Travels off the Beaten Path

This episode is a flashback of one of my adventures in Europe. I went on a trip to Venice to surprise my grandmother, who was on an European tour and was passing through. I had no idea when or where she was but I sat in the piazza and watched every tour pass until I saw her. It was a wonderful surprise and we ended up having dinner. I had to rush back and catch the ferry to another island to the backpackers where I was staying but I missed the curfew and was locked out. After a misunderstanding with some police officers, I hid down a lane and slept on the dock - it was a cold and uncomfortable night. in the morning, I returned to the hostel and collapsed on my bed. I woke in the afternoon to find someone has stolen my wallet while I was asleep. It turned up back in Australian six months later. 

I learnt from this trip that where there is a will, there is a way. Be persistent. It was also wonderful to give someone a surprise, to do something nice for someone rubs off on yourself. Lastly, watch your belongings at backpackers/hostels, especially in shared dorms.  

Photo: Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

This episode divulges the events that happen after the truck crash. We are rescued by missionaries and later taken to the nearest large town, Bangui, in Central African Republic. We were reunited with the injured and were stuck at a camp site for three weeks while we waited out fate. In that time my tent was slashed and a bag stolen. Luckily for me, but not for the thief, it was my toiletries bag. :-) I also describe the standoff in the market place when a man tried to steal my money out of my shirt pocket and I reacted immediately by using the only weapon in my hand, a recently-bought pineapple. It was like time had frozen........

The lessons learnt here is to always be aware of your own security when travelling and protect your valuables. One of the biggest lessons in this situation is do not form daily habits in movement as then it becomes easier for you to be targeted by thieves and others meaning harm. I got away with my retaliating threat but I was constantly assessing the situation and would have quickly submitted in the presence of a club, knife or gun. A person's life is not valued as much in these countries so you have to be careful how far you push the boundaries.  

Central African Republic is another country that is now a 'no go' zone with internal conflict and warring parties. My heart goes out to the families trying to survive in one of the poorest countries in the world and the internal conflict would only make matters worse. I am so lucky to have experienced this journey when I did.  

Cover photo: Typical African market. Photos by Beks on Unsplash

It is so fitting to talk about the next stage in my overland journey for Episode 13. This Unlucky 13th episode recounts the leadup to our epic truck crash and the repercussions in the middle of central Africa. However, I consider it lucky as somehow we were saved from serious injury and a potential worst fate further down the road.

From this unforgettable series of events, I learnt to take life as it comes. It is great to plan for the future, but really live in the present. We do not know how long we are here on earth and everything involves some sort of risk. Learn to weigh up the risks and take chances to extend yourself outside your comfort zone and really LIVE. 

Note: On further recall of the events in my mind, I made a mistake in the podcast. We were only stuck on the side of the road for a day before the missionaries rescued us just before evening. But let me tell you, surrounded by villagers with machetes, that was a very long day. And the injured were taken to the French Foreign Legion's base hospital before we were re-united in the next town while they waited for a flight back to England. However, that is for the next episode.

The overland journey continues into Nigeria. I witness an political election drive with horses, colour, singing and dancing, drums and chanting. I get invited to a Nigerian traditional wedding where I personally experience the custom of spraying money. I reminisce over the week spent at Yankari National park  - soaking in the Wikki warm springs, and getting close and personal with elephants and baboons. I consider the political environment at the time of my visit and the Ogoni struggle for their homeland from the greed of politicians and international giant Shell petroleum that resulted in land degragation from oil spills and the ultimate deaths of Ogoni that protested, all only ~500 kms from where I unknowningly partied with politicians from the same country at the time. 

Image: Nigerian wedding https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/149181806387390600/

We continue our journey through West Africa leaving Mali and travelling through Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin. I describe a typical day's travel on an overland truck from the time we wake up till we set up camp and finish for the day, including a short summary of our typical diet each day. I discuss the ramifications of Togo starting a border conflict with Benin while we were travelling through and how it impeded our journey. I also discuss how the sound of distant drums in the night would send me searching and uncovering some wonderful local experiences. I also recount my first wild lion roar.

My biggest life lesson here is how stepping out of your comfort zone really opens you up to allow for some amazing experiences in life. There will always be an element of risk but the life changes are so worth it. 

Photo: Typical town we drove through in Burkina Faso.

Each 10th episode I will pause the travel stories and talk about some historical facts, some travel tips or interview a fellow avid traveller. This episode is about the advantages and disadvantages of travelling in the non-digital era.

I look at how the introduction of the internet, mobile phones and digital cameras have changed the way we travel. This includes reminiscing on the lost art of letter writing, the challenges of using a phone on an exchange and the old film cameras and SLRs in comparison to what we have today.

Photo: Mobile phone use compared to access to electricity 2012 (Source: The Economist, 2017. https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2017/11/08/in-much-of-sub-saharan-africa-mobile-phones-are-more-common-than-access-to-electricity)

This episode recounts the continuation of my overland trip through Africa. We left Goree Island and travelled east into Mali. We drove through Kayes, Bamako and up to Mopti on the Niger River.  We spent awhile here watching the markets, admiring the unique architecture of the mud mosques and going for a boat ride on the Niger to visit a fishing village downstream. From Mopti we travelled to Bandiagara and by ox cart to Sangha Ogol Leye on the Bandiagara Escarpment to visit the amazing Dogons in their villages. I spent an afternoon behind a tree watching a mens-only ceremony entranced with their stilted and masked dancers. I also watched the horse and rider display with fascination. Later we explored the escarpment, where the Dogon bury their members in caves, and the village Bombou above the escarpment. On the third day we walked to the next village Bolomo with the ox cart. On the way there, three horsemen from the festival caught up with us and I was able to convince one to let me ride his horse. with the drums beating, the horses doing tricks, we dashed off to the next village to the astonishment of the inhabitants. I had not known who I had kicked off his horse. From the honour to ride a chief's horse and sit the horse tricks, to making a fool of myself, it was a memorable event.

