This record is in two parts:
bits like this were sent by SMS from the journey
and bits like this were added on my return home
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Flew up to Scotland to collect the might Saab, then drove back 'till I got bored and stopped for the night at Kendal, eventually arriving in London at around mid-day.
It's the best car I've owned and already I don't want to give it away!
Over the following 3 months I put 3,000 miles on the clock without somuch as a splutter.
It's the best car I've owned and already I don't want to give it away!
Over the following 3 months I put 3,000 miles on the clock without somuch as a splutter.
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
Trotted down to Carlos Place to get Pete's and my Mauritanian visas, only to discover that the embassy only opens on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Thwarted on the visa front, next stop was the BA travel centre for Yellow Fever vacination (£42).
Thwarted on the visa front, next stop was the BA travel centre for Yellow Fever vacination (£42).
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Visit to the nurse at the surgery for all other vacinations and then back to Carlos Place, arrived at 11.50 and departed with visas at 12.10........That's service!
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Thursday, December 6, 2004
Finaly started running around buying stuff for the trip, tent, sleeping bag, torch etc. Tried to get some spare wheels but they are a bit like hen's teeth, the local tyre seller repaired the puncture for free as it's for a good cause.
Who said we're not fully prepared?...........must check the oil...........tomorrow!
Who said we're not fully prepared?...........must check the oil...........tomorrow!
Friday, December 17, 2004
Preparations continue apace........went to see "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" in the morning, excellent movie, far too good for kids.
Pub at lunch time and cut out the chellenge numbers. Bit of a panic because Pete didn't turn up.
The other panic of the day was the realisation that we needed International Driving Licences for Senegal. Seperate hasty trips to Post Offices for both of us.
Pub at lunch time and cut out the chellenge numbers. Bit of a panic because Pete didn't turn up.
The other panic of the day was the realisation that we needed International Driving Licences for Senegal. Seperate hasty trips to Post Offices for both of us.
You don't see this very often: Bart cuts out numbers to stick on the side of the car, in the pub with a diet coke.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Easy drive down to Portsmouth only to find that the boat, which was supposed to leave at 11.15, was delayed and would not be leaving untill 2.30 at the earliest!
In the light of this adversity we asked the advise of the port security guard and took refuge in a pub around the corner for at least the first hour or so of our wait, the subsequent hours were spent in the port canteen.
In the light of this adversity we asked the advise of the port security guard and took refuge in a pub around the corner for at least the first hour or so of our wait, the subsequent hours were spent in the port canteen.
Off the boat at 9.30. Drove on a bit of the Le Mans circuit. Bread and cheese lunch in Tours. Now Pete's doing his first bit of driving.
Nearly hit the Fubars in Tours. [Something unintelligible.]
The last two posts were, I think, supposed to be SMS to blog; unfortunately they turned out to be SMS to home landline instead. I didn't even know you could do that; you get a posh computer-generated lady from BT trying to read you the message. Can't figure out what she's trying to say at the end of the last one; it sounds like "entire France".
Anyway, I phoned to tell the boys what they were doing. They're in a hotel in Bordeaux. B. says it's been chucking it down with rain all day, so they haven't got as far as they'd hoped (the border with Spain). I might be moving to Brittany in a couple of months but I still had to go and check where Bordeaux is!
Anyway, I phoned to tell the boys what they were doing. They're in a hotel in Bordeaux. B. says it's been chucking it down with rain all day, so they haven't got as far as they'd hoped (the border with Spain). I might be moving to Brittany in a couple of months but I still had to go and check where Bordeaux is!
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Bart just phoned. They are 171km north of Madrid, and are expecting to stay there tonight. I think that puts them about half a day behind the official schedule, but there's a catch up day soon anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
That blog misses out the 3 hours getting through the Morocan border and getting hopelessly lost in the dark, finaly arriving in Marakesh at about 10.00pm. Bugger camping, we found a hotel.
Wednesday, 22, 2004
Just spoke to Barty; they're still in Marakesh, and it's raining! <Nelson Muntz> Har har! </Nelson Muntz>
Drove round and round Marakesh and finaly found the campsite, spent the day being tourists. During the day most of our fellow PDers arrived, come evening while others were huddled in the rain Pete and I were singled out by the campsite owner, directed to the poolside cafe and sold wine at £2.00 a bottle.....Why us?.....Doies it show that much?
