Date: February 21st, 2010
Distance: 61km plus ferry!
Country:The Gambia
Song of the Day: Move On - The Rentals
I left Toubakuta late in the morning. Really late. Okay, in the afternoon really. But I was feeling good and it was only 25km to the boarder.
The border was crazy. People are everywhere and nobody official seemed to know what to do. Of course everyone wants to help you out. My best advice, ignore them. I found the customs office and waited for a while. Eventually I learned that a) they were on a lunch break and b) I didn't need to see them because I didn't have anything from Senegal. So I went to immigration. No problems there.
Before I switched countries I did change money. I even haggled for a better deal. I think the lady was hoping to make a little profit on me not being able to count though. She shorted me 300 Dalasis, or about 12 bucks. I called her on it and she coughed up the dough. Count everything.
On the Gambian side, I had trouble with a guy at immigration. I don't know what his deal was but he started grilling me about everything. What are you doing? Why are you here? Are you working? I didn't feel bad because I still had the card of the Deputy Ambassador I met in Nouachott. I felt like everything would get straightened out. Finally he seemed like he was tired of harassing me and told me to go to the immigration officer. What? It turns out he was from the port authority. I haven't a clue what his deal was. Just being a jerk I guess. After that the guys at immigration were friendly and let me go. I was officially in The Gambia. Country 15.
The cycle down to Barra was pretty short. I did stop to buy a ferry ticket to Banjul. They guys at the ticket office were pretty impressed with my trip. It is starting to feel like I am doing something special.
I was able to get onto the ferry with no problems. It was just crammed with cars and people. Also, horribly slow. It is only a couple of kilometers, but it took about an hour to cross the river. I guess the ferry only goes about walking pace.
Once in Banjul, the taxis outside the terminal were waiting like vultures. I was riding my fully loaded bike and was still getting calls. "Taxi, Taxi! My friend, you need a taxi?" I turned around and told one guy that I had a bike and why would I need a taxi? He just shrugged, as if to say, it was worth a try.
I rode out to Bakau, which is a more touristy area. I had heard there were some good cheap places to stay out there. If there were, I didn't find them. I did find a place to stay, and they did make me a deal. So it will work for tonight. Tomorrow I will find a new place to stay. I did go out and find some cheep street food. A chicken drumstick, and spaghetti (with mayonnaise) for 25 Dalasis. Not bad. Even the mayo was kinda good on it.
-Dravis
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Bustane Diouw to Toubakuta - Day 186
Date: February 20th, 2010
Distance: 124km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Rolling - Soul Coughing
I woke up and said goodbye to Rithvik's host family. Rithvik rode with me into
Gossas. He even got me a bean sandwich for breakfast. (These are great by the way.) Then I said farewell and hit the road. To Rithvik, thanks for everything. I really appreciate the hospitality from you and your host family. Let me know how that bike trip goes!
From Gossas I started heading south. The strong winds of the day before had died down a bit. So I was back to a gentle push down the road. Too bad, I was hoping for the full throttle blast of the day before.
Still I got back to Kaolack in good time. I had a bit of trouble finding a way out of town. I did see a little shop that had stuff they made from aluminum. I was hoping they could make me a new bracket for my water bottle holder. I just needed a short pied of metal, about 12cm long, with a hole on either end and bent 90 degrees about 2cm from one end. Simple. They said it would take two hours. So I went to lunch and took my time. I came back about an hour later and they had about 8 different peices made and none of them were what I wanted. Ugh. Finally I showed them what I wanted and got something about right. What a pain though. Still, my water bottle holder is working again.
After leaving the city, the road becomes nice new pavement. So the next 20km were great. It was still hot though, and a was going through water pretty quickly. But that was the price of making good time.
The reason the road was so good though was that it had actually just been rebuilt. The next 10km were still being worked on. The pavement was being graded off and the gravel rolled flat again. That left me running along rough dirt trails next to the main highway.
Once the construction ended I could see why the road was being redone. In places it was more pothole than road. The cars were swerving all over the road to avoid them. Some of the cars would just drive with one wheel on the pavement and the other in the dirt. For me I was usually able to find a path without potholes, but it was exciting.
I finally made it to Tubakuta just around sunset. Byron had given me the phone number for the volunteer who was working down there. I knew he was up at Thies though for training. But when I called he was worried I was trying to crash with him. No, I just wanted the skinny on a good place to stay. That he knew. So he gave me the name of nice a place. It was a little expensive (around $20) but well worth it. A nice clean hut with a full bathroom and shower. Oh, plus power and I could even steal wi-fi. Great deal.
-Dravis
Distance: 124km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Rolling - Soul Coughing
I woke up and said goodbye to Rithvik's host family. Rithvik rode with me into
Gossas. He even got me a bean sandwich for breakfast. (These are great by the way.) Then I said farewell and hit the road. To Rithvik, thanks for everything. I really appreciate the hospitality from you and your host family. Let me know how that bike trip goes!From Gossas I started heading south. The strong winds of the day before had died down a bit. So I was back to a gentle push down the road. Too bad, I was hoping for the full throttle blast of the day before.
Still I got back to Kaolack in good time. I had a bit of trouble finding a way out of town. I did see a little shop that had stuff they made from aluminum. I was hoping they could make me a new bracket for my water bottle holder. I just needed a short pied of metal, about 12cm long, with a hole on either end and bent 90 degrees about 2cm from one end. Simple. They said it would take two hours. So I went to lunch and took my time. I came back about an hour later and they had about 8 different peices made and none of them were what I wanted. Ugh. Finally I showed them what I wanted and got something about right. What a pain though. Still, my water bottle holder is working again.
After leaving the city, the road becomes nice new pavement. So the next 20km were great. It was still hot though, and a was going through water pretty quickly. But that was the price of making good time.
The reason the road was so good though was that it had actually just been rebuilt. The next 10km were still being worked on. The pavement was being graded off and the gravel rolled flat again. That left me running along rough dirt trails next to the main highway.
Once the construction ended I could see why the road was being redone. In places it was more pothole than road. The cars were swerving all over the road to avoid them. Some of the cars would just drive with one wheel on the pavement and the other in the dirt. For me I was usually able to find a path without potholes, but it was exciting.
I finally made it to Tubakuta just around sunset. Byron had given me the phone number for the volunteer who was working down there. I knew he was up at Thies though for training. But when I called he was worried I was trying to crash with him. No, I just wanted the skinny on a good place to stay. That he knew. So he gave me the name of nice a place. It was a little expensive (around $20) but well worth it. A nice clean hut with a full bathroom and shower. Oh, plus power and I could even steal wi-fi. Great deal.
-Dravis
Kaolack to Bustane Diouw - Day 185
Date: February 19th, 2010
Distance: 52km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Stand Up - Flobots
Today I headed back to Gossas. A look on the map will show that is back the way I have come. I don't usually want to go backwards, but I still have a couple of days before my visa for the Gambia is valid. So I might as well spend it wisely.
Sadly the trip up wasn't as pleasant as the trip down. The day before I had a slight tail wind. Now going the other way, it had turned into a major headwind. So the going was slow. It took me over an hour longer than expected. But I got there.
Rithvik met me on the highway at a place called Bustane Lo. This is what he called his "road town". From there it was about a kilometer north along a bush path to the town he lived in. A bush path is basically what it sounds like. A trail through the bush. But in this area it meant sand. Biking on sand is lame. It is almost as tough as biking through snow. Not quite though.
Still, we made it and I met Rithvik's host family. They were excited to see me and
had a bunch of questions. I think they thought I was crazy for traveling so far. They were wonderful though and even provided lunch for us which is great.
The villages here are made up of these compounds. Just a fenced in area with a collection of huts. Rithvik's hut was about as good as it got. Just a thatch roof, but the mud brick walls were plastered over with concrete so it wouldn't melt in the rainy season. He also had a back
yard with a private "douche". That is what the locals call them. It is basically an outhouse with two little chambers. One has a pipe that leads to a septic tank. The other has a bare slab for taking bucket baths. Let me tell you, after a couple of hours sweating on the bike, pouring cold water on yourself feels great.
Afterwards Rithvik game me a tour of his village. He also explained what the people were doing here. I guess in the rainy season all the land around is fields. It was hard to imagine. At the moment the area looked more like sand than dirt, with just a few spots of dead grass or thorny plants. I guess Rithvik's host father collects the grass in the dry season to make a little extra money. A hard life to be sure.
Goats, sheep and cattle that roam the area eating almost e
verything green. The leaves on most of the big trees in the area are too high for the animals to reach. Also, there is a kind of thorny plant that is mildly poisonous so it is left alone. There were also a few tiny trees protected by what looked like crab pots inside the village itself. This was to keep the tenacious goats away. Everything else was gone. Including a few trees Rithvik had planted earlier this year. That is just how it goes here.
Our jaunt through the village didn't go un-noticed either. Everyone there wanted to see who the visitor was. The villages are mostly from the Wolof tribe. Since I don't actually speak Wolof Rithvik was translating for me. The people here like to ask a series of rapid-fire questions as a way of greeting. I didn't catch mutch of it, but Rithvik explained where I was from and all the countries I had been to. Apparently one of the young men in the village said "I am sorry for you."
After the sunset I had dinner with Rithvik. We talked about what he was doing. I guess he works with the "health hut". This isn't in a doctor/patient way. He knows that he is leaving at some point, so has been working to make sure the place can sustain itself. I guess that is one of his big complaints about NGOs. They just come in and build something, or start a program, but don't leave any money to keep things going. So while the hut isn't much now, no real medical equipment, supplies or even furniture, he is hoping they are able to continue running it without him. A lot of this stuff had to do with getting the village to take active ownership of their health hut. If it can be run without ouside help, then the NGOs can come in and provide more equipment to make it more effective. You have to walk before you can run.
That night it was too hot to sleep inside the hut. Rithvik hauled his mattress outside and slept under a bug net. For me I pulled out my tent, but just as a bug screen. It felt good to fall asleep under the stars.
-Dravis
Distance: 52km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Stand Up - Flobots
Today I headed back to Gossas. A look on the map will show that is back the way I have come. I don't usually want to go backwards, but I still have a couple of days before my visa for the Gambia is valid. So I might as well spend it wisely.
Sadly the trip up wasn't as pleasant as the trip down. The day before I had a slight tail wind. Now going the other way, it had turned into a major headwind. So the going was slow. It took me over an hour longer than expected. But I got there.
Rithvik met me on the highway at a place called Bustane Lo. This is what he called his "road town". From there it was about a kilometer north along a bush path to the town he lived in. A bush path is basically what it sounds like. A trail through the bush. But in this area it meant sand. Biking on sand is lame. It is almost as tough as biking through snow. Not quite though.
Still, we made it and I met Rithvik's host family. They were excited to see me and
had a bunch of questions. I think they thought I was crazy for traveling so far. They were wonderful though and even provided lunch for us which is great.The villages here are made up of these compounds. Just a fenced in area with a collection of huts. Rithvik's hut was about as good as it got. Just a thatch roof, but the mud brick walls were plastered over with concrete so it wouldn't melt in the rainy season. He also had a back
yard with a private "douche". That is what the locals call them. It is basically an outhouse with two little chambers. One has a pipe that leads to a septic tank. The other has a bare slab for taking bucket baths. Let me tell you, after a couple of hours sweating on the bike, pouring cold water on yourself feels great.Afterwards Rithvik game me a tour of his village. He also explained what the people were doing here. I guess in the rainy season all the land around is fields. It was hard to imagine. At the moment the area looked more like sand than dirt, with just a few spots of dead grass or thorny plants. I guess Rithvik's host father collects the grass in the dry season to make a little extra money. A hard life to be sure.
Goats, sheep and cattle that roam the area eating almost e
verything green. The leaves on most of the big trees in the area are too high for the animals to reach. Also, there is a kind of thorny plant that is mildly poisonous so it is left alone. There were also a few tiny trees protected by what looked like crab pots inside the village itself. This was to keep the tenacious goats away. Everything else was gone. Including a few trees Rithvik had planted earlier this year. That is just how it goes here.Our jaunt through the village didn't go un-noticed either. Everyone there wanted to see who the visitor was. The villages are mostly from the Wolof tribe. Since I don't actually speak Wolof Rithvik was translating for me. The people here like to ask a series of rapid-fire questions as a way of greeting. I didn't catch mutch of it, but Rithvik explained where I was from and all the countries I had been to. Apparently one of the young men in the village said "I am sorry for you."
After the sunset I had dinner with Rithvik. We talked about what he was doing. I guess he works with the "health hut". This isn't in a doctor/patient way. He knows that he is leaving at some point, so has been working to make sure the place can sustain itself. I guess that is one of his big complaints about NGOs. They just come in and build something, or start a program, but don't leave any money to keep things going. So while the hut isn't much now, no real medical equipment, supplies or even furniture, he is hoping they are able to continue running it without him. A lot of this stuff had to do with getting the village to take active ownership of their health hut. If it can be run without ouside help, then the NGOs can come in and provide more equipment to make it more effective. You have to walk before you can run.
That night it was too hot to sleep inside the hut. Rithvik hauled his mattress outside and slept under a bug net. For me I pulled out my tent, but just as a bug screen. It felt good to fall asleep under the stars.
-Dravis
Diourbel to Kaolack - Day 184
Date: February 18th, 2010
Distance: 77km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Living the Dream - Sloan
I rode out of Diourbel today. I am still getting calls of "toubab" from kids along the road. One kid ran over and gave me five as I passed. That felt pretty good. Like I say, my first theory on people is: People are bored. So in some ways I feel like me passing through the little villages is the highlight of their week.
Once I got to the town of Gossas I tried to get in touch with Stephanie, a girl I met at WAIST. Her site is somewhere around there. I was hoping to visit her and see what life is like in a small village. I realize that fundamentally I am a tourist, but I didn't come here to do the tourist stuff. I am in Africa, and I want to see everyday life. Not just in the cities, or the beaches. I also want to see life out in the villages too. Sadly the number she gave me wasn't working. One too many digits. Ah well.
