This is a nice place where you can leave your car as long as you want. Prices are fixed on a big board so no surprises like in so many other places in Marrakesh. Price for full day and night is 36 Dirhams, around 3.5 Euros. This time while I’m in town, the car is staying there for almost 3 weeks now and no problem. There’s a 24hours guard looking for the cars.

Printable file: Map Marrakesh

I’m already in Marrakech for a few days now and today I decided to try one of the well known massage houses. Here in Marrakech there are many massage houses and hammams, all open recently as is now seen as a profitable business where tourists both women and men like to mix both culture and well being and healthy stuff.

In Kennaria street right here in the medina there are lots of massage houses but this one has been getting my attention. Jut the other day I went there to check out the facilities, prices and the different offers they have. I got interested.

Although just a few day I had another massage in the Riad I’m staying, Riad 107 - riad marrakech, where I payed 150DH ( +- 15EUROS ), today I offered myself a one hour relax massage 380DH ( +- 38EUROS ). This very nice massage made with argan oil which hydrates the skin very well. Argania Spinosa is extracted from the fruits in the southwest of Morocco, and it’s unique in the world, only exists here in the calcareous semi-desertic regions near Agadir.

So there I was ready to be relaxed and it worked. I enjoyed it a lot and this amazing beautiful “mulata” girl knew what she was doing. I got foot massage, leg massage, belly massage, back massage, shoulders massage and neck massage. Also a bit in the head and face which felt really great as I spend too much time reading in front of the pc this was great. I think that in a few day I’ll try the Thai massage or the Duo massage with 2 girls at the same time.

Rêves des Sens
Un voyage multisensorielle - Massage Solo ou Duo - Hamam et Massage
Rêves des sens, 146 Rue Kenaria “medina”
Telefone: 00212.1209.5915
contact@revesdesens.com
www.revesdessens.com

As I moved to Morocco recently and due to work reasons I now have to explore the country a lot, and, be with my clients to make photos and new itineraries around the country in their 4wd.

My last trip was 4 days with ” Marrakech Expedition 4×4” from my friend Ali whom along with his brother started this transport agency specialized in the southern part of Morocco. We went away for 4 days where I had the opportunity to talk, discuss and interact with them while traveling in their tour, and more or less the trip goes like this:

Atlas and Sahara Desert 4 days Tour.:

Day 1: Marrakech - Telouet – Ouarzazate = 200 Km total with 32 Km off-road
Day 2: Ouarzazate - Skoura Oasis - Kelaa Mgouna - Boumalne - Todra Gorges - Tinjdad -Touroug - Erfoud – Merzouga = 350 Km Total with 35 off-road
Day 3: Merzouga - Rissani - Alnif - Tazarine - Nkob - Draa Valley - Zagora = 360 Km Total with 90 Km off-road
Day 4: Zagora - Ouarzazate - Marrakesh = 350 Km Total

Everyday you mixed a bit of off-road as we were driving a nice 4wd Toyota Land Cruiser, and we pass from the big city of Marrakech to the other side of the Atlas Mountains arriving in Ouarzazate. Next day we went to Oasis Skoura to enjoy the nice palm groves and small little oasis in the middle of the palm trees. Omar was quite a friend as we left Ali in his office in Ouarzazate. Now both of us continued the trip south to Merzouga but passing the most beautiful canyons in Morocco: Gorges du Todra. We got to the desert to enjoy the Sun Set in the dunes. We made a lot of photos and are now sleeping in this nice hotel in the dunes of Erg Chebbi. There’s a chance to choose from sleeping on the hotel and take a camel trekking excursion into the dunes and overnight in a traditional nomad tend. The next day we headed to Zagora making the ancient Sahara track between Merzouga and Zagora. This is an extreme travel as the landscapes are pure and untouched, the real thing is here, this is the Sahara. We got to Zagora by the end of the afternoon. And that was it we now drove from Zagora all the way in the Draa Valley lunching in Ouarzazate with Ali who came to join us in a small nice restaurant near his office. We got to Marrakech around 6pm. Nice trip.

On this picture above, we stopped in Gorges du Todra to have a small snack and there were some donkeys in the river. Very nice place.If by chance you want to travel to Morocco and try this tour out please check their website at: 4×4 Morocco

Marijuana fields can often be seen all around the 40km2 in the Rif Mountains northern Morocco. These are surprising huge plantations that can be seen while on the mountains. You do have to do some serious hiking to be able to see them as they are deep inside the mountains.

