Seeing as how I’m from the Pacific Northwest, it’s only natural that I love the outdoors. So, when I think of camping, my mind conjures up images of remote wilderness, starry nights by campfire, and space – lots of it.…

After a few wrong turns, we finally made our way out of Johannesburg, headed to The Cradle of Humankind. The area is home to a large number of fossils, as well as some of the oldest hominid fossils ever found, dating back…

Joannesburg: it’s gritty, crime runs rampant, stoplights are called robots, and it’s impossible not to get lost. Every house resembles Fort Knox. Barred windows, electric fences, and barbed wire; you name it, they’ve all got it. We escaped the heat,…

…I believed in superstitions. Wait. I’m sorry. That’s a Jack Johnson song. I get carried away sometimes, what can I say? Back in Bamako, we tried to plot our course. Want to go to Guinea? Sure, why not. Oh, wait…

Mali was beginning to feel like a vacuum, sucking the life out of us, ever so slowly. With our patience wearing thin, we started to reconsider our trip to Timbuktu for the 3-day “Festival in The Desert,” still ten days away.…

We were in Mopti for one reason and one reason only: Dogon. Our interest in the region began while in Dhakla, on the edge of Western Sahara, headed for Mauritania. We crossed paths with a fellow traveler planning to spend…

Think getting to D’Jenne is a challenge? Try leaving. The only form of public transportation in the area is by bush taxi. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s usually an old minivan or station wagon that’s been converted…

When I made the transportation arrangements, I was under the impression I’d board the taxi in Segou and exit in D’Jenne. Instead, we were dropped off on the opposite side of the river and told to board a ferry. Once…

By day three we were ready to forge on. We had a scrumdiddilyumptious breakfast at a little restaurant we found the previous night. The food was the best I’d had in a long time, and the service impeccable. To top…

Ready to switch things up, we boarded a bus to Segou, four hours north. Of course it didn’t take four hours, though – that would just be silly. With waiting and multiple stops it took somewhere in the neighborhood of…

Feeling a little under the weather lately? Trouble brewing at home? How about those post-holiday blues? Have no fear, because a witchdoctor is near. Whatever it is you need, a quick fix is just a monkey head, rabbit foot, or…

We spent our first few days in Mali moving from guesthouse to guesthouse, before landing at The Sleeping Camel. Bamako moves at a much faster pace than Nouakchott, so it took some adjusting. My first impression of the city was that…

Have you ever wondered what hell would be like? Well, Sonef Transport is the best in the biz. For under $50 you’ll get the all-inclusive package, giving you a firsthand look at every level of the fiery inferno. This isn’t…

Nouakchott quickly became our ‘home away from home’, as the days turned into weeks. We found a comfy place to stay and passed the time by researching our next move, hanging out with a lovely group of American expats that treated us…