Always in the deep woods when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is an ancient fear of the unknown and is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into. What you are doing is exploring. -- Wendell Berry

The TRIP: GUINEA - wonkifong --> MALI - bamako, djenne, douentza, Dogon Country --> Burkina Faso - ouagadougou, bobo-dioulasso, bala, ouagadougou --> GHANA - tamale, mole national park, tamale, yeji, volta lake ferry, akosombo, accra, green turtle lodge, elmina, cape coast, accra, hohoe and wli falls --> TOGO - kpalime, atakpame, lome --> BENIN - cotonu (transport stop) --> NIGER - niamey, tahoua, agadez, camel trek in aiir mtns, niamey --> BENIN (abomey, grand popo, ouidah, ganvie, cotonou) --> CAMEROON (douala, buea, top of Mt Cameroon, limbe, sangelima, yaounde, kribi, douala) --> MAURITANIA (nouakchott, atar, chinguetti, camels into the sahara, terjit, choume, ride the coal train, nouadhibou) --> MOROCCO (western sahara, dakhla, agadir, essaouira, marrakesh, imlil, summit of jebel toubkal, fes, chefchaouen) --> cross the Strait of Gibraltar --> Malaga, Spain --> fly to Geneva, Switzerland --> Les Grangettes, France
Click for a map. Updated April 30, 2007

samedi, août 12, 2006

Medina

People everywhere. Strolling. Yelling. Laughing. Haggling. Taxis honking. Police directing? Walkways. Mud. Water Streaming. Small, winding alleyways. Broken pavement. Escalator! Buildings. Open air. Closed and confined. Fabric. Yellow. Blue. Red. Purple. Swirls. Patterns. Prints with circles, snails, cubes, lamps, palm trees, huts, diagonals, fish, stripes, faces… Vendors. Lamb kebobs. Water in bottles or sacks. Toothpaste. Pharmaceuticals. Cauldrons. Pots. Chairs. Beds. Sandals. Cell phones. Belts. Watches. Dead fote clothes. Electronics. Cookies. 30,000 guinean francs. A friend. A “crazy” man. An accomplice. Distraction. Money stolen. Taxi Home. Traffic confusion. Price is too high. Keep walking. Bridge. Two men. A friend. A grab. He yells. I turn. I yell. Men leave. Taxi negotiation. A ride. We slowly pull out of Medina. Medina is the big market in Conakry. By some estimates it is the largest in West Africa. My first visit to Medina was one of chaos with some order, sights and adventure.

posted by Frank @ 12:03 AM