all made it through just fine.
The road this side of the border was in a worse state than before with sand encroaching from both sides blown on by the ferocious wind which was driving from the north east, behind us so we made good time to the next town Nouadhibou which was a real introduction to black Africa and its delights. Cars approaching from all angles, pedestrians everywhere and donkey carts at every opportunity as we made our way to the centre of the town and our intended camp for the night.
When we got there it was closed and nothing more than a walled enclosure so we headed back out and up the coast to a site where we’d seen a German campervan earlier on parked up next to them for another hard-earned nights rest and the delights of Luke’s cuisine!
Tomorrow we’ll skirt round the national park to the capital Nouakchott as we press south to the more relative safety of Senegal and The Gambia. If, as we expect the new road hasn’t been finished yet we’ll head through the park for the 300kms drive stretching it out over two days to take in the 5hr blast down the beach to the capital.
End of day location: Nouadhibou, Mauritania
Distance covered: 486kms
Location: Nouadhibou, Mauritania
Weather: Fog to start, sun for the middle and cloud and strong winds to finish! 27°c
Status: Ben & Luke – weary and in need of some good food (Luke on the case!), Colonel – happily clocking up the kms.
Wow what a day, we awoke early to get a good head start and were surrounded by thick fog! Headed out of Dakhla and north to join the connecting road south to the border which we stayed on for the next 450kms. A long, long drive!
Passed through some spectacular moonlike scenery which changed from sand dunes to rocky outcrops and long open stretches of nothingness which disappeared off into the distance to the horizon. The dunes are driven by the near storm force winds continually and every so often extend over the road and almost cover it completely.
Compared to the drive the day before there was very little on the road at all with the occasional lorry or military vehicle heading north, the area is desolate, hot and so so huge it’s hard to comprehend. We drove the equivalent distance today of driving from Portsmouth to Edinburgh and saw maybe 10 vehicles…oh and of course shedloads of camels! The military presence in the area has reduced in recent years but the leftovers from years of territory changes have meant that the borders and areas off the clear roads and tracks are littered with mines with signs warning of the danger along the route.
Stopped around lunch for a dip in the cold Atlantic, an orange and a much needed stretch of the legs!
Hit the border around 2.30pm and left morocco for the first time in a month, realising that the insurance for the car had run out 2 days previously…oops, still no questions asked at the border so we had got our exit stamps and customs clearance and headed to no-mans-land…of course after the obligatory requests for presents, cigarettes and packs of cards, so we offered a pack of cards and they didn’t want them as we only had one…not enough for poker apparently!! They waved us through…
The formalities on the Mauritanian side were a whole lot easier, and so much less official. Two wooden sheds with guards who asked for the carnet for the first time which of course we had, got it stamped and away we went. As we left the building we were offered Mauritanian money which we bought and also a guide to get us through the minefields, we declined these as the road was very obvious and there’s nothing like taking a good old fashioned risk anyway!! We all made it through just fine.
The road this side of the border was in a worse state than before with sand encroaching from both sides blown on by the ferocious wind which was driving from the north east, behind us so we made good time to the next town Nouadhibou which was a real introduction to black Africa and its delights. Cars approaching from all angles, pedestrians everywhere and donkey carts at every opportunity as we made our way to the centre of the town and our intended camp for the night.
When we got there it was closed and nothing more than a walled enclosure so we headed back out and up the coast to a site where we’d seen a German campervan earlier on parked up next to them for another hard-earned nights rest and the delights of Luke’s cuisine!
Tomorrow we’ll skirt round the national park to the capital Nouakchott as we press south to the more relative safety of Senegal and The Gambia. If, as we expect the new road hasn’t been finished yet we’ll head through the park for the 300kms drive stretching it out over two days to take in the 5hr blast down the beach to the capital.
End of day location: Nouadhibou, Mauritania
Distance covered: 486kms
5th Feb 08
Date: 5th Feb 08
Location: Dakhla, Morocco
Weather: To start with grey and misty, then blue skies as normal and 26°c, tonight cloud cover but lovely and warm!
Status: All good, Colonel – new oil and filter to keep the heart healthy
So early start for another day of epic travels through the desert, kept up a good head of steam for almost an hour before finding THE best stocked service station in Morocco!! 2 coffees, bananas and chocolate biscuits later and we hit the road again.
5hrs later we arrived in Dahkla, situated on a thin finger of land and a post for navy, military and police and a few locals! Found a little back street garage who changed the oil and filter for a little over a tenner and we were on a way again….all the way to a windy, empty restaurant for a stunning lamb tajine. Headed out of town after searching for wireless internet and coming up with nothing, and found a spot on the edge of the beach with some other campers around to spend the night ready for an early start in the morning and the final day in morocco…Inshallah!!
Dominos and shithead before bed! Two beers each to watch the sunset…..
Good days progress……well done all!
End of day location: Dakhla
Distance covered: 470kms
Location: Dakhla, Morocco
Weather: To start with grey and misty, then blue skies as normal and 26°c, tonight cloud cover but lovely and warm!
Status: All good, Colonel – new oil and filter to keep the heart healthy
So early start for another day of epic travels through the desert, kept up a good head of steam for almost an hour before finding THE best stocked service station in Morocco!! 2 coffees, bananas and chocolate biscuits later and we hit the road again.
5hrs later we arrived in Dahkla, situated on a thin finger of land and a post for navy, military and police and a few locals! Found a little back street garage who changed the oil and filter for a little over a tenner and we were on a way again….all the way to a windy, empty restaurant for a stunning lamb tajine. Headed out of town after searching for wireless internet and coming up with nothing, and found a spot on the edge of the beach with some other campers around to spend the night ready for an early start in the morning and the final day in morocco…Inshallah!!
Dominos and shithead before bed! Two beers each to watch the sunset…..
Good days progress……well done all!
End of day location: Dakhla
Distance covered: 470kms
4th Feb 08
Date: 4th Feb 08
Location: Tarfaya, Morocco
Weather: Clear blue skies and windy, 27°c
Status: A good report all round
Awoke on our beach with the shipwreck still there and a long drive ahead so we hit the road once I’d sorted out greasing up the UV joints on the props to keep the Colonels joints well lubricated.
Drove to Laayoune 120kms south through the border with Western Sahara which amounted to very little apart from the usual passport and profession check. Played a little game with the guards and Luke is now a bonafide member of the London university for English language…..well it gave us something to do anyway!
Arrived in what can only be described as the arse-end of the world with nothing more than twisty dirty streets, windy conditions and three banks, all of which advertised a bureau de change but none actually had one! Bumped into a Slovenian couple we’d met earlier in the day and they needed dirhams whilst we needed Euros; so the deal was made outside the bank and for no commission at all!
Headed to the internet café and struggled to get a connection so hit the road south until it ran parallel with the sea and found our campsite for the night, again overlooking the Atlantic.
Tomorrow is another day on the road with the push south to Dakhla for our final restock and refuel before the border and the more unknown!
End of day location: just south of Laayoune
Distance covered: 150kms
Location: Tarfaya, Morocco
Weather: Clear blue skies and windy, 27°c
Status: A good report all round
Awoke on our beach with the shipwreck still there and a long drive ahead so we hit the road once I’d sorted out greasing up the UV joints on the props to keep the Colonels joints well lubricated.
Drove to Laayoune 120kms south through the border with Western Sahara which amounted to very little apart from the usual passport and profession check. Played a little game with the guards and Luke is now a bonafide member of the London university for English language…..well it gave us something to do anyway!