Thursday, December 23, 2004
The Atlas mountains were increadible, the road winds up to 6,500 feet and then back down again. It's all blind bends and round every one is a man seeling lumps of amathist and plate sized ammonites. You think that because you're in Africa there shouldn't be snow....at the top we got stuck behind a snow-plough...now that doesn't happen in England!
The evening was spent at a hotel in Ifni good food, cheap wine and a couple of other teams for company.
The evening was spent at a hotel in Ifni good food, cheap wine and a couple of other teams for company.
Friday, 24, 2004
Long dull drive to Laayoune, drove round the town asking for directions to the recommended hotel so often that the police stopped us to ask what we were doing. The intreppid duo felt the time had come to make their excuses.
Part two, could find the campsite in the notes (found out later that it closed down 2+ years ago, eventually found a bungalow site and called it a day..Drank beer ate pasta.
Part two, could find the campsite in the notes (found out later that it closed down 2+ years ago, eventually found a bungalow site and called it a day..Drank beer ate pasta.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
I spoke to Bart this morning. They're still driving along the coast of Morocco, pondering the important question "how do you tell where the desert ends and the beach begins", and were intending to get to Dakhla tonight. Tomorrow they enter Mauritania.
Arrived at the Dakhla campsite early evening, not sure who had the brilliant idea to stay here for 2 nights!
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Back into town for shopping and true to form Pete was accosted by the local madman who tried to make him set up a fish exporting business........or something.
4.00 and the sun's finaly coe out, 2 hours before it's due to set. It's just like a windy day in dorset in august.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Early start to head for the border into Mauritania, completely ran out of phone coverage and arrived early afternoon with the car playing up. Not to worry we'll sort it out when we stop for the night.
The border took an hour or so and a drive through the alleged minefield. Picked up a guide and the desert driving group formed by accident (Ali & Sue, Cuan & Brendan, Tim & Nic, Richard & Ben, Lex & John and Pete & me).
We were taken to the Auberge Sahara in the centre of the seething metropolis of Nouadhibou, which had the big advantage of secure indoor parking.
The car problems were resolved by the purchase of a new battery, thirst and hunger were both sorted out at the local chinese restaurant/bar.
Our guide from the border arranged for a money changer, insurance agent and guide to come to the auberge and so all our arrangements were sorted out with a minimum of fuss....The €5 per car that we paid for these introductions was worth every penny.
The border took an hour or so and a drive through the alleged minefield. Picked up a guide and the desert driving group formed by accident (Ali & Sue, Cuan & Brendan, Tim & Nic, Richard & Ben, Lex & John and Pete & me).
We were taken to the Auberge Sahara in the centre of the seething metropolis of Nouadhibou, which had the big advantage of secure indoor parking.
The car problems were resolved by the purchase of a new battery, thirst and hunger were both sorted out at the local chinese restaurant/bar.
Our guide from the border arranged for a money changer, insurance agent and guide to come to the auberge and so all our arrangements were sorted out with a minimum of fuss....The €5 per car that we paid for these introductions was worth every penny.
Tuesday, December 28 - Friday, 31, 2004
Another early start, stopped at the supermarket before leaving town and disaster........Pringles are around £3 a tube and wee decide that we are going to have to forgo what has become our staple diet.
Then it was off into the desert with our guide, who claimed to have been the first guide to be registered.
The desert was fantastic if a little scary as the way to approach soft sand is to go flat out in second and pray!
The first 2 desert dayshave merged into one another in a confusion of sand, getting stuck and pushing one anothers cars out.
Then it was off into the desert with our guide, who claimed to have been the first guide to be registered.
The desert was fantastic if a little scary as the way to approach soft sand is to go flat out in second and pray!
The first 2 desert dayshave merged into one another in a confusion of sand, getting stuck and pushing one anothers cars out.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
I'm hoping the boys are in a no-reception area. I've tried a zillion times to phone them in the last three days, and get either an English message that B's phone is turned off, or a recorded message in what might be a Mauritanian language.
Day 3 was the drive along the beach for 70k just a case of toe down and go for it but something that you won't be able to do anywhere else.
