Our Round-the-World adventure

[tacototheworld]

Morocco - first part

We are often asked where our favorite place to travel has been. Morocco quickly jumped to the short list (shared by Iceland, Romania, Norway, Albania and Baja). The natural scenery is varied and stunning and the culture rich with art and ancient architecture. We have also rarely felt so welcomed by the people of a country. Every conversation starts with “Welcome to Morocco” and “How are you?.” From the old medinas and artists of Fes and Marrakesh to the laid back oceanside Essaouira, the granitic Atlas mountains and the red stone deserts, Morocco has incredible and interesting cultural and geographic diversity..

Morocco was the perfect jumping off point for our journey down the west coast of Africa. It felt like a hybrid of the European culture we have become accustomed to over the past two years and the African life we will be adjusting to. The cosmopolitan centers are modern and chic but historic lifestyles developed over centuries are still very evident. The Marrakesh medina personified this with cell phone stores next to stores with savory spice bins. Scooters and donkey cars fight for space on the narrow walkways with pedestrians and baby strollers. It felt chaotic yet was a carefully orchestrated dance ensuring safety for all. A predominantly Muslim country, we became used to the beautiful call for prayer throughout the day.

This was not a standard overlanding trip for us as we had a family group of eight coming together for the Christmas holiday. So for our first two weeks in Morocco we were staying in Airbnbs and guest houses before we said “goodbye” to family and headed south on our own. We also made the decision not to take the time to drive into the eastern region this trip. With the awareness that we would be driving through deserts as we headed south, we decided to save the time. Our schedule tension at this point is making it through Cameroon before the really wet season when the roads become basically impassable.

Our three week route through Morocco - more urban time than we usually do, but fun with family.

Highlights:

Chefchaouen- reputed to be the most beautiful town in Morocco, the blue city lived up to expectations

Fes - wandering the medina and meeting the artists plying their trades - weavers, coppersmiths, leather tanners, ceramic artists and painters

We arrived with the truck and our daughter, Claire, on the ferry from Algeciras, Spain to Tanger Med. Disembarking the ferry, we were surprised by how quiet the port was. Passport control was taken care of on board the ferry so we only had to pass through customs. We handed over our standard US registration piece of paper for the truck as proof that our vehicle was registered in the US and watched as the perplexed customs officer looked at it and shook his head. He told us to wait and disappeared. Meanwhile, one of his colleagues came over and started chatting with Andy about our plans and looked at the map on our hood. The map was a standard download from some online site and had a dotted line separating northern Morocco from the Western Sahara region. He instantly let us know that the map was incorrect, there should not be a line, it was all one country and asked for a pen to correct the error. We handed him a green Sharpie and he colored in the country of Morocco, eradicating the dotted line and making it whole.

Our hood map with Morocco colored in - Andy had attempted to scrub off half of it before we thought to take a photo

Forty-five minutes later, our original customs officer re-appeared and we were given a card with a scan code to document that our vehicle was approved to enter the country.

Despite what we had heard about others’ experiences, our vehicle was not searched or x-rayed and we were not asked about insurance (which we had through our German insurance company Tour Insure).

We were on our way. Our first stop was the gorgeous famed blue mountain town of Chefchaouen. Painted a cheerful periwinkle blue, the town radiated warmth and hospitality. We arrived at night and were relieved that the hotel had a back courtyard for us to park in - and we fit through the gate!

We love a balcony view that allows us to make sure our home on wheels is still safe.

Central square of the old town, blue buildings galore and the mountain view in the background

So much blue!

After three days of blue immersion, some of us got back in the truck and rest in a taxi van to head to Fes for Christmas.
In Fes, we booked a full riad in the old medina through Airbnb. It was a beautiful old home with rooms around a central courtyard. We found the only downside to riads in the winter is that the shared spaces are open to the outside. Perfect for 10 months a year, but slightly chilly in December. We just wore our coats at breakfast and were fine.