What is interesting about the picture above is that you can see a family playing in the river, so marijuana fields make part of a Sunday afternoon pic-nic landscape, a normal family environment for local people.

There’s an ancient law that gave permissions to this specific region in Morocco to produce marijuana. The present King can’t end with ancient laws set out by other older kings. These Marijuana crops are usually harvested during Summer and while on the region, the cannabis smell can be felt miles away. The smell is intense.

After the harvest, people pass to the next conservation step which is to be let down to dry open sky.

Marijuana in Morocco is a serious threat to public health in Europe as it is the first exporter of this herb.

Marijuana fields, Marijuana plantations in the Mountains, Cannabis Rif Moutains, Northern Morocco

You see the powerful machine we rented??!! The big, the Magestic, Amazing: Hyunday Athos

After spending almost a week in Havana my friends and I decided to skip the capital and start some serious island exploration. The best way to get to know places is definitely by driving. We can basically stop wherever we wish.

After an intensive search in Havana and after taxi around the city to check out all the prices, we found out that they do not change a lot as the existing companies do all belong to the state; they are state owned enterprises as every other in Cuba. No private companies exist in Cuba.

So after an hour on a taxi looking for the best deal ( and actually after a couple phone calls ) we end up staying with CUBA CAR – CAR RENTAL. This is a tiny office located aside a Servicentro ( Gas Station ) and exactly facing the Malecón Avenue. The guy that talked to us was nice and understood that we wanted the cheapest.

Hum…looks a bit smaller on this picture

Car Rental, CUBACAR
Carlos León
Pnto Servicentro 23 y Malecón, Havana, Cuba
870.2257

Prices car rental Havana

1 to 6 days = $55CUC per day
7 to 13 days = $50CUC per day
+ 14 days = $45CUC per day

After a short conversation with the car rental employee, I quickly got to know some quick fact about car driving in Cuba. Basically and apart from common sense, we have to watch out for some tricks on Cuban roads.

Farola Highway, from Baracoa to Guantanmo, East Cuba

Driving in Cuba: Do’s & Don’ts

• Don’t pass the speed limit due to the large amount of people walking on the roads also during the night, tons of animals passing the road, people on horses, cows, dogs and all other farm animals you can think of. Also the police will probably stop you;
• If so, do not be rude to police. They will be a mirror of your first behaviour. Smile, say hello “Hola! Como está? And you’ll just be fine. If they stick to the ticket just cry and they will let you go;
• Some roads are in really bad conditions so watch out. If you go light and you like speed, you have to take in count that you can find a huge hole that you’ll have no time to break or reduce speed;
• Never be out of a spare tyre. Always fix the problems you have with tires;
• Maybe you’ll want to give a lift to some one, there are thousands of people hitch hiking or waiting for transportation. Cuba has no criminal activity like other western countries, so hitch hiking will be pretty safe;
• Be safe and always have the fuel tank half full, better off like this than getting no fuel in certain towns of little villages;
• I mean, of course you can go a bit faster than the speed limit ;
• Stop and by fruit and drink fresh fruit juice whenever you see someone doing it or selling it on the side of the road, this will be one of your trip highlights
• Cuba and it’s tropical weather can be tricky so just in a sudden a storm can come and your visibility will be really bad not to talk about the amount of water that will quickly flood the roads
• Yes! Get a car and discover Cuba by your own!

Road conditions in Cuba are OK if you stick to the big main roads, I mean, OK concerning that even a secondary road in Morocco is much better than the highway from Santa Clara to Havana. Road signs do not exist so you better start practicing your Spanish accent, open that window and start asking direction to where ever you wish to go.

Road in the country side of the Island

Now, if you decide to go and drive trough the small yellow road ( yellow on the map corresponding to smaller roads, rural itineraries ), well, there were times we wished the trip would end, and, times where basically the road disappeared like from Moa to Baracoa. To go to Baracoa people usually take the southern road from Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba, but as we were driving clock-wise on the island, we had to pass the northern access to town of Baracoa, the first place where Cristobel Colon once arrived.

In almost 4000km driven, we had 3 flat tires, had to buy a new tire that got destroyed and had to switch another one in Pinar del Rio in the rental company.

