Blogs from Africa - page 3337

Disappointed at missing out on the sacred lake, we headed south on new year's eve, for Kakum National Park and their canopy walkway in the jungle. The roadside scenery was getting pretty spectacular by now and we passed through miles and miles of jungle - palm, banana, plantain and cocoa trees stretched for as far as the eye could see. I was also starting to struggle with the humidity. ...and started feeling quite faint and nauseous every time we stopped driving. We passed a sign for 'Wexford Goldfields Limited' and, although we thought it highly unlikely, Neil decided to go and ask if there was any chance of a guided tour....but no, we didn't have an appointment...so on we drove...until we reached another Goldfield and a road junction. We were just deciding which route to take, ... read more

I'm still in St-Louis, relaxing. Yesterday I took a day trip to the National Park for birds at Djoudj. It is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the world. Over 3 million birds migrating south from Europe stop at the Parc National des oiseaux du Djoudj. I organised a tour with a guide who works for the National Park. His English was non existent, but he spoke slowly and repeated things when I didn't understand. As a result I followed everything he was saying in French. The park was well worth a visit, if not cheap. I had to get up early to visit, as I met my guide at 8am. So, I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to the other travellers. They didn't go to the park as it was too ... read more

After stopping in Leo, Burkino to make some Christmas phone calls home to friends & family, it wasn't long before we were crossing the border into Ghana - and you wouldn't have known it was Christmas Day at all - everyone was very low key, which was a refreshing contrast to the UK. We were making our way to Mole National Park in the north west of Ghana - we were promised Elephants, Monkeys, Antelope & possibly some Lions! It wasn't long before we left the dry plains behind and forests started lining the roadside - and with them came the humidity. We camped in a clearing after watching the most amazing sunset and spent a very hot & humid night in the forest. We deliberately decided to take some back roads to the National Park ... read more

Six days to go and we're both feeling as nervous as virgin Big Brother contestants waiting for the fun to begin ... except there are no prizes and no chance of fame afterwards. Yes, we're off with Exodus down through Africa for 11 weeks, from Nairobi to Cape Town .. something like Kenya - Uganda - Kenya - Tanzania - Malawi - Zambia - Botswana - Namibia - South Africa. So what are we most nervous of ? Camping all those nights ? All those nasty diseases ? No telly (is this the only way to escape from the next series of BB ?). I'll leave it to you to guess. Then it's back to the UK for April, a couple of weddings and a trio of visas, and then we head off to April - ... read more

So I believe I was telling you about my trip to Spain before I got distracted with the history lesson. Codoba was wonderful and I had a great time exploring and meeting people at the hostel. The mosque there is incredable, it was built in the 10th century when Cordoba was the capital of Islamic Spain. Its HUGE, a giant square with a forest of columns and double arches on the inside. Unforutantely the center was cut out and a cathedral inserted in the middle by the chrisitian kings in the 17th century. The cathedral - done in the ugliset Spanish Baroque with trumpeting angles, big fat babies and bald-headed monks flying everywhere - both ruins the mosque and show by comparison just how much more ingenious and tastefull the much-older mosque is in its simple ... read more