Our Fes riad - a traditional Morccan home built around a courtyard

Spice store in the Fes medina

Tractor carts exactly the width of the lanes bring goods in and out of the souk (market), along with donkeys

The doors - everywhere - magnificent! Andy threatens to do a door-only blog someday - he has about 100 photos . . .

Spices galore

Andy and I had visited Fes five years ago and remained entranced with its history of arts and craftsmanship, and the twisting alleys of the ancient medina. We purposefully chose to have Christmas day in Fes. The second time round, we still felt the same.

Oldest copper artist in Fes - still going strong

Weaving cloth

He has dressed the stars

Fes tannery - dye pots

Our next stop was Casablanca. A large, modern city, it didn’t hold the interest for us that other places did so we opted for just one night.

Hassan II Mosque - one of the largest in the world

One night in the big city was perfect for us, so onwards to another charming destination, Essaouira. A port city on the coast, the city is protected by 18th century ramparts and features a small but intriguing medina alive with locals and tourists. We really appreciated the sense that the medinas in Morocco were fully still alive - unlike some of the old town areas in other countries. They were obviously still inhabited by Moroccan families living and working, using the communal bread ovens, conducting their daily lives as always. Most of the time we felt that we were in the minority as tourists and that locals were the majority of the pedestrian (and scooter, motorcycle and donkey) traffic.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Essaouira for us was the fishing port - boats and fish galore

Choosing the fish for lunch - you buy the fish then take it to one of the nearby grills to cook it for you

Thats it for now folks!

 

[ITTOG]

Wow, all the dye pots are interesting. If it rains, do all the pots overflow and stain the walkways?

So I guess the Moroccan doesn't recognize Western Sahara? Which is in line with the blurb below from Google maps.

Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, while the remaining 80% of the territory is occupied and administered by neighboring Morocco.

 

[tacototheworld]

Wow, all the dye pots are interesting. If it rains, do all the pots overflow and stain the walkways?

So I guess the Moroccan doesn't recognize Western Sahara? Which is in line with the blurb below from Google maps.

Western Sahara is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, while the remaining 80% of the territory is occupied and administered by neighboring Morocco.

Regarding the dye pots, its a near desert there. I think they just put plastic over them during the rare rainfall.

Every Moroccan we talked with were adamant that all of Western Sahara is apart of Morocco. The 20% that is east of the sand ditch that delineates the boundary is pretty much devoid of people and resources.

 

[tacototheworld]

Morocco - part 2

Highlights:

Aït Benhaddou - wandering through this historic fortified village along the old caravan route


After relaxing at the beach it was time to head to our next big city- magical Marrakesh. Just the name conjured up so much mystique for us. But also a cloud of danger- our heads were full of rumors of pickpockets and scammers galore from our fellow travellers and friends. None of that was true for us. Our large group managed to navigate the medina having friendly conversations with the people who lived there and the merchants with no trouble at all. Well, except for arrival, even with our mid-size truck (a full-size simply wouldn’t have made it) it was difficult to navigate the very tight streets leading up to the medina where our riad was. But once we were parked in a friendly staffed parking yard next to our riad, our time was stress-free.

Driving into the parking area

View from the windshield - moving slow

The medina in Marrakesh had a different flavor than those of Chefchaoen (very laid back and blue), Fes (very old, intricate and full of arts) and Essaouira (small and cozy). Scooters and motorbikes were more prevelant and the crowds were more intense. We found wandering in the mornings to be more pleasant.

Ceramics galore

One of the many gates into the old medina
Then, on the road again! Our group slowly shrinking back as people return to their regular lives. Next stop, the Atlas Mountains and the town of Oukmeiden.

The sun goes down on the Atlas Mountains
The town of Oukaimeden itself was fascinating. There was evidence of some recent investment in newer homes and condos (probably associated with the ski resort, although it was January and as you can see, no snow). But there was also a strong traditional Berber presence.

View up the valley to Toubkal National Park

Thinking about the journey ahead as we say goodbye to everyone

From Oukaimeden, we said goodbye to most of the family, keeping Trevor for a last night to explore Ouarzazate, known as the gateway to the Sahara.

