Visiting The Great Mosque Of Djenne, Mali
Visiting Great Mosque Djenne Mali. My three and half week West African road trip was to end in Mali. It was going to be a drive from Bobo, Burkina Faso’s second largest city to Bamako, the capital of Mali, with a quick visit before flying home. Mali is well known in travel lore for the ancient city of Timbuktu, a name that is said in the same breath as other exotic locals like Easter Island or Tibet. But the north of Mali is considered a dangerous place. Today, the north is considered a lawless area which is ruled by Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Tuareg rebels. Timbuktu is considered off-limits. As I was driving through West Africa (Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Mali) with my friend/guide/driver, Marlon (of Thiosane Travel), mentioned the name Djenne. Djenne is another ancient city on the old Sahara trading routes in Mali. And Djenne is well known for its historic, mud mosque, considered the largest in the world. And from a security perspective, Djenne is considered on the safety bubble, [...]
Togo – 127th Country
Togo – 127th Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Togo is my 127th country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Togo is a skinny country nestled between Benin and Ghana, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean. This nation of less than 8 million became independent from France in 1960. Togo was another country that was part of the Slave Coast, providing slaves to the Europeans. Togo is a multi-lingual country with 39 distinct nations with French being the official language of the country. Togo also shares many multiple faiths with over 50% of the nation practicing indigenous beliefs also known as voodoo. I crossed overland from Benin to Togo along the coast and made my way to the capital of Lome. I stayed at a small hotel on the outskirts on the ocean. Lome is known for hosting the largest voodoo market in the world, Akodessewa Fetish Market. Voodoo plays [...]
Benin – 126th Country
Benin – 126th Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Benin is my 126th country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Benin sits in the corner of Africa between giant Nigeria and twin sliver Togo on the Gulf of Guinea. It is a nation of 10 million with many earning a living from subsistence agriculture. Benin earned its independence from the French in 1960. From the 17th-19th Benin was ruled by the Dahomey Kingdom. I arrived in tropical Cotonou after a long flight, Benin’s biggest city located on the coast. I spent time visiting the UNESCO Royal Palaces of Dahomey, the stilt village of Ganvie, and Ouidah. Ouidah was part of the Slave Route, playing a role in the slave trade from the 17th-19th century. Read about my visit to the Ganvie, the stilt village. Gate of No Return Benin – 126th Count
Visiting Ganvie Lake Village Benin
Visiting Ganvie Lake Village Benin. I sauntered onto the dock, which edged out into the lake. A sharp sun beat down on me despite the morning hour. A series of staircases met a multitude of pirogues that bobbed in the water, which magically hovered just above the waterline. The pirogues were filled with wares, coming and going. Fish coming in from the village on stilts and everything else that a town of 20,000 required heading out. Ganvie was founded in either the 16th or 17th century as the natives of present-day Benin moved to the lake to avoid slavers. These were the Tofinu people who were avoiding the Fon tribesmen who were trading slaves with the Europeans. In reality, the lake provided minimum impediments to the Fon, but the tribesmen’s religious practices forbid raids dwelling on water. This provided the catalyst for this community on the lake. Check out this great overview of Benin. A unique culture developed for generations on Lake Nokoue. Ganvie is a fully functional town built on stilts. The town [...]
Danay Bustamante … introduces us to the three wisemen of Burkina Faso
Danay has traveled to 105 countries On today’s episode, I welcome Danay Bustamante to Counting Countries. I learned about Jenna from previous guest, Henrik Jeppesen, who introduced us via email. It took Danay and I several months to connect due to conflicting schedules. Danay was born in Cuba, was separated for years from her father who moved to Mexico, and she eventually reunited with her father via a trip to the UK. Growing up she developed her twin passions of travel and dance. Her love of salsa has opened many doors around the world, creating new friendships and providing new travel opportunities. She has danced in some of the unlikeliest countries. Danay talks about how she was propelled into the world of counting countries during a visit to Africa for an extended time. She talks about challenging experiences in Haiti, why Botswana is not on the top of her list, and why she loves El Salvador. And Danay shares with us a story about Burkina Faso and the magic of travel. And during this episode, we speak [...]
Jenna Klotz … making friends in Mogadishu
Jenna is only 6 countries away from completing her quest On today’s episode, I welcome Jenna Klotz to Counting Countries. I learned about Jenna from two previous guests; Randy williams traveled with her in Armenia and Artsakh, and Lexie Alford randomly met her in the Pacific. Jenna is also living in Chicago and our interview coincided with my summer visit to my home in Chicago. So taking advantage, Jenna and I set up a time to meet. Instead of playing with dolls as a kid in Michigan, Jenna pretended to be a travel agent, planning trips for her family. At college, she didn't do one semester abroad, she did three semesters abroad! Travel was in her blood. After college, she ended up teaching in a small town in Hungary. This stay in Hungary in conjunction with European discount airlines, propelled her into the world of counting countries. During our conversation, jenna, talks about a 55 foot rogue wave that disabled the ship she was on, money mishaps in Mauritania, the beauty of the Bolivian salt flats, [...]
