“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world of the glories of our journey.”
 JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN

This Saturday, September 25, 2010, I embark on a 2 month journey through West and North Africa and then Europe.

The impetus of this trip was a photo I saw at an art fair in Tempe, AZ back in April of this year. The image was of a beautiful and ancient mosque made purely of mud. In the foreground of this mosque was a bustling market. Colorfully clad African men, women and children selling foods and wares happily went about their day in the red dirt and dust of the arid setting. I was captured immediately. Where in the world could a place like this exist!?…and, more importantly, how could I experience it for myself!? Speaking to the artist I learned the mosque was located in a little town in Mali, Africa called Djenne. That was all I needed to know. At that point my internal compass set its course. 

Now 6 months later I am getting ready to cross our great nation, the Atlantic and part of the Sahara Desert to travel down the Niger River to see this unique corner of our world.  I am yellow fever, polio, typhoid fever, tetanus, hep A and B immune, and my malaria pills start on Thursday!  The table in my kitchen is littered with different clothing piles, stacks of papers with  trip details and hotel locations, first aid kit supplies, extra make-up and deodorant to stow away, my passport and necessary visas as well as plenty of Euros and Dollars (there may be a few chocolate bars ready to fill my carry on too!).  Unfortunately, I won’t be entering Mali or Senegal with either of their currency as my bank wouldn’t source any FCFAs for me….apparently those two countries are on their “black list” which means they don’t do any business or currency exchange with them (unstable government, terrorism, etc could be the reason for “black listing”).  Looks like my first stop in Africa will be to an ATM machine. 🙂

My two month itinerary:
September 26 – 29 – Dakar, Senegal
September 29 – October 16 – Mali
October 17 -24 – Algeria
October 25 – 28 – Morocco
October 29 – November 3 – Spain
November 4 – 8 – France
November 9 – 22 – Italy
November 22 – 27 – Greece