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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Feb 06, 2005 07:00 PM To Mauritania.... in the truck
It is Africa...
We departed from Dhakla at 10am. The truck was like a prison
car - with bars in the little windows. Local family in their exotic costumes travelled with us...
Desert, desert.... More then 400 km. The ocean is not visible from the road... No more convoys on this route - the UN keeps
the army and Polisario separated.
Police posts - a lot of them - you are registered many times
on the little pieces of paper or in the school-like notebooks.
Keep your passport ready and smile to the guards.
Heat, take a lot of drinking water...
The border post are in the little rural houses. The custom officer liked my hat but I said I have only one - for me....
One more post of Morocco - the real border. End of paved road: bumps - landmines around - they say.
Mauritanian posts are in the little timber huts...
You will fill here your currency declaration - do not declare the money you want to change on the black market...
Surprise: from the posts the road is new and paved;
we reached Nouadhibou after dusk - it was 11 hours of the
drive from Dakhla... Ufff! Enough for one day...
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Feb 05, 2005 07:00 PM How to get to the border? - Western Sahara
Dakhla is the last big town if you are going south to Mauritania...
Surprisely clean and nice - developed by Marocco. Again no info in the guidebook so let you know: inexpensive and friendly place to stay - Hotel Bahia just at the CTM bus station - only 30 dirham per bed rate, share shower, one sheet only but beautiful view of the sunrise on the bay just from the room window...
No more regular buses on Atlantic route - I was forced to look around the town for the onward transport. It took half a day and now I know:
ask people at the market and little hotels for Mauretania truck drivers - their little trucks park at the check point at the entry of the town. They take cargo to Mauritania and also passengers to Nouadhibou. Bargain is hard - finally I got the price applied to the locals: 400 dirham in the front cabin and 300 dirham in the back - with cargo. We will depart tomorrow at 8.30 am......
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Feb 04, 2005 07:00 PM Already in Western Sahara!
The state-owned CTM bus company is worth to recommend. But be prepared to pay extra for your luggage at check-in.
For the ticket from Agadir to Laayoune I paid 190 dirhams. And then 10 extra for my backpack. It was 12-hours night journey... We arrived to Laayoune - the former capital of Western Sahara at sunrise. Desert is around, but the town is surprisely clean and new-painted... It is well off the beaten trails... UN observers stay in the best hotel...
The cheapest option to stay (not mentioned in the guidebook) is As Sahel hotel (45 dir per double without bath). Internet in the cafe around the corner is inexpensive: only 5 dir (like 50 eurocents) per hour.
In the morning we took a tour by car to little Lamsid oasis - 14 km in the interior - there is restaurant and tented hotel but do not expect any local folklore...
Tomorrow we would like to go further south via famous Atlantic Route trying to stay away from the landmines planted during the conflict...
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Feb 03, 2005 07:00 PM The king is here! - Agadir...
Here in Morocco if the people at the desk say: the bus ride to ... will take 6 hours you must add another two and you will be close to the true... It took us 8 hours and 150 dirhams to come from Casa to Agadir - the big resort on the Atlantic coat of Morocco... We got small but clean rooms at Canaria hotel - just one block from the CTM bus station... They charge 45 dir per person in the twin room without bath. The hotel has nice patio.
There is not much to see in Agadir once badly destroyed by the earthquake... The beach is wide and nice. I was looking for the royal palace. There are two of them: the old and ond new one. Long walk... And then - dissapointment because both of them are hidden in the gardens and from the gate you cannot see any buildings - like in Rabat or Tetouan... Today it was even forbiden to take the picture of the guards at the gate (there were 7 of them - in different uniforms) Reason:
the king is here! So I enjoyed the strong winter sun and went to photoghraph two city mosques...
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Feb 01, 2005 07:00 PM You must remember this: the kiss was just a ....
Do you remember the movie CASABLANCA? And my favourite melody?
When I have been to Casa for the first time 26 years ago I was asking people where is "Le Cafe Americaine" They said: -In Holywood!
Today I found one: since 2004 there is Ricks Cafe at the port with all US swinging standards played from the tape, pianist in the evening, cosy atmosphere and Casablanca beer /50 dir/ at the bar - all recommended!
The highlight of tourist Casa is the huge, new mosque of Hassan II located on the sea coast - very picturesque but entrance for the public after 2 pm only...
Busy Medina with the labirynth of the shops and stalls is also worth a visit.
We got today our visas to Mauretania in the consulate.