Exploring the Ouarzazate Kasbah at night

Our last stop with family was Aït Benhaddou - a magical fortified town built of earthen clay.

Incredible architecture of Aït Benhaddou


And then there were two. We dropped Trevor off at the Marrakesh train station, and headed south. We spent our first night outside of Taroudant, an engaging place to explore. Much as we adored our time with family, we definitely feel the simplicity of our life in the truck as a contrast to moving around a country with 8 people, in and out of Airbnb’s.

Old interior walls in Taroudant

Running into our first “wild” camels (they were on their own in the desert but we hear that actually all camels in Morocco are domestically owned)

Red sand everywhere, feeling like the Sahara

Stopping off to explore Tiout Kasbah (the Moroccan version of a fortress)

We spent our next night in Tafraoute, a new metropolis rising out of the desert. With the surrounding hills and palm trees, it reminded us of Joshua Tree in California.

Camping at our next stop, Camping Tazka, access to laundry and water facilities

Walked to the nearby rock painting

Posing by the red rocks

Leaving Tiznit, we prepared for the beginning of a three day, 16 hour drive down the Western Sahara region of Morocco. We had already been schooled (by the immigration officers upon entry into Morocco) that the region was fully part of Morocco but knew it had a complicated history with a bid by the people living there for independence. We were not sure what to expect in terms of police checks, etc. We stopped off at towns along the way, noting the unique character of each but did not feel inspired to linger long. Tarfaya and Laayoune seemed like standard urban centers so we literally drove on by.

Wild camping along the coast on the way to Laayoune

Up close and personal!

Western Sahara coastal road was a whole lot of this

We spent our last night in Morocco at Hotel Barbas, a modest guest house an hour north of the border. In all, the drive was long but uneventful. Police checks were frequent but they simply asked for our passports, often took pictures of them, asked where we were going and waved us on. We had a stack of fiches (standard document used to give basic passport and identity information throughout areas of Africa) ready to go and were almost disappointed that we were never asked for one in Morocco. It seems that the procedure had switched to taking photos of our passports which makes sense. The police were always courteous and friendly. But there were many radar traps throughout the country; do not speed in this country!

Exiting Morocco was a little more complicated! It took an hour with multiple confusing lines and office checks (but staff were super helpful in guiding us) and we did finally get a full x-ray of the truck. But all successful. We were sorry to say goodbye and leave portions of this stunning country unexplored, but looking forward to what Mauritania would bring. Always another adventure to be had. Thank you for reading!

 

[Tucsontom]

Morocco! Great images! Spent 3 days in Marrakesh (side tour to Atlas mtns.) with my family on foot - so photogenic! We were there during Ramadan and the nightly megaphone religious "singing" in the plaza was mesmerizing. Exotic place and culture.

 

[tacototheworld]

Morocco! Great images! Spent 3 days in Marrakesh (side tour to Atlas mtns.) with my family on foot - so photogenic! We were there during Ramadan and the nightly megaphone religious "singing" in the plaza was mesmerizing. Exotic place and culture.

Thank you. We really enjoyed Marrakesh. It's a great way to safely experience a widely different culture

 

[tacototheworld]

Mauritania

Wild camping along the coast in Banc d’Arguin National Park

As soon as we entered Mauritania we could feel the difference between it and its neighbor, Morocco. The houses became simpler and the small villages felt like sites of a perennial battle between the people and the sands that threatened to overtake them. They looked empty in the heat of the day with people sheltering indoors. The cities did not have ancient history and architecture but felt new, built up in the last 50-70 years. It felt like one of the least populated countries in Africa, which it is.

People were dressed for the desert, lightweight periwinkle robes for the men with matching turbans and long dresses in varied hues for the women. With concerns about the safety of the more eastern desert routes (and a US State Department Advisory to reconsider travel with areas of high security risk), we stuck to the coast. We know we missed some beautiful country others have travelled but decided to be cautious and were also aware of the extensive driving ahead of us.

