Blogs from Parakou, East, Benin, Africa

And here I am. About to embark, yet again, on a dangerous, scary journey, across vast expanses of space, through time and the universe its self. However this time, the journey wont be quite as scary as one would imagine. The journey is with Otesha. Again. This time, a Tour Liason position, is what I will have. I will be in charge of everything awesome, when it comes to corresponding with communities we pass through. In return for mountains of paperwork, I do not have to fundraise for my tour. Which is awesome. The tour its self, rides two months long, from Calgary, AB, to Regina, SK. Holy freaking awesome. After this tour, I intend to return to the west coast, leaving me out that way come July. As always, during epic ventures across vast expanses ... read more

Bonjour, We dragged ourselves away from the hustle of Cotonou on Tuesday and in two legs (first stopping at Abomey) are now in Parakou. The journey north, facilitated by the now mandatory Peugeot 504, was without hassle (by African standards) and we soon remembered how different things are up here as the thick forests petered out into harsh, quite barren scrubland. Things are definately heating up with the hot, dry air doing little to cool the cramped interior of the 50 year old car (4 in the back, 2 in the fornt passengers seat). It will not be far north now until, like in Mali, the vegetation dissapears altogether and the harsh Sahel region will be back. The difference this time is that our plan is to push even further north and properly enter the Sahara ... read more