Part 2. Bénin Republic I entered Bénin Republic through the Semé Border from Badagry. You can get to seme in different ways but since I knew the terrain I went in the most affordable way. From Mile 2 in Lagos to Seme is 5000 naira by a straight car but if you break the journey into 2 or 3 you spend only 2 or 3000 naira. My journey Began with a tragedy, not too far from the Red cross Offices. Right in my front ,There was a fatal accident involving […]

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I am Backpacking all 54 African countries using only Public transport and I am going only by road or sea Part One My name is Ilerioluwa Chukwuemeka Babalobi, a 31 year old Nigerian Adventurer, and sometime last year I made the decision to visit all 54 African countries without using a plane. When I looked up the process I was surprised to discover that I would be the first African to attempt such a feat, and nobody else had specifically made a trip around Africa. I proceeded to apply officially […]

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My trip to Haiti came about in the most random way. Haiti was my last country to visit in the Caribbean – it has certainly been on my radar for some time. A friend took a trip to Cap Haitien in the northern part of the country and spoke highly of his time there. I signed up for the American Airlines Aviator card – made a few purchases in the first few months triggering 60,000 miles. I soon turned around and cashed in those miles for this trip – and […]

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Even the driver seemed surprised! Bad sign, these guys have seen it all. In the center of the brightly painted wheel, where the hub should have attached to the axle, was a jagged gaping hole. We’d already used our spare wheel and our jack wasn’t working anyway, so we did what anyone in West Africa would do in this situation: we settled in to wait for help. The merciless sun bullied most passengers into the shade of a nearby tree. They sat nonchalantly, as if this happens every day, chatting […]

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It’s a short ferry ride to Île de Gorée (Gorée Island) from Senegal’s capital, Dakar. I wonder if I can take another day of slave museums in my worn-out state after a severely delayed flight. I quickly regret this stupid thought. Of course I can; it’s only a lack of sleep. It bears absolutely no comparison with what these people went through, so I’m sure that I can find the energy to pay my respects. Everything is calm belying the awful history that once played out here. The bay is […]

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Four hours after leaving Accra, through insane traffic jams, I reach Cape Coast. I am not sure this was the right thing to do today but I am here now. On the concrete expanse of the town square black and red canvas tents have been erected. The locals are dressed in their traditional clothes for a funeral day. Around the corner from this is Cape Coast Castle. With a warning from my driver to avoid the hawkers, I pay my entrance fee and join a tour group. I’m the only […]

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The Silver-Haired Volunteer and her husband see the world through their volunteer efforts post retirement. This book chronicles their experiences in some rather lesser visited destinations including Senegal, Uganda, Namibia and in Ghana (working with sex workers). Outside their scope of Africa is a volunteer stint in Thailand – where they worked with gender idenity. Life overseas is certainly different then at home. Details of their experiences linger – including challenges without technology, challenges of the ‘porcelain’ kind, trekking to see the Gorillas in Uganda and even being attacked by […]

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“Hello Nana… all is set for you to come to Cape Coast for your much-awaited experience and exploration of the Cabo Corso Castle” – in a sniggering tone. Those were the exact words of my cousin, Fiifi, who called me all the way from Cape Coast to tell me his family was ready to host me as I take my much-awaited tour of the historic and famous Cape Coast Castle, one of the many old European Castles located in Cape Coast – in the Central region of Ghana. I slept […]

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If you are thinking that the title of this article sounds a little familiar, you’re surely a marvel fan and will enjoy reading the rest of this blog. Traveling and travel writing has been more than just a profession for me. Exploring new places, immersing in a foreign culture, meeting new people, and taking up extreme adventure tours; all this completes me.   I like to do this the local way, as I feel that traveling like a local provides an unmatched insight about the destination. And for that, I take […]

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We are excited to announce the three winners for this year’s travel writing contest. There were many submissions this year (thank you to everyone who submitted an entry or two). The three judges unanimously picked the top two winners in that order – competition for the third winner was more intense. We received entries from a number of countries and US states – for the past 6 or 7 years one of the winners has been from Los Angeles or Orange County. This year, all three winners are from California. […]

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Part One: The Edge I walk out the gates that creak in the colour orange. I don’t know if its the rust binding the brackets or if its the ever present sand that causes the creak, or causes the colour I hear it in. My sandals land over the rocks that have emerged from the worn down path. It’s not the sun, but the air, that causes me to sweat. Drips instantly begin to build along my shoulder blades, and the nape of my neck. Soon, my hair will wet […]

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John M. Edwards wonders whether taking the world’s strongest antimalarial drug might be worse than getting the dread eldritch disease itself? “I dared to dream with my eyes wide open. . . .” –T.E. Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom In Nairobi, Kenya, a man from Philadelphia loses it and leaps from a hotel’s second-story window. . . . He is now a paraplegic. At a Waldenbooks store, an ex Peace Corps worker goes psychotic and methodically destroys the paperback romance section. . . . He is institutionalized. In Southeast […]

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When you volunteer at YCC Ghana (Youth Creating Change) its of course about the children but in addition its about the family, the family of volunteers that you live with and get to know very well. You are all working towards common goals and the bonds that you will form during your time here are strong. YCC Ghana is located next to the small town of Sogakope about an hours drive from Accra and only about 35 minutes from where the Volta River empties into the ocean. They are located […]

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Kakum Rainforest, Ghana – Kakum National Park is located about 30 kilometers from the town of Cape Coast. Cape Coast has an abundant number of guesthouses. Depending on traffic and the number of potholes allow about 45 minutes to the park entrance. You must have a guide to enter the hiking trails, you are not allowed to walk the trails by yourself, which is a shame. The main attraction is the virgin rainforest and the world’s longest canopy walk. This is truly one of the great natural attractions in Ghana. […]

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The soft roar of the electric fan wakes me in darkness. A cool breeze pushes back the mosquito netting and lifts the thin sheet off my feet. We are fortunate to have such luxury in this tiny rural village of Apimsu in Ghana, West Africa where an electric appliance often costs more than a year’s income. My husband lies next to me, and our son Casey, who has called this place home for many months, sleeps on a floor mat a few feet away. It’s been years since the three […]

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