Arrived in what can only be described as the arse-end of the world with nothing more than twisty dirty streets, windy conditions and three banks, all of which advertised a bureau de change but none actually had one! Bumped into a Slovenian couple we’d met earlier in the day and they needed dirhams whilst we needed Euros; so the deal was made outside the bank and for no commission at all!
Headed to the internet café and struggled to get a connection so hit the road south until it ran parallel with the sea and found our campsite for the night, again overlooking the Atlantic.
Tomorrow is another day on the road with the push south to Dakhla for our final restock and refuel before the border and the more unknown!
End of day location: just south of Laayoune
Distance covered: 150kms
Monday, 4 February 2008
3rd Feb 08
Date: 3rd Feb 08
Location: Mirleft, Morocco
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 25°c
Status: Ben – having the best time, Luke – Tranquil, Colonel – Rolling on
Had an amazing little fire for a few hours the night before and cooked a poitjke which tasted superb, we’ve both commented on how good it is to be able to cook on an open fire with very little!
Set off early to enter new territory for the first time in a few weeks and it felt good to get moving and on the adventure once more. Destination; as far south as we can get before the sun drops out of the sky again.
After 6hrs of driving we got to one of the national parks which was a mixture of pure sand dunes, rocky sandstone and rivers which actually had some water in them for a change! The roads really are mad here, and anywhere you have great distances to cover in the world, they go on and on in straight lines as far as the eye can see until they disappear into the heathaze in the distance.
We’d read in on of the books that free camping is the norm further south and we managed to get as far as we’d hoped and found the first of the shipwrecks visible from the road. After crossing some small dunes we ended up with a campsite overlooking the beach with the shipwrecked fishing boat making up the most of our tent view for the evening.
Luke set about the cooking and I’m writing this as the sun drops behind the horizon for the night. Today has been what the dream is all about, I feel the most relaxed I ever have and so in awe of the fact that Afritrex is right here, right now!!!!!!!!
Bring on tomorrow….JJ
End of day location: Tarfaya, Morocco
Distance covered: 411kms
Location: Mirleft, Morocco
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 25°c
Status: Ben – having the best time, Luke – Tranquil, Colonel – Rolling on
Had an amazing little fire for a few hours the night before and cooked a poitjke which tasted superb, we’ve both commented on how good it is to be able to cook on an open fire with very little!
Set off early to enter new territory for the first time in a few weeks and it felt good to get moving and on the adventure once more. Destination; as far south as we can get before the sun drops out of the sky again.
After 6hrs of driving we got to one of the national parks which was a mixture of pure sand dunes, rocky sandstone and rivers which actually had some water in them for a change! The roads really are mad here, and anywhere you have great distances to cover in the world, they go on and on in straight lines as far as the eye can see until they disappear into the heathaze in the distance.
We’d read in on of the books that free camping is the norm further south and we managed to get as far as we’d hoped and found the first of the shipwrecks visible from the road. After crossing some small dunes we ended up with a campsite overlooking the beach with the shipwrecked fishing boat making up the most of our tent view for the evening.
Luke set about the cooking and I’m writing this as the sun drops behind the horizon for the night. Today has been what the dream is all about, I feel the most relaxed I ever have and so in awe of the fact that Afritrex is right here, right now!!!!!!!!
Bring on tomorrow….JJ
End of day location: Tarfaya, Morocco
Distance covered: 411kms
31st Jan 08
Date: 31st Jan & 1st Feb
Location: El Jadida
Weather: Scattered clouds bright and sunny, 22°c
Status: All just fine
Travelled from El Jadida south to Essaouira for the first day and stayed in the same spot as before with Ali the really sound car park attendant, parked up watched the sunset and sat on the internet with Luke playing online shithead!! Felt ridiculous speaking to people in the UK using my laptop, someone else’s wireless internet connection and a set of headphones whilst sat in the tent on the beach….lovin the technology!
Up early and then headed on the long trip south to Mirleft, stocked up on groceries at the Marjane supermarket and pulled up into our previous camp site around 8pm. Had a wicked little fire, coffee and munchies. Must have a look at the Colonel tomorrow, he’s pulling to one side slightly when I brake so need to get the wheel off and check the calliper etc.
Windy tonight for the first time in a few days with loads of cloud in the distance so could be in for some rain for the first time proper on the trip, well it was going to happen at some point!
Out
End of day location: Mirleft
Distance covered: 31st Jan – 310kms, 1st Feb – 328kms
Location: El Jadida
Weather: Scattered clouds bright and sunny, 22°c
Status: All just fine
Travelled from El Jadida south to Essaouira for the first day and stayed in the same spot as before with Ali the really sound car park attendant, parked up watched the sunset and sat on the internet with Luke playing online shithead!! Felt ridiculous speaking to people in the UK using my laptop, someone else’s wireless internet connection and a set of headphones whilst sat in the tent on the beach….lovin the technology!
Up early and then headed on the long trip south to Mirleft, stocked up on groceries at the Marjane supermarket and pulled up into our previous camp site around 8pm. Had a wicked little fire, coffee and munchies. Must have a look at the Colonel tomorrow, he’s pulling to one side slightly when I brake so need to get the wheel off and check the calliper etc.
Windy tonight for the first time in a few days with loads of cloud in the distance so could be in for some rain for the first time proper on the trip, well it was going to happen at some point!
Out
End of day location: Mirleft
Distance covered: 31st Jan – 310kms, 1st Feb – 328kms
Thursday, 31 January 2008
30th Jan 08
Date: 30th Jan 08
Location: El Jadida
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunny, 25°c
Status: Ben & Luke – frustrated, Colonel – back on top form
Another day of pounding the streets of Morocco in search of the seemingly impossible, battling the admin and spending money we shouldn’t be!
Up early with a soaking wet tent outside as we’d had the heaviest dew yet, so our 6am alarm clock was snoozed suitably until the sun had done its job and burnt the night’s water away! We even managed to get our washing done, dried and packed before we set off, ahhh clean clothes!
Headed north again (damn wrong direction) to Casablanca and as we’d marked the position of the clinic the day before on the GPS finding it was no problem. Then unusually so was finding the right department for Luke’s jab, in the hospital gates and there it was right in front of us, something different was happening from yesterday – things were going ok!
Within the hour Luke was all yellow-fevered up and we hit the road to Rabat, another 100kms north our destination the Mauritanian embassy at 3pm to collect (hopefully) our visas.
Got there at 3.30pm and this time the guard was even in a good mood welcoming us back, we headed down the box of a room to wait and no queue too so straight to the front and another friendly smile from the clerk! How different from yesterday!
“Mr Marshall and Mr Southall you are from England, here are your passports and visas, welcome to our country and enjoy your stay!!” This couldn’t get any better and Luke and I were on cloud 9 again...
Hit the A3 (not the same one) south for what we hoped would be the last time leaving the ugliness and industry of Casablanca and Rabat behind for good. The 3hr journey south took us towards the sun and the coast and back to our awesome little free camping spot on the beach where we had a fire, coffee and couscous before hitting the tent for some hardcore shithead games before bed.
LET THERE BE MORE DAY LIKE TODAY!!
End of day location: El Jadida
Distance covered: 320kms
Location: El Jadida
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunny, 25°c
Status: Ben & Luke – frustrated, Colonel – back on top form
Another day of pounding the streets of Morocco in search of the seemingly impossible, battling the admin and spending money we shouldn’t be!
Up early with a soaking wet tent outside as we’d had the heaviest dew yet, so our 6am alarm clock was snoozed suitably until the sun had done its job and burnt the night’s water away! We even managed to get our washing done, dried and packed before we set off, ahhh clean clothes!
