Blogs from Africa - page 2977

Arrived in Sharm el Sheikh today. views of the sinai desert as we flew in were pretty spectacular. Every thing is very rushed in the airport, and if anyone is thinking of coming expect long delays in the airport arrivals, the bank sells visas for 10 Pounds which consists of what looks like 2 postage stamps which enables you to travel outside of Sharm. we arrived at the Ocean Club Apartments which we booked through Explorers. First impressions are that it is really nice, villa style apartments all on the ground floor which surround 2 pools, very relaxed and very friendly. A few beers in the bar and we headed out in a taxi to Narma bay. Small tip for anyone using the blue and white taxis is to agree your price before you get in ... read more

After Toliara we travelled up to Miandravazo - the centre of Madagascar and famed for being the hottest place and rightly so. From there we took a dugout canoe for a 3 day/150km paddle down the Tsiribhina River. The trip included getting very hot, getting sore bums, seeing a crocodile on a rope, plenty of birdlife, lots of paddling by Mana and a little paddling by Stephenson our guide at the front. The water quality left something to be desired as it was obviously the sanitation facilities for the locals. We're pretty sure it was this water that was the source of our problems when we returned to the UK a week or so later and were still suffering! Many of the local kids had distended stomachs and all I can say is that we know ... read more

Stephanie Cozzette c/o Sister Bernadette c/o Battor Catholic Hospital Box 52, Battor via Accra (Sogakope) Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa write to me NOW... read more

GENTLEMEN The sign on the door announced. Not that there was sign of any gentlemanly behaviour hitherto in the small toilet. On the contrary - the urine sprayed walls indicated of a squalid border police force. A squalid border police force that - led by their smirky police chief - had done a descent job delaying our entry by three hours. Accompanying us in our frustration was a Namibian truck driver, though delayed for a full 24 hours he was too seasoned to show any sign of frustration. In fact, he was so seasoned that he didn’t show any facial expressions at all. The elements of the Namibian desert had shaped his face like a limestone statue to resemble a furrowed, tawny hawk. He was the first white African we’d met. His truck cabin’s panoramic windshield ... read more

From the moment we stepped off the plane, Marrakech was one of those cities where we were transported in time, culture, spirituality, where we lost all sense of the outside world, where we were absolutely charmed by strangers. Marrakesh was founded by the Berber leader, Youssef BEN TACHFINE who came from the desert with his tribe, Sanhaja. Marrakesh is a dramatic contrast: The modern city is surrounded with beautiful gardens and the Medina, old part of the city, is one of the most fascinating sites in Morocco, albeit a little chaotic in parts! Day one we spent exploring the sights, souks (markets), smells and sounds of Marrakech in the swealtering African sun. Marrakech is famous for its spices and potions. The photo of Alison, myself and the spice man is good example of the array of ... read more