Day 4 we'd hoped to be able to continue along the beach all the way to Nouakchott but the guide was having none of it and made us go down the "road" which was the nastiest 100 or so kilometres that I've ever driven the road not only is corregated the whole way but also has potholes for good measure. Not helped by a loud bang and clouds of smoke from the back of the car, which turned out to be a shock absorber exploding!
Eventualy arrived in Nouakchott at lunchtime, the guide wanted us to stay at another Auberge Sahara and wasn't at all happy when we insisted on going to the Movotel, where a meeting had been arranged for the whole group to explain what was to happen next day at the Senegal border.
After 4 days in the desert a decent hotel was well worth the money.........steak sandwich and loads of cold beer for lunch....and an internet connection!
Day 4 we'd hoped to be able to continue along the beach all the way to Nouakchott but the guide was having none of it and made us go down the "road" which was the nastiest 100 or so kilometres that I've ever driven the road not only is corregated the whole way but also has potholes for good measure. Not helped by a loud bang and clouds of smoke from the back of the car, which turned out to be a shock absorber exploding!
Eventualy arrived in Nouakchott at lunchtime, the guide wanted us to stay at another Auberge Sahara and wasn't at all happy when we insisted on going to the Movotel, where a meeting had been arranged for the whole group to explain what was to happen next day at the Senegal border.
After 4 days in the desert a decent hotel was well worth the money.........steak sandwich and loads of cold beer for lunch....and an internet connection!
Friday, December 31, 2004
Extracts from an AIM conversation
barty: Yo, I' m here
suzie: OMG where are yo!!!
suzie: you, even.
suzie: What's going on with your phone?
suzie: Are you dead?
suzie: etc. etc. etc.
suzie: argh. I'm in shock.
barty: We're at Nouakachot or something siimilar, no phone signal since boxing day (no bog since boxing day either come to that),
suzie: EWWWWWW. Where have you been pooing?
barty: french keyboard is driving me nuts
suzie: Please bear in mind this conversation is going on your blog!
suzie: Are you okay?
barty: take a spade and dig a hole!
suzie: Ewww again!
suzie: Are you nearly there yet?
barty: fine apart from being a bit runny
suzie: Nice. Thanks for sharing that :-)
barty: we cross into senagal tomorrow and there is quite a big group that want to just push on and get home
suzie: rather than being touristy?
barty: that's the one, probably had enough of one anothers company too
suzie: Oh dear. Are you happy?
barty: Much happier for being able to make contact!
suzie: Telling me!
barty: We've onlyn just arrived in N.........;; , which is in the south of Mauratania, and checked into a hotel to clean off a weeks grime, I'll see what the deal is with phoning from the hotel, or try and find a phone cafe, which in Moroco were reasonabley common
suzie: ,madsfffffff
suzie: is a msg from the cat!
suzie: I'm very glad I'm not in your stinky car!
barty: don,t blame you, we've had to carry the old bedouin guide for two days and he doesn' like the air con on
suzie: YOU ARE KIDDING ME. OMG. YEEEEUCH!!!
barty: Wish I was, he likes our car coz it's newest but we did manage to share him amongst the others for é dqys
suzie: Yuck. Are you still in the desert now? Just trying to see where the p-d website says you should be.
barty: thats 2 days!
suzie: French keyboards!!
suzie: Nouamghar, apparently, is where you are.
suzie: Is everyone's car still running?
suzie: Oh no, I mean Nouakchott
suzie: So you're a day ahead of the schedule, I think.
suzie: So hang on. If you're going to Senegal tomorrow, you might be done in about three days?
barty: Nah it't not that one I'll sus it out in a mo, We've been in a group of 6 cars since Boxing day all ok-ish we had to buy a new battery and a reaer shock
barty: absorber packed up and the exhaust is now held together with a bean can which seems about normal
suzie: LOL. Poor Struan!
barty: He got a new battery!
suzie: True. But he's now a Heinz car!
barty: bought using my finest arabic
suzie: Salaam aleikum and shokran, by any chance?
suzie: What's Arabic for battery, then?
barty: take old battery to the lean-to shed in the back street and sign language
suzie: Ah. Your Arabic is quite like your French then? ;-)
barty: similar but less fluent
suzie: LOL
suzie: So do you think you'll be in the gambia in three days then?
barty: depends on how shitty the Senagalese want to be, but could be, given a bit of luck
suzie: Do you want me to look up planes?
