From Sevare we drove on 4WD trucks to take us to Timbuktu, 7 hours it took for yus to get there an hour on paved road then the dirt tracks started, quite bumpy, I got bruises on my legs as I was seated at the very back and the space is cramped. There was a lot of checkpoints quite annoying but the drivers are used to it and did not mind it,we got to a point where we need to cross the river to get accross the road to Timbuktu, as soon as we gotto the other side the roads got better again tree lined tarmac next to the river quite pleasant ride until we got to the town where it was hot and dusty. We quickly settled in in the house that was rented for ... read more

The Moroccan side of the border took us just over 3 hours to get through, lot of bureaucracy we got stopped no less than 3 times within the frontier, police stop, army stop etc. Then after we are through comes 3 km of no mans land full of garbage and abandoned cars, we stopped a moment to help a stranded car in the sands little did we know we will get stuck as well, out the tire mats and we worked hard to dig betsy out and by the time we got to the Mauritanian frontier it was quarter to 3, the border closed from 1pm to 3pm for lunch, but we hadnt had lunch yet so we set up our kitchen right at the border and have to catch up with the truck as it ... read more

We have to drive up and through the Atlas mountains to make it to Marrakech, it was rainy and cold though we should not be complaining as it was our first rain it is bloody tiring and annoying to set up and put away tents ahen it is soaking wet. Wr got to the Marrakech camp site 15 kms from the city, lots of peacocks in the camp and wakes you up very early in the morning with their honking sound which Cam can imitate to perfection. Wr all hired a taxi to get to the city is is bustling and full of energy Chrissy and I broke away from the group and tried the seafood, it was excellent! We also had henna tattoos, she on her feet and me on the back of my head. ... read more

From Ceuta where the ferry dropped us off we made our way down towards the Moroccan border, Ceuta is a Spanish enclave in Africa, on the ferry lots of guardia civil from the mainland to give security to the Spanish king who happen to be there when we arrived, crossed into Morocco without a hitch took about couple hours then off to Tatouin where we stopped to shop for dinner. Set up tent at a bush camp,and after dinner laid out a mat and stargazed for a bit while drinking whiskey from the bottle, with Jamie,Bryan,Zoe, Dave and Chrissie, next day from there made our way to Chefchaouen, went food shopping first thing as our cook group is cooking, bought the freshest chicken ever, killed on the spot and feathers plucked by an automatic chicken plucker, ... read more

Been here more than a week, staying with a friend Nige from the Central Asia trip at his home in St. Albans. Been really lazy being a tourist, been to London once and walked the city the whole day and found myself at Trafalgar Square for the 1st time in the 3 times I've been here! I am just chillin out as Nige have said you'd have a lot of early mornings soon as you start the Trans Africa trip . Last night me and Nige met up with Angus and Ameena in London for dinner, we went to this Bangladeshi restaurant, I can't believe how many Indian resto around the area, it is like being in India Town. I saw lots of white colllar workers out for a drink in pubs after work like what ... read more