We were sleeping along the way, while choosing a place to be the next destination, we were using Lonely Planet book for directions but as soon as we got to any town center, we would just follow our instinct and look for a place to stay. We only stayed in one “private house” that was publicized in LP. Al the other ones we just searched and talk to people directly, discussed prices and whenever we got good deals, we stayed.

More or less or trajectory was going around the island on a clock wise circle which I now point out the places where we slept for 2 weeks during the time we rented the car: Remédios ( 2nights ), Playa Santa Lucia ( 1night ), Baracoa ( 4nights ), Santiago de Cuba ( 2nights ), Camaguey ( 2nights ), Trinidad ( 2nights ), Viñales ( 3nights ).

Driving with storm in Cuba

We put fuel for 9 times in the following locations: Havana, Santa Clara, Cayo Coco, Manatí, Moa, Santiago de Cuba, Sancti Spiritus, Piñar del Río and Bahia Honda ( where we just put $5 CUC to get us to Havana to deliver the car ). We spent exactly $187 CUC which is around 150EUROS. We drove 486km on our first day of driving, from Havana passing 3 hours on the beach in Varadero and heading to Remédios where we stayed for 2 nights.

Road to Cayo Santa Maria north of Remédios

We delivered the car on time, and, by surprise hit the NUMBER 1 TOURIST to get back without 1 police ticket!! We were the first to get back on this office without 1 car fine, and even more surprising to them was that we rented the car for 2 weeks! Who says Portuguese drivers are bad? In Cuba at least…

Driving along the Caribeean Sea, Southern Cuba

Driving in Cuba, Havana Rent Car in Cuba: Hyundai Athos, 3780km exploration in the Caribbean Island of Cuba

Doña Blanquita Restaurant, Havana Cuba

This is the best place I ate in Cuba. Apart from some really nice “casas particulares” that offer you great meals for around $5 CUC ( vegetarians ) or $7 CUC for normal meals, there’s this restaurant I really enjoyed in Centre Havana. We end up going there more than 10 times, where we ate lunch and dinner. We did try others but not like this one as we arrived there without any guide / jinetero.

It’s very easy to eat and find a decent Paladar or Restaurant in Havana, you’ll easily see them on the streets or you’ll have some “jineteros” trying to instruct you to one of them to get some commission out of you.

View of Prado Avenue from Doña Blanquita Restaurant

This is one family restaurant right in Prado Avenue and you can enjoy the nice view of its balcony. The people there are very nice and was funny to found out a small little Portuguese flag on the wall. It seems they have some Portuguese friends that go there every year.

Apart from tasty and home made style food, they have fresh fruit juices that are so tasty and delicious. My friends and I would ask for 2, 3 or 4 juices each during the meals.

Vegetarian Food Havana, Eat Vegetarian Cuba

This was vegan’s heaven, paradise for non-meat eaters. As we arrived quite late on our first evening in the city, and the next day we went to look for someone, we did manage to sit and enjoy a great meal in this restaurant we decided to order one of each vegetarian dish. We were 3 hungry guys that eat a lot. It was funny because the lady said that was too much food… hehe not for us though.

My friend Palmeirão looking good lunching in Doña Blanquita in Havana

All around Cuba you can manage to get some “moros y cristianos” which is just rice and beans, but better watch out and ask first if they mix meat with it, some times they do and others don’t. I’ll write a few more posts about eating vegetarian in Cuba.

So we ask all we could ask vegan: beans African style, beans and rice Creole recipe, different vegetable roots like yucca and malanga, different styles of banana recipes and lot’s of natural fruit juices. I got one menu from them so I’ll write down all their menu below.