I headed down to Kaolack which is the next big city along the road. Byron had said there were a number of PCVs down there and a regional house that I might crash at. He also connected me with Shelly, a girl who lives in town. She met me on the main road and we headed back to the apartment she is staying at.
I guess the government of Senegal provides the apartment for Peace Corps use. It doesn't look like much on the outside, but inside it is probably the most western style apartment I have seen in this country. It has a big living room, which is weird here. In Senegal people usually hang around outside under a shady tree. It also had a large kitchen. Okay, not large by American standards, but it had a freestanding stove with an oven, a rarity. A fridge too. Plus a large double sink. The most amazing part was the bathroom that actually had a bathtub. According to Shelly it didn't work and there might be a rat hiding in there, but still. A bathtub!
Shelly also took me over to the regional house. There we met a couple of other volunteers who we headed to dinner with. One of the guys, Rithvik, also lives around Gossas. Since I told him that I hadn't gotten to see Stephanie's village, he invited me to his. So tomorrow I will head back up there for that.
After dinner, Shelly and I headed back to her place. We spent a couple of hours talking about experiences in Africa. She is in her third year here in Senegal. I am now getting a better impression of the development problems in Africa. She mentioned that a lot of the NGOs that come in do a short project, build something, then leave. The people are excited at the time, but their is no follow up money. So no maintenance is done and soon the project is abandoned or crumbles. I guess she and other volunteers here try to do smaller project, but something the local people can continue with after they leave. It is hard though because often the culture here is only concerned with today.
Oh, the people also believe in djinnis, apparently. I guess Shelly was told by people in her previous villages that there were places, like bushes and trees, where djinnis would hang out. Religiously, the country is Islamic. But culturally there is still a large amount of local superstitions. Then again, in Iceland many people still believe in the Hidden Folk. Back in the U.S. far to many people belive in UFOs. So take that with a grain of salt.
-Dravis
Distance: 77km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Living the Dream - Sloan
I rode out of Diourbel today. I am still getting calls of "toubab" from kids along the road. One kid ran over and gave me five as I passed. That felt pretty good. Like I say, my first theory on people is: People are bored. So in some ways I feel like me passing through the little villages is the highlight of their week.
Once I got to the town of Gossas I tried to get in touch with Stephanie, a girl I met at WAIST. Her site is somewhere around there. I was hoping to visit her and see what life is like in a small village. I realize that fundamentally I am a tourist, but I didn't come here to do the tourist stuff. I am in Africa, and I want to see everyday life. Not just in the cities, or the beaches. I also want to see life out in the villages too. Sadly the number she gave me wasn't working. One too many digits. Ah well.
I headed down to Kaolack which is the next big city along the road. Byron had said there were a number of PCVs down there and a regional house that I might crash at. He also connected me with Shelly, a girl who lives in town. She met me on the main road and we headed back to the apartment she is staying at.
I guess the government of Senegal provides the apartment for Peace Corps use. It doesn't look like much on the outside, but inside it is probably the most western style apartment I have seen in this country. It has a big living room, which is weird here. In Senegal people usually hang around outside under a shady tree. It also had a large kitchen. Okay, not large by American standards, but it had a freestanding stove with an oven, a rarity. A fridge too. Plus a large double sink. The most amazing part was the bathroom that actually had a bathtub. According to Shelly it didn't work and there might be a rat hiding in there, but still. A bathtub!
Shelly also took me over to the regional house. There we met a couple of other volunteers who we headed to dinner with. One of the guys, Rithvik, also lives around Gossas. Since I told him that I hadn't gotten to see Stephanie's village, he invited me to his. So tomorrow I will head back up there for that.
After dinner, Shelly and I headed back to her place. We spent a couple of hours talking about experiences in Africa. She is in her third year here in Senegal. I am now getting a better impression of the development problems in Africa. She mentioned that a lot of the NGOs that come in do a short project, build something, then leave. The people are excited at the time, but their is no follow up money. So no maintenance is done and soon the project is abandoned or crumbles. I guess she and other volunteers here try to do smaller project, but something the local people can continue with after they leave. It is hard though because often the culture here is only concerned with today.
Oh, the people also believe in djinnis, apparently. I guess Shelly was told by people in her previous villages that there were places, like bushes and trees, where djinnis would hang out. Religiously, the country is Islamic. But culturally there is still a large amount of local superstitions. Then again, in Iceland many people still believe in the Hidden Folk. Back in the U.S. far to many people belive in UFOs. So take that with a grain of salt.
-Dravis
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Thies to Diourbel - Day 183
Date: February 17th, 2010
Distance: 91km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Courage - The Tragically Hip
I woke up got ready to go. I tried to help Elie with a copy machine that was sick. I
don't think I was that helpful though. Sorry man. I said goodbye and wished Elie the best of luck. He said to keep in touch. If I get to Rwanda, he has friends there. Also, to call when I get to South Africa. To Elie, thanks for everything. You are awesome.
After that I headed over to the Peace Corps training center in town. Byron was in Thies for IST. So I wanted to go over there and say thanks. When I got there, I didn't want to just bust in on everyone. I was going to call Byron when one of the girls I met in Dakar recognized me and came over. She came over and said, "Hi, how are you doing? Come on in, we can't leave another toubab standing outside." Toubab is a Wolof word for "foreigner", but generally means "white guy". It was funny, and it felt great to be recognized and welcomed.
They even invited me to lunch with them. Traditional Senegalese food. Simple but really tasty. Just rice with some boiled vegetables and some beef. I should have
gotten on the road earlier, but I really was having a great time talking with all the PCVs. All good things end though. They had to get back to training, and my day wasn't getting any longer. So I said goodbye to Byron and hit the road. To Byron, thanks for all your help. I had a fantastic time in Dakar and you have connected me a with a lot of great people. Thank you so much.
From there it was onto the road. The trip itself was really easy. I had a slight tail wind, so I could just cruise along. I also noticed that in the villages I don't get asked for money or gifts as much. It still happens, but more often I get little kids running out to the road. They wave and smile while shouting "toubab". I guess this could be considered rude, but they seem so happy running out to see the crazy toubab on a bike.
I got into Diourbel (the "dio" part makes a J sound in Wolof) without any real problems. I have been learning French, and maybe I just have a bad accent because no one seems to understand me. Fortunately in this town everyone I talked to seemed to speak English. They directed me to an Auberge I could stay at. They didn't have rooms, but I could camp on the roof. Deal. The power went out again just before I went to take a shower. It was only off for about 15 minutes though. My shower did run pretty long though. With the heat and the dust it feels so good. Also, I haven't seen a shower recently that has both hot and cold. So you just get cold. Not that it matters since after melting all day, why would I want hot shower?
The guy who ran the auberge directed me to a place I could get some dinner. Actually, the place sold cooked meat. I have started to become used to asking "combien" for how much is it. It really throws me off when people ask it of me. I sometimes it means how many (say, Cokes) do you want. In this case, it meant how much do you want to spend. I got 1000 CFAs worth of cooked beef. I have been reading the reports of a vegetarian couple who biked through Africa. I didn't get how you could even do that. Even if you could find meatless food, how do you get the protein? After seeing the guy hack off a piece of meat that had been hanging up and covered in flies for got knows how long, it made more sense. They also chopped it up, bones and all. I miss meat sans bones.
-Dravis
Distance: 91km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Courage - The Tragically Hip
I woke up got ready to go. I tried to help Elie with a copy machine that was sick. I
don't think I was that helpful though. Sorry man. I said goodbye and wished Elie the best of luck. He said to keep in touch. If I get to Rwanda, he has friends there. Also, to call when I get to South Africa. To Elie, thanks for everything. You are awesome.After that I headed over to the Peace Corps training center in town. Byron was in Thies for IST. So I wanted to go over there and say thanks. When I got there, I didn't want to just bust in on everyone. I was going to call Byron when one of the girls I met in Dakar recognized me and came over. She came over and said, "Hi, how are you doing? Come on in, we can't leave another toubab standing outside." Toubab is a Wolof word for "foreigner", but generally means "white guy". It was funny, and it felt great to be recognized and welcomed.
They even invited me to lunch with them. Traditional Senegalese food. Simple but really tasty. Just rice with some boiled vegetables and some beef. I should have
gotten on the road earlier, but I really was having a great time talking with all the PCVs. All good things end though. They had to get back to training, and my day wasn't getting any longer. So I said goodbye to Byron and hit the road. To Byron, thanks for all your help. I had a fantastic time in Dakar and you have connected me a with a lot of great people. Thank you so much.From there it was onto the road. The trip itself was really easy. I had a slight tail wind, so I could just cruise along. I also noticed that in the villages I don't get asked for money or gifts as much. It still happens, but more often I get little kids running out to the road. They wave and smile while shouting "toubab". I guess this could be considered rude, but they seem so happy running out to see the crazy toubab on a bike.
I got into Diourbel (the "dio" part makes a J sound in Wolof) without any real problems. I have been learning French, and maybe I just have a bad accent because no one seems to understand me. Fortunately in this town everyone I talked to seemed to speak English. They directed me to an Auberge I could stay at. They didn't have rooms, but I could camp on the roof. Deal. The power went out again just before I went to take a shower. It was only off for about 15 minutes though. My shower did run pretty long though. With the heat and the dust it feels so good. Also, I haven't seen a shower recently that has both hot and cold. So you just get cold. Not that it matters since after melting all day, why would I want hot shower?
The guy who ran the auberge directed me to a place I could get some dinner. Actually, the place sold cooked meat. I have started to become used to asking "combien" for how much is it. It really throws me off when people ask it of me. I sometimes it means how many (say, Cokes) do you want. In this case, it meant how much do you want to spend. I got 1000 CFAs worth of cooked beef. I have been reading the reports of a vegetarian couple who biked through Africa. I didn't get how you could even do that. Even if you could find meatless food, how do you get the protein? After seeing the guy hack off a piece of meat that had been hanging up and covered in flies for got knows how long, it made more sense. They also chopped it up, bones and all. I miss meat sans bones.
-Dravis
Dakar to Thies - Day 182
Date: February 16th, 2010
Distance: Travel by Taxi
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: One More Night - Phil Collins (For Elie, who kept singing it today.)
Woke up at 8:00, which is impressive because I didn't feel tired from only two hours of sleep. I went out with some of the people to get coffee and croissants. Actually, I had milk and a cinnamon roll. I started getting a better impression of Dakar from the walk over. I guess more than a million people live in and around the city. Goats still wander through the town though. The cars range from things that barely even function, to brand new cars. So it is still a city between two worlds.
After that people started heading out. I did too. A quick stop for a bean sandwich and I started walking to the inter-city taxi stand. I could have gotten a taxi there,
but the drivers wanted 1500 CFAs (pronounced "sayfas" by the expats), which is about 3 bucks. Which seems expensive when a (cramped) ride back to Thies is only 1500 CFAs anyway. So I started walking.
After an hour of that, I decided to try how the locals got around. They have these brightly colored buses. I was also told the name of the muslim brotherhood that runs them is written on them. This is not a municipal or government subsidized transit system. They are definitely a private enterprise. Just guys who can make a profit by getting people around the city. From the decoration it almost looks like someone cares, yet there are no windows or other amenities on the vehicles. I saw people just hoping on all the time and hanging off the back. Usually the bag man hangs of the back, but often there are three or four people holding on with him. I wonder if you pay less for that...
My first experience wasn't as casual as I would have liked. I didn't just jump on. I had to ask where it was going, and if they went by the taxi station. They didn't, but it was closer. So I hopped on and found a seat inside (no clinging to the back for dear life). I have to say, that is the way to get around the city. It is a little slower that an taxi, but the buses will get there. Plus it only cost 100 CFAs (20 cents) to take me half way across the city. I did have to take another bus, which for some reason charged me 50 CFAs to go four blocks. I could have walked. Oh well.
The taxi ride back to Thies was about the same. I slept through most of it though. (I guess I was tired after all.) I met back up with Elie at his cyber. We talked for a little while about all sorts of things. I learned his aunt, who is his closest relative, lives in Montreal, but he can't get a visa to Canada to see her. I did ask what the war was like in Rwanda, but, as you could imagine, he was reluctant to talk about it. I knew better than to press the point. Still, he did tell me that for him, it all happened in 3 months, and then it was over. So his country now has a bad reputation for three months of bloodshed 15 years ago. He also showed me pictures. The country looks amazing and beautiful. I really want to go.
Later Paima came over and we hung out for a while. The three of us had dinner again at a place up the street from Elie's cyber. It was at a tiny cafe run by one woman. This seems pretty common here. Just a tiny place. Two rooms, one for cooking and one for customers to sit and eat. The food was great and inexpensive.
Afterwards though, it was getting late. So we said goodbye to Paima and I crashed at Elie's place again.
-Dravis
Distance: Travel by Taxi
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: One More Night - Phil Collins (For Elie, who kept singing it today.)
Woke up at 8:00, which is impressive because I didn't feel tired from only two hours of sleep. I went out with some of the people to get coffee and croissants. Actually, I had milk and a cinnamon roll. I started getting a better impression of Dakar from the walk over. I guess more than a million people live in and around the city. Goats still wander through the town though. The cars range from things that barely even function, to brand new cars. So it is still a city between two worlds.
After that people started heading out. I did too. A quick stop for a bean sandwich and I started walking to the inter-city taxi stand. I could have gotten a taxi there,
but the drivers wanted 1500 CFAs (pronounced "sayfas" by the expats), which is about 3 bucks. Which seems expensive when a (cramped) ride back to Thies is only 1500 CFAs anyway. So I started walking.After an hour of that, I decided to try how the locals got around. They have these brightly colored buses. I was also told the name of the muslim brotherhood that runs them is written on them. This is not a municipal or government subsidized transit system. They are definitely a private enterprise. Just guys who can make a profit by getting people around the city. From the decoration it almost looks like someone cares, yet there are no windows or other amenities on the vehicles. I saw people just hoping on all the time and hanging off the back. Usually the bag man hangs of the back, but often there are three or four people holding on with him. I wonder if you pay less for that...
