The donkeys started braying at 4am and the cocks joined them soon after. I hadn’t slept brilliantly but at least I was cool and had no mozzie bites. It was blissfully cool this morning. I started packing up at 5 as breakfast was scheduled for 5.30, and we were supposed to hit the road by […]
After just one afternoon I was in love with Dogon country….where I was the first tourist in six years to visit one of the more remote villages! I can’t recommend a visit more highly! The Dogon is a world apart from Mali, even more traditional, and I suspect many customs haven’t changed in hundreds
Ouagadougou (pronounced ‘waaggaadoogoo’), affectionately known as Ouaga, is the capital of Burkina Faso which ranks 181 out of 187 on the UNs development index. It wasn’t really my intended destination for this trip, but bizarrely it was cheaper, faster and easier to add in a stop in Burkina Faso to get a visa for Mali
Burkina Faso – Visa optimisation in Ouagadougou Read More »
In the case of Eritrea immigration, the whole is more than the sum of its parts…. Italian efficiency combined with African bureaucracy….. amazing new levels of ineptitude :-)! I was first in the queue to passport control and 45 minutes later I was the last out, and my kiwi passport had been scrutinised by everyone
Eritrea – Art Deco in Asmara Read More »
I love being on the subcontinent…. , everything smells pungently of incense, curry spices and sweat! Traffic lanes don’t exist in Bangladesh and every journey is a crazy game of chicken between gutsy rickshaw wallahs, dented buses, aggressive tuktuks and the pristine cars of the wealthy. It’s a constant cacophony of horns. Crossing the street on foot
Bangladesh – Gossiping in Dhaka Read More »
I am technically in Somalia – home of pirates. I had planned to go to the capital of Mogadishu, but doing so requires hiring four armed guards for lots of money to look after you. My husband sagely suggested that if they can be hired to protect you for $1000, then a motivated individual might pay
Somaliland – Hanging out in Hargeisa Read More »
Djibouti is damn hot and dusty as all hell. Flying in all you can see is endless rocks and sand. I didn’t have a visa but my sources had indicated getting one was possible on arrival. The only problem was that none of the officers on duty that day had ever seen a kiwi passport.
Sweltering in Djibouti Read More »
When I told people I was going to North Korea, everyone said I was nuts, but it is one of the safest places to visit in the world and profoundly fascinating to see an entirely different culture unblemished by western values. While it was tricky to keep a straight face when hearing about the evil
North Korea – respecting the Great Leader(s) in Pyongyang Read More »
One day I plan to come and do a long extended tour of the Mongolian steppes, but I would like to do it with the hubby, and he is wildly underwhelmed with the idea of gers, hiking, no showers, and long days in rickety vehicles. Until I persuade him, I am making do with a
Mongolia – 24 hours chilling in Ulaanbaatar Read More »
The Solomon Islands are apparently amazing for diving….. shame I don’t like fish! However, for a raw look at Melanesian culture, and to check out some interesting Guadalcanal history, Honiara is definitely worth a (short) visit. What to do in Honiara! Visit the WW2 relics The easiest place to do this is to go to the
Solomon Islands : Scrambling around the WW2 wreckage on Guadalcanal Read More »
You must be logged in to post a comment.