Balcony view during the night. View of Prado Avenue

Menu Doña Blanquita

Starters
Cheese appetizer $2 CUC
Fish cocktail $2 CUC
Chicken salad $1.5 CUC

Soups
Chicken soup $2.5 CUC
Vegetable soup $2 CUC
Consommé $1.5 CUC
Cheese creamy soup $1.5 CUC
Aurora cream $1.5 CUC

Stewed Beans
Sleeping Beans $2.0 CUC
Beans African Style $2.0 CUC

Eggs
Natural Omelette $5 CUC
Vegetable Omelette $6 CUC
Mix Omelette $7 CUC
Cheese Omelette $6 CUC
Omelette $1.5 CUC
Fried Eggs $5 CUC

Sheep
Cuban seasoned sheep Cuban Style $8.50 CUC

Home Special
“Doña Blanquita” Chop $9 CUC

Pork
Fried pork steak $7 CUC
Breaded pork steak $8 CUC
Grilled pork steak $7 CUC
Tender steak with egg $8 CUC
Pork steak with garlic garnish $7 CUC
Steak Uruguay style 8.50 CUC
Cuban seasoned pork $8.50 CUC
Cuban style steak $8 CUC
Fried pork chunk $8 CUC
Grilled pork chops $7.50 CUC
Marinated pork chops $8 CUC
Pork chops stew $8 CUC

Chicken
Chicken San Carlos style $8.5 CUC
Fried chicken marinated in garlic $8 CUC
Chicken stew $8 CUC
Cuban style chicken $8 CUC
Creole chicken $7 CUC
Cuban seasoned chicken $8 CUC
Roasted chicken $7 CUC
Golden blue chicken $8.5 CUC
Barbecue chicken $8.5 CUC

Fish
Cuban seasoned fillet $10 CUC
Cuban style fillet $12 CUC
Grilled fish $10 CUC
Fillet with cheese $11 CUC

Vegetables
Fried cassava $1.5 CUC
Garlic cassava $1.5 CUC
Fried sweet potato $1 CUC
Sweet potato in syrup $1.5 CUC
Banana in caramel and dry wine sauce $1 CUC
Fried shredded green banana $1 CUC
Green banana fried Blanquita style $2.5 CUC
Malanga root with garlic sauce Creole style $1.5 CUC
Fried banana with salt $1.5 CUC
Fried malanga root $1.5 CUC
White rice $1 CUC
Pilaf rice $1.5 CUC
Black beans and rice Creole style $1 CUC
Vegetables rice $1.5 CUC
Mix salad $1 CUC

Wines
White wine $12 CUC
Red wine $12 CUC
Pink wine $12 CUC

Desserts
Flan pudim $1.5 CUC
Fruit cocktail $1.5 CUC
Ice cream $1.5 CUC
Fruit mix $1.5 CUC

Beverages
Beer $1 CUC
Soft drink $1 CUC
Water $1 CUC
Fizzy water $1 CUC
Malt $1 CUC
Fresh home made juices $1 CUC
Lemonade $1 CUC

Music Classes in Havana Cuba, Dancing Classes in Havana Cuba

For some serious dancing or music classes you might want to try this very nice guy called Picho. My friends and I met this guy on the street near our hotel and he’s in fact the coolest Cuban we met while in Havana. He works doing everything he possible can to survive as all other Cuban, but what he does best is music and dancing classes. Now, I’m not talking about those guys on the streets playing for tourist on purpose, no, we met him in a different ambient and we started our conversation in a whole different way. This is a guy you can trust also to guide you around the city.

WORKSHOPS HAVANA CUBA

Cuban Folklore, Rumba, Folklor Cubano & Baile Salsa

1hour $10 CUC

PERCURSSION & CUBAN DRUMMING WORKSHOPS HAVANA CUBA

1hour $15 CUC

HANDICRAFT & WOOD CARVING WORKSHOPS HAVANA CUBA

1hour $20 CUC

Contacts

José Alfredo Ibañez Abreu ( PICHO )
Prado 160 % Colón y Refúgio Apmt Nº2 Havana Vieja C/P10200, Cuba
860.13.15
860.14.4

Note: $13CUC = 10EUROS

Prices in Cuba, Cuban Dollar CUC Convertible Prices

In Cuba there are 2 currencies, both actually called Pesos Cubanos because they are both Cuban of course, but one, the lowest one is called Peso Cubano and the highest one is called Peso Convertible aka CUC. Things in CUC are more expensive but you can’t escape this currency as some things can only be bought in with this money.

On an average look at prices in Cuba, things are expensive for Europeans, Australians and Americans. But, things are really really really expensive if you’re Cuban.

You have to be careful as sometimes things are mark in Pesos Cubanos and you end up paying with Convertibles. Don’t be cheated in “Casa do Chocolate” ( Chocolate House ) in Baracoa! Prices there are in Pesos Cubanos where you can eat all you want with 3 more friends and not spend more than $0.50 CUC, but they will probably ask you for CUC money. Say no and pay in either Pesos Cubanos if you have, or in small CUC coins. No CUC bank notes accepted but coins are ok.