My first experience wasn't as casual as I would have liked. I didn't just jump on. I had to ask where it was going, and if they went by the taxi station. They didn't, but it was closer. So I hopped on and found a seat inside (no clinging to the back for dear life). I have to say, that is the way to get around the city. It is a little slower that an taxi, but the buses will get there. Plus it only cost 100 CFAs (20 cents) to take me half way across the city. I did have to take another bus, which for some reason charged me 50 CFAs to go four blocks. I could have walked. Oh well.
The taxi ride back to Thies was about the same. I slept through most of it though. (I guess I was tired after all.) I met back up with Elie at his cyber. We talked for a little while about all sorts of things. I learned his aunt, who is his closest relative, lives in Montreal, but he can't get a visa to Canada to see her. I did ask what the war was like in Rwanda, but, as you could imagine, he was reluctant to talk about it. I knew better than to press the point. Still, he did tell me that for him, it all happened in 3 months, and then it was over. So his country now has a bad reputation for three months of bloodshed 15 years ago. He also showed me pictures. The country looks amazing and beautiful. I really want to go.
Later Paima came over and we hung out for a while. The three of us had dinner again at a place up the street from Elie's cyber. It was at a tiny cafe run by one woman. This seems pretty common here. Just a tiny place. Two rooms, one for cooking and one for customers to sit and eat. The food was great and inexpensive.Afterwards though, it was getting late. So we said goodbye to Paima and I crashed at Elie's place again.
-Dravis
Thies to Dakar - Day 181
Date: February 15th, 2010
Distance: Travel by Taxi
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Drilling - Minus the Bear
I did get a message from Byron the night before, but didn't see it until I woke up today. He was in Dakar, so I decided to meet up with him there. I didn't want to take my bike though. I had heard the city is a chaotic mess and the traffic is bad. So I left my stuff with Elie and took a taxi.
The ride itself was hot and uncomfortable. They really pack people into those things here. It also took about 2 hours for the trip. The last hour was just being stuck in traffic around the city. After getting dropped off, I took another taxi over to the club Byron was at.
He had come to Dakar for WAIST. That is, the West African Intermural Softball Tournament. I guess it is a a between Peace Corps teams from all over West Africa. Senegal. The Gambia. Ghana. There was even a team called "The Refugees" that was made up of volunteers who had been evacuated from Mauritania and Guinea. There are also a couple of local Senegalese teams who apparently take it quite seriously.
I got there after the tournament had finished, though. Too bad, I was hoping to see a game. Everyone was just unwinding at the club. There were a lot of people there too. I don't think I have been around as many Americans since I left. Most of the people were hanging out by the pool. Now that is something I could get behind.
I met up with Byron, and he introduced me to some of the other PCVs. We sat around talking for a while. I was interested to hear how their experiences differed from the PCVs in Morocco. They actually sounded fairly similar. The living conditions for people still varied heavily based on the site they were placed in. Cities vs. rural villages.
I did get an invite for the Banquet they were having later. I didn't want to crash their party, but everyone assured me that it was cool. I did want to find a place to stay though. One of the guys Richard, said he would get me into the Peace Corps house in Liberty Six. Again, I didn't want to invite myself along, but he said it would be cool and there were lots of spare beds. He has the kind of personality that just screams "come on, go for it", so I did.
At the house, I met a few refugees from Guinea. Since I would be heading there, I wanted to ask them what everything was like. They had some good advice about it. Like avoiding Conakry. Also, the fact that you really can't find an ATM in the country. It should be an interesting trip.
After that it was time to head back over to the club for the banquet. I should begin by saying, I was full at the end of the meal. That was great. They were serving Indian food for some reason. You get no complaints from me on that point though. There was also lots of beer and soda. After the food they showed a documentary that was filmed during WAIST the year before. It followed the Mauritanian team, who had been evacuated later that year.
There was also a post-banquet party by the pool. Again, lots of fun. I was among the small group of people who realized that you could still get (free) beer from the banquet and not have to buy it from the bar by the pool. I stuffed my pockets and carried an armload back. Since I don't actually drink beer, I had a good time handing it out. Let me tell you, free beer is a great way to introduce yourself to people you don't know.
Most of the night I was hanging out with the crew from Benin. They were staying back at the Liberty Six house. Some of them were Guinea refugees as well. It seems like they may live is some of the more remote places. They did have good insights on the mindset and culture of the people living in Africa.
After a few hours there we headed back to the house, with a quick 2:00 AM stop at the donut shop. From there the night was pretty chill. Just hanging out. But it did go pretty late. I didn't crawl into bed (a mattress outside under a mosquito net) until just before 6:00AM.
-Dravis
Distance: Travel by Taxi
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Drilling - Minus the Bear
I did get a message from Byron the night before, but didn't see it until I woke up today. He was in Dakar, so I decided to meet up with him there. I didn't want to take my bike though. I had heard the city is a chaotic mess and the traffic is bad. So I left my stuff with Elie and took a taxi.
The ride itself was hot and uncomfortable. They really pack people into those things here. It also took about 2 hours for the trip. The last hour was just being stuck in traffic around the city. After getting dropped off, I took another taxi over to the club Byron was at.
He had come to Dakar for WAIST. That is, the West African Intermural Softball Tournament. I guess it is a a between Peace Corps teams from all over West Africa. Senegal. The Gambia. Ghana. There was even a team called "The Refugees" that was made up of volunteers who had been evacuated from Mauritania and Guinea. There are also a couple of local Senegalese teams who apparently take it quite seriously.
I got there after the tournament had finished, though. Too bad, I was hoping to see a game. Everyone was just unwinding at the club. There were a lot of people there too. I don't think I have been around as many Americans since I left. Most of the people were hanging out by the pool. Now that is something I could get behind.
I met up with Byron, and he introduced me to some of the other PCVs. We sat around talking for a while. I was interested to hear how their experiences differed from the PCVs in Morocco. They actually sounded fairly similar. The living conditions for people still varied heavily based on the site they were placed in. Cities vs. rural villages.
I did get an invite for the Banquet they were having later. I didn't want to crash their party, but everyone assured me that it was cool. I did want to find a place to stay though. One of the guys Richard, said he would get me into the Peace Corps house in Liberty Six. Again, I didn't want to invite myself along, but he said it would be cool and there were lots of spare beds. He has the kind of personality that just screams "come on, go for it", so I did.
At the house, I met a few refugees from Guinea. Since I would be heading there, I wanted to ask them what everything was like. They had some good advice about it. Like avoiding Conakry. Also, the fact that you really can't find an ATM in the country. It should be an interesting trip.
After that it was time to head back over to the club for the banquet. I should begin by saying, I was full at the end of the meal. That was great. They were serving Indian food for some reason. You get no complaints from me on that point though. There was also lots of beer and soda. After the food they showed a documentary that was filmed during WAIST the year before. It followed the Mauritanian team, who had been evacuated later that year.
There was also a post-banquet party by the pool. Again, lots of fun. I was among the small group of people who realized that you could still get (free) beer from the banquet and not have to buy it from the bar by the pool. I stuffed my pockets and carried an armload back. Since I don't actually drink beer, I had a good time handing it out. Let me tell you, free beer is a great way to introduce yourself to people you don't know.
Most of the night I was hanging out with the crew from Benin. They were staying back at the Liberty Six house. Some of them were Guinea refugees as well. It seems like they may live is some of the more remote places. They did have good insights on the mindset and culture of the people living in Africa.
After a few hours there we headed back to the house, with a quick 2:00 AM stop at the donut shop. From there the night was pretty chill. Just hanging out. But it did go pretty late. I didn't crawl into bed (a mattress outside under a mosquito net) until just before 6:00AM.
-Dravis
Kebemer to Thies - Day 180
Date: February 14th, 2010
Distance: 96km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers
Left Kebemer today, still heading south. The land around me is changing a bit. It is still grassland with Acacia trees.
But I am starting to see more Baobab trees. There are no leaves on them because it is the dry season. Still it feels better to be riding through something a little more interesting than desert. It also feels cooler. The addition of a few trees does help. Then again it isn't that much cooler. I am still going through several liters of water a day.
There are also lots of wrecked and stripped down vehicles along the side of the roads still. I would have thought the steel frame would have been used
for something. I guess they don't have a good way to cut it up and transport it though. Everything that can be removed is pulled from the cars and the rest is left to rust. This is Africa.
I got to Thies (pronounced Chee-es, apparently) a few hours before sunset. Things didn't start out going well though. I was having trouble finding a place to stay. I didn't see any hotels or anything as I was riding around. The people on the street either didn't know or their advice was inaccurate. I was also hoping to hear from, Byron, a PCV my cousin put me in contact with. At that point I hadn't heard anything. So I thought I would check my e-mail and see what was up.
I found myself a nice little Cyber on the edge of town. I checked my e-mail, but no luck. I did start talking with a couple of guys there. Elie, is from Rwanda and he owns the Cyber. Paima comes from Belgium and is working for an NGO in town. We just sat there on the porch out front chatting. They were having beer, and I was putting away a huge bottle of Coke. It was great. Since I didn't have a place to stay Elie said that I could stay with him. How great is that?
The three of us also went out to dinner. I had forgotten it was Valentine's day, but the place was all decked out with roses and hearts. I guess three dudes walking in wasn't exactly what they were expecting. Still, the food was good. After that they were going to take me out to a nightclub for some dancing. I guess it was a swimming pool during the day, and a restaurant and nightclub at night. Except this night. It was closed. Not to be defeated Elie and Paima tried to take me to a couple of other places, but they were dead. So we just called it a night.
-Dravis
Distance: 96km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers
Left Kebemer today, still heading south. The land around me is changing a bit. It is still grassland with Acacia trees.
But I am starting to see more Baobab trees. There are no leaves on them because it is the dry season. Still it feels better to be riding through something a little more interesting than desert. It also feels cooler. The addition of a few trees does help. Then again it isn't that much cooler. I am still going through several liters of water a day.There are also lots of wrecked and stripped down vehicles along the side of the roads still. I would have thought the steel frame would have been used
for something. I guess they don't have a good way to cut it up and transport it though. Everything that can be removed is pulled from the cars and the rest is left to rust. This is Africa.I got to Thies (pronounced Chee-es, apparently) a few hours before sunset. Things didn't start out going well though. I was having trouble finding a place to stay. I didn't see any hotels or anything as I was riding around. The people on the street either didn't know or their advice was inaccurate. I was also hoping to hear from, Byron, a PCV my cousin put me in contact with. At that point I hadn't heard anything. So I thought I would check my e-mail and see what was up.
I found myself a nice little Cyber on the edge of town. I checked my e-mail, but no luck. I did start talking with a couple of guys there. Elie, is from Rwanda and he owns the Cyber. Paima comes from Belgium and is working for an NGO in town. We just sat there on the porch out front chatting. They were having beer, and I was putting away a huge bottle of Coke. It was great. Since I didn't have a place to stay Elie said that I could stay with him. How great is that?
The three of us also went out to dinner. I had forgotten it was Valentine's day, but the place was all decked out with roses and hearts. I guess three dudes walking in wasn't exactly what they were expecting. Still, the food was good. After that they were going to take me out to a nightclub for some dancing. I guess it was a swimming pool during the day, and a restaurant and nightclub at night. Except this night. It was closed. Not to be defeated Elie and Paima tried to take me to a couple of other places, but they were dead. So we just called it a night.
-Dravis
Whatzit - Part 1
I decided to start a new segment of the blog. I am going to post a picture of something, an animal, plant or anything I find interesting and haven't a clue what it is. So it is up to you guys to figure it out. For my part I will try to post a clear picture of the Whatzit and a description of where it was found. If you want to play along, post a comment. Extra points will be awarded for links to other sites describing the Whatzit.
Part 1 - Weird Bird
I saw this guy in northern Senegal about 50km south of St. Louis. I also saw two more flying around the next day 100km further south. It is about the size of a crow and has that long orange beak. Whatzit?
Part 1 - Weird Bird
I saw this guy in northern Senegal about 50km south of St. Louis. I also saw two more flying around the next day 100km further south. It is about the size of a crow and has that long orange beak. Whatzit?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
St. Louis to Kebemer - Day 179
Date: February 13th, 2010
Distance: 138km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: The World at Large - Modest Mouse
Woke up and started getting ready. This did take a lot longer than I wanted. Still, I wasn't all that worried. I will get somewhere. Plus I had a good breakfast. The most important meal of the day.
Another long day in the saddle. Not much interesting happening though. The vegetation seems to get greener as I travel south though. I ended up in the town of Kebemer. Got some food and a place to stay.
-Dravis
Distance: 138km
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: The World at Large - Modest Mouse
Woke up and started getting ready. This did take a lot longer than I wanted. Still, I wasn't all that worried. I will get somewhere. Plus I had a good breakfast. The most important meal of the day.
Another long day in the saddle. Not much interesting happening though. The vegetation seems to get greener as I travel south though. I ended up in the town of Kebemer. Got some food and a place to stay.
-Dravis
St. Louis - Day 178
Date: February 12th, 2010
Distance: None (35km around the city)
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Islands on the Coast - Band of Horses
Since the place was so nice, I decided to stick around an extra day. Well worth it. Not that I did a whole lot. I hit the town in the morning. Grabbed some food, and supplies. Then it was back to the beach. I spent a couple of hours wandering the beach and then a quick dip in the ocean. Then it was back to the city to take pictures. (I had forgotten my camera earlier.)
The more I see the city, the more conflicted I am. I like it, but it looks like a city in mock abandonment. The people are still there, but everything is worn through and run down. When the French came they built a beautiful colonial city. It has a relaxed tropical style. Times changed and the capital and the population moved to Dakar. After independence, the buildings began to crumble. It is now the skeleton of a once great city. In places you can see its tarnished glory shining through
. But there is also the dust and trash in the streets. The shoreline choked with refuse and children begging in the streets. It is haunting in that way because you can see everything it was or could be again.
Back at camp I started talking to a British guy named Andrew. He was actually traveling north on a Motorcycle after coming through Mali. We also went out for a bit of dinner and talked about all the weird stuff that makes up Africa. At least the parts that we have seen. It is such a different culture. So much of the stuff we take for granted is a foreign concept here. Garbage, basic sanitation, maintenance, and general safety are all things that are though of differently.