Headed north again (damn wrong direction) to Casablanca and as we’d marked the position of the clinic the day before on the GPS finding it was no problem. Then unusually so was finding the right department for Luke’s jab, in the hospital gates and there it was right in front of us, something different was happening from yesterday – things were going ok!
Within the hour Luke was all yellow-fevered up and we hit the road to Rabat, another 100kms north our destination the Mauritanian embassy at 3pm to collect (hopefully) our visas.
Got there at 3.30pm and this time the guard was even in a good mood welcoming us back, we headed down the box of a room to wait and no queue too so straight to the front and another friendly smile from the clerk! How different from yesterday!
“Mr Marshall and Mr Southall you are from England, here are your passports and visas, welcome to our country and enjoy your stay!!” This couldn’t get any better and Luke and I were on cloud 9 again...
Hit the A3 (not the same one) south for what we hoped would be the last time leaving the ugliness and industry of Casablanca and Rabat behind for good. The 3hr journey south took us towards the sun and the coast and back to our awesome little free camping spot on the beach where we had a fire, coffee and couscous before hitting the tent for some hardcore shithead games before bed.
LET THERE BE MORE DAY LIKE TODAY!!
End of day location: El Jadida
Distance covered: 320kms
29th Jan 08
Date: 29th Jan 08
Location: El Rajida
Weather: Scattered sunshine and dry, 25°c
Status: Ben – recovered, Luke – sleeping, Colonel – fixed and fit
Earliest start of the trip so far, slept the night on the edge of some stunning sand dunes and got up at 5am for the 200kms drive to Casablanca for Luke’s yellow fever jab and then onto Rabat to the Mauritanian embassy to buy our visas for the next country. All very easy, no this is Africa as I keep reminding Luke!
Drive was excellent on the best roads we’ve encountered so far, headed to Rabat to get our application in before 10am for the next day service…but no, not available until tomorrow at 3pm!! So we headed to Casablanca another hour away and found the clinic which Luke has to go to for his immunisation tomorrow. Mad big grotty city which does nothing to recreate the splendour which the film of the same name portrays!
Couldn’t even find a good place to stop for lunch so bit the bullet and had a McDonalds for the first time in about 10yrs. Zoe you would be so proud!
Left the city to find the only campsite in the area and as with all of the others out of season there was hardly anyone there apart from the stray cats and resident parrot! Luke whipped up a storm of couscous and we hit the sack early after the days adventures.
Up at the crack of dawn again tomorrow for more admin nightmares….
End of day location: Casablanca
Distance covered: 290kms
Location: El Rajida
Weather: Scattered sunshine and dry, 25°c
Status: Ben – recovered, Luke – sleeping, Colonel – fixed and fit
Earliest start of the trip so far, slept the night on the edge of some stunning sand dunes and got up at 5am for the 200kms drive to Casablanca for Luke’s yellow fever jab and then onto Rabat to the Mauritanian embassy to buy our visas for the next country. All very easy, no this is Africa as I keep reminding Luke!
Drive was excellent on the best roads we’ve encountered so far, headed to Rabat to get our application in before 10am for the next day service…but no, not available until tomorrow at 3pm!! So we headed to Casablanca another hour away and found the clinic which Luke has to go to for his immunisation tomorrow. Mad big grotty city which does nothing to recreate the splendour which the film of the same name portrays!
Couldn’t even find a good place to stop for lunch so bit the bullet and had a McDonalds for the first time in about 10yrs. Zoe you would be so proud!
Left the city to find the only campsite in the area and as with all of the others out of season there was hardly anyone there apart from the stray cats and resident parrot! Luke whipped up a storm of couscous and we hit the sack early after the days adventures.
Up at the crack of dawn again tomorrow for more admin nightmares….
End of day location: Casablanca
Distance covered: 290kms
28th Jan 08
Date: 28th Jan 08
Location: Marrakech
Weather: Light grey skies with broken sunshine, 25°c
Status: Ben – legs of a 90 yr old, Luke – all good, Colonel – not charging quite right!
Last day in Marrakech today with loads to do before we head out and down to the coast again, up early, SSS, breakfast on the square and then the list of tasks for the morning! Got loads of passport photos printed for Luke in case we need them for visas etc, copied all of my photos onto CD for Kalid, our good friend at the hotel, and then tried to find somewhere for Luke to get his yellow fever injection…..oh dear.
Found the location on the map and no problem getting ourselves there, found the clinic, but the wrong place we needed the hospital, no probs only the other side of the road, to the reception, go to the next building, go to reception there to be told its downstairs, go there and told its not there but another location all together on the other side of town! Back to the Land Rover and again no probs finding the place, Luke went in and back out 10 mins later……yes he can get it, but only in Casablanca on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays!! AHHHHHH
Driving slowly, or so I thought out of town a very kind policeman decided to jump out behind a bush with his speed camera. I’d been following a Mercedes for the last few kms and for some unknown reason the cop decided to pull me over not him for doing 71km/h in a 60 zone. A nice enough chap who talked with me about the marathon the day before amongst other pleasantries, but I still left 200Dhms worse off than when I stopped. Still £15 for a lovely talk with a member of the constabulary; can’t think of a better way to spend my hard earned cash!! Note to self, drive slowly through towns.
Destination Essaouira will have to wait for another day, decided to head up to the clinic as its essential that Luke has the immunisation before going to some of the countries as they won’t let you in without it. Driving north for some distance for the first time in the trip and it doesn’t feel right!
Rather than staying in one of the towns again we headed to a location slightly south of Casa called Sidi Bouzid and found another absolutely stunning camping location 10m from the ocean on a headland jutting out into the Atlantic. Luke cooked dinner, I planned the next day and we went to bed!
End of day location:
Distance covered:
Location: Marrakech
Weather: Light grey skies with broken sunshine, 25°c
Status: Ben – legs of a 90 yr old, Luke – all good, Colonel – not charging quite right!
Last day in Marrakech today with loads to do before we head out and down to the coast again, up early, SSS, breakfast on the square and then the list of tasks for the morning! Got loads of passport photos printed for Luke in case we need them for visas etc, copied all of my photos onto CD for Kalid, our good friend at the hotel, and then tried to find somewhere for Luke to get his yellow fever injection…..oh dear.
Found the location on the map and no problem getting ourselves there, found the clinic, but the wrong place we needed the hospital, no probs only the other side of the road, to the reception, go to the next building, go to reception there to be told its downstairs, go there and told its not there but another location all together on the other side of town! Back to the Land Rover and again no probs finding the place, Luke went in and back out 10 mins later……yes he can get it, but only in Casablanca on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays!! AHHHHHH
Driving slowly, or so I thought out of town a very kind policeman decided to jump out behind a bush with his speed camera. I’d been following a Mercedes for the last few kms and for some unknown reason the cop decided to pull me over not him for doing 71km/h in a 60 zone. A nice enough chap who talked with me about the marathon the day before amongst other pleasantries, but I still left 200Dhms worse off than when I stopped. Still £15 for a lovely talk with a member of the constabulary; can’t think of a better way to spend my hard earned cash!! Note to self, drive slowly through towns.
Destination Essaouira will have to wait for another day, decided to head up to the clinic as its essential that Luke has the immunisation before going to some of the countries as they won’t let you in without it. Driving north for some distance for the first time in the trip and it doesn’t feel right!
Rather than staying in one of the towns again we headed to a location slightly south of Casa called Sidi Bouzid and found another absolutely stunning camping location 10m from the ocean on a headland jutting out into the Atlantic. Luke cooked dinner, I planned the next day and we went to bed!
