videos on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/thegreaterworld

Hi folks
I've just began the long process of uploading videos onto youtube from my travels. I have a few from my last trip (2007), and then there are a couple of small avi files taken on my digital camera from 2006 West Africa which i might put together. From 2004 I have a series of film shot on 8mm with no sound which I plan to convert over the next few weeks or months (well there's a lot) so I'm setting myself quite a little project. Nevertheless I think it's a good one.
Today I've started with Senegal and Casablanca in November 2007. Hopefully neither are longer than ten minutes or i've wasted a lot of bandwidth...

Andrew

Home again, home again jigadijig!

One of the Most important posts in a travel blog is the one that tells people you made it home safely. Well, blogger managed to delete that post before it was posted so I apologise.
I have been home a week now. Since Casablanca I flew to London where I had just over 24 hours and managed to shop and see the Globe theatre, a reconstruction of the theatre (a very accurate one too, a maginificent job) which stood 200metres away where Shakespeare and his ilk put on plays in London a few hundred years back now.
Then at 22.00 hours on November 27th I left London to return home and complete my trip. Just after 8am on the 29th that journey was completed and here I am now. Obviously I need to post more photos, but that's how the journey came to its conclusion. I slept a bit on the flights home but not a lot. So a week later I am stioll feeling the effects of jetlag.
take care y'all.......

Images of Mali and Senegal

Bit of time on my hands today, so here are some more photos. We start with the Senegal River at St Louis, Senegal; then Bamako, Mali outside the main post office; getting on a bus in Mopti, Mali; an interesting building in Dakar, Senegal; the Mosque at Djenne, Mali and finally a street on the Ile De Goree, Senegal.

Bogartting the Blog

Hi all

Well, the trip is winding down. Casablanca is a fine city, one without hassle like Senegal which I think had more hassle than the other West African Nations I have visited.

It's also much cooler, about 18 degrees yesterday. I have a bit of a cold with isn't much fun. Still, I have had enough energy to walk around the city a bit and take in the amazing Hassan II Mosque, the third largest in the world (pictured) and then stroll the Medina (one of the gates also pictured). Not much else to see here I believe, so it's been a nice little day. Also far cheaper than West Africa here too.

No time to really take in what Morrocco is like, I am sure Marrakech is a far different city - more tourists more hassle. Still it hasn't been a bad little stop over all told. Hard to believe I will be home in a few days. I had a shave in a barber shop today, and saw news of the Australian Election. Smiley face.

So tomorrow I get on a plane tomorrow. If it leaves without me I will regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, soon and for the rest of my life....

Pictures from The Dogon Trek

Finally I have had a chance to get some photos from the amazing Dogon Trek up. I am in Casablanca today and tomorrow, and then to London and home by the end of the week. Enjoy the pics!
First is a village called Injeli (I think), then some rocks on the escarpment, thirldy in the village of Ende the girls (who do all the hard work in Africa it seems!) pound millet, Fourth are houses (no longer inhabited) on the cliff face, Fifth the trek begins, and finally a couple of Dogon children.

St Louis, Senegal

Folks,
The trip is winding down.
Two days ago I journied from Dakar to St Louis, tomorrow I return to Dakar to take my flight the next day to Casablanca, then London on Monday and home Tuesday night (arriving two days later).
Ive found the last few days a bit tough - just exhaustion really. Where as Mali was light on the hassle, Senegal certainly isnt. Not in St Louis and certainly not in Dakar.
I headed two days ago to the Dakar Gare Routiere. It was the biggest and most confusing that I have seen. Still; I soon found myself on a minibus to St Louis at about noon. Only three people on the thing, oh god i thought, It will be a good two hours before we leave. No... I was wrong, try six and a half.
Crikey indeed.
Still, I showed great patience as we began our ride that should take between three and four hours. Wrong again. Peak hour in Dakar, and you`ve never seen traffic like it. It was stuffy and hot whan the minibus was stationary, and it was for a long time getting out of Dakar. To get to Thies, 70km away it took three hours. I kid ye not. Then we were held up as there was a bad looking accident on the road involving four vehicles. Very bad indeed... Two ambulances needed - but thank goodness they were available. I shudder to think the response time in say Niger.
Another accident slowed us down a little further on. In summary - arrived at St Louis just before 1am. Phew. Makes that journey from Parkou to Niamey seem quite successful.
Now St Louis.... was steaming hot yesteday. A sleepy sort of town, not luch to do. Fine, I don`t want to do much. Had some good mmeals thankfully as the I journied here four bananas made up my lunch and dinner. Still trhe hassle exists in the centre of town. Cooler today but a hot sun. Such is life... I can`t believe I am so close to returning home, but I have to say I am tired and ready!! Africa sure takes it out of one!

Mission: Dakar

So
I am here in Dakar. I flew in two nights ago, and was quite assaulted by many taxi drivers at the airport, but I made it safe and sound. To be honest, part of me thought I would never make it to this place.
Still here I am at last, with just over a week of the holiday left. Mali was brilliant in retrospect, even if tough going at times. Bamako was not the most impressive of capital cities, but could hold interest for a day or two. Lots of markets and things to buy, if only I had some money left. Much more in Bamako than the rest of Mali - from restaurants to toilets being sold on the side of the road, but still poor; dusty and as polluted as any city I have been to before, excpet for perhaps Dhaka in Bangladesh.
And now, Dhaka to Dakar is complete. Dakar, Senegal is a pretty happening place. Easily the best of the African capitals that I have visited in terms or money - new buildings, obvious investment, new roads being built, even an over pass of sorts. Still there is a lot of hassle though. I visited the interesting and colonial Ile de Goree yesterday, which also has a slave trade history. Today its a nice place, people swim; there was a music festival too. Still; the past lingers in the Maison des Esclaves. Very popular (the island) on a Sunday, absolutely packed.
A little look around the city today, then to St Louis tomorrow....

Nothing easy, but safely in Bamako; Looking to Dakar

Well, here I am in the Malian capital of Bamako, and getting here was a bit of a challenge.
We took the bus from Segou which left at about 10am. Almost immediately the bus had to stop and they needed to tinker with the engine. This had me only mildly worried. On we went and the trip had taken nearly four hours and we were perhaps thirty kilometres out of Bamako. Then the bus just died. The engine stopped, and they couldnt get it going again. We were all left to our own devices to solve the problem, the bus company had nothing to say on the matter. So, Paul and myself hitched our way in on a green van carrying bags of coal. A unique experience to say the least. I accidently disconnected the drivers speaker and hqd to reconnect it.
Once inside Bamako We were put on local transport, supposedly to our hotel. No sir, we got to the centre; and then a nice policeman found us a taxi who knew where to go, so at about 3.30pm we found our hotel. Quite a day, but that`s African travel for you.
Tonight I fly out, inshallah, to Dakar. Yes that final goal is well within sight; although anything can happen yet... The airport is definately open though, so that`s a good start.