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Archive for October, 2006

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Updates From Casa

Tuesday, October 10th, 2006

Yep in Casablanca and I have my Mauritanian visa. It was pretty easy to get with 200Dh, 2 passport photos and photocopy of my passport (besides the original of course). It is for one month from today, so I will effectively have 2 and a half weeks. Should be enough for a country I know nothing about.

West Africa

I’ll be using the safarine malaria tablets but I still haven’t found a place to get mosquito lotion and the mosquito nets. That’s my next mission. I still need to figure out if I need any other shots. There are no other mandatory shots besides yellow fever, which I have, but I’m wondering what other vaccines are a good idea.

I also didn’t find a place that sold English guidebooks, so I payed through the hol and ordered one online from Amazon UK express delivery. I leave after it arrives; probably next week Monday.

[By the way the country Western Sahara that you see in the map I put in, hasn’t been a country since 1975 when Morocco and Mauritania took it over and split it amongst themselves. Apparently some of the locals too offence at that and there’s been some fighting but in the last few years it’s calmed down enough so that you don’t have to pass through by military convoy anymore. There are some left over mines though, so I’ll let you know if I see anyone blow up or any loose limbs lying around.]

Posted in Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Travel | 1 Comment »

Rambling On

Monday, October 9th, 2006

I’m just writing at random here because I feel I need to post something but haven’t thought of anything much to write. Be prepared for bit of a ramble of thoughts and feel free to skip to the end where you think: “It would have nicer if he just posted some pics.”

Mosquitos. They’ve been on mind recently because the chances of getting malaria in West Africa is 3% which is pretty high – and that’s with anti-malarial medication. It 6% without. Here in Morocco I remember telling someone that the mosquitos here are pretty small and they don’t really bite with a vengeance. That was in summer, now in autumn they’re suddenly the size of small birds and, although I don’t think I’ve been bitten by one yet, I’m sure they’d probably suck me bone dry.

Anyway plans for going south are going slowly (I was going to make a dirty pun with this sentence and the sentence at the end of the last paragraph but my Mom reads this you know). I think I need shots because I can’t seem to find out which and the only travel clinic I could find is Intitut Pasteur in Casablanca. So tomorrow I’m going to Casa for that and to get my Mauritanian visa. I’m actually in Rabat right now trying to find a bookshop with English guidebooks. No luck so far. Besides that, the only things I need to do before leaving is some minor shopping and shipping.

Ramadaan is going by quickly. So quick that I sometimes lose trace of the days. Seriously I even missed jumuah (Friday mosque) once because I didn’t know it was Friday. I only realised that night.

I haven’t learnt much language except a word here and there. Sometimes I can understand what’s going on in a conversation – if I’m not taking part. There should be even less English in Mauritania and Senegal.

Anyway, by the next post I’ll be closer to travel time and closer to newer places – for me at least. And then I’ll be rambling on physically as well.

Most Common Question: When are you planning to head home?
Answer: I dunno (and the indefiniteness is not by choice)  

Posted in Morocco, Other | 2 Comments »

Questions

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006
  • How much cash? Euros or Dollars? Do I need cash?
  • Where to stay in Mauritania and Senegal?
  • Fasting on Malaria medication.
  • Find a travel clinic in Morocco
  • Find the Mauritanian embassy

Posted in Travel | 2 Comments »

To Do List

Monday, October 2nd, 2006

For travel down to West Africa… 

  • Visa – Mauritania, Senegal
  • Check the forums on sahara-overland.com
  • Courier surfboard
  • Buy Guide
  • Malaria tablets
  • Travel Insurance
  • Mosquito net
  • Sandals
  • Flights: Morocco-Senegal; Senegal-London; London-anywhere

That last one is just in case something good shows up. It would be nice to be able to use my Morocco to London BA flight that I have.

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

Deadline Looms

Monday, October 2nd, 2006

I am almost at my self-imposed deadline for organising visa for Morocco. So its time to start planning and I think I’m going south into West Africa. I’ll try to extend my current visa so that I can stay in Morocco till after Ramadaan, but if I don’t get that right I’m leaving in the next two weeks. Travelling while fasting should be the opposite of fun but I’m just going to have to do it.

I was a bit skeptic on the whole idea of going to Mauritania and Senegal but then came across a website that stoked me. It was the first website I checked, and I only read the first page, but I’m stoked nonetheless.

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

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