barty: Nah, Gambia experience are the only charter company that sell one way on the web and they can't get us back for ages, and what used to be Sabina are the only Schedule airline who fly there and they want about a grand for one way BUT there are many charter airlines going in and out who sell unsold seats locally so it should be easy enough to get a cheapish flight back
suzie: Excellent! Drive faster, you need to come home.
barty: I do, I do!
suzie: Only... if you could give us a bit of notice, we've got a good recipe we want to make you for a coming home thing :-D
barty: what sort of a thing?
suzie: "Nigella's Chocolate Fudge Cake"
barty: Hmmmmmmmmmm I'll definitely drive faster.......................;Nouakchott is the place we're at, i think
suzie: Yes, it looks like that from the schedule. You're meant to be having a night and a day off now, it says.
barty: We had a reaaly short day driving 100km down the beach yesterday, early start and finished at 10.00 so our gang wants to just get on with it; the general concencus is we'd rather get home and get together for a party if we feel like it later on
suzie: YAY
suzie: Good decision
barty: sory about the break in transmission, pete came to steal the local currency stash for beer...................and just came back with a cold one
barty: He didn't even have to pay, but I suspect that means we're stuck in a round
suzie: Love you.
barty: Love ya
suzie: l8r t8r
Session Close (barty): Fri Dec 31 13:29:42 2004
barty: Yo, I' m here
suzie: OMG where are yo!!!
suzie: you, even.
suzie: What's going on with your phone?
suzie: Are you dead?
suzie: etc. etc. etc.
suzie: argh. I'm in shock.
barty: We're at Nouakachot or something siimilar, no phone signal since boxing day (no bog since boxing day either come to that),
suzie: EWWWWWW. Where have you been pooing?
barty: french keyboard is driving me nuts
suzie: Please bear in mind this conversation is going on your blog!
suzie: Are you okay?
barty: take a spade and dig a hole!
suzie: Ewww again!
suzie: Are you nearly there yet?
barty: fine apart from being a bit runny
suzie: Nice. Thanks for sharing that :-)
barty: we cross into senagal tomorrow and there is quite a big group that want to just push on and get home
suzie: rather than being touristy?
barty: that's the one, probably had enough of one anothers company too
suzie: Oh dear. Are you happy?
barty: Much happier for being able to make contact!
suzie: Telling me!
barty: We've onlyn just arrived in N.........;; , which is in the south of Mauratania, and checked into a hotel to clean off a weeks grime, I'll see what the deal is with phoning from the hotel, or try and find a phone cafe, which in Moroco were reasonabley common
suzie: ,madsfffffff
suzie: is a msg from the cat!
suzie: I'm very glad I'm not in your stinky car!
barty: don,t blame you, we've had to carry the old bedouin guide for two days and he doesn' like the air con on
suzie: YOU ARE KIDDING ME. OMG. YEEEEUCH!!!
barty: Wish I was, he likes our car coz it's newest but we did manage to share him amongst the others for é dqys
suzie: Yuck. Are you still in the desert now? Just trying to see where the p-d website says you should be.
barty: thats 2 days!
suzie: French keyboards!!
suzie: Nouamghar, apparently, is where you are.
suzie: Is everyone's car still running?
suzie: Oh no, I mean Nouakchott
suzie: So you're a day ahead of the schedule, I think.
suzie: So hang on. If you're going to Senegal tomorrow, you might be done in about three days?
barty: Nah it't not that one I'll sus it out in a mo, We've been in a group of 6 cars since Boxing day all ok-ish we had to buy a new battery and a reaer shock
barty: absorber packed up and the exhaust is now held together with a bean can which seems about normal
suzie: LOL. Poor Struan!
barty: He got a new battery!
suzie: True. But he's now a Heinz car!
barty: bought using my finest arabic
suzie: Salaam aleikum and shokran, by any chance?
suzie: What's Arabic for battery, then?
barty: take old battery to the lean-to shed in the back street and sign language
suzie: Ah. Your Arabic is quite like your French then? ;-)
barty: similar but less fluent
suzie: LOL
suzie: So do you think you'll be in the gambia in three days then?
barty: depends on how shitty the Senagalese want to be, but could be, given a bit of luck
suzie: Do you want me to look up planes?
