I pedal with my head wrapped in my turban and my eyes sheltered behind my sunglasses. The glow of the incandescent sand in the midday sun blinds me. In this Saharan
As soon as I get off the taxi, the stench assaults my nostrils penetrating deep into my lungs. For a few seconds I hold my breath to digest the impact. I exhale, and try to
I am back in Senegal on another radiant day. I pedal along the streets of the border town of Keur Ayip zigzagging through a traffic jam of taxis, horse-drawn carts and
Following my favorite tradition of crossing from one country to another along the most remote and least-traveled borders, I approach The Gambia from its southeastern corner. I move forward
After 4 days in a row of pedaling breathing dust, I arrive at Dabola pushing on the pedals helped by the impulse of each cough. Tired, dirty and sweaty, the illusion of a cold drink fades in the darkness
Just a week ago, I was entering the embassy of the Republic of Guinea in Bamako to apply for a visa. I usually go to all the embassies with my two passports
After leaving the cotton region behind, I have only a few days left to reach the border with Mali. Every day that I advance towards the Sahel, it is an
Shortly after leaving Yamoussoukro, the green tones of the southern vegetation give way to the aridity of the north. I am experiencing the reverse transition process that I experienced almost 3 months ago when I was pedaling south from the Burkinabe Sahel to the fertile south of Ghana.
It takes me several days to arrive and stay in the region of the triple border between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger living with the Fulanis. At no time do I feel in danger, actually quite the opposite, but it is time for me to return to civilisation.
2015 has finally come to an end. A chaotic year that started as one of the most difficult of my life but ended as one of the best. Life may kick you mercilessly sometimes, but afterwards, it will always find a way to compensate you with joy, for the sorrow it put you through.
Despite the great inconvenience, I am surprised at how quickly I am able to resolve the end of the visa process. I find it amazing because that's how things are always like in Africa: totally unpredictable.
My original intention to head directly to the heart of the Sahel once I entered Burkina Faso, was truncated by the unexpected condition imposed on Burkinese visas obtained at the country's borders.
Few things are as beautiful as being happily surprised, especially when the initial image that we had about something did not present a very promising picture. Nigeria, among other countries that I have visited, is one of the most demonised in the world
It is the end of the afternoon when a truck drops me off on the outskirts of the giant city of Ibadan. From there, it takes me more than two hours to reach the university campus where my friend Bimbo lives and she is waiting for me to host me. Traffic is hell on earth