Our four-day route through Mauritania

Specific preparations we made for travelling to Mauritania (and beyond) were filling our Rotopax with an extra eight gallons of fuel to account for fuel shortages, having a stack of new US $100 and Euro €100 bills - to get the best exchange rates (ATMS we had relied on in the past can be scarce in Western Africa and credit cards rarely accepted), hiding away a little beer and wine (a dry country) and multiple copies of a “fiche” - an officially recognized template which gives your passport and personal details on a single piece of paper. We had multiple color copies of our passport photo page but only ended up needing one each.

We also downloaded two programs of maps - Google and Open Street Maps, with Andy having one on his phone and Dawn the other. We have found that Google is better for finding specific place or business names, OSM better for obscure roads. We also have OSM on our Garmin Overlander but have not been technically saavy enough to figure out the interface to use it for turn by turn navigation so have been mostly using our phones.

Another critical resource for us is the Facebook group Overlanding West Africa and Morocco and the associated Whatsapp group. These forums are key for the most current information on border crossings, closings, safety and requirements. Currently we are concerned as we head further south that the Ivory Coast has just closed its borders and that Nigeria is not issuing visas at their land borders until after their February election. Tracking these details daily gives us advance knowledge about possible issues ahead.

Heading into the first national park - road was mostly just a suggestion in the dirt. Andy getting ready to air down as we can see deeper sand ahead

And then it turned to sand

But it was worth the journey! Beautiful spot at Banc d’Arguin National Park

Got a little over confident in the dunes but Maxtrax got us out - that is why we carry them

For people from Oregon, it really never gets old seeing a camel cross the road

Common site - small villages in the sand


Our only urban stop in Mauritania was the capital, Nouakchott. The biggest city in Mauritania, the name is Berber for “place of the winds.” A new city, it has grown from 15,000 people in the 1950’s to its current size of over one million residents. We camped at Terjit Vacances, a hotel and restaurant on the coast with space for campers. It was relatively isolated out of the hustle and bustle of the city but with good security on site. The city itself was definitely chaotic, the first place we have driven where stop lights seemed fully optional.

Our most interesting visit in Nouakchott, Port de Pêche, a thriving fishing port. As the only visitors, we were warmly welcomed by the vendors at the fish market and the fishermen. Pictured here boat coming in to shore to be offloaded by hand and donkey cart.

Fascinating conversation with fisherman Boyta who took the time to explain life at sea - four men on a boat for three days fishing, bottom of the boat lined with ice for the catch, sleeping on the boards.

We left Nouakchott, continuing south toward the border with Senegal. In total in our drive through Mauritania we passed through 10 police checkpoints. Each one asked us for a fiche, accepted it without really even looking at it, and waved us on our way. Twice we were asked for a “gift” (cadeaux in French). Each time we smiled and said we were sorry that we didn’t have one and were allowed to pass on without a problem.

Amazed at the skill of these women - full coolers balanced on their heads

Smaller villages in the sand always dominated by an attractive mosque

Baby camels! Last camel photo, we promise

Our last night in Mauritania we made our way toward the border crossing into Senegal with the better reputation. The two mains ones are Diama and Rossi. Diama requires a longer drive on a bumpy dirt road but Rossi has a reputation of corrupt officials. We opted for Diama.

First African wildlife sighting!!

Tons of pelicans

Tucked into the shade the best we could - it was still 90’

Overall, we found Mauritania to be starkly lovely and the people were welcoming and curious about us. They smiled at our being from the US and despite the State Department warnings we never felt at risk or uncomfortable. However, we did not drive at night and did not walk around Nouakchott at night. It was a predominantly Muslim country and most women and even the men wore head coverings. We dressed modestly, no shorts or bare shoulders, Dawn mostly wore long dresses. She did not wear a scarf and it felt accepted, people were always kind, recognizing that we were visitors.

Thank you for reading!

 

[ITTOG]

Post as many camel pics you want. I always like seeing them too.

Do you have any idea the distance between your camper and roof when it is popped up? Just curious how much vinyl you have.

Stay safe.