This is a small list of CUC things I bought during my trip around Cuba, all in CUC dollar:

Havana
Ballet Ticket $20 CUC
Centro de Arte Cubano $5 CUC
Cubalse Oro Negro Gasolina: Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC
Tienda Panamericana: Shorts $17.10 CUC
Doña Blanquita Restaurant: Beans African Style $2.0 CUC
Doña Blanquita Restaurant: Fresh Fruit Juice $1 CUC
Chocolate bar $0.85 CUC
Water 0.5litre $0.45 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet$ 6$CUC
Cash Withdrawal Commission for $100 CUC: $3.24USD
Museo de la Revolución $5 CUC
The church tower at La Havana Cathedral $1 CUC

Las Tunas
Cubalse Oro Negro Las Tunas: Car tyre $47.55 CUC

Remédios
Museo de la Música, Casa Alejandro García Caturla $1 CUC

Guantanamo
Postcard $0.70 CUC
Erotic Cuisine Recipes Book $4 CUC

Santiago de Cuba
El Morro Car Parking $1 CUC

Trinidad
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Camaguey
CD Thelmary $7.10 CUC
Shirt $12.25 CUC
Little coin purse written Cuba $1.60 CUC
Postcard $0.50 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Baracoa
Tienda Panamericana: slippers $6.35 CUC
ETECSA 1Hour Internet $6 CUC

Manati
Cubalse Oro Negro: Gasolina Regular 1Litre $0.80 CUC

Sancti Spiritus
Servi Cupet Cimex Colon: Gasolina Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC
Servi Cupet Cimex Colon: Bottle of water 1Litre $0.70 CUC

Ciego de Avila
Servi Cupet Cimex Jardines del Rey: Gasolina Especial 1Litre $0.95 CUC

Toll Tickets Cuba Prices, Estación de Peaje Cuba
FICAV Toll ticket Matanzas-Varadero $2 CUC
Toll ticket Cayo Santa María $2 CUC
Toll ticket Cayo Coco $2 CUC
Cayo Jutía entrance $5 CUC per person

Cuba, first day, first experiences

I went to Cuba for a month with two of my friends. We got there during the low season, the supposedly “hurricane season”. We didn’t experience any hard core raining situation although we got a few furious storms on the way around the island. We rented a small car and drove almost 4000km traversing all the existing regions. We gave a pretty good glance on the country landscapes, monuments and people.

I decided to go to Cuba answering the request of my friend Eric to go there and try to find his father whom he never met and that he just found out about his location recently. Our mission to Cuba was something different from the regular Cuba travelers. Our first contact with the country was already in the airport where actually all the police force was nice to us, somehow welcoming us to the government of Fidel Castro.

In a late night arrival we did manage to get our way to the center city and just by looking to our lonely planet guide, we decide to head to Havana district near the Capitolio, knowing nothing about it.

We got this big modern Hyundai taxi van to take us for 25$CUC from the airport to the city center. We know now you can actually discuss it for around 20$CUC. The taxi driver got some nice old Cuban music on the CD Player, so we enjoyed the way to the city. Our plan was to go to the center, walk for a while and get a cheap private house somewhere.

We were dropped of right in front of the Havana Capitol’s building, looking great. We could now watch and hear those old 50’s American cars in front of us.

What happen was that after a while of walking we end up loosing our strength and wiling to say no to “jineteros” and went following one of them that took us to a sort of cheap accommodation in the street Refugio with Prado.

Getting to know the owner of this place, Reynaldo, we got to know that he has a serious drinking problem and that he was a very simple and nice person trying to warn us about all the possible dangerous things around the city and around Cuba itself. Basically what he didn’t want was that we would get robbed and by that calling the police, they would pass him a fine by having tourist illegally in his house which was only supposed to receive Cuban tourist. Fines are high and some times they can get without they renting permit. So we were warned about a few things to take in consideration while in town.

Reynaldo rushed us to pay, and after discussing we agreed on the price of 20$CUC per room, 40$CUC for 2 days ( 30EUROS or 42$USD ) we decided to stay there for 2 nights. 3 people on the room, 2 on the beds and 1 slept on the floor.