After that I went back and got into bed. Back on the bike in the morning.
-Dravis
Distance: None (35km around the city)
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Islands on the Coast - Band of Horses
Since the place was so nice, I decided to stick around an extra day. Well worth it. Not that I did a whole lot. I hit the town in the morning. Grabbed some food, and supplies. Then it was back to the beach. I spent a couple of hours wandering the beach and then a quick dip in the ocean. Then it was back to the city to take pictures. (I had forgotten my camera earlier.)
The more I see the city, the more conflicted I am. I like it, but it looks like a city in mock abandonment. The people are still there, but everything is worn through and run down. When the French came they built a beautiful colonial city. It has a relaxed tropical style. Times changed and the capital and the population moved to Dakar. After independence, the buildings began to crumble. It is now the skeleton of a once great city. In places you can see its tarnished glory shining through
. But there is also the dust and trash in the streets. The shoreline choked with refuse and children begging in the streets. It is haunting in that way because you can see everything it was or could be again.Back at camp I started talking to a British guy named Andrew. He was actually traveling north on a Motorcycle after coming through Mali. We also went out for a bit of dinner and talked about all the weird stuff that makes up Africa. At least the parts that we have seen. It is such a different culture. So much of the stuff we take for granted is a foreign concept here. Garbage, basic sanitation, maintenance, and general safety are all things that are though of differently.
After that I went back and got into bed. Back on the bike in the morning.
-Dravis
Diwaling Park to St. Louis - Day 177
Date: February 11th, 2010
Distance: 51km (Plus another 15km around town)
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Castles Made of Sand - Jimi Hendrix
Got up and felt great. Well, at least until a goat tried to eat the pads in my bike helmet. He ended up knocking over the bike in the process and my mirror broke. Thanks for that. Between that and the tire I am losing stuff left and right. (I think he ate one of the little felt liner pads for my helmet too.)
I was able to get on the road without any further complications, though. Still a dirt road up the the boarder. They were working on grating it down, but that meant it was still rough in a few sections. The guy working the grater also asked for a "cadou". What is wrong with you? Not only do you already have a job (or are at least stealing valuable construction equipment) but I am on a bike. I don't have anything. I am not giving you money. Quit it. I have heard that I should get used to it though. Anyway, no real problems.
At the boarder I wasn't really sure what was going on. They told me to go to the "Poste" first. I didn't understand why. I didn't have anything to mail. But I think it was the customs official. Not that he looked very official. He was just laying back on a mat watching TV when I came in. He sort of looked at the bike and let me go. Then it was off to the immigration officer. I had to wait outside for some reason. While I was there I met a group of Americans crossing into Mauritania. They were about my parent's age, so were quite impressed with my travel by bike. I guess it has become passe for me. After 10,000 kilometers it really doesn't seem that difficult anymore. Once I got into see the immigration officer, there wasn't mu
ch. A couple of questions, then he stamped my passport and I was off. I thought the boarder was a bridge. But someone was telling me it is a dam across the Senegal river. Either way it was an easy cycle. On the Senegal side, it was a reverse of the process on the Mauritanian side. A couple of questions and a passport stamp. Then a wave from the customs official. I was in Senegal. Country 14. No bribes. No hassle.
I would like to take a minute to talk about the road south from the Diama crossing. It is marvelous. I could be exaggerating its glories in my mind because of ~60km of poorly maintained dirt roads through Mauritania. Still, I think it is the best road I have been on yet. Smooth, dark black asphalt. Plenty of space on the shoulder. Flat. With almost no traffic. It looks brand new. Then again, with the condition of the road on the Mauritanian side I guess I could see why no one was traveling this way. Still, for a bike it was paradise. Just glorious.
Not much to look at though. Mostly it was deserty Savannah. I guess this area of the continent is called the Sahel zone. The boarder between the Sahara and the jungles to the south.
I did get into St. Louis (pronounced San Louie) without any problems. As the second largest city in Senegal, it almost overwhelms you with its chaos. The streets are jammed with cars, horse carts and buses. The cars go from battered, multi-colored taxis, to gleaming imports, to brightly painted buses. Also, the donkey carts of north Africa have mostly been replaced with the horse drawn version. Also it appears that there are, if possible, more shops than in Morocco or Mauritania. Maybe it is just that I am seeing more western style stores or that the shops are covered in bright advertisements. The stores actually seem to have names here. And it isn't just the streets that are crowded. The sidewalks are packed with people walking or selling veggies/plumbing/phone cards/toys from carts. Yet despite everything going on around you, it seems to make sense in some way. I had almost no problems navigating through it all.
The town itself was built by the French on a little island on the Senegal river. There is a long bridge connecting it to the mainland. On the other side is a long sand bar that runs all the way up the coast of Mauritania. This forms a long bay of marshes and tide flats. In other words it is like a little Manhattan on the West coast of Africa. Of course the city has expanded to cover parts of the mainland, all of the island and some of the sandbard. There is another, shorter bridge that connects the central island to the sandbar.
This area, named Hydrobase, is where I headed. I had heard from a guy in Nouakchott that there was a good auberge to stay at there. The first area is a little market. This is probably the most chaotic place in the whole city. I did get advice to head south though. So I took a left and got to the fishing area. On the inland shore were tons of boats pulled up on the beach. They were of the same type I had seen in Nouakchott. The people there were offloading the day's catch into trucks. There were also racks for drying fish. Again, amazingly hectic. People everywhere.
South of that, things seem to calm down. First a big cemetery, then a little community and finally some hotels. I didn't find that place I was looking for, but I did find a great camping site to stay at. Right by the ocean, with wi-fi, and cheap. I couldn't ask for anything more. I did want to go swimming in the ocean, but first I needed some food. So I left my stuff and biked back into town.
The city the French left behind is an orderly grid pattern. So getting around isn't a problem. Getting short changed
is a problem. I went to one place to pick up some bread, the guy didn't give me the right amount back. Not knowing the currency, I just walked out. I then tried to buy a couple of bananas. Again, I didn't get the right change back. This time I did notice though. I called him out on it and he kind of shrugged and said he didn't have the change. After a bit of back and forth, he handed over what I had given him, and I passed the bananas back. Then I went back to the first place, and also got what I should have. The guy had to wait until a couple of other customers came in and bought stuff before he had enough. So watch out for that. In Morocco or Mauritania, even if they don't want to, they will run out and get the right change. Here, they don't bother. Just give you something close, and not tell you if they are ripping you off. Annoying.
Still, I did meet the Japanese cyclist again. He gave me his e-mail address. It was good to see he made it. I was hoping to hang out more, but he ran off. Me I went back to go swimming.
The beach is amazing. Like I said, it is on this long sandbar. So you have white sand beaches with the Atlantic waves crashing on them. Long curling waves. With the bright sun, it is almost like paradise. Almost. The big problem is that there is trash everywhere. Not toxic waste, but just plastic and glass. Cans too. I know that is the way of things in Africa. It just seems like just a shame. If the beach was clean, put in a couple of resorts, the tourism would be amazing. It just doesn't seem to work that way here. It's Africa.
This seemed like the dead fish in the streets. Near where all the fish were being offloaded, there were tons of discarded fish. They were just rotting in piles the streets or in the sand. It seems like they could be used for something. If not dog food (dogs aren't really pets here) then fertilizer. But no, they are just left to rot. Seems like a waste.
I did spend some time laying on the beach, in the cleanest spot I could find, and got some sun. (I am tired of my cyclist tan.) At first I was just sitting there and relaxing. Soon I got bored though and started digging in the sand. Building little sand models for various structures. I am thirty and still enjoy playing in the sand. I also nearly jumped out of my skin when I accidentally dug up a sand crab. I didn't realize he was there until he popped out and scuttled off. Afterwards I took a dip in the ocean. It felt great. The water was cool and sun was warm. Afterwards I took a shower and watched the sun set over the ocean. Simple pleasures.
I went out to a little place and had a great dinner. Rice, prawns and some onion sauce. Once back at the camping site I worked late into the night to update my blog. Around midnight a heard of sand crabs wandered through the camp. At first I thought they were big spiders. Nope, just crabs. It was fun to watch them scurry about though. That did mean it was time to go to bed though.
-Dravis
Distance: 51km (Plus another 15km around town)
Country: Senegal
Song of the Day: Castles Made of Sand - Jimi Hendrix
Got up and felt great. Well, at least until a goat tried to eat the pads in my bike helmet. He ended up knocking over the bike in the process and my mirror broke. Thanks for that. Between that and the tire I am losing stuff left and right. (I think he ate one of the little felt liner pads for my helmet too.)
I was able to get on the road without any further complications, though. Still a dirt road up the the boarder. They were working on grating it down, but that meant it was still rough in a few sections. The guy working the grater also asked for a "cadou". What is wrong with you? Not only do you already have a job (or are at least stealing valuable construction equipment) but I am on a bike. I don't have anything. I am not giving you money. Quit it. I have heard that I should get used to it though. Anyway, no real problems.
At the boarder I wasn't really sure what was going on. They told me to go to the "Poste" first. I didn't understand why. I didn't have anything to mail. But I think it was the customs official. Not that he looked very official. He was just laying back on a mat watching TV when I came in. He sort of looked at the bike and let me go. Then it was off to the immigration officer. I had to wait outside for some reason. While I was there I met a group of Americans crossing into Mauritania. They were about my parent's age, so were quite impressed with my travel by bike. I guess it has become passe for me. After 10,000 kilometers it really doesn't seem that difficult anymore. Once I got into see the immigration officer, there wasn't mu
ch. A couple of questions, then he stamped my passport and I was off. I thought the boarder was a bridge. But someone was telling me it is a dam across the Senegal river. Either way it was an easy cycle. On the Senegal side, it was a reverse of the process on the Mauritanian side. A couple of questions and a passport stamp. Then a wave from the customs official. I was in Senegal. Country 14. No bribes. No hassle.I would like to take a minute to talk about the road south from the Diama crossing. It is marvelous. I could be exaggerating its glories in my mind because of ~60km of poorly maintained dirt roads through Mauritania. Still, I think it is the best road I have been on yet. Smooth, dark black asphalt. Plenty of space on the shoulder. Flat. With almost no traffic. It looks brand new. Then again, with the condition of the road on the Mauritanian side I guess I could see why no one was traveling this way. Still, for a bike it was paradise. Just glorious.
Not much to look at though. Mostly it was deserty Savannah. I guess this area of the continent is called the Sahel zone. The boarder between the Sahara and the jungles to the south.
I did get into St. Louis (pronounced San Louie) without any problems. As the second largest city in Senegal, it almost overwhelms you with its chaos. The streets are jammed with cars, horse carts and buses. The cars go from battered, multi-colored taxis, to gleaming imports, to brightly painted buses. Also, the donkey carts of north Africa have mostly been replaced with the horse drawn version. Also it appears that there are, if possible, more shops than in Morocco or Mauritania. Maybe it is just that I am seeing more western style stores or that the shops are covered in bright advertisements. The stores actually seem to have names here. And it isn't just the streets that are crowded. The sidewalks are packed with people walking or selling veggies/plumbing/phone cards/toys from carts. Yet despite everything going on around you, it seems to make sense in some way. I had almost no problems navigating through it all.
The town itself was built by the French on a little island on the Senegal river. There is a long bridge connecting it to the mainland. On the other side is a long sand bar that runs all the way up the coast of Mauritania. This forms a long bay of marshes and tide flats. In other words it is like a little Manhattan on the West coast of Africa. Of course the city has expanded to cover parts of the mainland, all of the island and some of the sandbard. There is another, shorter bridge that connects the central island to the sandbar.This area, named Hydrobase, is where I headed. I had heard from a guy in Nouakchott that there was a good auberge to stay at there. The first area is a little market. This is probably the most chaotic place in the whole city. I did get advice to head south though. So I took a left and got to the fishing area. On the inland shore were tons of boats pulled up on the beach. They were of the same type I had seen in Nouakchott. The people there were offloading the day's catch into trucks. There were also racks for drying fish. Again, amazingly hectic. People everywhere.
South of that, things seem to calm down. First a big cemetery, then a little community and finally some hotels. I didn't find that place I was looking for, but I did find a great camping site to stay at. Right by the ocean, with wi-fi, and cheap. I couldn't ask for anything more. I did want to go swimming in the ocean, but first I needed some food. So I left my stuff and biked back into town.
The city the French left behind is an orderly grid pattern. So getting around isn't a problem. Getting short changed
is a problem. I went to one place to pick up some bread, the guy didn't give me the right amount back. Not knowing the currency, I just walked out. I then tried to buy a couple of bananas. Again, I didn't get the right change back. This time I did notice though. I called him out on it and he kind of shrugged and said he didn't have the change. After a bit of back and forth, he handed over what I had given him, and I passed the bananas back. Then I went back to the first place, and also got what I should have. The guy had to wait until a couple of other customers came in and bought stuff before he had enough. So watch out for that. In Morocco or Mauritania, even if they don't want to, they will run out and get the right change. Here, they don't bother. Just give you something close, and not tell you if they are ripping you off. Annoying.Still, I did meet the Japanese cyclist again. He gave me his e-mail address. It was good to see he made it. I was hoping to hang out more, but he ran off. Me I went back to go swimming.
The beach is amazing. Like I said, it is on this long sandbar. So you have white sand beaches with the Atlantic waves crashing on them. Long curling waves. With the bright sun, it is almost like paradise. Almost. The big problem is that there is trash everywhere. Not toxic waste, but just plastic and glass. Cans too. I know that is the way of things in Africa. It just seems like just a shame. If the beach was clean, put in a couple of resorts, the tourism would be amazing. It just doesn't seem to work that way here. It's Africa.
This seemed like the dead fish in the streets. Near where all the fish were being offloaded, there were tons of discarded fish. They were just rotting in piles the streets or in the sand. It seems like they could be used for something. If not dog food (dogs aren't really pets here) then fertilizer. But no, they are just left to rot. Seems like a waste.
