Over the next weeks and Kristy Nev our team during execution of the expedition Oasis Trans Africa and some of the group will send their stories and tales of their adventures.
From Day, November 6, 2011
trip left the UK in early November 2011, but for many the excitement and preparation had begun a full period 12 months before.
in early October Kristy and Nev arrived at the office of the United Kingdom and began the mammoth task of scrubbing the grime from the previous Trans truck and kitting lard it with thousands of tuna cans and beans, etc. . before making the slow journey by sea and road to Gibraltar. Here, the 24 guest Oasis Overland had gravitated, resplendent with clean clothes and freshly shaven faces
The standards were created. the group arrived to find their erected and pegged tents, fully functional zippers and a hot dinner on the table, courtesy of Nev and Kristy. The newly formed group has exchanged pleasantries and mingled over a few beers.
Waking the next morning, or arising, for those who had not slept, after discovering that the first night from our time there were two snorers Olympians. The group spent time stocking up on some personal supplies for the adventure that lay before them and well stocked, we set sail for Africa
MOROCCO - by Kristy ... ..
Winding through the blue and white streets of the ancient city of Chefchaouen medina, we fell on the day of slaughter sheep. While Dodge decapitated skulls and sheep skins drying in the sun, we met our first financial difficulties, lack of facilities and ATMs money changing on a holiday. Fortunately for us, souvenir sellers were in force, Jelabas in abundance, and the tagines were hot and spicy. Change Currency overcome the second difficulty was the lack of products available in our first group cook-shop. With the help of a 10 year old boy, and a keen desire to adapt the menu, we have overcome the challenges of a market where the product was still the head, too fresh meat and vegetables anything but.
in the old city of Fez, following the track capable of jelaba dressed Kalum, our local guide, we got lost in the narrow streets of the historic medina, the little streets full of ramshackle stalls made of rickety tables and baskets piled high with olives, oranges, nuts, nougat ... .. and snails! After a path through a maze of leather products made by hand, of all shapes, sizes and colors of the rainbow, we went out on a balcony overlooking the famous tanneries and were immediately faced with the stench rancid rotting flesh.
Overcoming just nausea long enough to take a few piccies, we proceeded through the maze of uneven Floored alleys, winding our way past dark markets hawking scarves, spices, tagines, sets of tea, tapestries and carpets Bedouin fertility! Bonding started here in the form of forced nudity during a visit to experience a local hammam, where local women (or men for men), washed our first skin, in a raid fixture in the local culture. We dined on local fare, shopped until we dropped, and were entertained by the rolling rolls of flab local belly dancers.
Next stop Rabat was not nearly as exciting place, but a must stop in order to get visas to Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso. We spent 5 nights bushcamping ... ..
Then, after an afternoon meandering rocky remains of the ancient Roman city of Volubilis, the rain found us in Meknes. Here we have shopped locally, avoiding the thunderous rain and inhaling the aromas of piles of colorful spices, fresh vegies plucked, and swinging cow carcasses lining the narrow streets of the market. Here too, we had our first real experience of local drivers, surviving arduous journeys in leopard print interiored aging Mercedes Benz taxis through the olive groves back to the camp. The rain continued to Casablanca, where visas for Senegal were tried and private, where cocktails were flowing at Ricks Café. By the time we hit the Atlas Mountains, the rain had turned to snow, and it was so cold that froze the water dishes. Todra gorge was covered in waterproofs and bushcamps were abandoned for local campgrounds closed as gale force winds blew cold, and tents aside. Marrakech By the time finally calmed down and the sky again turned blue. As our washing at the last had a chance to dry, we again lost our bearings wandering the dark lanes, but vibrantly seeded Souk Marrakech, haggling pointed at the end of soft leather slippers, tagines molded by hand and patterned silk scarves. Here at last we met other foreigners, having nearly three weeks on the isolation felt little known places where we traveled. By day, we watched the snake charmers, and the night we sampled dish after dish of these horrible delicacies as snails, tripe, tongue, eyeballs and brain in night street markets, where tablecloths were plastic and touts competing for our business. We hit the edge of a new sea in Essaouira, and the sun continued to shine, made our way south through the Western Sahara, where only the fuel stations and the market for odd camels broke the monotony of the sand unending.
MAURITANIA -. Katie ...
We started from Morocco to Mauritania with a border crossing seven hours when the truck was X-rayed, searched by sniffer dogs and boarded by the curious border officials who all seemed to want take a look inside the big yellow truck. Nothing has been found, we went through the rutted track, pot-holes through the no-man land with an escort because it would not be wise to get lost in the maze of paths through the mined area.
We all had a feeling of anxiety about entering Mauritania since it was on the alert list FCO but everywhere we went we were treated so well that our concerns soon wilted. The day after our arrival, we had a Nouidibou mammoth day of training in the north of the capital Nouakchott in the south because it was not safe to camp anywhere along the way. The landscape was desert, the sky was huge and few people. We drove next to the iron ore train snaking for miles, taking charge of its mines in the east of the coast. Police checkpoints were common (but welcome as it was clear they were for our safety rather than money grabbing opportunity for corrupt officials). We arrived in late afternoon to our campsite in the sleepy capital where we plant our tents on the roof.
Mauritania is where we all first brought our mosquito nets and sleeping under the stars, we experienced our first floorboard specials truck (canned or dry food) - (culminating was spam risotto) and we discovered hamburgers and amazing fat milkshakes the corner from our campground in Nouakchott. Last night in Mauritania, we had an armed police guard all night because they were worried for our safety, but fortunately the night passed without incident and headed to our next country -. Senegal
Look out for the next episode and many other tales and adventures ahead of Africa soon
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