 

[tacototheworld]

Thank you. Our 4 wheel camper Fleet model pops up roughly 31”

 

[ITTOG]

Thank you. Our 4 wheel camper Fleet model pops up roughly 31”

Thanks for the info. I was curious because I thought it looked tall. I am building my own pop top slide in and mine is going to be 34" tall. So I wanted to be able to compare. Thanks again.

 

[tacototheworld]

Senegal

An amazing warm welcome in the village of Galoya, The Gambia with the Wide Open Walls project

We could feel the cultural shift in Senegal as soon as we entered, as a marked contrast to Mauritania. The country felt more populated, and more light hearted. The sands gave way to active villages, towns and the bustle of contemporary Dakar. Music, curiosity and smiles punctuated our time there.

Mauritania to Senegal Border Crossing at Diama
After the stressful unfounded request for 400 euros at the Mauritanian exit from a customs official in full uniform, entering Senegal was easy. The officials were kind, helpful and efficient. There was no visa requirement for either of us (US and UK passports) and we were charged $8 (5000 CFA) for a passavant for the truck (easy for a vehicle less than eight years old, for older vehicles prices go up exponentially). The whole border process from Mauritania took a little over an hour.

Our eight-day western route through Senegal and The Gambia


St. Louis
Our first stop in Senegal, St Louis epitomized some of what we had already seen in parts of Africa - crumbling colonialism. There was an intriguing contrast between the bones of elegant old European buildings and the decay that was evident as the upkeep of the buildings had been abandoned.

Charming yet deteriorating

Zebrabar
We had heard so much about the classic overlanding camp at Zebrabar that we decided to stop by for a night. It was an easy place to rest for an evening. Run by Europeans, it was a little more expensive than the norm ($17 for the two of us), but had all the amenities and for us the bonus of a live band.

Beach at Zebrabar camp

Laundry day at Zebrabar. We have been using a Laundreez bag which is working quite well. (Basically like a rafting dry bag that you put clothes, some water and a little detergent in then manually rotate and squeeze, rinse and repeat until the water runs clear)

Fantastic band in the evening!

Women in Senegal so skilled in carrying loads on their heads, their elegance and grace was beautiful to behold



Dakar
The longer we spend in Africa, the more we appreciate the iOverlander app to help us navigate bureaucratic complexities. In addition to the standard information on campsites and resources, it has locations and peoples’ experiences at embassies, borders and customs offices. Signage for visitors is usually non existent. You have to rely on asking a person or stumbling upon the right place.

We knew we needed to get our passavant (the temporary pass for our vehicle to be in Senegal) extended in Dakar. The border officer had told us to go to the customs office at the port. After knocking on a few incorrect doors, a friendly staff person told us we were in the wrong place and that we needed to go to an office at the Independence Plaza. We found the building on iOverlander, fought our way through Dakar’s hectic traffic, and left the truck in the care of a nice young man with a parking space and a neon vest (no charge up front, tip what you want upon return). Once we found the right doorway and office, it took 5 minutes to get a 10 day extension. No cost.

In Dakar we stayed in a basic hotel ($50 a night), Phare des Mamelles. Safe, clean and with dedicated parking, it was tucked into a neighborhood and was a great place to access Wi-Fi and do some trip planning. As a bonus it had a great rooftop bar and pizza restaurant.

Dakar itself was a chaotic jumble of people and buildings. We did not spend a lot of time in the modern city center but still had some fantastic experiences.


Ile de Gorée
Our favorite was a day trip to Ile de Gorée. A peaceful looking island, 20 minute ferry ride from downtown Dakar, its appealing streets and architecture bely an ugly history. For four centuries it was the center of the European slave trade. 20 million Africans passed through its holding cells and warehouses.

Pedestrian streets of Ile de Gorée

Taking in the horror of what happened to human beings on this island

Beach at Ile de Gorée

Memorial to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade

For our final stop in Dakar, we made our way to the Village des Artes. We had heard of it as a thriving arts space with workshops featuring the best of Senegal. Dawn couldn’t wait. The object of art is to give life a shape.

Understated entrance. a little hard to find


It was a memorable visit with incredible art on display but we were surprised that we were the only visitors. Maybe a victim of Covid, the site felt partially abandoned.