I did spend some time laying on the beach, in the cleanest spot I could find, and got some sun. (I am tired of my cyclist tan.) At first I was just sitting there and relaxing. Soon I got bored though and started digging in the sand. Building little sand models for various structures. I am thirty and still enjoy playing in the sand. I also nearly jumped out of my skin when I accidentally dug up a sand crab. I didn't realize he was there until he popped out and scuttled off. Afterwards I took a dip in the ocean. It felt great. The water was cool and sun was warm. Afterwards I took a shower and watched the sun set over the ocean. Simple pleasures.
I went out to a little place and had a great dinner. Rice, prawns and some onion sauce. Once back at the camping site I worked late into the night to update my blog. Around midnight a heard of sand crabs wandered through the camp. At first I thought they were big spiders. Nope, just crabs. It was fun to watch them scurry about though. That did mean it was time to go to bed though.
-Dravis
Friday, February 12, 2010
Nouakchott - Day 174
Date: February 8th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Rot in the Sun - The Presidents of the United States of America
I met with the Deputy Ambassador for the Republic of the Gambia today. A guy named Omar. He asked me about my journey and what I was going to do in The Gambia. That I was biking seemed to impress him. He even told me he was in the Olympics in 1984 (Los Angeles) and lived in Atlanta for a time. Very cool guy. So yes, in the end, I did get my visa.
From there I went back to the fish market. I had forgotten my camera the last time. I really wanted to get some pictures. When I got there, the sea was much higher though. Not just was the tide in, but the seas were rough. The whole atmosphere was very different. At one point I saw was almost looked like a race. About 50 people were running down the beach. Then I noticed they had ropes. Out in the s
urf one of the boats had capsized. I wasn't sure if they were trying to save people or the boat. (I later learned that one of the guys in the boat had drowned. The other three were sent to the hospital.) I did watch one boat successfully land on the beach. I am not sure if it was more skill or luck because it almost swamped once or twice. Once one the beach they see-sawed it up to dry sand, then slid it into place among the others.
As the sunset I raced back to the Auberge, as I didn't want to be biking at night. The two other cyclist had left in the morning. So there wasn't much going on. I just got my stuff ready and went to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Rot in the Sun - The Presidents of the United States of America
I met with the Deputy Ambassador for the Republic of the Gambia today. A guy named Omar. He asked me about my journey and what I was going to do in The Gambia. That I was biking seemed to impress him. He even told me he was in the Olympics in 1984 (Los Angeles) and lived in Atlanta for a time. Very cool guy. So yes, in the end, I did get my visa.
From there I went back to the fish market. I had forgotten my camera the last time. I really wanted to get some pictures. When I got there, the sea was much higher though. Not just was the tide in, but the seas were rough. The whole atmosphere was very different. At one point I saw was almost looked like a race. About 50 people were running down the beach. Then I noticed they had ropes. Out in the s
urf one of the boats had capsized. I wasn't sure if they were trying to save people or the boat. (I later learned that one of the guys in the boat had drowned. The other three were sent to the hospital.) I did watch one boat successfully land on the beach. I am not sure if it was more skill or luck because it almost swamped once or twice. Once one the beach they see-sawed it up to dry sand, then slid it into place among the others.As the sunset I raced back to the Auberge, as I didn't want to be biking at night. The two other cyclist had left in the morning. So there wasn't much going on. I just got my stuff ready and went to bed.
-Dravis
Nouakchott - Day 173
Date: February 7th, 2010
Distance: None
Song of the Day: Up on the Roof - The Get Up Kids
Today my mission was to find the embassy for The Gambia. (I don't know why it isn't just Gambia. Are there other sub-Gambias out there?) If I want to go there, I will need a visa. So I might as well get that now. I looked online, and I found a place that said they had an embassy here, but not the location. It took a little doing to find. Like I said, there isn't much in the way of street names here. I found where most of the other embassies were, but I didn't see it. I inquired in at the embassy for Senegal, and they directed me there. All told it was about a 3km walk from the Auberge.
The staff at the Gambian embassy were great. Very helpful and everyone there wanted to welcome me to their country. I am excited to go. I was told the that deputy liked to talk with all visa applicants, but he had stepped out to lunch. So I would have to come back later.
That was fine. The previous evening Natalie had invited me to lunch anyway. She took me to this tiny place that a friend of hers owned. It was a bit of a hole in the wall. Literally. No sign. Just a wall with a door in it. Inside the door was a little courtyard with some tables to eat at. They didn't have a menu, you got what was cooking. Then again
what was cooking was great. For about two bucks I got a plate of rice, fish and some steamed veggies. Plus all the ice water and juice drink you could want. (I don't know what the drink is. But it is red and you can find people selling it in the street all over.) They even had a turtle wandering around.
After that I said goodbye to Natalie and her friend and headed back to the hotel.
When I got there, my friend Jonathan was working on his tent. I guess the wind had broken one of the poles. So I helped him figure out a way to get it working again. By the time I got back to the embassy though, the deputy had gone home for the day. Okay, I will just come back tomorrow.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Song of the Day: Up on the Roof - The Get Up Kids
Today my mission was to find the embassy for The Gambia. (I don't know why it isn't just Gambia. Are there other sub-Gambias out there?) If I want to go there, I will need a visa. So I might as well get that now. I looked online, and I found a place that said they had an embassy here, but not the location. It took a little doing to find. Like I said, there isn't much in the way of street names here. I found where most of the other embassies were, but I didn't see it. I inquired in at the embassy for Senegal, and they directed me there. All told it was about a 3km walk from the Auberge.
The staff at the Gambian embassy were great. Very helpful and everyone there wanted to welcome me to their country. I am excited to go. I was told the that deputy liked to talk with all visa applicants, but he had stepped out to lunch. So I would have to come back later.
That was fine. The previous evening Natalie had invited me to lunch anyway. She took me to this tiny place that a friend of hers owned. It was a bit of a hole in the wall. Literally. No sign. Just a wall with a door in it. Inside the door was a little courtyard with some tables to eat at. They didn't have a menu, you got what was cooking. Then again
what was cooking was great. For about two bucks I got a plate of rice, fish and some steamed veggies. Plus all the ice water and juice drink you could want. (I don't know what the drink is. But it is red and you can find people selling it in the street all over.) They even had a turtle wandering around.After that I said goodbye to Natalie and her friend and headed back to the hotel.
When I got there, my friend Jonathan was working on his tent. I guess the wind had broken one of the poles. So I helped him figure out a way to get it working again. By the time I got back to the embassy though, the deputy had gone home for the day. Okay, I will just come back tomorrow.-Dravis
Nouakchott - Day 172
Date: February 6th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Where the Streets Have No Names - U2
My first order of the day was to get to a cyber. I had sent my friend Natalie a message through CouchSurfing asking if she knew of a good place to stay. I didn't have time the night before to find out if she had sent a reply. The place I was stayed at the night before was not that great.
It took me a bit to find a cyber. There really aren't that many sidewalks in Nouakchott. Instead there are just unpaved places, which in this town means sand. So to get anywhere with speed you have to walk in the street and hop off when a car goes by. Annoying. Finally I did find a place where I could check my e-mail and sure enough Natalie had sent me back with a place to stay.
You didn't need to tell me twice. So I headed off to find it. Another thing to note is that Nouakchott really doesn't have street names. So you can't give directions that way. Instead the directions were to find the Maritel building, go north and take the first left. Sounds weird, but it worked.
The place is called Auberge Menata. I was quite impressed. The place is a sort of strange commune filled with lots of Europeans. There is a yard most of which is usually filled with RVs. There is a bit of space for some chairs and tables. A good place to hang out and talk with your fellow travellers. Since they didn't have any beds left, they let me pitch my tent on the roof. Cool beans.
I also met two other cyclists staying there. One guy, Hiromu, was from Japan. He had cycled all the way down here from Istanbul. He even cycled the road from Nouadhibou to Nouakchott with no problems. There was also a French cyclist, Jonathan. He had come from Paris, but like me, took the bus from Nouadhibou.
Jonathan also told me there was a cool fish market to go see, so we biked on out there. The market itself isn't really all that big. They do have tons of different fish. Huge fish too. I couldn't tell you what just about any of them were. Out on the beach is where the real action is happening though. There are hundreds of fishing boats
lined up along the shore. They are all brightly painted. It just looks amazing. Some are coming and going, bringing huge nets full of fish ashore. Once on the beach the fish are offloaded onto a donkey cart and taken to the market. There is so much going one. It is fun just to walk up and down the beach.
After I got back, Natalie came to pick me up. She was going to show me around the city for a bit then take me to some place for dinner. (I am always hungry.) The first stop was the top of the only skyscraper in town. It was in the office where she worked. At the top was a place to get (non-alcoholic) drinks. It also had a balcony where you could look out over the city. While I was up there it struck me that Nouakchott is a lot like Anchorage in Alaska. Neither city had any reason to build up, so they both sprawled outward. Connecting the various areas of town are wide boulevards. Of course, Nouakchott has sand for sidewalks instead of snow, and it is goats or camels that wander the streets, not moose. But strangely similar.
After that we headed over to a place she knew for dinner. The place had the feel of a beach side restaurant. It even had a sand floor. A few of Natalie's friends showed up while we were there. They helped me with my french. (I am getting better.) I told them about my adventure, which even I am getting impressed with. W didn't stick around too late, though. A good day all around.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Where the Streets Have No Names - U2
My first order of the day was to get to a cyber. I had sent my friend Natalie a message through CouchSurfing asking if she knew of a good place to stay. I didn't have time the night before to find out if she had sent a reply. The place I was stayed at the night before was not that great.
It took me a bit to find a cyber. There really aren't that many sidewalks in Nouakchott. Instead there are just unpaved places, which in this town means sand. So to get anywhere with speed you have to walk in the street and hop off when a car goes by. Annoying. Finally I did find a place where I could check my e-mail and sure enough Natalie had sent me back with a place to stay.
You didn't need to tell me twice. So I headed off to find it. Another thing to note is that Nouakchott really doesn't have street names. So you can't give directions that way. Instead the directions were to find the Maritel building, go north and take the first left. Sounds weird, but it worked.
The place is called Auberge Menata. I was quite impressed. The place is a sort of strange commune filled with lots of Europeans. There is a yard most of which is usually filled with RVs. There is a bit of space for some chairs and tables. A good place to hang out and talk with your fellow travellers. Since they didn't have any beds left, they let me pitch my tent on the roof. Cool beans.
I also met two other cyclists staying there. One guy, Hiromu, was from Japan. He had cycled all the way down here from Istanbul. He even cycled the road from Nouadhibou to Nouakchott with no problems. There was also a French cyclist, Jonathan. He had come from Paris, but like me, took the bus from Nouadhibou.
Jonathan also told me there was a cool fish market to go see, so we biked on out there. The market itself isn't really all that big. They do have tons of different fish. Huge fish too. I couldn't tell you what just about any of them were. Out on the beach is where the real action is happening though. There are hundreds of fishing boats
lined up along the shore. They are all brightly painted. It just looks amazing. Some are coming and going, bringing huge nets full of fish ashore. Once on the beach the fish are offloaded onto a donkey cart and taken to the market. There is so much going one. It is fun just to walk up and down the beach.After I got back, Natalie came to pick me up. She was going to show me around the city for a bit then take me to some place for dinner. (I am always hungry.) The first stop was the top of the only skyscraper in town. It was in the office where she worked. At the top was a place to get (non-alcoholic) drinks. It also had a balcony where you could look out over the city. While I was up there it struck me that Nouakchott is a lot like Anchorage in Alaska. Neither city had any reason to build up, so they both sprawled outward. Connecting the various areas of town are wide boulevards. Of course, Nouakchott has sand for sidewalks instead of snow, and it is goats or camels that wander the streets, not moose. But strangely similar.
After that we headed over to a place she knew for dinner. The place had the feel of a beach side restaurant. It even had a sand floor. A few of Natalie's friends showed up while we were there. They helped me with my french. (I am getting better.) I told them about my adventure, which even I am getting impressed with. W didn't stick around too late, though. A good day all around.
-Dravis
Nouadhibou to Nouakchott - Day 171
Date: February 5th, 2010
Distance: Going by bus for safety reasons
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Bus to Beelzebub - Soul Coughing
I woke up and Moctahr took me back to his cafe. (I had left my b
ike there.) He made breakfast and some tea. The tea was different than in Morocco. Still sweet, but they added milk to it. Quite good. He even helped me get a ticket for the noon bus to the capital. Moctahr, much appreciated my friend. I wish you all the best.
The bus ride itself was pretty uneventful. Other than the fact that it was miserably hot. We were going through a lot of what I think of as real desert. Big dunes. I actually don't know how they keep the sand of the road. Not my problem I guess. The only annoying thing was the frequent police checkpoints. They never hassled me for bribes or anything. But the bus would have to stop, and on a few of them they would pull the baggage out and inspect it. (They never inspected mine. I don't think they do that to westerners for whatever reason.) Then they would ask me for my passport, and slowly write my information in a book. (I wonder if anyone actually check the books.) This would leave me standing in the sand on the side of the road baking in the heat. Unpleasant. Still, if it helps reduce the threat of terrorism, I am all for it. I am pretty glad I took the bus. Cycling would have been miserable.
We got into the capitol just as the sun was setting. I had heard that you shouldn't walk around at night in the city, so I just found the nearest place that you could stay. It was overpriced, but it was there. Oh well. There is always tomorrow.
-Dravis
Distance: Going by bus for safety reasons
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Bus to Beelzebub - Soul Coughing
I woke up and Moctahr took me back to his cafe. (I had left my b
ike there.) He made breakfast and some tea. The tea was different than in Morocco. Still sweet, but they added milk to it. Quite good. He even helped me get a ticket for the noon bus to the capital. Moctahr, much appreciated my friend. I wish you all the best.The bus ride itself was pretty uneventful. Other than the fact that it was miserably hot. We were going through a lot of what I think of as real desert. Big dunes. I actually don't know how they keep the sand of the road. Not my problem I guess. The only annoying thing was the frequent police checkpoints. They never hassled me for bribes or anything. But the bus would have to stop, and on a few of them they would pull the baggage out and inspect it. (They never inspected mine. I don't think they do that to westerners for whatever reason.) Then they would ask me for my passport, and slowly write my information in a book. (I wonder if anyone actually check the books.) This would leave me standing in the sand on the side of the road baking in the heat. Unpleasant. Still, if it helps reduce the threat of terrorism, I am all for it. I am pretty glad I took the bus. Cycling would have been miserable.