barty: Nah, Gambia experience are the only charter company that sell one way on the web and they can't get us back for ages, and what used to be Sabina are the only Schedule airline who fly there and they want about a grand for one way BUT there are many charter airlines going in and out who sell unsold seats locally so it should be easy enough to get a cheapish flight back
suzie: Excellent! Drive faster, you need to come home.
barty: I do, I do!
suzie: Only... if you could give us a bit of notice, we've got a good recipe we want to make you for a coming home thing :-D
barty: what sort of a thing?
suzie: "Nigella's Chocolate Fudge Cake"
barty: Hmmmmmmmmmm I'll definitely drive faster.......................;Nouakchott is the place we're at, i think
suzie: Yes, it looks like that from the schedule. You're meant to be having a night and a day off now, it says.
barty: We had a reaaly short day driving 100km down the beach yesterday, early start and finished at 10.00 so our gang wants to just get on with it; the general concencus is we'd rather get home and get together for a party if we feel like it later on
suzie: YAY
suzie: Good decision
barty: sory about the break in transmission, pete came to steal the local currency stash for beer...................and just came back with a cold one
barty: He didn't even have to pay, but I suspect that means we're stuck in a round
suzie: Love you.
barty: Love ya
suzie: l8r t8r
Session Close (barty): Fri Dec 31 13:29:42 2004
Saturday, January 1, 2004
We'd been told that we had to make an early start, so our little gang headed off at 7.00, arrived at the border at Diama around lunch time. Getting out of Mauritania cost €10 for the immigration officer, €10 for the customs man & €5 for the man who lifts the barrier!
Getting into Senegal was when the fun really started.
Immigration paperwork was no problem then we got started with customs....Because the cars were all more than 5 years old we would have to be escorted through Senegal, one customs officer to every 2 cars, €225 per officer.
"But the Saab was built in 2003" I begged (well that was when it was registered in the UK), if it had said 1999 or even 2000 on the logbook I might have got away with it, as it was he took one look and laughed "that car only 18 months old?". Oh well, had to be worth a try.
We told them we'd pay €50 per car and no more and retired for coffee... The Customs man came to find us and said that his boss had arrived to sort us out, the "senior" man we'd already met when he'd sold us cold drinks and was still wearing a football shirt and joggers.
"because we remember the challenge from last year we can do you a special deal, all 5 cars for the cost of 4"
"€50 per car is what we were told by the Senegalese Embassy in London" we replied "and that is all we can afford, we'll go and have another coffee while you get it sorted out, and don't forget that you're going to have another 40 cars coming through later on"
Some time later we were again summonned to the customs office wher the officer told us that he had had a letter from the big chief to say we were to be treated with respect. I'm pretty sure that at this point we were about to settle at €70 each for the 5 cars and a customs officer to chapperone us. Sadly at this point (we'd been there for around 4 hours) tuned up and through a spanner in the works by charging in and agreeing to €60 per car, with little negotiation, and one guide to look after all the cars!
Because we were now all expected to remain as on group and because some people couldn't be bothered to get out of bed we didn't clear into Senegal untill well gone 9.00pm.
Getting into Senegal was when the fun really started.
Immigration paperwork was no problem then we got started with customs....Because the cars were all more than 5 years old we would have to be escorted through Senegal, one customs officer to every 2 cars, €225 per officer.
"But the Saab was built in 2003" I begged (well that was when it was registered in the UK), if it had said 1999 or even 2000 on the logbook I might have got away with it, as it was he took one look and laughed "that car only 18 months old?". Oh well, had to be worth a try.
We told them we'd pay €50 per car and no more and retired for coffee... The Customs man came to find us and said that his boss had arrived to sort us out, the "senior" man we'd already met when he'd sold us cold drinks and was still wearing a football shirt and joggers.
"because we remember the challenge from last year we can do you a special deal, all 5 cars for the cost of 4"
"€50 per car is what we were told by the Senegalese Embassy in London" we replied "and that is all we can afford, we'll go and have another coffee while you get it sorted out, and don't forget that you're going to have another 40 cars coming through later on"
Some time later we were again summonned to the customs office wher the officer told us that he had had a letter from the big chief to say we were to be treated with respect. I'm pretty sure that at this point we were about to settle at €70 each for the 5 cars and a customs officer to chapperone us. Sadly at this point (we'd been there for around 4 hours) tuned up and through a spanner in the works by charging in and agreeing to €60 per car, with little negotiation, and one guide to look after all the cars!