Enjoyed talking with Mienandi in his studio (and bought some art). He has done work for Coca Cola in Atlanta.


Toubakouta

We were looking for a place to wild camp along the coast on our way to The Gambia and stumbled upon this village which ended up being a favorite place in Senegal for us. We drove into town at the end of the afternoon, navigating ourselves toward a spot on the mangrove-filled river that we had seen on iOverlander. A young man on a scooter drove up alongside offering to guide us. We declined with smiles. When we found the spot on iOverlander it looked like an active fishing pier and it didn’t feel right to us to park ourselves there. Our scooter friend again came up to us and convinced us to follow him to a place he knew of where you could camp for free, no problem. Thank you Alfa Romeo (his artist name). He showed us a great place. We declined a boat trip on the river but agreed to come visit his shop later.

Village life goes on around our camp

Our guide Alfa Romeo in his shop (yes we bought more art)

The morning sun comes up on our beach side spot


Feeling the effects of moving on every day we opted for a luxurious lay over day on the beaches of Cap Skirring.

Baobob tree acting as village roundabout

Only campers at Campement La Casa, north of Cap Skirring

Two days of walking on the beach, doing more laundry and catching up on some truck cleaning and maintenance and we were rested and ready to continue.

It was an interesting time to be driving West Africa. We would do weeks without seeing another tourist or overland traveller and the infrastructure appeared to be suffering economically. We were warmly welcomed wherever we went and people were happy to see visitors. It also challenged our introverted souls because we attract so much attention with our white faces and bright white American camper. We are very obvious wherever we go. Much as we love the curious children and conversations, we are grateful to have the type of rig that allows us to retire and close a door in the evening.

Continuing south we are ready for what the adventure brings. Thank you for reading!

 

[tacototheworld]

The Gambia

Karang border crossing from Senegal into The Gambia

This was one of our easiest border crossings yet - about $10 for our vehicle passavant and visas on arrival. Dawn with UK passport was free, Andy with US was $100.

As soon as we left the border, the check points began. The first police check point we were greeted with friendly smiles and a request for a gift which we politely declined. Second stop was driver passport review and waving us on our way. The third stop was more aggressive, asking Andy to come into an office with a strong ask for some money. Again he politely declined (it’s actually very cute, he gives them a huge smile and says “no thank you” when they ask for a gift). In all, the police stops in The Gambia were friendly and people had a sense of humor about asking for a bribe. We never paid one.

Banjul where the ferry crosses The Gambia, streets alive with people and activity

Arranging for the ferry was a little bewildering. We entered Banjul and were immediately surrounded by fixers promising us VIP access to the ferry. We explained that we were just normal people. We accepted some help in parking the truck and navigating the confusing scrum of people and vehicles to find the ticket office and bought our passage. Then, having declined VIP ticketing waited in line for three hours. It was fine, we didn’t have anywhere else to go and learned a lot from conversations with the Gambians in line either side of us.

Dawn’s favorite Banjul story is that coming back from the line to buy a ferry ticket her Teva flip flop broke. She was limping her way when a young man came up and offered to have it sewed. She asked how much and he said, “You just pay what you want.” Since it was useless as it was, she handed over her shoe and he disappeared. Ten minutes later he re-appeared with a perfectly fixed shoe. She gave him $3 and they were both very happy. Problems in Africa always seem to have human solutions delivered with kindness.

In general, we found the people of The Gambia we encountered to be some of the most outgoing and extroverted people. A small, highly populated country, people lived in close community with each other. It also helped that we were able to speak English for the first time in a long time, a bit of a welcome relief and it definitely made conversations easier. Everywhere we went, people came up to us and wanted to know our story. Children would gather around the truck and just watch what we were doing (even if we were just reading books, we really were not very entertaining for them). We even found that for a couple of countries after we left The Gambia, the people who came up to us in the street or along the road to start a conversation were most often from The Gambia.