We got into the capitol just as the sun was setting. I had heard that you shouldn't walk around at night in the city, so I just found the nearest place that you could stay. It was overpriced, but it was there. Oh well. There is always tomorrow.
-Dravis
Laayoune to Nouadhibou - Day 169
Date: February 4th, 2010
Distance: Cheating by bus and taxi
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Drive - Incubus
So I missed the early bus to Dahkla, and ended up taking the one that arrived just before midnight. That worked out well. I was fairly tired and slept most of the way. Actually I only really needed to wake up every couple of hours so the gendarmes could ask for my passport and occupation.
Once in Dahkla, I actually wasn't all that impressed. Yeah, it was a town, but it didn't seem to have the excitement or energy that Laayoune had. I didn't see much in the way of beaches or interesting wilderness. So I decided to hit the road. Since the wind still wasn't cooperating and I didn't have any real (food) supplies, I decided to catch a ride.
This meant I had to find a something heading to the boarder with Mauritania. I choose taxi, which really wasn't the best option. I wouldn't recommend it. It was overpriced and crampt. They were able to tie the bike down to the back pretty well, so that wasn't a problem. I think it would have just been better to hit the road and try to hitch a ride on a South bound truck. Oh well.
I do have to say that it would have been nice to have ridden some of the way there. There were a few places where the dunes stretched out into the waves of the Atlantic. It made me want to just find a place to pitch my tent and stay a few days. My own little beach with no one around but a few trucks and cars on the highway. But it was not to be. I was already in the taxi, I couldn't exactly ask to be let out half way. Then again, most of the area wasn't that exciting. More boring desert. The wind had changed a bit and was now flowing across the road. Still, no real help for chewing up the miles.
I did end up in Mauritania by accident. Not really what I wanted. I had wanted to be let out on the Moroccan side, and cross the boarder myself. That was not to be either. The boarder on the Moroccan side looked like just another police checkpoint. Plus we had another 40 kilometers to the town I thought we were heading too. But they actually stamped my passport, which I thought was odd.
After that the road was gone. Vanished. There were just tracks in the sand. We w
ere going through a dusty wasteland. No-man's land. There was trash everywhere, and the shells of stripped down and wrecked cars. Most of these had been flipped over to provide shade for the few people who live or work in this lawless strip of land. (I later learned that this area is laced with old land mines. So the tracks mark, not the best path, but a safe one.)
Then after a few kilometers we came to a gate with Mauritanina flags. Whoops. Now I knew what was going on. It was too late to do anything about it though. I couldn't exactly go back to Morocco at this point. So I went on and got checked into Mauritania, no problems. Then it was the final 40 kilometers to Nouadhibou.
I arrived knowing nothing. I was actually hoping to camp on the Moroccan side. Then cross the boarder and find a bus going south. Now (as it was getting dark) I had to find a place to stay. There were a ton of people pressed around the taxi trying to offer me places to stay or something to eat. Quite overwhelming.
I did meet a young guy who invited me just to have a drink at his cafe. Good, someplace calm and quiet to think. I didn't have any Mauritanian Ouguiya, so I just had some water. I ended up talking with the owner of the cafe, named Moctahr. He was a cool guy. I guess he works three different jobs. One was the cafe, but his was also and administrative assistant at the hospital and an exterminator.
I got my Moroccan money changed over and he cooked me up some fish. Very good. Then he took me back to his house. I met his whole family. They had cooked up a big plate of pasta and meat. It was quite tasty. (Oh, and you eat it with our fingers. I nearly burned my fingers because it was so hot.) We also watched a movie on the TV (in English with Arabic subtitles). Finally I grabbed a couch and hit the hay.
-Dravis
Distance: Cheating by bus and taxi
Country: Mauritania
Song of the Day: Drive - Incubus
So I missed the early bus to Dahkla, and ended up taking the one that arrived just before midnight. That worked out well. I was fairly tired and slept most of the way. Actually I only really needed to wake up every couple of hours so the gendarmes could ask for my passport and occupation.
Once in Dahkla, I actually wasn't all that impressed. Yeah, it was a town, but it didn't seem to have the excitement or energy that Laayoune had. I didn't see much in the way of beaches or interesting wilderness. So I decided to hit the road. Since the wind still wasn't cooperating and I didn't have any real (food) supplies, I decided to catch a ride.
This meant I had to find a something heading to the boarder with Mauritania. I choose taxi, which really wasn't the best option. I wouldn't recommend it. It was overpriced and crampt. They were able to tie the bike down to the back pretty well, so that wasn't a problem. I think it would have just been better to hit the road and try to hitch a ride on a South bound truck. Oh well.
I do have to say that it would have been nice to have ridden some of the way there. There were a few places where the dunes stretched out into the waves of the Atlantic. It made me want to just find a place to pitch my tent and stay a few days. My own little beach with no one around but a few trucks and cars on the highway. But it was not to be. I was already in the taxi, I couldn't exactly ask to be let out half way. Then again, most of the area wasn't that exciting. More boring desert. The wind had changed a bit and was now flowing across the road. Still, no real help for chewing up the miles.
I did end up in Mauritania by accident. Not really what I wanted. I had wanted to be let out on the Moroccan side, and cross the boarder myself. That was not to be either. The boarder on the Moroccan side looked like just another police checkpoint. Plus we had another 40 kilometers to the town I thought we were heading too. But they actually stamped my passport, which I thought was odd.
After that the road was gone. Vanished. There were just tracks in the sand. We w
ere going through a dusty wasteland. No-man's land. There was trash everywhere, and the shells of stripped down and wrecked cars. Most of these had been flipped over to provide shade for the few people who live or work in this lawless strip of land. (I later learned that this area is laced with old land mines. So the tracks mark, not the best path, but a safe one.)Then after a few kilometers we came to a gate with Mauritanina flags. Whoops. Now I knew what was going on. It was too late to do anything about it though. I couldn't exactly go back to Morocco at this point. So I went on and got checked into Mauritania, no problems. Then it was the final 40 kilometers to Nouadhibou.
I arrived knowing nothing. I was actually hoping to camp on the Moroccan side. Then cross the boarder and find a bus going south. Now (as it was getting dark) I had to find a place to stay. There were a ton of people pressed around the taxi trying to offer me places to stay or something to eat. Quite overwhelming.
I did meet a young guy who invited me just to have a drink at his cafe. Good, someplace calm and quiet to think. I didn't have any Mauritanian Ouguiya, so I just had some water. I ended up talking with the owner of the cafe, named Moctahr. He was a cool guy. I guess he works three different jobs. One was the cafe, but his was also and administrative assistant at the hospital and an exterminator.
I got my Moroccan money changed over and he cooked me up some fish. Very good. Then he took me back to his house. I met his whole family. They had cooked up a big plate of pasta and meat. It was quite tasty. (Oh, and you eat it with our fingers. I nearly burned my fingers because it was so hot.) We also watched a movie on the TV (in English with Arabic subtitles). Finally I grabbed a couch and hit the hay.
-Dravis
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Biking the Sahara - The Home Game!
Have you ever wanted to bike the world's most famous desert, but didn't have the time or the money? Well now you can! Biking the Sahara© is the new craze from Adventures@Home, the world leader in travel miseries brought to you! Experience the same discomforts and monotony without leaving own living room. You will feel the heat and the sand. You legs will ache, your butt will go numb, and the scenery will be more boring than a sack full of old ax handles. With Biking the Sahara© the annoyance is only limited by how long you play!
To play the game, you will need:
Start by placing the stationary bicycle in your living room. Set the bicycle to the highest difficulty it will go. Remember, if it calculates your speed at more than 8mph, it isn't hard enough. Next, suspend the halogen light over it. Then, place the industrial fan in front of the bicycle so that it blows in the face of the rider. Now place the bucket of sand in front of the fan. Be sure that it is at the correct height so the sand will slowly blow over the bicycle when the fan is turned on. After that, dump out the bag of trash around the bicycle. For the final step, paint the wall in front of the bicycle. Use an even coat of tan or light brown. Then add a bit of color with big globs of drab green paint. Now you are all set to go!
To play, simply turn on the halogen lamp, get the fan going and start pedaling! You will be transported into that horrid desert in no time. The hot sun will be burning your back. The sand and wind will be whipping your face. Continue pedaling for 7 or 8 hours. Just like the desert, it won't be any different when you stop. Oh, and don't forget to watch that paint dry! (For added realism you could also have friends come over and hit you with pillows trying to knock you off the bike.)
When you get tired, take a break and try Moroccan Tea Party©.
To play the game, you will need:
- A Stationary bicycle
- A 3000W Halogen Light
- A bucket of sand
- An industrial fan
- A bag of trash
- A bit of paint
Start by placing the stationary bicycle in your living room. Set the bicycle to the highest difficulty it will go. Remember, if it calculates your speed at more than 8mph, it isn't hard enough. Next, suspend the halogen light over it. Then, place the industrial fan in front of the bicycle so that it blows in the face of the rider. Now place the bucket of sand in front of the fan. Be sure that it is at the correct height so the sand will slowly blow over the bicycle when the fan is turned on. After that, dump out the bag of trash around the bicycle. For the final step, paint the wall in front of the bicycle. Use an even coat of tan or light brown. Then add a bit of color with big globs of drab green paint. Now you are all set to go!
To play, simply turn on the halogen lamp, get the fan going and start pedaling! You will be transported into that horrid desert in no time. The hot sun will be burning your back. The sand and wind will be whipping your face. Continue pedaling for 7 or 8 hours. Just like the desert, it won't be any different when you stop. Oh, and don't forget to watch that paint dry! (For added realism you could also have friends come over and hit you with pillows trying to knock you off the bike.)
When you get tired, take a break and try Moroccan Tea Party©.
Moroccan Tea Party
Experience the simple annoyance of sitting in a Moroccan cafe with Moroccan Tea Party©. Another game from Adventures@Home!
For this game, you will need:
Start by boiling the water in the tea pot. Then cut open the tea bag and pour the contents into the pot. Next, add the sugar. Pour some tea into one of the small glasses, then pour it back into the pot. Repeat this three times. (I don't know why, but it is part of the ritual.) Now comes the fun part, open the jar of files. Finally, pour yourself a very tiny glass of tea, sit on the plastic chair and try to enjoy the tea with flies buzzing around!
For this game, you will need:
- A small tea pot
- A tea bag
- Two cups of water
- Two tiny glasses
- Half a cup of sugar
- A plastic lawn chair
- A plastic table
- A jar of flies
Start by boiling the water in the tea pot. Then cut open the tea bag and pour the contents into the pot. Next, add the sugar. Pour some tea into one of the small glasses, then pour it back into the pot. Repeat this three times. (I don't know why, but it is part of the ritual.) Now comes the fun part, open the jar of files. Finally, pour yourself a very tiny glass of tea, sit on the plastic chair and try to enjoy the tea with flies buzzing around!
Dawra to Laayoune - Day 168
Date: February 2nd, 2010
Distance: 34km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Last Stop: This Town - Eels
Jose and I got up at sunrise and broke camp. We were on our way pretty early. The wind though, which had abated during the night was also back. It wasn't a long ride but is was some of the most grueling work I have done. I don't know if it was the strength of the wind, or maybe the fact that I knew I was only trying to make it to Laayoune. Either way, each windswept miles seemed like an affront to me.
Gladly, we finally made it to Laayoune. The town itself is actually quite pleasant. It really isn't much different from the other towns I have been to. I guess it just seems more tropical and fun. I think there is also big tourist influence here. (It is also the first place I have seen UN vehicles driving around.)
As I was riding in, a guy in a car rolled by and, in perfect English, apologized for the wind. He said it was quite unexpected. I had heard that the winds in this area go south. So I guess the misery of the last few days is just a freak occurrence.
I got myself checked into a hotel and took a badly needed shower. It felt so good. Getting rid of the sand, sweat and grime. I met up with Jose for dinner, we had a good time. I still have a hard time communicating with him, but it was good. I guess he doesn't have a visa for Mauritania. So I think he is going to try and get a plane to Senagal. For me, I am going to take a bus tomorrow.
I know, I could say it is because the desert really isn't my style. I could mention that I wanted to see sand dunes as far as the eye could see, but now realize they don't build roads through that part of the desert. I could tell you I just had my eyes fixed and don't want to have the sand now scrape up my new corneas. I could complain that the sun isn't helping my helmet tan. Or I could say it is because the roads are dangerous. The truth is, the last couple of days have been awful. It has been a grind, and in that way it felt like work. This is exactly what I wanted to get away from. I didn't come out here to be miserable. I don't need to continue because of some vague concept of purity, or an absurd sense of completion. Taking a bus is cheating, and I will cop to that. I just don't see one reason to be unhappy when I can help it. So I am on a bus.
Plus, I am quite ready to be out of Morocco and on to the next country. I have a limited time here in Africa. I have to be back in August. So no reason to squander ten more days in this wasteland. I just have to figure out how to do it. I guess there is a bus down to Dakhla. From there the guy at the bus station said the transport is "Land Rover". So we will see how that goes.
-Dravis
Distance: 34km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Last Stop: This Town - Eels
Jose and I got up at sunrise and broke camp. We were on our way pretty early. The wind though, which had abated during the night was also back. It wasn't a long ride but is was some of the most grueling work I have done. I don't know if it was the strength of the wind, or maybe the fact that I knew I was only trying to make it to Laayoune. Either way, each windswept miles seemed like an affront to me.
Gladly, we finally made it to Laayoune. The town itself is actually quite pleasant. It really isn't much different from the other towns I have been to. I guess it just seems more tropical and fun. I think there is also big tourist influence here. (It is also the first place I have seen UN vehicles driving around.)
As I was riding in, a guy in a car rolled by and, in perfect English, apologized for the wind. He said it was quite unexpected. I had heard that the winds in this area go south. So I guess the misery of the last few days is just a freak occurrence.