End of day location:
Distance covered:
Sunday, 27 January 2008
27th Jan 08
Date: 27th Jan 08
Location: Marrakech
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 27°c
Status: Ben – Overjoyed to have finished the marathon, Luke – All good, Colonel –
parked up
So that’s it then, the Marrakech marathon out of the way – probably the least prepared I ever want to be for one of the challenges ever, but I managed to drag my sorry-ass around the 42kms course (god it sounds further in KM’s!) and set a pretty damn fine time of 4hrs 6mins which amazingly is 3 mins quicker than the last one I did in Wales, and only 6 mins slower than this years London time which I trained for weeks for!
Was an excellent experience and very different from the UK races I’ve been involved with, no toilets, mostly French runners and for some frustrating reason 3 different finishing banners all of which I thought were the final few metres and the finish!
Sitting in the internet café typing this out with the intention of finding some beer in this city and drinking it somewhere out of harms view as its still frowned on here and I don’t want to offend and end up in jail like that stupid women who named her teddy bear Mohammed!
Clothes are being washed, dinner is taken care of and we intend hitting the road sometime in the next 48hrs to go south and start the adventure proper.
Luke is a massively valued part of this whole thing now and I’m so glad to have him on board until Ghana, if your looking for a ride down the west coast of Africa leaving Ghana sometime in March then get in touch! Navigation skills would be a bonus…
Have a great day in the UK, I’m off to lubricate my insides with the good stuff.
End of day location: Marrakech
Distance covered: 0kms, apart from the 42kms I ran!
Location: Marrakech
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 27°c
Status: Ben – Overjoyed to have finished the marathon, Luke – All good, Colonel –
parked up
So that’s it then, the Marrakech marathon out of the way – probably the least prepared I ever want to be for one of the challenges ever, but I managed to drag my sorry-ass around the 42kms course (god it sounds further in KM’s!) and set a pretty damn fine time of 4hrs 6mins which amazingly is 3 mins quicker than the last one I did in Wales, and only 6 mins slower than this years London time which I trained for weeks for!
Was an excellent experience and very different from the UK races I’ve been involved with, no toilets, mostly French runners and for some frustrating reason 3 different finishing banners all of which I thought were the final few metres and the finish!
Sitting in the internet café typing this out with the intention of finding some beer in this city and drinking it somewhere out of harms view as its still frowned on here and I don’t want to offend and end up in jail like that stupid women who named her teddy bear Mohammed!
Clothes are being washed, dinner is taken care of and we intend hitting the road sometime in the next 48hrs to go south and start the adventure proper.
Luke is a massively valued part of this whole thing now and I’m so glad to have him on board until Ghana, if your looking for a ride down the west coast of Africa leaving Ghana sometime in March then get in touch! Navigation skills would be a bonus…
Have a great day in the UK, I’m off to lubricate my insides with the good stuff.
End of day location: Marrakech
Distance covered: 0kms, apart from the 42kms I ran!
Saturday, 26 January 2008
25th Jan 08
Date: 25th Jan 08
Location: Marrakech
Weather: Blue skies with some cloud, 26°c
Status: Ben – as prepared as my unprepared body can be!! Luke – on board, Colonel – parked up safely
Mission for the day – find the registration point for the marathon! Had a long walk around the city and found it!
All sorts of entertainment going on with bands, singers and entertainers filling the Jardin de Harti with a festival like atmosphere and me constantly thinking about Sunday and how on earth I’m going to drag myself around the 42km circuit!! I WILL do it…Inshallah!
Found a terrace café overlooking the central square to sit and catch up on emails whilst Luke and Sue did a final bit of shopping before she hits the road tomorrow with the next destination being the Alps and the family. Enjoyed the atmosphere and sunset over a coffee before heading back to the hotel.
Morocco has provided the most incredible start to the journey with indescribable places, uber-friendly people and the sort of weather I craved whilst planning this thing back in the UK. My only real negatives so far have been the condition of my feet, Owen’s failure to show and the training I feel I have missed out on but they are minor issues when I put them into the bigger picture.
I’m looking forward with great excitement and anticipation to the next few weeks on board with Luke as my wingman and sidekick, a real chance for us to cement our already brilliant relationship. The photos and diary will become better, more descriptive and a true feast for all of you!
End of day location: Marrakech
Distance covered: 0kms
Location: Marrakech
Weather: Blue skies with some cloud, 26°c
Status: Ben – as prepared as my unprepared body can be!! Luke – on board, Colonel – parked up safely
Mission for the day – find the registration point for the marathon! Had a long walk around the city and found it!
All sorts of entertainment going on with bands, singers and entertainers filling the Jardin de Harti with a festival like atmosphere and me constantly thinking about Sunday and how on earth I’m going to drag myself around the 42km circuit!! I WILL do it…Inshallah!
Found a terrace café overlooking the central square to sit and catch up on emails whilst Luke and Sue did a final bit of shopping before she hits the road tomorrow with the next destination being the Alps and the family. Enjoyed the atmosphere and sunset over a coffee before heading back to the hotel.
Morocco has provided the most incredible start to the journey with indescribable places, uber-friendly people and the sort of weather I craved whilst planning this thing back in the UK. My only real negatives so far have been the condition of my feet, Owen’s failure to show and the training I feel I have missed out on but they are minor issues when I put them into the bigger picture.
I’m looking forward with great excitement and anticipation to the next few weeks on board with Luke as my wingman and sidekick, a real chance for us to cement our already brilliant relationship. The photos and diary will become better, more descriptive and a true feast for all of you!
End of day location: Marrakech
Distance covered: 0kms
24th Jan 08
Date: 24th Jan 08
Location: Taghazoute
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine with a wee bit of cloud in the distance, 27°c
Status: Ben – trying my best with knackered feet! Colonel – still missing the tap!
Left Taghazoute early to meet up with Luke’s mum who’d stayed in hotel in the town as the night before the warning light for the alternator had come on during the drive up the coast. Once we started it up again in the morning the problem seemed to have gone so we hit the road, destination Marrakech, and for once we’re leaving in the daylight – a novel experience for us and probably a really good thing for our lives!
After a good 3hrs on the road we rolled into the back streets of Marra and Luke’s new-found navigation skills got us straight to the car park they’d used before! Walked through the central square and souk and we’re approached by all manner of madman, snake charmer, monkey trainer before finding peace and solitude at one of the many restaurants in the centre of the square for a fat feast!
From reading email after email from Owen all of which follow the same line I have decided to continue the adventure alone for the time being, well with a fantastic passenger on board, my dear friend and new challenge partner (although I fear the marathon could be a step too far!!) Luke J
We will spend the next few days preparing for the marathon, saying goodbye to Sue as she departs for the Alps tomorrow and searching out a replacement tap for the Land Rover! The expedition has not faltered, merely changed course as we plan to head to Ghana, the host of the African Cup of Nations, where we’ll take in one of the matches before packing Luke off back to the UK (maybe) Inshallah!
End of day location: Marrakech
Distance covered: 286kms
Location: Taghazoute
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine with a wee bit of cloud in the distance, 27°c
Status: Ben – trying my best with knackered feet! Colonel – still missing the tap!
Left Taghazoute early to meet up with Luke’s mum who’d stayed in hotel in the town as the night before the warning light for the alternator had come on during the drive up the coast. Once we started it up again in the morning the problem seemed to have gone so we hit the road, destination Marrakech, and for once we’re leaving in the daylight – a novel experience for us and probably a really good thing for our lives!
After a good 3hrs on the road we rolled into the back streets of Marra and Luke’s new-found navigation skills got us straight to the car park they’d used before! Walked through the central square and souk and we’re approached by all manner of madman, snake charmer, monkey trainer before finding peace and solitude at one of the many restaurants in the centre of the square for a fat feast!
