Cameroun, African beauty in a nutshell

Manu | 20 May 2013 | no comments
Cameroun, African beauty in a nutshell

From the moment we passed the border, Cameroun has been an explosion of colours and shapes. At the border, where we slept the night we arrived, I had one of the most enjoyable nights of the entire trip, surrounded by local kids who were almost fighting to come to sit on my knees. Like everywhere […]

Nigeria, land of contraddictions #2

Manu | 17 May 2013 | no comments
Nigeria, land of contraddictions #2

After we left the Consolidated Brewery the real Nigeria finally started to appear. The Nigerian flag has green stripes, probably related to the main colour of the country, which is definitely green. That’s the first thing you notice when you start driving across its roads. The entire country is covered by a rich vegetation that […]

Nigeria, land of contraddictions #1

Manu | 15 May 2013 | 2 comments
Nigeria, land of contraddictions #1

At the border with Benin, where the borders are not properly identified and the two countries mix together in languages, people and cultures, it’s difficult to say if Nigeria is as scary as we have heard in the last few weeks, when everybody we met on our way suggested us to be careful as it […]

In Benin, where the sun gently shines

Manu | 3 May 2013 | no comments
In Benin, where the sun gently shines

Leaving Togo and its friendly charm was not much of a shock as we got to Benin, which is almost its continuation, both geographically and socially. In Cotonou we finally applied for the Nigeria visa, and with our great surprise, people at the Nigeria House were friendly and polite and we got it after few […]

Lomé and the smile of Togo

Manu | 27 April 2013 | no comments
Lomé and the smile of Togo

Even if it’s one of the smallest countries of Africa, Togo has been able to pleasantly surprise me and leave a trace in my heart. It’s certainly because of its amazing people, less lazy than the Ghanaian, and much more honest then the Benin ones, where I am currently. Lomé is an amazing town that […]

A day at the voodoo fetish market of Lomè

Manu | 17 April 2013 | 3 comments
A day at the voodoo fetish market of Lomè

There is a bit of everything at Lome voodoo fetish market; there is what you expect, like cows’ head bones or horses hair tails, and there is what you don’t expect, like dead cats’ heads, or even what you have never seen in life, like cobras’ or antelopes’ heads. Once you enter it, you enter […]

Shantaram, a book for travelling Africa

Manu | 15 April 2013 | 3 comments
Shantaram,  a book for travelling Africa

Before I left Italy, early in January, I was looking for a book to bring with me to Africa. I didn’t have a lot of space and I knew I could bring only one, so I had to choose the one, the book who would have enlight my Africa days of dreams. I spent almost […]

Elmina, lights and shadows of African history

Manu | 8 April 2013 | no comments
Elmina, lights and shadows of African history

It doesn’t seem possible that this tiny lovely fishermen village in the Southern coast of Ghana, in front of blue open ocean, with the most colourful harbour of the entire West Africa, has been the scenery of the darkest chapter of history of the entire Africa, of its people, of our history as well and […]

Ezile Bay, Ghana’s step to paradise

Manu | 3 April 2013 | no comments
Ezile Bay, Ghana’s step to paradise

After so many days in the jungle, without having a proper shower, sometimes without showering at all, and often without a lot of food, especially when we were in Guinea, it has been not only a relief but pure happiness to get to Ghana and rest on the peaceful and breathtaking shores of Ezile Bay. […]

A week in the mighty jungle: football and people (Part #2)

Manu | 27 March 2013 | no comments
A week in the mighty jungle: football and people (Part #2)

It has been in the jungle that I have finally watched a football game with the locals…and, apart for the fact that my team lost, it was an experience itself. Football in Africa is like daily food. The most common t-shirts guys wear in the street are football shirts, of all times and of all […]

A week in the mighty jungle (Part #1)

Manu | 25 March 2013 | no comments
A week in the mighty jungle (Part #1)

  Leaving the heat of Conakry and slowly approaching the jungle has been refreshing. I rejoined the truck in Coyah after a week in the Guinean capital and found out that Jen, the Candian girl, was gone and Britney the American one was still there but had messed up and confused a lot of people […]

Conakry, crazy capital of Guinea

Manu | 20 March 2013 | no comments
Conakry, crazy capital of Guinea

Conakry, the capital of Guinea, is so far the most African of all the places seen till now. In order to get to know a bit how everything works you need at least a week, as at the beginning you will be wrapped by its mess and confusion and finding a reason or a rule […]

A ride with the Africans

Manu | 11 March 2013 | no comments
A ride with the Africans

  Getting to Conakry has felt like getting a deep dive in the African vibes. While Senegal had been shocking bus also welcoming, with its sandy and blue shores, the African vibes with an European twist of places like Dakar, Conakry has been a full and deep immersion in Africa and its daily life. And […]

Mauritania and the real cultural shock

Manu | 17 February 2013 | 1 comment
Mauritania and the real cultural shock

FEBRUARY 12TH, 2012 Mauritania has been the turning point of this Africa trip so far. Entering it costed us an entire day at the border, first of Morocco and then of this country. Between the two borders there are 3 kilometres of land called “No man’s land”, filled with mines on both sides. We were […]

If now you ask me about Morocco…

Manu | 13 February 2013 | 1 comment
If now you ask me about Morocco…

    Warm breeze, people in the streets, talking loud, smiling, greeting, people thinking I am Moroccan, tajine, couscous, no pork, no beer, hashish, ice cream, Chefchaouen, the Rif Mountains, many people called Mohammed, old Medinas and new towns, football, Africa cup, Fes, labyrinth streets, tea with tons of sugar, tea served in small glasses, […]

My 1st night in the Sahara

Manu | 10 February 2013 | 2 comments
My 1st night in the Sahara

FEBRUARY 5TH, 2013   It is almost emotional the moment that the Moroccan landscape turns from green to brown and slowly start to loose it’s vibrancy to become spoiled, unveiled…. desert…Sahara!!!   The Sahara desert, whose stories you have been hearing about for years, since your memories go back to school, is laying just in […]

Morocco, so far so good

Manu | 5 February 2013 | 1 comment
Morocco, so far so good

  Morocco is revealing itself slowly and a charming warm place that loves to steal your heart and keep it hidden the labyrinth of its beauty forever. We left Fes at the beginning of the week, destination Rabat, where a lot of burocratic works need to be done. At the moment of writing we are […]

Fes, the charm of ancient Morocco

Manu | 30 January 2013 | 4 comments
Fes, the charm of ancient Morocco

  Arriving to Fes the day after the celebration of Mohammed’ birthday, basically the Arabic Christmas, and entering the labyrinth of its old Medina, getting lost among its narrow streets, absorbing unknown scents, getting under the attentions of the people standing there, admiring the Arabic art of some of its most beautiful buildings and hearing […]

Entering Africa from Chefchaouen coloured doors

Manu | 24 January 2013 | 1 comment
Entering Africa from Chefchaouen coloured doors

My first step in Africa and in Morocco has been just glorious. Chefchaouen, the blue town, lost and hidden in the middle of beautiful mountain rages, has given us the best welcome ever to this country that I already love it a bit.   I felt almost like an invisible ghost last night when we […]

Leaving Europe: Malaga

Manu | 21 January 2013 | no comments
Leaving Europe: Malaga

Malaga has been a warm and nice stop over with a lot of surprises. Its Mediterranean style didn’t astonished me too much, as I found it too touristic for my tastes, with a multitude of narrow streets packed of tapas bars and clothes shops. It was like a trap for tourists, and the whole town […]