Think of the countries that you probably wouldn’t want to visit in general. Now think of the countries that you would definitely not travel overland between. If you’re like most people, Sierra Leone and Liberia probably rank right up there at the top of both of those lists and that is exactly what I did. […]
Overland From Guinea to Sierra Leone
January 5, 2009 by 13 Comments
I arrived at Conakry airport after spending the night in Dakar. Conakry airport kind of set the mood for Guinea-hectic! First, after landing, the bus met the plane to drive us to the arrivals area-keep in mind this airport probably gets 2 or 3 flights a day, period. Anyway, the driver was a maniac and […]
Guinea-Bissau
January 3, 2009 by 2 Comments
Guinea-Bissau is the red headed stepchild of West Africa. Most people have never even heard of it, it doesn’t have much representation abroad including in the United States and it is difficult to get there and to get out. That said, it is an enticing place to visit in the dry season (right now) with […]
Happy New Year From The Gambia
January 2, 2009 by 4 Comments
Well it took me a while but I was finally able to get onto the Internet once I finally left the Gambia as they apparently had a nationwide cyber-blackout for a few days, or so they say! The news showed that the prominent IT companies there had already contacted Netzen, an IT Support company based […]
Cape Verde Islands
December 30, 2008 by 4 Comments
The Cape Verde Islands are the forgotten islands of the Atlantic if they were ever heard of at all. They are located about 500km to the west of Dakar, Senegal and are made up of 9 or so islands. The largest is Santiago, which has the capital Praia and is where I am staying. The […]
Dakar By Mistake
December 29, 2008 by 2 Comments
To make a long story short, I ended up in Dakar, Senegal for a day and a half by mistake when the flight I was booked on from Dakar, which was a connection from Mauritania to the Cape Verde Islands, was apparently non existant. I am still unclear about who’s fault it actually is but […]
Life in Nouakchott
December 27, 2008 by 6 Comments
Nouakchott, Mauritania is a sleepy, dusty, very pleasant town 5 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Africa. I am staying with my friend from school, Alberto’s, buddy from the Peace Corps, who lives and works here in Nouakchott. Damian and his wife Mary have been so wonderful in their hospitality and […]
Like Visiting an Old Friend
December 26, 2008 by 4 Comments
I was fortunate enough to have an eight hour layover today in Paris. It was my first time in Paris since December 2001 and my seventh time overall. It was like visiting an old friend because I know the city so well and although I haven’t seen it in a while-not much has changed and […]
St. Martin and Anguilla
December 19, 2008 by 6 Comments
The island of St. Martin is divided between two nations, Dutch (St. Maarten) and French (St. Martin). The French side is where I stayed in a place called Grand Case Beach at a hotel called L’esplanade which was very good and the people were very helpful and friendly. The French side is way more islandy […]
The Scoop on Guadeloupe
December 18, 2008 by 7 Comments
Guadeloupe is an overseas French territory much like it’s sister island Martinique. However, Guadeloupe is clearly the ugly twin and cannot be held in the same breath as the much nicer, classier and safer Martinique. Guadeloupe is not without some virtues of course but I have to admit after being in Martinique and having a […]