I got myself checked into a hotel and took a badly needed shower. It felt so good. Getting rid of the sand, sweat and grime. I met up with Jose for dinner, we had a good time. I still have a hard time communicating with him, but it was good. I guess he doesn't have a visa for Mauritania. So I think he is going to try and get a plane to Senagal. For me, I am going to take a bus tomorrow.
I know, I could say it is because the desert really isn't my style. I could mention that I wanted to see sand dunes as far as the eye could see, but now realize they don't build roads through that part of the desert. I could tell you I just had my eyes fixed and don't want to have the sand now scrape up my new corneas. I could complain that the sun isn't helping my helmet tan. Or I could say it is because the roads are dangerous. The truth is, the last couple of days have been awful. It has been a grind, and in that way it felt like work. This is exactly what I wanted to get away from. I didn't come out here to be miserable. I don't need to continue because of some vague concept of purity, or an absurd sense of completion. Taking a bus is cheating, and I will cop to that. I just don't see one reason to be unhappy when I can help it. So I am on a bus.
Plus, I am quite ready to be out of Morocco and on to the next country. I have a limited time here in Africa. I have to be back in August. So no reason to squander ten more days in this wasteland. I just have to figure out how to do it. I guess there is a bus down to Dakhla. From there the guy at the bus station said the transport is "Land Rover". So we will see how that goes.
-Dravis
Cafe Echaraf to Dawra - Day 167
Date: February 1st, 2010
Distance: 110km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Death or Glory - The Clash
Today was no better. We rode the first thirty klicks to Tarfaya facing the same headwind as the day before.
Tarfaya was actually a pretty town. It was the first town I have seen that had
modern walls to it. Not to keep out invading armies, but to halt the encroaching dunes. There were a few buildings stranded outside, half filled with sand. It is also right on the coast, so it has nice sandy beaches. There is even some kind of fort out on the sand.
In town Jose and I stopped for some tea and I had an omlette. We also be a couple a Brits who were wandering around. There was a guy named Paul who had just ridden into town on a motorbike. Jake was just coming back to town. I guess he rode down on his motorcycle three years ago when they started a ferry to the Cannary Islands. I guess he bought some property in town because of all the tourists he saw. (I didn't know you could by land in Morocco without being a citizen either.) But then the ferry sank. So now that there is a new ferry coming he is back in town to try and make a go of it again. Anyway, an interesting guy to talk with.
From there, it was more hell in the saddle. The same headwind that had been dogging Jose and I was still there. The road also seemed to keep us pointed right into it. Only in the very late afternoon the did the wind switch direction. Or maybe it was the road. Either way, it wasn't much, but enough to keep me from going crazy.
Just before sunset, Jose found a spot to camp about 25 kilometers from Laayoune. It behind some abandoned houses, but that would give us some shade from the wind. So we pitched our tents up and cooked some food. It was pretty silent as communication between Jose and I is pretty limited. I miss my friend Tim from Switzerland. I had a great time riding and camping with him. We had a bunch of great conversations in camp.
-Dravis
Distance: 110km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Death or Glory - The Clash
Today was no better. We rode the first thirty klicks to Tarfaya facing the same headwind as the day before.
Tarfaya was actually a pretty town. It was the first town I have seen that had
modern walls to it. Not to keep out invading armies, but to halt the encroaching dunes. There were a few buildings stranded outside, half filled with sand. It is also right on the coast, so it has nice sandy beaches. There is even some kind of fort out on the sand.In town Jose and I stopped for some tea and I had an omlette. We also be a couple a Brits who were wandering around. There was a guy named Paul who had just ridden into town on a motorbike. Jake was just coming back to town. I guess he rode down on his motorcycle three years ago when they started a ferry to the Cannary Islands. I guess he bought some property in town because of all the tourists he saw. (I didn't know you could by land in Morocco without being a citizen either.) But then the ferry sank. So now that there is a new ferry coming he is back in town to try and make a go of it again. Anyway, an interesting guy to talk with.
From there, it was more hell in the saddle. The same headwind that had been dogging Jose and I was still there. The road also seemed to keep us pointed right into it. Only in the very late afternoon the did the wind switch direction. Or maybe it was the road. Either way, it wasn't much, but enough to keep me from going crazy.
Just before sunset, Jose found a spot to camp about 25 kilometers from Laayoune. It behind some abandoned houses, but that would give us some shade from the wind. So we pitched our tents up and cooked some food. It was pretty silent as communication between Jose and I is pretty limited. I miss my friend Tim from Switzerland. I had a great time riding and camping with him. We had a bunch of great conversations in camp.
-Dravis
??? to Cafe Echaraf - Day 166
Date: January 31st, 2010
Distance: 93km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: I Will Be - Avril Lavigne (For the two Moroccan waiters who had this on repeat for breakfast.)
What a miserable day. Really, I don't have nothing nice to say about it except that it is over.
Jose and I left and were on the road by 8:30. Soon we left the cliff tops behind and started heading further into the desert. This isn't Arrakis, with its endless dunes. Instead just flat dusty ground with a few stiff and hardy plants. Yes, there were a few dunes here and there. But mostly it was rocky scrubland.
Jose and I stopped in a little town to get some breakfast. A good idea since I would need that energy. When I woke up this morning, the wind had changed direction. The night before it had been blowing in the direction that I was going to be heading. Today it started blowing across the road and out toward the sea. I was hoping that it would change again, but when it did it wasn't what I wanted. After we left the little town, the wind was now blowing straight at us. Each time the wind seemed to shift the road seemed to follow. Just awful. Later w
hen we started getting into more dunes the sand picked up as well. The big trucks going by would blow it in my face. I am so glad I bought that scarf. It has been very handy. I am looking like a mock Bedouin.
Speaking of trucks, the wake from one of them blew me off the road and into the ditch. Thanks for that one. It was better than the van that rammed me later on. Actually, nudged is a better word for it. I couldn't her the van because of the roaring oncoming truck. The van had slowed down, and was trying to squeeze between me and the truck. No damage done, and it didn't even knock me off the bike. Still, it was a bit of a scare.
I am really impressed with how far I made today. Hour after miserble hour in the saddle. I really can't repeat enough how awful it was.
We arrived at a cafe just before sunset. They said we could stay on their porch for the night. Good enough for me. Plus they had food and stuff to drink. So I was set. I am still trying to figure out how to get the sand off before I try to crawl into my sleeping bag. Once that sand gets in, it never seems to go away. I hope tomorrow is better.
-Dravis
Distance: 93km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: I Will Be - Avril Lavigne (For the two Moroccan waiters who had this on repeat for breakfast.)
What a miserable day. Really, I don't have nothing nice to say about it except that it is over.
Jose and I left and were on the road by 8:30. Soon we left the cliff tops behind and started heading further into the desert. This isn't Arrakis, with its endless dunes. Instead just flat dusty ground with a few stiff and hardy plants. Yes, there were a few dunes here and there. But mostly it was rocky scrubland.
Jose and I stopped in a little town to get some breakfast. A good idea since I would need that energy. When I woke up this morning, the wind had changed direction. The night before it had been blowing in the direction that I was going to be heading. Today it started blowing across the road and out toward the sea. I was hoping that it would change again, but when it did it wasn't what I wanted. After we left the little town, the wind was now blowing straight at us. Each time the wind seemed to shift the road seemed to follow. Just awful. Later w
hen we started getting into more dunes the sand picked up as well. The big trucks going by would blow it in my face. I am so glad I bought that scarf. It has been very handy. I am looking like a mock Bedouin.Speaking of trucks, the wake from one of them blew me off the road and into the ditch. Thanks for that one. It was better than the van that rammed me later on. Actually, nudged is a better word for it. I couldn't her the van because of the roaring oncoming truck. The van had slowed down, and was trying to squeeze between me and the truck. No damage done, and it didn't even knock me off the bike. Still, it was a bit of a scare.
I am really impressed with how far I made today. Hour after miserble hour in the saddle. I really can't repeat enough how awful it was.
We arrived at a cafe just before sunset. They said we could stay on their porch for the night. Good enough for me. Plus they had food and stuff to drink. So I was set. I am still trying to figure out how to get the sand off before I try to crawl into my sleeping bag. Once that sand gets in, it never seems to go away. I hope tomorrow is better.
-Dravis
Tan-Tan to ??? - Day 165
Date: January 30th, 2010
Distance: 106km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Another Travelin' Song - Bright Eyes
I was happy to be getting out of my cheap hotel room. The road out of town however was really not what I wanted. The first 5km was all uphill. I stopped near the top to stretch when my Spanish companion, Jose, rode up. I guess he camped about 20km outside of town and had been on the road for a bit. Again, I am impressed with the way he rides. (Most of the time leaving me in the dust.)
Still we made a pretty good run of it today. The road after
Tan-Tan goes out to the ocean. It was good to see the Atlantic again. For most of the day we were riding along the top of the cliffs overlooking the sea. A few huts for the fishermen who live 
along the coast and the ubiquitous European camping cars (RVs). We did stop for lunch with a herd of camels. I doubt they are wild, but I didn't see anyone watching them either.
The only real change in the terrain were the four or five Oued (rivers) that we had to cross. This invariably involved dropping 150 feet in elevation, crossing a flood plain and small bridge, then climbing up an equal height on the other side. Makes me miss the US where they just put a big bridge straight over the whole thing.
By the end of the day I was getting pretty tired. We were heading for a cafe that Jose (my riding companion) knew about. By that point I really was pooped. I stopped and got some fish to eat. By the time we left the sun was about to set. We only made it a couple of kilometers before Jose stopped. We pulled off the road on the seaward side. Nearby was a little stone hut. We talked about pitching tents, but the wind had picked up and there wasn't much to stake into around there. The ground was eithe
r stone or sand. Instead we decided to camp out in the hut. It was clean and unoccupied. I figured it wouldn't be that big a deal if we stayed there for one night.
So I watched the sun set on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Behind me the moon started to rise. It was a full moon, so it was hard to see all the stars. I did get another astrological phenomenon that I don't get to see much. The light off the moon was so bright I could see my own shadow by it. Moonshadow. Quite cool.
-Dravis
Distance: 106km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Another Travelin' Song - Bright Eyes
I was happy to be getting out of my cheap hotel room. The road out of town however was really not what I wanted. The first 5km was all uphill. I stopped near the top to stretch when my Spanish companion, Jose, rode up. I guess he camped about 20km outside of town and had been on the road for a bit. Again, I am impressed with the way he rides. (Most of the time leaving me in the dust.)
Still we made a pretty good run of it today. The road after
Tan-Tan goes out to the ocean. It was good to see the Atlantic again. For most of the day we were riding along the top of the cliffs overlooking the sea. A few huts for the fishermen who live 
along the coast and the ubiquitous European camping cars (RVs). We did stop for lunch with a herd of camels. I doubt they are wild, but I didn't see anyone watching them either.The only real change in the terrain were the four or five Oued (rivers) that we had to cross. This invariably involved dropping 150 feet in elevation, crossing a flood plain and small bridge, then climbing up an equal height on the other side. Makes me miss the US where they just put a big bridge straight over the whole thing.
By the end of the day I was getting pretty tired. We were heading for a cafe that Jose (my riding companion) knew about. By that point I really was pooped. I stopped and got some fish to eat. By the time we left the sun was about to set. We only made it a couple of kilometers before Jose stopped. We pulled off the road on the seaward side. Nearby was a little stone hut. We talked about pitching tents, but the wind had picked up and there wasn't much to stake into around there. The ground was eithe
r stone or sand. Instead we decided to camp out in the hut. It was clean and unoccupied. I figured it wouldn't be that big a deal if we stayed there for one night.So I watched the sun set on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Behind me the moon started to rise. It was a full moon, so it was hard to see all the stars. I did get another astrological phenomenon that I don't get to see much. The light off the moon was so bright I could see my own shadow by it. Moonshadow. Quite cool.
-Dravis
Guelmim to Tan-Tan - Day 164
Date: January 29th, 2010
Distance: 138km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Greedy Fly - Bush
If the day before had been raining and hilly, today was the opposite. It was bright and sunny and fairly flat. Not really exciting terrain though. Just more miles. I did meet another cyclist on tour. He was a Spanish guy, but didn't speak much English. I really don't speak any Spanish. So communication was limited. But we did ride together for a while. He was really kicking my butt . Plus in his rig he is pulling a trailer. I must really be a wuss for not being able to keep up. I stopped for lunch and he went on ahead. After I was back on the road I saw that he stopped for some tagine. I figured if he wanted he could catch up. But I didn't see him after that.
I did get to Tan-Tan just before sunset. A lot of good hard riding. I felt great. I also got stopped for my first police checkpoint. I have gone through a number before, but so far no one has stopped me. I think in the north of the country you are just a weirdo on a bicycle. I think in the south they may be more cautious. This is the first time they pulled me over. They just wanted to see my passport and ask me where I was going. The police were very formal and polite. Other than the time it was no hassle at all.
I also got myself checked into my first 30 Dirham hotel. Let me tell you that is an experience. For those of you back home 30 Dirham is a little less than five bucks. What, I hear you asking, do you get for all that? Well, you get a room, but you have to share it. Not with people but about hundreds of flies. I first noticed them when I tried to close the window. (They like to keep the windows open in the hotels here, apparently to let the files in.) Once I did this I saw a couple of them fly off. I was just about to start a killing spree when I noticed how many there were. Flys everywhere all over the room. I would have done something, but I also noticed these weren't the smartest creatures on the planet. In fact they didn't seem to have any self preservation in them. I stepped on one, and it didn't even try to get away. I told it I was going to put my foot there and it better move. But the damn thing didn't twitch. Okay, so I could let the fly-tards be. The next thing that I noticed was that the one power socket in the room wasn't working. Oh well, I wanted to charge my laptop. I guess that could wait. When I turned out the light however, then the power came on for my laptop. Then the power to the laptop faded and the light in the room flashed on for a second. And this cycle started repeating itself until I unplugged the laptop. This actually did scare me. I have a bit of an understanding of how the power to a house or building is wired up. I haven't a clue how to make something do what that room was doing. I just hope the place doesn't burn down while I am staying here...