From reading email after email from Owen all of which follow the same line I have decided to continue the adventure alone for the time being, well with a fantastic passenger on board, my dear friend and new challenge partner (although I fear the marathon could be a step too far!!) Luke J
We will spend the next few days preparing for the marathon, saying goodbye to Sue as she departs for the Alps tomorrow and searching out a replacement tap for the Land Rover! The expedition has not faltered, merely changed course as we plan to head to Ghana, the host of the African Cup of Nations, where we’ll take in one of the matches before packing Luke off back to the UK (maybe) Inshallah!
End of day location: Marrakech
Distance covered: 286kms
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
21st Jan 08
Date: 21st Jan 08
Location: Mirleft, Morocco
Weather: Another great day in Africa
Status: Ben – struggling to get my feet ready for the marathon, Colonel – missing water tap from the rear tank, in need of fixing.
R&R beside the beach for the day following an exciting trip into the nearest town Sidi Ifni to visit the Monday market to buy fruit, veg, spices, a washing bowl and a good section of lamb ready for tonights culinary delights.
In the process of sitting by the Land Rover, relaxing in the sun its amazing how many people sit down with you to start conversation which is awesome.
Flavio the Italian/Swiss surfer in his Merc Vento parked up next to us and a day later is still here after sharing a stunning evening meal and making us all laugh with his jokes and stories.
The german couple next door decided if they can’t beat us, join us and pulled their chairs into the fire while we chatted until the sun went down – a fantastic lady who has travelled extensively around the globe, is very similar to my friend Jay’s mum and brought a whole Tupperware of nibbles to the evenings meal!
And then there’s the weird camper, a bit of a run-down American-style day wagon which when it arrived deposited two guys and three girls at our doorstep. After a quick conversation it turns out the 40yr old owner of the camper is on a road trip, picked up the Spanish guy in Casablanca and at the same time collected three ‘female passengers’ from Fes – all between 20 and 25, and there to service their needs as required! Interesting arrangement J
Once the sun had set behind the horizon we set about producing another fantastic meal for ourselves, Flavio, Abdullah, Eisha (2 local cousins who’d parked off with us)! When Eisha had to go as the darkness was setting it, Luke was only too happy to oblige and spent the next couple of hours introducing a bit of English charm and humour to their evening as neither spoke the other language…but we managed to get an invite to tajine at theirs this evening!
Bed before midnight…..
End of day location: Mirleft
Distance covered: 50kms
Location: Mirleft, Morocco
Weather: Another great day in Africa
Status: Ben – struggling to get my feet ready for the marathon, Colonel – missing water tap from the rear tank, in need of fixing.
R&R beside the beach for the day following an exciting trip into the nearest town Sidi Ifni to visit the Monday market to buy fruit, veg, spices, a washing bowl and a good section of lamb ready for tonights culinary delights.
In the process of sitting by the Land Rover, relaxing in the sun its amazing how many people sit down with you to start conversation which is awesome.
Flavio the Italian/Swiss surfer in his Merc Vento parked up next to us and a day later is still here after sharing a stunning evening meal and making us all laugh with his jokes and stories.
The german couple next door decided if they can’t beat us, join us and pulled their chairs into the fire while we chatted until the sun went down – a fantastic lady who has travelled extensively around the globe, is very similar to my friend Jay’s mum and brought a whole Tupperware of nibbles to the evenings meal!
And then there’s the weird camper, a bit of a run-down American-style day wagon which when it arrived deposited two guys and three girls at our doorstep. After a quick conversation it turns out the 40yr old owner of the camper is on a road trip, picked up the Spanish guy in Casablanca and at the same time collected three ‘female passengers’ from Fes – all between 20 and 25, and there to service their needs as required! Interesting arrangement J
Once the sun had set behind the horizon we set about producing another fantastic meal for ourselves, Flavio, Abdullah, Eisha (2 local cousins who’d parked off with us)! When Eisha had to go as the darkness was setting it, Luke was only too happy to oblige and spent the next couple of hours introducing a bit of English charm and humour to their evening as neither spoke the other language…but we managed to get an invite to tajine at theirs this evening!
Bed before midnight…..
End of day location: Mirleft
Distance covered: 50kms
20th Jan 08
Date: 20th Jan 08
Location: Merleft
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 25 °c
Status: Ben – 100% good, Colonel – much the same
Got up late and packed, refilled and swept out the vehicle to prepare for the lengthy half hour drive to our next stunning location to camp at, headed to the local hotel for breakfast of baguette, strong coffee and OJ and got the map out.
Our destination the small town of Merleft 30kms down the coast and according to the Lonely Planet, an uninspiring hippie hang out; spend a few days there and its ambience is contagious!
Arrived and Sue left her car to have the window fixed and I found an tiny internet café and oh my god…..they sell card readers so finally I can take the photos off my camera and stick them on the site! Will do that tomorrow….inshallah.
Headed to the campsite, on the beach predictably, and set up camp. Off to play Frisbee now so will report back sometime soon.
End of day location: Merleft
Distance covered: 30kms
Location: Merleft
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunshine, 25 °c
Status: Ben – 100% good, Colonel – much the same
Got up late and packed, refilled and swept out the vehicle to prepare for the lengthy half hour drive to our next stunning location to camp at, headed to the local hotel for breakfast of baguette, strong coffee and OJ and got the map out.
Our destination the small town of Merleft 30kms down the coast and according to the Lonely Planet, an uninspiring hippie hang out; spend a few days there and its ambience is contagious!
Arrived and Sue left her car to have the window fixed and I found an tiny internet café and oh my god…..they sell card readers so finally I can take the photos off my camera and stick them on the site! Will do that tomorrow….inshallah.
Headed to the campsite, on the beach predictably, and set up camp. Off to play Frisbee now so will report back sometime soon.
End of day location: Merleft
Distance covered: 30kms
Saturday, 19 January 2008
19th Jan 08
Date: 19th Jan 08
Location: N of Tazhoute
Weather: Clear blue skies, some light cloud, hot 25°c
Status: Ben – recovering feet, but enjoying the ocean and the sun! Colonel – Parked up
Have spent the last 24hrs parked up with all the other campervans right at the edge of the Atlantic soaking up as much vitamin D from the sun as I can in preparation for the marathon at the end of the month. My feet are bruised and battered from the climb and from having a pair of, although damn fine looking boots, ones that rubbed and chaffed like you wouldn’t believe!
I knew the challenges were going to be difficult mentally and physically and I was/am prepared for that but having feet feeling like this with only a few days to go before the next challenge really isn’t too good! Still if Zola Budd could run long distances in bare feet then maybe that’s what I’ll have to employ to get the next one out of the way and completed!
We’re off south today to restock at the supermarkets before trying to find another surf beach further south to enjoy the full effects of!
End of day location: ?
Distance covered: ?
Location: N of Tazhoute
Weather: Clear blue skies, some light cloud, hot 25°c
Status: Ben – recovering feet, but enjoying the ocean and the sun! Colonel – Parked up
Have spent the last 24hrs parked up with all the other campervans right at the edge of the Atlantic soaking up as much vitamin D from the sun as I can in preparation for the marathon at the end of the month. My feet are bruised and battered from the climb and from having a pair of, although damn fine looking boots, ones that rubbed and chaffed like you wouldn’t believe!
I knew the challenges were going to be difficult mentally and physically and I was/am prepared for that but having feet feeling like this with only a few days to go before the next challenge really isn’t too good! Still if Zola Budd could run long distances in bare feet then maybe that’s what I’ll have to employ to get the next one out of the way and completed!
We’re off south today to restock at the supermarkets before trying to find another surf beach further south to enjoy the full effects of!
End of day location: ?
