• Take a tiny motorbike from the U.K. To Gambia – I can do that
• Share this trip with a bunch of blokes I hardly know or have never met – I can do that
• Encounter unknowns and deal with potential ‘political hot spots’ – I can do that
• Endure arduous conditions…. hey whoa, define that please!

Camping?! I have to use a tent?! Aww No! I hate camping!
read more…

After all that. My first night under canvas went well. Admittedly i partook of some small alcoholic beverages before retiring, but just a tipple. Oh – the most important lesson of  ‘tame camping’ as opposed to ‘wild camping’ is to know the location of the toilet block and plan a route that can be done in the dark. Quietly. Without falling over stuff – tents for example.
read more…

left camp at 9.a.m. arrived at next camp at 16.30. but it felt like a lot longer believe me.

This day nearly broke my heart, also my back and my ba.. balance of my mind – yeah, lets say that in preference to any other choice of words.

I can laugh now, but at the time there was no fun in it at all. That day tested me to the utmost – body, mind and soul. Oh – and the poor wee Bikes had one hell of a time on the pock marked, fecked up, ruins of roads that we spent most of the day on too.
read more…

During the night I had to get up to go to the loo. Top tip for novice campers – ‘Petzel’ headtorches (available at Cotswold Outdoor for our U.K. readers!) are a wonderful device, enabling the bumbling amateur to get up and go without getting up and falling over things. LEDs and the batteries  last well- the device is adjustable for angle so you can see what you’re doing when er, your hands are full.
read more…

The whole point of arriving in Rabat on a Sunday is to get to the Mauritanian embassy first thing on a monday morning. To get the visa required by Tuesday afternoon. Ask anyone that’s done this and the reaction is much swearing, cursing, and comments that do nothing to improve the tourists image of Mauritania.

Oh yes, there are many tourists to that place. Or at least through that place.
read more…

By the way – apologies for the delay in getting this online. Real Life© got in the way (yes i do have one actually). Much bike troubles and work have been a slight (hah!) inconvenience.

“Upon mature reflection”  – a phrase used by an Irish politician when, after an event, he had to explain himself, having being caught out lying.
read more…

I love wandering rounds markets.  Anywhere. A foible I think I inherited from my Mother, who could spend hours just perusing Hitchin open market with me in tow as a child, carrying bags and learning ‘barging and pushing’ techniques from her that I later found useful in rugby at school. Like her I first do an overall reconnaissance, sussing out the general area, what is where and an outline of goods on display – what is tat and what is not. Pick a few landmarks so I can find the good bits later. (one of the few times I can actually navigate – must be some Freudian reasoning there).
read more…

The Hotel Lutece to give it it’s proper name. Got to give this at least a quick report.  A place that has gone beyond ‘faded glory’ and come out the other side. I couldn’t help but look at the building and its closeness to the old city – trying to imagine it in the heyday it must have had at some stage in its life. It’s well built for Morocco. A lot of marble and tiles, intricate plasterwork, high ceilings and a grandiose stairway. Though now it is basic by modern standards, it must once have been a grand place to stay. I tried to put a date on it, figure out even roughly its age. But I failed. It could be 80 year old or 180 – I have no idea and that annoys or more truthfully intrigues me. Looking at its facade I wondered at the use the various parts of the building had in times gone by. More intrigued and less informed than ever. I even spent a bit of time hanging out of my bedroom window to try to learn a bit more. That was hopeless as you’ll see from the pics!
read more…

Well I’ve gone over my notes for this day and it was quite simply a fair days ride – 218 miles. No dramas, no alarms and no suprises. So this should be a short report then. However, I will take the opportunity to add in some (smug grin here) rather good photos wot i took.
read more…