Take the bus no 7 to get there. The cost of the visa is 200 dirham. But the staff asked us to pay 8 USD extra to there pockets... - othervise you can come tomorrow and maybe aftertomorrow...
Yes - it is corrupted Africa...
Tomorrow we will take the bus to the south - to Agadir!
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Jan 31, 2005 07:00 PM Our first medina... Tetouan
After crossing the border to Morocco we took big taxi to Tetouan. There is plenty of them waiting. They will ask for
150 dirham for the car to Tetouan. Ignore them. Go 150 m along the olny road uphil and stop any empty taxi - the price will be only 100 dirham. There is no free currency market
in Morocco - rates are equal everywhere and no commision:
8.3 for USD and 10.9 for euro...
Tetouan is worth a stop. We left luggage at the bus station: 4dirham per bag and take a walk around interesting medina - the old Arab town. It is very interesting - more authentic then one in Casa.
There is a lot of stalls, small workshops, traditional bakeries...
Also small mosques /tourists are not allowed to get in/.
Kings Palace is also worth a photo...
At 4 pm we took a bus /6h-73 dirham/ to Casablanca.
First day in the Kingdom is over...
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Jan 30, 2005 07:00 PM One way to Africa...
Yes, the last expensive way from Europe to Africa is by ferry via the Strait of Gibraltar. From Malaga bus station there are few buses per day to Algeciras. The ride cost 9,30 euro. Then you must walk 10 min to the ferry terminal - there are ferries to Ceuta almost every 2 hours - the last expensive one-way cost 19.30 euro. It was nice, sunny weather when we passed the picturesque Rock of Gibraltar. In the distance I saw the high mountains of Africa. After 35 minutes (it was fast, hydrofoil ferry) we entered part of Ceuta.
Welcome back to Africa!!. Ceuta is little Spanish enclave on African continent. Strange place! There is nice cathedral, huge city walls with deep mot, picturesque marina. But the real jewel is a little church of Our Lady of Africa - do not miss it!
Budget accommodation is expensive - after long search we found 4-bed room in Pensione Real for 60 euro (15 per person - expensive!) Tomorrow I want to to cros the border to Morocco - city bus no L7 to the frontier cost 0,55 euro. And then the real african adventure will start!
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Jan 29, 2005 07:00 PM For 29 euro to Malaga...
It was very good deal! I paid just 29 euro for almost 3-hours flight with Condor airline from Berlin to Malaga in Spain. Surprisely they even serve free sandwiches and soft drinks on the flight. We landed at 5.30 pm... Spain... I have been to Malaga as a student many years ago... Just at the door of the terminal is a stop of the city bus no.19 - costs only 1 euro, no baggage limit but have your coins ready when boarding. This bus will take you to the center. To the fancy avenues with a rows of palm trees. (There were snow in Berlin!) Spain... Nice, helpful people... Pretty ladies... Close to the cathedral there is cheapest accommodation in the city: Pensione Cordoba. Old house, very basic by acceptable for the backpacker (14 euro per person, shared bath). We took evening walk around the old part of the town - very nice illumitated. At the end we taste the wine in the small bodeguita - 1 euro per glass. To our trip through Africa!
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Jan 28, 2005 07:00 PM BACK TO AFRICA !
I am coming back to Africa! All experienced globetrotters know that Africa is the hardest continent to travel. But it also rewards you on the trail with more adventure and unexpected impressions. The idea of the expedition which will allow me to cover all Africa - "from end to end" was growing in my head since many years. And now I am ready for departure... My old rucksack is already packed up, this evening train will take me through the first stage - to Berlin. I think I have ahead maybe the biggest challenge of my traveler's life: the route marked through the hardest, unknown to me African countries. They are still like a mystery... You will find the draft of my route here: http://www.kontynenty.tpi.pl/Transafricana1.jpg but who knows - maybe I'll be forced to modify it... If there will be internet access on the trail (could be hard this time) you will find the news from the route in my travel log. Keep your fingers crossed, please!
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Dec 18, 2004 07:00 PM The longest delay in my travelling...
Lufthansa staff said they are not responsible for the mist
on the runway so they do not pay for our meals...
We started from Asmara to Frankfurt with 20-hours delay.
All onward connection of course were broken.
I spent 6 hours in Frankfurt waiting for flight to Copenhagen
and then another 6 hours in Copenhagen for flight to
Gdansk.
Finally today at 6 pm I saw again Gdansk covered by white snow. Minus 2 degrees Celsius. 30 hours after my scheduled time of arrival!
Welcome home! Tomorrow I'll buy the christmas tree!
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