Distance covered: ?
18th Jan 08
Date: 14th Jan 07
Location: N of Tahzoute
Weather: Clear, Blue Skies and the warmest morning of the trip so far!
Status: Ben – In need of recuperation by the ocean, Colonel – moving again
Blimey what a rollercoaster of a last week it’s been!! Started it feeling the worst and most tired I’d felt in 10 years and now finish it sat once again by the Atlantic Ocean basking in the wicked sunshine soaking my aching feet after the exertions of climbing a mountain!! JJ
Once Jenny and Colin had finished the last bit of their fish lunch and headed north for their village fiesta my stomach hadn’t felt right, I spent a complete day holed up in the tent doing nothing apart from run to the loo and then we had to head to the Atlas to prepare for the first of the challenges – Toubkal, great!
After a good drive through Marrakech, again in the rush hour but safely navigated, we drove up to the mountain road to find the quiet village of Imlil; the base camp for summer and winter ascents of the Atlas range, four of which peaks are over 4000m.
When we strolled into the Café de Soleil after sundown we met another truly great character and big part of the trip so far, Alex our French/living in Wales guide and instructor. We all immediately hit it off and shared the same approach to the situation “How are we gonna get Luke up and hill instead of Owen?”…simple, off dashes the hotel owner and brings back a pair of boots in the right size and a set of crampons, couple that lot with the other bits I’ve got and there he is….Luke the intrepid mountain explorer!
After a cold nights sleep we rolled out of our freezing rooms and got the kit together to start the three day journey to scale Mount Toubkal. They’d be split into one hard day and two easier with the worst of it coming first as we try to cover most of the distance while feeling fairly fresh at the start. A long 6 hour trudge up to the refuge at 3140m was made a damn sight easier by the addition of crampons for the first time in the mini-adventure and together with it the joys of trying to walk with your knees ALWAYS slightly apart to save from tripping up and heading off down the sheer slopes before you’re meant to.
Was wasn’t making the trek any easier, was that every step we were taking nearer to the refuge our task was becoming harder and harder as the air thinned and oxygen became more precious causing our hearts to beat faster to compensate, not so bad in the early stages but by the time we’d got to the last hour of our efforts we needed to stop every 2 mins to get our breath back. Makes you feel really, really unfit and it doesn’t matter how fit you think you are it still gets you big time, Luke meanwhile with his literally minutes of preparation for the climb, wasn’t really looking forward to day 2.
Up bright and early for the assault on the summit and it was ‘Another shit day in Africa’ again – clear blue skies, sunshine and about -8°c in our rooms (honestly) as we scraped the frost off the inside of the glass! After stuffing down some breakfast and making my final unscheduled visit to the toilet we headed outside full of expectation and aching feet to crampon-up. The ascent was only around 1.5kms away but up gain of nearly 1km so some serious thigh work to do if we’re gonna make it! 3hrs later we’d made most of the distance up and the climb stated to level out so the ice axes became more like weapons and the summit finally showed it face over a ridge at which point Luke decided to break into a sprint to be the first there….and made it in superb American sport jock style……YEAH!
A more-than-Titanic struggle to get there but oh so worth it, the huge amount of huffing puffing, not changing for 4 days, wind-chapped face, blistered feet feeling it was incredible. Challenge one complete.
Back at the refuge that night we were enjoying the last of the afternoons sunshine, last being about 16.00 as the refuge is deep in a valley, getting sunlight for about 6hrs a day before dropping back into the sub-zero zone, when along rocked a bunch of four Catalonians to join us for the night! Later that evening, even though the language gap as a bit of a barrier, the rules of Shithead (card game) had been swapped and battle commenced!
Most amusing part of the trip so far? Watching Daphne (the female member of their troupe) pick up the complete set of rules in a game and kick Alex’s ass straight away afterwards….”But I never loose” he said!!
Next day, yesterday, involved travelling down from the mountains to Marrakech to drop off our good buddy Alex, then headed west as far as you can go and back to the coast!
So that’s exactly where I’m writing this from now, the beach, with the sun hitting my right shoulder so much I’ll have to turn around soon and a set of achy, tired and bruised feet but a very contented and satisfied head! Doctor’s orders are as follows: sunshine, relax and let the blisters recover before in 10 days time they have to get moving again to run the streets of Marrakech and the first marathon of the trip.
Signing off for now…..Ben & Luke
End of day location: on the beach at Tahzoute
Distance covered: 353kms
Location: N of Tahzoute
Weather: Clear, Blue Skies and the warmest morning of the trip so far!
Status: Ben – In need of recuperation by the ocean, Colonel – moving again
Blimey what a rollercoaster of a last week it’s been!! Started it feeling the worst and most tired I’d felt in 10 years and now finish it sat once again by the Atlantic Ocean basking in the wicked sunshine soaking my aching feet after the exertions of climbing a mountain!! JJ
Once Jenny and Colin had finished the last bit of their fish lunch and headed north for their village fiesta my stomach hadn’t felt right, I spent a complete day holed up in the tent doing nothing apart from run to the loo and then we had to head to the Atlas to prepare for the first of the challenges – Toubkal, great!
After a good drive through Marrakech, again in the rush hour but safely navigated, we drove up to the mountain road to find the quiet village of Imlil; the base camp for summer and winter ascents of the Atlas range, four of which peaks are over 4000m.
When we strolled into the Café de Soleil after sundown we met another truly great character and big part of the trip so far, Alex our French/living in Wales guide and instructor. We all immediately hit it off and shared the same approach to the situation “How are we gonna get Luke up and hill instead of Owen?”…simple, off dashes the hotel owner and brings back a pair of boots in the right size and a set of crampons, couple that lot with the other bits I’ve got and there he is….Luke the intrepid mountain explorer!
After a cold nights sleep we rolled out of our freezing rooms and got the kit together to start the three day journey to scale Mount Toubkal. They’d be split into one hard day and two easier with the worst of it coming first as we try to cover most of the distance while feeling fairly fresh at the start. A long 6 hour trudge up to the refuge at 3140m was made a damn sight easier by the addition of crampons for the first time in the mini-adventure and together with it the joys of trying to walk with your knees ALWAYS slightly apart to save from tripping up and heading off down the sheer slopes before you’re meant to.
Was wasn’t making the trek any easier, was that every step we were taking nearer to the refuge our task was becoming harder and harder as the air thinned and oxygen became more precious causing our hearts to beat faster to compensate, not so bad in the early stages but by the time we’d got to the last hour of our efforts we needed to stop every 2 mins to get our breath back. Makes you feel really, really unfit and it doesn’t matter how fit you think you are it still gets you big time, Luke meanwhile with his literally minutes of preparation for the climb, wasn’t really looking forward to day 2.
Up bright and early for the assault on the summit and it was ‘Another shit day in Africa’ again – clear blue skies, sunshine and about -8°c in our rooms (honestly) as we scraped the frost off the inside of the glass! After stuffing down some breakfast and making my final unscheduled visit to the toilet we headed outside full of expectation and aching feet to crampon-up. The ascent was only around 1.5kms away but up gain of nearly 1km so some serious thigh work to do if we’re gonna make it! 3hrs later we’d made most of the distance up and the climb stated to level out so the ice axes became more like weapons and the summit finally showed it face over a ridge at which point Luke decided to break into a sprint to be the first there….and made it in superb American sport jock style……YEAH!
A more-than-Titanic struggle to get there but oh so worth it, the huge amount of huffing puffing, not changing for 4 days, wind-chapped face, blistered feet feeling it was incredible. Challenge one complete.