Mali is a stunning country with much to offer from its terrain, its cultures and its architecture. However, currently Mali is a 'no travel' zone with internal conflict from ISIS-backed Islamic groups hassling smaller ethnic non-Islamic groups. There are killings, kidnappings and massive movement of people fleeing from the troubled areas and becoming refuges. The Dogons are also being persecuted and there has been recent conflict between the Fulani herders and the Dogon with their crop areas.  Any international travel is risky, but especially off the beaten path. You have to be always aware of any simmering tensions and avoid conflict zones. I never travelled in war zones and got myself out any time unrest erupted. In these areas, a human life is not valued as much as in western society, or at least a death or murder does not hold as much weight. I hope Mali is able to stabilise itself and its minority ethnic cultures continue to survive well into the future.  

This episode describes my continuing overland journey from Mauritania into Senegal as we crossed into the sub-Saharan zone. We travel to Dakar noting how the environment changes from wind-swept desert to the horizon, to grassy rangeland with the odd stunted tree and started seeing my first boababs and acacias. 

Spending the Christmas week on Goree Isand was both a sobering and inspirational experience. Here I contemplate the history of the West African slave trade, imagining the horror of the practice and the reprecussions for families, both remaining in Africa and the ones that survived the horrendous voyages and life on the plantations in the Americas, to start new families over there. 

I become immersed in African music, falling in love with the African djembe (drum) and the skill of the drummers playing each afternoon in one of the quiet alleyways. It spoke to a wild side of me as I soaked in the African culture and the atmosphere of the place and its locals, and I forever followed this music after this trip. It was a beautiful example of how music, song and dance lifts the soul and produces such positive vibes to carry on with life's fluctations. Don't be stopped by thinking people are judging you, be yourself and let what moves you come part of your life. 

What I got out of this section of my journey was the realisation of how cruel people in history have been and the value of human beings in this world has changed at least in most places. The slave trade to the Americas in the 17th and 18th centuries changed the spread of the world population and the global genetic pool. How different the US would be today without their slave history and the history of their freedom fighters still fighting for equality today. 

Slavery is still going on unfortunately in 167 countries in 2016 including Mauritania, Eritrea, India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Libya and Noth Korea being the main offenders. People are either born into slavery, become child slaves, sex slaves, have forced marriages or as forced labour in state-run projects, or become slaves from armed conflict. However, it is now an invisible issue. Even in the developed countries, slavery is known to exist, illegally of course but is still happens. I am one of the lucky ones to take our freedom for granted. However, many of these slaves are in low income-producing countries, where the cheap products that we buy come from these same countries and may be the product of slave labour.  Something to think about next time you are buying cheap goods......... 

Music: Kwassa from Afrodrumming (https://afrodrumming.com/download-free-djembe-mp3-ax234k2kf3gg/)

Photo: Goree Island by Geoff Weed on Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/155866837073578733/)

This episode starts in the southern part of Morocco and recalls the journey via soldier-escorted convoy through the minefields of Western Sahara and into Mauritania. I recount my ride on a black horse along a beach, sandmatting through the Sahara, my next attempt at killing or maiming myself again on a sand dune, swimming with dolphins, watching the local Arab populations fighting for existence on the brink of the desert, trying to dodge a locust plague and being accosted by officials in Nouakchott. 

These eye-opening life experiences led me to reflecting on how lucky we are with our freedom to travel and not be burdened by internal conflict in our country. We also take for granted the variety of food we eat, yet there are many countries with limited food resources that are hit hard by natural disasters or western greed. We need to consider others, how they can cope with current situations, and how we can limit their burden without just providing charity.  

On a personal note, I noticed the effect the weather can have on a personality. I had to learn to be more considerate and compassionate with people as everyone has different abilities and may or may not be good at everything or their body limits them. I also realised I need to make smart choices when seeking to be different and stand out from the crowd. Was this another way to prove I was good enough - Something I have been trying to prove all my life?   

Lastly, as a travel tip, don't take photos of bridges and major buildings in countries which can be slightly unstable and paranoid an enemy will get hold of these strategic points in conflict. If you see a lot of soldiers or police that is a general give-away that within-country tension is high.

Photo: the overland truck in convoy in the Western Sahara 

This episode continues the story of the overland trip into Morocco - a journey of non-stop action. From being dragged by the hair in Casablanca, negotiating for a taxi ride in a bar late at night in Fez, dealing with aggressive dogs and pushing the boundaries in safety and endurance at Todra Gorge in the high Atlas, exploring the medinas, bartering for great bargains in the souks and running away from water bearers in Marrakesh,  and finally relaxing at the seaside town of Essaouira, Morocco was a country of colour and contrasts. I came away with a number of lessons, including selecting your travel companions carefully, and realising sometimes you have to do a juggling act in choosing the path off the beaten track while taking a risk in the process. 

Photo: Myself on a donkey in Todra Gorge, Morocco.