Because we were now all expected to remain as on group and because some people couldn't be bothered to get out of bed we didn't clear into Senegal untill well gone 9.00pm.
Anyway we finally made it to Zebrabar at around 11.00 where we were welcomed with food and cold beer.
Sunday, January 2, 2004
Life at Zebrabar was pretty good, not sure why we had to stay for 3 nights but hey, there are worse places to be imprissoned.
Day one of our incarceration began with breakfast, boiled eggs, bread and coffee which, after numerous coffee refills didn't finish 'till around 11.30, when it was time for some beer and so the day continued into the eveningwhen it was time for dinner.
Martin and his staff had laid on a bar-b-q, not often you see whole fillets being done on a barby, but that's what we had, with more beer and very good it was too.
Day one of our incarceration began with breakfast, boiled eggs, bread and coffee which, after numerous coffee refills didn't finish 'till around 11.30, when it was time for some beer and so the day continued into the eveningwhen it was time for dinner.
Martin and his staff had laid on a bar-b-q, not often you see whole fillets being done on a barby, but that's what we had, with more beer and very good it was too.
Monday, January 03, 2005
"In Europe you have watches but in Africa we have time – now get back in your car and wait."
John Oates from Team Urban Deserters tells The Register about the Challenge.
John Oates from Team Urban Deserters tells The Register about the Challenge.
Day trip to St Louis, by boat and eexcellent lunch in a restaurant by the river.
once again a street hawker tagged onto Pete, so we had to seek refuge in a bar.......but not for long enough, he was still there when we came out!
Back to the campsite for more beer!
A meeting was held to decide what time we should leave in the morning, "We'll leave at 9.30 and stay another night in Senegal, just this side of the border" we were told.
"Why don't we go at 7.00 and get through" I asked and was ignored. A decission had apparently been made by the clique who felt themselves to be in charge that the whole group should stay at a hotel where one of their number had worked in the past, a shame that only the chosen few were let in on the secret of the location .....and they phoned to book their rooms!
We eventually departed as the full convoy of 45 or so cars at about 10.30.
Hey-ho. Went straight through the border with no problems what so ever but due to indecission and faffing about we managed to miss the ferry and ended up camping in the ferry terminal beside the ticket office.
once again a street hawker tagged onto Pete, so we had to seek refuge in a bar.......but not for long enough, he was still there when we came out!
Back to the campsite for more beer!
A meeting was held to decide what time we should leave in the morning, "We'll leave at 9.30 and stay another night in Senegal, just this side of the border" we were told.
"Why don't we go at 7.00 and get through" I asked and was ignored. A decission had apparently been made by the clique who felt themselves to be in charge that the whole group should stay at a hotel where one of their number had worked in the past, a shame that only the chosen few were let in on the secret of the location .....and they phoned to book their rooms!
We eventually departed as the full convoy of 45 or so cars at about 10.30.
Hey-ho. Went straight through the border with no problems what so ever but due to indecission and faffing about we managed to miss the ferry and ended up camping in the ferry terminal beside the ticket office.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Awakened at 5.30 by the arrival of the ticket seller, struck camp, bought our tickets and headed off for the 7.00 ferry.
The first ferry of the morning was predictabley full to bursting. First they let on vehicles and then they let on pedestrians who cram themselves into every nook and cranny around the cars lorries handcarts and livestock.
Safely on the other side it was a matter of a half hour or so to thee Safari Garden and the end.
Finaly arriving we were greeted by Geri and pointed in the direction of a propper cooked breakfast.......Bliss.
The first ferry of the morning was predictabley full to bursting. First they let on vehicles and then they let on pedestrians who cram themselves into every nook and cranny around the cars lorries handcarts and livestock.
Safely on the other side it was a matter of a half hour or so to thee Safari Garden and the end.
Finaly arriving we were greeted by Geri and pointed in the direction of a propper cooked breakfast.......Bliss.
Sorting out a flight back to the UK was not quite so easy, Geri sent us to the local agent, West African Travel, believing (mistakenly as it turned out) that they could sell tickets on charter as well as scheduled flights.
they sorted me out with a ticket back to the UK leaving that evening, flying via Dakar and Brusselsand arriving at Bristol.