Back at the refuge that night we were enjoying the last of the afternoons sunshine, last being about 16.00 as the refuge is deep in a valley, getting sunlight for about 6hrs a day before dropping back into the sub-zero zone, when along rocked a bunch of four Catalonians to join us for the night! Later that evening, even though the language gap as a bit of a barrier, the rules of Shithead (card game) had been swapped and battle commenced!
Most amusing part of the trip so far? Watching Daphne (the female member of their troupe) pick up the complete set of rules in a game and kick Alex’s ass straight away afterwards….”But I never loose” he said!!
Next day, yesterday, involved travelling down from the mountains to Marrakech to drop off our good buddy Alex, then headed west as far as you can go and back to the coast!
So that’s exactly where I’m writing this from now, the beach, with the sun hitting my right shoulder so much I’ll have to turn around soon and a set of achy, tired and bruised feet but a very contented and satisfied head! Doctor’s orders are as follows: sunshine, relax and let the blisters recover before in 10 days time they have to get moving again to run the streets of Marrakech and the first marathon of the trip.
Signing off for now…..Ben & Luke
End of day location: on the beach at Tahzoute
Distance covered: 353kms
Monday, 14 January 2008
Jan 12th 08
Date: 12th Jan 08
Location: Essaouira
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunny, 10°c at night, 18°c in the daytime
Status: Ben – aching from playing far too much Frisbee, Colonel – all good
Not the biggest diary entry in the world as very little has happened over the past few days, we’ve taken the opportunity to relax, eat well and soak up the atmosphere of the beach during the day and the medina at night filled with its strange smells, sights and most of all people!
Today we’re heading down the coast in search of another campsite which should be cheaper than the beachside, retirement camper-filled, rather too tarmac-based site I’ve been enjoying! It really is a little too much to have dogs/building site/people waking you up at 6am every morning when I’m supposed to be on holiday!
Writing this part 2 days after the script above as I’ve been holed up in the tent for the last 24hrs only leaving to make a bee-line for the toilet block as something, be it food, water or sunshine has struck me down with a good portion delhi-belly (and in Morocco too!), on the mend now and making our way back towards Marrakech and then south from there to Imlil to arrange for Luke to make the climb with me…if we can find some equipment!
May be out of touch for a few days but will report back ASAP on our descent! Inshallah
End of day location: Sidi Kaouchi
Distance covered: 35kms
Location: Essaouira
Weather: Clear blue skies and sunny, 10°c at night, 18°c in the daytime
Status: Ben – aching from playing far too much Frisbee, Colonel – all good
Not the biggest diary entry in the world as very little has happened over the past few days, we’ve taken the opportunity to relax, eat well and soak up the atmosphere of the beach during the day and the medina at night filled with its strange smells, sights and most of all people!
Today we’re heading down the coast in search of another campsite which should be cheaper than the beachside, retirement camper-filled, rather too tarmac-based site I’ve been enjoying! It really is a little too much to have dogs/building site/people waking you up at 6am every morning when I’m supposed to be on holiday!
Writing this part 2 days after the script above as I’ve been holed up in the tent for the last 24hrs only leaving to make a bee-line for the toilet block as something, be it food, water or sunshine has struck me down with a good portion delhi-belly (and in Morocco too!), on the mend now and making our way back towards Marrakech and then south from there to Imlil to arrange for Luke to make the climb with me…if we can find some equipment!
May be out of touch for a few days but will report back ASAP on our descent! Inshallah
End of day location: Sidi Kaouchi
Distance covered: 35kms
Saturday, 12 January 2008
10th Jan 08
Date: 10TH Jan 07
Location: Essaouira, Morocco
Weather: Blue skies and the best sunshine yet, 18°c
Status: Ben – on the coast with Luke smiling 100%, Colonel – marching on
Awoke at 6am with cramped up knees as I’d spent the night in the back of Jenny’s car so they could enjoy the comfort of the tent! Made our way to the shop for coffee and crepes when who appeared round the corner….Luke and Sue!! Fantastic to see them both and the start of the next part of the adventure.
Made our way towards the Atlantic coast and the town of Essaouira 140kms west, as we passed through the olive grove lined roads and dropped in altitude the fog built up until we were slowly advancing with headlights blazing! Once it had cleared we’d almost arrived at the coast and dropped down the final few kms until there it was in front of us….the ocean!!
Frisbee took up the next hour of our lives as we relaxed and I felt like the expedition had taken a turn for the better after the last few days disappointment and deep thinking, a quick run down the beach and a good swim in the ‘english warm’ ocean blew away the cobwebs and the interesting nights accommodation!
Sue had managed to find a good contact called Ali who’d found us a sweet little apartment just back from the beachfront for D200 a night and it was perfect, 3 bedrooms, 2 lounges and a roof terrace so we parked off until Luke had prepared us an appetiser for the walk into town!
End of day location: Essaouira
Distance covered: 0kms
Location: Essaouira, Morocco
Weather: Blue skies and the best sunshine yet, 18°c
Status: Ben – on the coast with Luke smiling 100%, Colonel – marching on
Awoke at 6am with cramped up knees as I’d spent the night in the back of Jenny’s car so they could enjoy the comfort of the tent! Made our way to the shop for coffee and crepes when who appeared round the corner….Luke and Sue!! Fantastic to see them both and the start of the next part of the adventure.
Made our way towards the Atlantic coast and the town of Essaouira 140kms west, as we passed through the olive grove lined roads and dropped in altitude the fog built up until we were slowly advancing with headlights blazing! Once it had cleared we’d almost arrived at the coast and dropped down the final few kms until there it was in front of us….the ocean!!
Frisbee took up the next hour of our lives as we relaxed and I felt like the expedition had taken a turn for the better after the last few days disappointment and deep thinking, a quick run down the beach and a good swim in the ‘english warm’ ocean blew away the cobwebs and the interesting nights accommodation!
Sue had managed to find a good contact called Ali who’d found us a sweet little apartment just back from the beachfront for D200 a night and it was perfect, 3 bedrooms, 2 lounges and a roof terrace so we parked off until Luke had prepared us an appetiser for the walk into town!
End of day location: Essaouira
Distance covered: 0kms
9th Jan 08
Date: 9th Jan 07
Location: Chicchaoua – the arse-end of all service stations
Weather: Clear blue skies, 10°c
Status: Ben – Loving Morocco, Colonel – marching on
Another cold night in the tent due to the altitude, so awoke to 2°c temps outside, hastily packed up and left the gorge behind as we started the trek to Marrakech to meet Luke and his Mum. Our journey took us over the High Atlas mountains and for the first time we spotted Mount Toubkal in the distance, snow covered and ominously huge! Will be back in this area in a weeks time to start the first ascent.
Dropped down from an altitude of 2200m to 500m on some of the most exciting/scary roads yet with sheer drops of the side and crash barriers which may as well not be there. Passed a number of broken down trucks halfway up the passes – god only knows how they get spares, repair them and then get on their way again! When you see how some of the trucks are loaded with hay you’d be amazed, literally hanging 5m off the back, front and sides and looking like they’ll tip over at any point – one had done just that and managed to completely block one lane on the steepest of descents leaving about 20 bales all over the road with one guy fast asleep on top waiting for his ride to return, only in Africa!
So we TRIED to get into Marrakech to find a bed for the night but it was 17.30hrs slap bang in the middle of the rush hour and when we tried to ask a policeman for directions it was obviously the wrong time to do it as he asked us very politely to move on!