-Dravis
Distance: 138km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Greedy Fly - Bush
If the day before had been raining and hilly, today was the opposite. It was bright and sunny and fairly flat. Not really exciting terrain though. Just more miles. I did meet another cyclist on tour. He was a Spanish guy, but didn't speak much English. I really don't speak any Spanish. So communication was limited. But we did ride together for a while. He was really kicking my butt . Plus in his rig he is pulling a trailer. I must really be a wuss for not being able to keep up. I stopped for lunch and he went on ahead. After I was back on the road I saw that he stopped for some tagine. I figured if he wanted he could catch up. But I didn't see him after that.
I did get to Tan-Tan just before sunset. A lot of good hard riding. I felt great. I also got stopped for my first police checkpoint. I have gone through a number before, but so far no one has stopped me. I think in the north of the country you are just a weirdo on a bicycle. I think in the south they may be more cautious. This is the first time they pulled me over. They just wanted to see my passport and ask me where I was going. The police were very formal and polite. Other than the time it was no hassle at all.
I also got myself checked into my first 30 Dirham hotel. Let me tell you that is an experience. For those of you back home 30 Dirham is a little less than five bucks. What, I hear you asking, do you get for all that? Well, you get a room, but you have to share it. Not with people but about hundreds of flies. I first noticed them when I tried to close the window. (They like to keep the windows open in the hotels here, apparently to let the files in.) Once I did this I saw a couple of them fly off. I was just about to start a killing spree when I noticed how many there were. Flys everywhere all over the room. I would have done something, but I also noticed these weren't the smartest creatures on the planet. In fact they didn't seem to have any self preservation in them. I stepped on one, and it didn't even try to get away. I told it I was going to put my foot there and it better move. But the damn thing didn't twitch. Okay, so I could let the fly-tards be. The next thing that I noticed was that the one power socket in the room wasn't working. Oh well, I wanted to charge my laptop. I guess that could wait. When I turned out the light however, then the power came on for my laptop. Then the power to the laptop faded and the light in the room flashed on for a second. And this cycle started repeating itself until I unplugged the laptop. This actually did scare me. I have a bit of an understanding of how the power to a house or building is wired up. I haven't a clue how to make something do what that room was doing. I just hope the place doesn't burn down while I am staying here...
-Dravis
Tiznit to Guelmim - Day 163
Date: January 28th, 2010
Distance: 116km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: The Mountains Win Again - Blues Traveler
Today I was rolling out of town by 10:00 AM. So right on time. I consider anything before then a bonus. But damn it all if I didn't need it. After about half an hour I started running into a bit of a headwind. Then hills. I spent most of the morning and into the afternoon climbing into the wind. Then it started to rain. Not heavily, but enough to get everything wet. This did kill off the last of the wind though.
Finally, in mid-afternoon the road started going down hill. It didn't last long, but it felt great. There really isn't anything like screaming down a hill on a bike. It is a little more precarious with a fully loaded touring rig. Plus with the rain I was still worried about skidding out like I did outside of Malaga. But it all worked out. It was a couple of hours short of getting dark, and my knee was just beginning to give me trouble. So I almost stopped in Bouizakarne. But I didn't see any hotels on my way though. Plus the only one who seemed to notice me was little kid giving me the finger. Nope, I would just pass on through.
After Bouizakarne, the terrain flattens out and I was just cruising along. Which was good because I needed to get there as fast as I coule. Despite that, the sun set before I could make the final few kilometers. It also just started to rain as I got to the outskirts of the city. I found myself a hotel and put myself up for the night. By the time I finished dinner it was just pouring rain.
-Dravis
Distance: 116km
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: The Mountains Win Again - Blues Traveler
Today I was rolling out of town by 10:00 AM. So right on time. I consider anything before then a bonus. But damn it all if I didn't need it. After about half an hour I started running into a bit of a headwind. Then hills. I spent most of the morning and into the afternoon climbing into the wind. Then it started to rain. Not heavily, but enough to get everything wet. This did kill off the last of the wind though.
Finally, in mid-afternoon the road started going down hill. It didn't last long, but it felt great. There really isn't anything like screaming down a hill on a bike. It is a little more precarious with a fully loaded touring rig. Plus with the rain I was still worried about skidding out like I did outside of Malaga. But it all worked out. It was a couple of hours short of getting dark, and my knee was just beginning to give me trouble. So I almost stopped in Bouizakarne. But I didn't see any hotels on my way though. Plus the only one who seemed to notice me was little kid giving me the finger. Nope, I would just pass on through.
After Bouizakarne, the terrain flattens out and I was just cruising along. Which was good because I needed to get there as fast as I coule. Despite that, the sun set before I could make the final few kilometers. It also just started to rain as I got to the outskirts of the city. I found myself a hotel and put myself up for the night. By the time I finished dinner it was just pouring rain.
-Dravis
Taroudant to Tiznit - Day 162
Date: January 27th, 2010
Distance: 1.5 hours by taxi and 1 hour by bus
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Warning Sign - Coldplay
I woke up early today and checked out of my hotel. I didn't really have much to do, but I didn't want to spend another beautiful day inside like I had done with the previous one. So I started walking around th
e old town. Moroccans really do like their town walls. It really just isn't a town until you have walls. I also found a shop and bought a mirror for my bike. I am tired of trucks screaming up from behind with no warning. It will be nice to have a way to look behind me without having to around. I can't tell you the number of times that I have turned around and almost gotten a face full of truck. So I am happy about that.
My bike has really been a work in progress. I keep thinking I will do a post about what stuff I am using, but I seem to keep making changes to it. Maybe someday I will be happy with the way everything works. Until then I will just keep adding to it bit by bit.
While I was buying the mirror I got a call from Julian and we met up at her favorite orange juice place. The have a market similar to the one in Marrakech, but much smaller. Still the juice is just as good. From there we walked around the town and Julian told me about all the craziness in her life. I guess her host mom basically terrorized her until she left. They way she described it, it sounded like a nasty breakup. Her (former) host mom giving back any of Julians gifts. This apparently included a yogurt.
Since then Julian had found a new host family, and things were going much better. But she was still looking forward to going home in a couple months. She, like the PCVs I met, had a list of the things she wanted to do when she got
back. I have one too, but it is mostly about food. I can really understand her feeling of being ready to go home. I am not ready to go back myself, but I have definitely come to the point where I feel like I have done enough in Morocco. I have been here five weeks, I am quite ready to head south.
So I said goodbye to Julian with a handshake, the only semi-acceptable gesture between two people who are of the opposite gender but aren't married. Julian, good luck. I hope the next couple of months go smoothly and you can enjoy your time.
I got back to the bus station and they kept telling me there weren't any busses to Agadir. That, I thought, was crap because I had just come here on a bus. No, the guy selling the bus tickets said it wasn't possible and sent me to the taxi stand. I figured I could argue, but if he wasn't selling me a ticket he must be at least partially right. So I crammed myself into the back of the taxi for the hour and a half ride to Agadir. The taxis are all old Mercedes sedans with six passengers. Six. So that means the driver and two people sit in front. I was crammed in the back with three other people. It was an unpleasant ride, and I am not that big. It must be just hell for people who are taller, or have broader hips or shoulders.
When we got to Agadir, I didn't have a clue where I was. I asked for the bus station, but again, they said there wasn't a bus station in Agadir. Urg. I remember the busses coming into town and going south. Plus I had biked my way out to the south and knew there was really only one road. So I headed that way. I spent an hour and a half walking before it got dark. At that point I decided it would be best to take a taxi.
I did find myself a taxi stand and asked them to take me to the bus station. Well it turns out there really is no bus station in Agadir. It is in a town 10km south called Inezgane. So I guess that is where I was. It turns out if you ask for a bus to Agadir from Casa or Rabat, they understand. But if you are closer they think you actually want to go to Agadir. Oh well, lesson learned.
As I was getting to the bus station there was a bus pulling out. The bag man was standing outside and I asked him if it was going to Tiznit, which it was. So I hopped on board. Since there is always a traffic jam outside of the bus station they sell tickets until the very last minute when it is roaring out of town. Once on the bus I got my own seat with no shoulders or elbows gouging me. What more could I ask?
It only took an hour or so to get to Tiznit. From there I checked myself back in at the hotel and picked up my stuff. Everything was still there, so I am all set to go in the morning.
-Dravis
Distance: 1.5 hours by taxi and 1 hour by bus
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Warning Sign - Coldplay
I woke up early today and checked out of my hotel. I didn't really have much to do, but I didn't want to spend another beautiful day inside like I had done with the previous one. So I started walking around th
e old town. Moroccans really do like their town walls. It really just isn't a town until you have walls. I also found a shop and bought a mirror for my bike. I am tired of trucks screaming up from behind with no warning. It will be nice to have a way to look behind me without having to around. I can't tell you the number of times that I have turned around and almost gotten a face full of truck. So I am happy about that.My bike has really been a work in progress. I keep thinking I will do a post about what stuff I am using, but I seem to keep making changes to it. Maybe someday I will be happy with the way everything works. Until then I will just keep adding to it bit by bit.
While I was buying the mirror I got a call from Julian and we met up at her favorite orange juice place. The have a market similar to the one in Marrakech, but much smaller. Still the juice is just as good. From there we walked around the town and Julian told me about all the craziness in her life. I guess her host mom basically terrorized her until she left. They way she described it, it sounded like a nasty breakup. Her (former) host mom giving back any of Julians gifts. This apparently included a yogurt.
Since then Julian had found a new host family, and things were going much better. But she was still looking forward to going home in a couple months. She, like the PCVs I met, had a list of the things she wanted to do when she got
back. I have one too, but it is mostly about food. I can really understand her feeling of being ready to go home. I am not ready to go back myself, but I have definitely come to the point where I feel like I have done enough in Morocco. I have been here five weeks, I am quite ready to head south.So I said goodbye to Julian with a handshake, the only semi-acceptable gesture between two people who are of the opposite gender but aren't married. Julian, good luck. I hope the next couple of months go smoothly and you can enjoy your time.
I got back to the bus station and they kept telling me there weren't any busses to Agadir. That, I thought, was crap because I had just come here on a bus. No, the guy selling the bus tickets said it wasn't possible and sent me to the taxi stand. I figured I could argue, but if he wasn't selling me a ticket he must be at least partially right. So I crammed myself into the back of the taxi for the hour and a half ride to Agadir. The taxis are all old Mercedes sedans with six passengers. Six. So that means the driver and two people sit in front. I was crammed in the back with three other people. It was an unpleasant ride, and I am not that big. It must be just hell for people who are taller, or have broader hips or shoulders.
When we got to Agadir, I didn't have a clue where I was. I asked for the bus station, but again, they said there wasn't a bus station in Agadir. Urg. I remember the busses coming into town and going south. Plus I had biked my way out to the south and knew there was really only one road. So I headed that way. I spent an hour and a half walking before it got dark. At that point I decided it would be best to take a taxi.
I did find myself a taxi stand and asked them to take me to the bus station. Well it turns out there really is no bus station in Agadir. It is in a town 10km south called Inezgane. So I guess that is where I was. It turns out if you ask for a bus to Agadir from Casa or Rabat, they understand. But if you are closer they think you actually want to go to Agadir. Oh well, lesson learned.
As I was getting to the bus station there was a bus pulling out. The bag man was standing outside and I asked him if it was going to Tiznit, which it was. So I hopped on board. Since there is always a traffic jam outside of the bus station they sell tickets until the very last minute when it is roaring out of town. Once on the bus I got my own seat with no shoulders or elbows gouging me. What more could I ask?
It only took an hour or so to get to Tiznit. From there I checked myself back in at the hotel and picked up my stuff. Everything was still there, so I am all set to go in the morning.
-Dravis
Agadir to Taroudant - Day 161
Date: January 26th, 2010
Distance: 1 hour by bus
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Don't Follow - Alice in Chains
So my friend Julian e-mailed me the other day. If you recall I met her in Marseilles before Thanksgiving. She said she was working for a charity in a town in Morocco, but for the life of me I couldn't recall what it was. So I was happy to hear from her. I was on my way up to Rabat, but I promised I would stop by on my way back to Tiznit. This actually worked out pretty well since the trip only took two days. So I had one extra day to stop by and see her. I got off the bus at Agadir and took the next one to Taroudant.
When I got there I still hadn't heard from Julian, so I didn't really know where to go. I just wandered around the medina for a while, then went and found myself a cyber. I sent her another e-mail to see what was up. After that I ran off and checked in at a hotel. Then I took a nap. Which, after about 30 hours on a bus over the last two days, was well needed.
The problem was that I woke up after dark, still no word for Julian. So I went back to the cyber. Julian had e-mailed me, I guess her life has been a bit hectic the last couple of weeks. Plus for some reason the number I gave her wasn't working. But we got everything straigtened out. Since it was after dark, she didn't want to be walking around alone, which I understood. So we made plans to meet up the following day.
-Dravis
Distance: 1 hour by bus
Country: Morocco
Song of the Day: Don't Follow - Alice in Chains
So my friend Julian e-mailed me the other day. If you recall I met her in Marseilles before Thanksgiving. She said she was working for a charity in a town in Morocco, but for the life of me I couldn't recall what it was. So I was happy to hear from her. I was on my way up to Rabat, but I promised I would stop by on my way back to Tiznit. This actually worked out pretty well since the trip only took two days. So I had one extra day to stop by and see her. I got off the bus at Agadir and took the next one to Taroudant.
When I got there I still hadn't heard from Julian, so I didn't really know where to go. I just wandered around the medina for a while, then went and found myself a cyber. I sent her another e-mail to see what was up. After that I ran off and checked in at a hotel. Then I took a nap. Which, after about 30 hours on a bus over the last two days, was well needed.
The problem was that I woke up after dark, still no word for Julian. So I went back to the cyber. Julian had e-mailed me, I guess her life has been a bit hectic the last couple of weeks. Plus for some reason the number I gave her wasn't working. But we got everything straigtened out. Since it was after dark, she didn't want to be walking around alone, which I understood. So we made plans to meet up the following day.
-Dravis
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