Finally made it onto the ferry across The Gambia river

Very busy ferry, pedestrians coming on board

Fishing boats along the shore of The Gambia River

We had been in Africa for over a month without seeing any native wildlife (didn’t feel like we could count domesticated camels in Morocco and Mauritania, although we loved seeing them). So despite it being touristy we headed to Bijilo National Park (known as Monkey Park) to see some wild (but very habituated to humans) monkeys.

Walking into Bijilo National Park with our guide

Andy the monkey whisperer

After some convincing from our guide Dawn agreed to the monkey on the shoulder picture

Baby on board

Then to complete our Gambian wildlife adventures we went to visit the crocodile pool in Bakau

Our final and favorite stop in The Gambia was Galoya. With Dawn’s dual backgrounds in the arts and economic development, a village engaged in developing tourism through art - The Wide Open Walls project -couldn’t be missed. Although hard-hit by COVID and a lack of funding, it was clear the village leadership had a vision and entrepreneurship galore.

Mural by Sickboy depicting the juxtaposition of the Baobab tree and the village well, connection of nature and humans and a plea to leave the old tree standing.

Battle of the mongoose and the snake. Andy wanted to know which was better and should win but our guide told us that we got to choose.

Themes of Africa and peace throughout the murals in the village

In addition to the murals, many of the houses participated in the project

Our artist guide, Amadou Bah posing infront of the mural he is working on with his friend and artistic partner Musa Bah

While Dawn takes in the art, Andy gives a geography lesson to some of the kids with our hood map

Our tour group

For our final night in The Gambia, we worked our way down the coast to the end of the road where we were welcomed to camp on the beach.

Evening light on the endless white sands of the southern Gambia coast

What a place! Resort coming back to life after Covid but welcomed us to camp for free on their beach.
But of course we sunk in a little overnight and deployed the Maxtrax again in the morning

 

[tacototheworld]

Guinea-Bissau

Dugout canoe in progress in the jungle

A small country, Guinea-Bissau still made a huge impression on us. Once again we felt the immediate cultural shift as we crossed the border. People lived in more traditional settings, villages were smaller with houses lined up along the ubiquitous red dirt roads. Outside of of Bissau we never saw an ATM, an indoor market or another tourist. People in the country obviously worked hard, washing clothes in the rivers, hand grinding grain, cooking over charcoal fires and carrying daily water in buckets from the communal wells.

As always, our first challenge was the border crossing. On our way to the border we stopped off at the consulate for Guinea-Bissau in Ziguinchor, Senegal, where we were able to pick up visas for $40 each, our easiest ones that were not “visa upon arrival” (VOA) at the border. It was our most remote border crossing to date, just a few buildings. We exited Senegal, drove a brief no-man’s-land, then came to a rope where we stopped and completed the Guinea Bissau entry process. No insurance office, no sim cards, no change makers. No other tourists. Just onlookers resting in the shade smiling and pointing to each consecutive office for us.

Police building to check out of Senegal side of border

Customs building for exiting Senegal

First check-in building on Guinea-Bissau side: stop at the rope barricade, one door to check passports, next door to check vehicle. Then we were directed to another building to pay a 5000 CFA ($9) road tax (we got a receipt and were told police would ask for it later but no one ever did).

Guinea-Bissau side: recorded passports and stamped in our visas. We were also able to purchase our passavant for the truck on site for 2500 CFA ($4).

Our coastal route through Guinea-Bissau and Guinea - approximately two weeks due to waiting an extra five days in Conakry for visas

Once again as we left the border the police checkpoints started. We passed through a total of four in Guinea Bissau. The first two in this area were straight forward, they looked at our papers and waved us on our way.

Our first night was near the peaceful town of Quinhamel with its shady, tree-lined main street. We found a quiet camping spot outside of town and settled in. Driving through the small villages in the area we encountered our first kids’ rope barriers. They would string a rope across the road in the hopes you would stop and give them money. Sometimes teenagers or adults would also get in the action. We quickly learned to approach the rope and just motion to the holders to put it down with the clear intention that we would just drive through if they didn’t. They always did.