Marrakech is split into the old and new town and we were trying to meet Luke near his hotel in the old medina but trying to get vehicles there is a nightmare, so we made the decision to head out of the centre and try again in the morning, simple you’d think? The road to Agadir was bound to have a hotel/motel/riad/Kasbah somewhere along it but after an hour driving with the sun disappearing rather quickly nothing surfaced so we pulled into a service station (where I’m writing this from) and set up camp by the side of the road with the blessing of the Royale Gendarmerie. Not the most attractive of camps so far but somewhere to rest our weary heads until the morning when Luke & Mum arrive to rescue us!
End of day location: Chicchaoua, Morocco.
Distance covered: 350kms
Location: Chicchaoua – the arse-end of all service stations
Weather: Clear blue skies, 10°c
Status: Ben – Loving Morocco, Colonel – marching on
Another cold night in the tent due to the altitude, so awoke to 2°c temps outside, hastily packed up and left the gorge behind as we started the trek to Marrakech to meet Luke and his Mum. Our journey took us over the High Atlas mountains and for the first time we spotted Mount Toubkal in the distance, snow covered and ominously huge! Will be back in this area in a weeks time to start the first ascent.
Dropped down from an altitude of 2200m to 500m on some of the most exciting/scary roads yet with sheer drops of the side and crash barriers which may as well not be there. Passed a number of broken down trucks halfway up the passes – god only knows how they get spares, repair them and then get on their way again! When you see how some of the trucks are loaded with hay you’d be amazed, literally hanging 5m off the back, front and sides and looking like they’ll tip over at any point – one had done just that and managed to completely block one lane on the steepest of descents leaving about 20 bales all over the road with one guy fast asleep on top waiting for his ride to return, only in Africa!
So we TRIED to get into Marrakech to find a bed for the night but it was 17.30hrs slap bang in the middle of the rush hour and when we tried to ask a policeman for directions it was obviously the wrong time to do it as he asked us very politely to move on!
Marrakech is split into the old and new town and we were trying to meet Luke near his hotel in the old medina but trying to get vehicles there is a nightmare, so we made the decision to head out of the centre and try again in the morning, simple you’d think? The road to Agadir was bound to have a hotel/motel/riad/Kasbah somewhere along it but after an hour driving with the sun disappearing rather quickly nothing surfaced so we pulled into a service station (where I’m writing this from) and set up camp by the side of the road with the blessing of the Royale Gendarmerie. Not the most attractive of camps so far but somewhere to rest our weary heads until the morning when Luke & Mum arrive to rescue us!
End of day location: Chicchaoua, Morocco.
Distance covered: 350kms
8th Jan 08
Date: 8th Jan
Location: Gorges du Todra
Weather: 18°c max, 0°c min
Status: Ben – Well exercised and happier, Colonel – rolling along just fine
End of day location: Gorges du Dades
Distance covered: 110kms
Awoke as the sun rose around 06.30hrs very reluctantly as the inside of my sleeping bag was ten times more appealing than the thought of going running outside, but finally managed to drag myself from my pit.
Headed up the gorge parallel to the river which went from an ice covered pool to a running stream to a dry bed all in the space of 5kms, the imposing sides of the gorge directing me to the village of Tamttatouche 12kms away and uphill the whole way!
As I rose through the valley the frost became heavier and the snowline closer and closer until I was into it and felt pretty stupid for leaving the tent in a pair of shorts. I started my run at 1500m and over the 12kms rose some 250m so by the time I got to the village my Xmas-laden legs were really feeling it, together with the altitude which made me feel like finishing the Marrakech Marathon a long way off.
There’s a good bit of training left to do in the next few weeks if I stand a real chance of reaching the finish line in a reasonable time, the ascent of Toubkal at 4170m should go someway to helping anyway.
Tomorrow was supposed to be the day that Owen arrived in the country to start the mission proper, but I’ve had an email from him telling me that work commitments are too much to break away and therefore he won’t be arriving until the 25th leaving my rather stranded in the meantime so it looks at this stage like I’ll be climbing Toubkal and running the marathon by myself, oh well I’ve gone this far another few weeks won’t matter as long as he makes it ready for the west coast journey it’ll be fine.
I’ve been in touch with a great friend Luke Marshall whose managed to keep to his agenda and side of the bargain (Owen take note) and has arrived in Marrakech today for a 3 week break with his mum, so over the next couple of days we’ll make our way to the capital and hook up with them to plan what the next 3 weeks will hold for us all, bring it on.
Tonight we’re holed up in another hotel in a spectacular gorge and the Colonels parked up next to the river, the suns already gone down and the temperatures dropped away sharply from about 15°c to 8°c, still should be warmer than last night as we’re about 400m closer to sea level. As I tried to fix one of my fog lights earlier by the water a group of local kids gathered round to watch and giggle away as I worked, all of them left after a while except one girl who started to speak to me in French so we had a chat about her life and family and what I was doing in Morocco. Her eyes lit up when I gave her one of the bottles of bubbles I’d brought for a situation just like that and she happily marched off blowing them all the way home, then 20mins later she arrived back with a small black bag in her hand full of fresh mint so I could make my own mint tea – the local speciality!
Loving the friendliness of the people and enjoying every opportunity to integrate and find out more about them as I wind my way down through the country, this is what travelling is all about!
Location: Gorges du Todra
Weather: 18°c max, 0°c min
Status: Ben – Well exercised and happier, Colonel – rolling along just fine
End of day location: Gorges du Dades
Distance covered: 110kms
Awoke as the sun rose around 06.30hrs very reluctantly as the inside of my sleeping bag was ten times more appealing than the thought of going running outside, but finally managed to drag myself from my pit.
Headed up the gorge parallel to the river which went from an ice covered pool to a running stream to a dry bed all in the space of 5kms, the imposing sides of the gorge directing me to the village of Tamttatouche 12kms away and uphill the whole way!
As I rose through the valley the frost became heavier and the snowline closer and closer until I was into it and felt pretty stupid for leaving the tent in a pair of shorts. I started my run at 1500m and over the 12kms rose some 250m so by the time I got to the village my Xmas-laden legs were really feeling it, together with the altitude which made me feel like finishing the Marrakech Marathon a long way off.
There’s a good bit of training left to do in the next few weeks if I stand a real chance of reaching the finish line in a reasonable time, the ascent of Toubkal at 4170m should go someway to helping anyway.
Tomorrow was supposed to be the day that Owen arrived in the country to start the mission proper, but I’ve had an email from him telling me that work commitments are too much to break away and therefore he won’t be arriving until the 25th leaving my rather stranded in the meantime so it looks at this stage like I’ll be climbing Toubkal and running the marathon by myself, oh well I’ve gone this far another few weeks won’t matter as long as he makes it ready for the west coast journey it’ll be fine.
I’ve been in touch with a great friend Luke Marshall whose managed to keep to his agenda and side of the bargain (Owen take note) and has arrived in Marrakech today for a 3 week break with his mum, so over the next couple of days we’ll make our way to the capital and hook up with them to plan what the next 3 weeks will hold for us all, bring it on.
Tonight we’re holed up in another hotel in a spectacular gorge and the Colonels parked up next to the river, the suns already gone down and the temperatures dropped away sharply from about 15°c to 8°c, still should be warmer than last night as we’re about 400m closer to sea level. As I tried to fix one of my fog lights earlier by the water a group of local kids gathered round to watch and giggle away as I worked, all of them left after a while except one girl who started to speak to me in French so we had a chat about her life and family and what I was doing in Morocco. Her eyes lit up when I gave her one of the bottles of bubbles I’d brought for a situation just like that and she happily marched off blowing them all the way home, then 20mins later she arrived back with a small black bag in her hand full of fresh mint so I could make my own mint tea – the local speciality!
Loving the friendliness of the people and enjoying every opportunity to integrate and find out more about them as I wind my way down through the country, this is what travelling is all about!
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