Blog: Vancouver to Bamako in 30 seconds

(Originally appeared on CntinentalDrifters.ca)
Our website took a few days to get up and running, so i’ve had to start the blog mid trip. We just spent the last 4 nights in the Sahara Desert, completing our journey from Nouakchott, Mauritania – on the coast – inland to where we are now; Bamako, Mali. It’s pretty much impossible to catch you up to speed on over 3 weeks of traveling, I figured the condensed version is as good as anything. Enjoy:

Vancouver – Paris – Madrid – Tangiers

  • All flights; we got drunk in Madrid during our overnight stopover and slept on the floor of the airport.

Drive from Tangiers to Chefchouen

  • Cool mountain town in the Rif mountains.

Drive 4 hours, through Monkey Forest, hotel just south of Midelt

  • -Saw monkeys (in the “Monkey Forest” of all places).

Drive to Erfoud

  • Nothing good to say about Erfoud.

Drive to Todra Gorge

  • Gorge flooded the next morning; had to wait a few hours for buldozers to clear road. Further down had to walk in knee deep water in case the Van got stuck. Obviously, in the end, we made it.

Drive to Ait Benhaddou

  • Part of Gladiator was filmed here.

Drive to Marakesh.

  • 2 nights spent wandering the Medina, checking out different parts of the Bazaar.

Drive to Essouria

  • Pretty fishing port, old hippy/surf town. Inspired Jimi Hendrix to write “Castle in the Sand”.

Drive to Agadir

  • -Nothing good to say about Agadir.

Driving south along the Moroccan coast. Came out of mountains and into the desert.

  • Enter Western Sahara. Just ourside of Tan Tan, camping on the beach.
  • Camping on the beach is awesome…

Drive to Laayoune

  • 3 People leave the bus, fly to the Canary Islands (bus is down to 12 people)

Drive to Dakhla.

  • Bus breaks down for the first time, spend 2 nights.

Leave Morocco, cross mine field, arrive in Mauratania. Drive an hour past Nouadhibou, camp behind a sand Dune

  • Serriously, aside from the sandy pasta we made and the super wind at night, nothing beats camping behind a sand dune

Drive to Naoukchott, Mauritania.

  • Van breaks down again; 4 days waiting for new axle to arrive from Senegal. Way too long to spend in Naoukchott.

Driving the “Road of Hope”.

  • Two and a half days driving. Were not kidnapped by Bandits, which, you might have geussed is a good thing. Spent nights in Boutlimit and Ayoun.

Drive Across Malian Border, spend night in Nioro du Sahel

  • Mali is a super friendly place. The people are awesome, there’s baskets on top of peoples heads; it finally feels like Africa.

Drive to Bamako, Mali.

  • Capital of Mali. Huge city with wonderful colours and lots of life. Great place to soak in the African culture. Where we are now and our jumping off point for West Africa!