Five years — Traveling in times of fear
Today five years ago I was sitting in a restaurant in Timbuktu waiting for lunch while across the city in our hotel Martin was shot dead and Steve, Johan, and Sjaak were kidnapped by a gang associated with the aQIM
Four years
A year ago I said: I never want or write about this again. But a year has passed and, yes, there have been some good news, but two friends are still missing. So, I'll write about it again, even though
Three years
It is not the first thing you will learn about me when we meet. It is not the first thing you will learn when I talk about travelling Africa. It is not even the first thing I will mention when
Two years and five days ago a man helped me make the perfect birthday present
We had barely known each other for a day when I realized I knew just the perfect birthday present for Gav. Sitting by a fire on a campsite in Tarifa we agreed that bringing a hammock on the trip around
À santé! (Food and drink in Africa, pt. 9)
Like in Germany or the US beer is the principal alcohol enjoyed on the African continent. So much so that I made it a tradition to have a 'Welcome to
Tea time (Food and drink in Africa, pt. 7)
Two kinds of tea – in multiple regional varieties – are prevalent across Africa. In the North ‘Berber tea’ or ‘Tuareg whiskey’ is served almost everywhere. In the former British colonies, chai is ever-present. In Morocco, tourism is visibly an important
Got juice? (Food and drink in Africa, pt. 6)
Tropical Africa is full of exotic fruits. So the idea of serving fresh fruit juice to me was fairly obvious. But there were only a few places where I got juices. Often people were intrigued when we suggested making juice
It’s dead, Jim! (Food and drink in Africa, pt. 2)
Some readers might think it's crazy to go and eat street food in Africa. They have seen the images of meat buzzing with flies in the hot African sun. Well, if it makes you feel any better: cooked meat is hard to come by on the streets; and if you find it it's been cooked until every last trace of life is gone. And by the way: the meat is usually really fresh - you can watch the butcher do his work right by the side of the road.
Four friends
It's been one year since I last saw these four friends. An unusually long year. 366 days. But that's not true. They're always here. When I look over my shoulder I see Steve. With his warm smile and his South African accent he says: "Hey Pixie." And when the moment is beautiful he is in awe right next to me: "Like angels playing on your heartstrings."
Random Mali pics
2011-11 - Random Mali, a set on Flickr. These are the Mali impressions that just happen along the way: the baobabs and cotton fields, the rivers and villages, the sunsets and all those things inbetween.