Main street of Quinhamel

Calm and safe wild camping stop along the route

Typical red dirt roads in Guinea-Bissau

Then on to the big city. We checked into a business hotel in Bissau with the intention of spending a few days in town taking care of visas - a constant pressure in travelling West Africa. It takes planning ahead, patience with bureaucracy, and figuring out all the hidden tricks and workarounds to be successful. In Bissau we hoped to receive our visas for Guinea-Conakry and the Ivory Coast.

Turns out there was a big conference at our hotel and the President of Guinea-Bissau was coming to speak. We thought it hilarious that our truck actually had a front row seat to the whole event.

The decaying Ministry of Justice on the main street in the old town of Bissau.

Lots of construction going on, curious what it will look like in ten years, main thoroughfare through the older section of town.

For our Guinea-Conakry visa, we had heard it was easiest to apply online with a Guinea-Bissau address. (We think that this is because your application is then routed through the local office which can be quicker and was definitely better for us as we had issues). We completed the application process in our hotel room but were not able to process payment. So set off for the Guinea Embassy to ask for help. The consul was super, he spent hours with us in his office trying to get the system to work. At the end of the day he said we should receive it by late afternoon. (We didn’t and had to go back the next day and wait a few more hours while he sorted the system out but in the end he handed us copies of our visas) $80 each.

For the Ivory Coast we had heard that there was a consulate in town that issued visas. The biggest challenge was finding the office, which was operating very stealthily - no signage whatsoever. The quiet woman inside handed us an example and told us to fill out the forms. We handed them and our passports over and she told us to come back the next day. We did but oops, we had neglected to sign them. We signed and she told us to come back the next day. We did and success! $25 each.

Ivory Coast consulate building in Bissau

Dawn’s face appreciating restaurant food after several days of hard driving, two days of bureaucracy, and hours in waiting room plastic seats.

Low tide at water’s edge in Bissau

We walked a lot of Bissau, especially from our hotel to the embassies. Very little of it was paved. Shopping consisted of bartering for fresh fruit and produce from sidewalk markets. We went to two “supermarkets” both of which stocked mostly random canned goods, cleaning and baby supplies and alcohol. We have not braved the butchers yet so have been eating many variations of rice and beans and pasta.

We left Bissau, visas in hand for two more countries and set out for Parque Nacional de Cantanhez to find chimpanzees. Google said the drive was four hours. Google was very wrong. It was a long day with our second two police barriers - much more insistent about a payment than the first two. Andy had to accompany them into separate buildings… It was stressful and unpleasant. But in the end we got through with no “payments”.

So back to our drive… It was getting dark and we hate driving in the dark in Africa. Potholes wait in the shadows to swallow you up, kamikaze goats, pigs, sheep, donkeys and cows all wait to dash in front of you, and people in dark clothing walk the edges of the roads. We pulled into a staffed gas station at a village to ask about camping and the wonderful young man told us we could camp behind the station. It was not our most beautiful site, but sometimes safe is good enough. We were even parked right by the all-night security guard’s station.

Desperate camping behind the gas station

Camp D’Unun at the edge of Parque Nacional de Cantanhez (in actual fact we were camping in a family’s backyard)

Walking with our guide in the jungle - found a canoe!

The next morning we set off with our guide before light to find the chimpanzees. We found where they were sleeping in trees and saw them climbing down, but they were fast! We failed at pictures. But it was still a magical experience.

Our best wildlife photo, yellow chimpanzee butt to the left of the tree

 

[Victorian]

Wow looks like an amazing time! Fond memories myself from the West Coast. I was the first "guest" at Zebrabar as the owners where "overlanding" from Switzerland. Crossed Mauretania with them.

 

[tacototheworld]

Wow looks like an amazing time! Fond memories myself from the West Coast. I was the first "guest" at Zebrabar as the owners where "overlanding" from Switzerland. Crossed Mauretania with them.

Thanks! West Africa definitely has its absolutely crazy swings from wonderful highs from the smiles here to the lows of dealing with the crazy government bureaucracies.

We had a great time at Zebrabar, wonderful knowing that once on a while, you can count on a safe place to roll into after a hot, dusty day.