Warnings Havana Cuba

• not to trade money on the streets, as sometimes you would be given Cuban pesos and not the other new currency which is worth 40times more
• not to drink and come back home as you may fall into a hole on the street or hit by a car
• if you take any girl/girls to your room, make sure not to let her/them alone, even by going to the toilet for a few minutes as they will probably rip you off and take all your money away ( I’m talking about prostitutes ok?! )
• watch out for possible robberies
• not to walk alone on the streets after dark and watch out for group of guys
• not to buy cigars on the streets as they will be full of bad stuff inside and not the real tobacco

We were interrupted when Reynaldo had to rent his room for a local man that arrived with a young prostitute. this guy actually came and talked to us, drunk some rum and went back to the room to do whatever he intended to. After he was done, the lady went away and he came back to drink and talk some more, but, he came without any clothes on but a small black thong. From this “interesting” man, we got to know all the information and updates about girls in town. Price range and methods to get them…

The stove in the kitchen was burning potatoes for hours. Warm night. While on the balcony, old cars and girls were passing by. Waving. Lots of girls. Clothless, Regaetton style. The smell of rum was on the air. We were in Cuba, we arrived.

The New Book of “Free Men of Morocco” is NO LONGER AVAILABLE available.

IMAZIGHEN - Free Men of Morocco

Photography in the land of the Imazighen: Northern Morocco, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert.

Small collection of 28 carefully selected photos taken in 2005 by João Leitão.

Imazighen or Amazigh ( singular ) is the original ethnic group of the Maghreb region in North Africa. A.k.a. Berbers, these unique people persisted to exist and maintain their traditions even after several foreign invasions. In Morocco there are more than 20 million Berber spread around the country in few distinct tribes and groups.

This photographic research helps you understand the main differences between the Berbers from the North, from the Atlas Mountains and from the Sahara.

Morocco seen different

This 32 pages book shows a different Morocco. The Morocco beyond the eyes of foreigners, beyound the eyes of the cameras. We often think Morocco is just another Arab country but in fact that is not the reality. Berbers ( Imazighen ) kept their ancesters traditions well attached to their values, creating by this mean a certain gap between them and the Moroccan Arabic citizens.

The New Book of “Free Men of Morocco” is NO LONGER AVAILABLE available.

This is a small Berber Amazigh village in the middle of the High-Atlas Mountains center of Morocco. This village is located 2119m altitude and helds an annual marriage festival in mid September. Imilchil has great attractions nearby, the great lakes Isli and Tislit. Imilchil continues the road to Gorges du Todra, thru the mountains passing Agoudal, Toumliline, Tizi-Tirherhouzine Pass at 2700m, Ait Hani and Tamtettoucht.

Imilchil is surrounded by fascinating mountains, potato and wheat plantations. Food, at its best due to the organic produce planted all around the village.

More Photos and Information about Imilchil here:

Photos Imilchil

Imilchil

Hotel Imilchil

Photos Atlas Mountains

High Atlas Morocco

Village Morocco

Imilchil Morocco

Hotel Atlas Morocco

Photos Imilchil

I wish to congratulate Romania and Bulgaria for their long expected entry in the European Union.

EU is now connected from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea.

i advise everyone to travel to the Black Sea. I remember back in 2001 when i hitchhiked from Saturn, a beach resort after Costinesti and Constanta all the way to Mangalia and entering Bulgaria reaching Varna. the problem was to get transportation in the Bulgarian border. No one was there and after almost 30 minutes waiting i decided to enter without stamping my passport. it seems some policemen actually knew I was there and just kept me waiting… as soon as they realized i was going in they came running to assure i got my passport stamped. so i guess no more stamps from these countries anymore. Ill try to update this post with a few images of my passport with stamps from Romania and Bulgaria.

This is well known to be the worst place to enter Senegal. From all border passages, the border here in Rosso is quite messy and full of corrupt police officers in both sides, Mauritania and Senegal.

Coming from Mauritanian Rosso, you have to make all your documents signed from the head chief police, and remember not to give your passport to the wrong guy, it can just disappear. give your passport when 2 people police men are with you, follow them even if they say you can’t pass, this way you can always follow them and when someone blocks your entry say loudly they have your passports to stamp! this way everyone will know reducing the probabilities of getting your passport robbed and being ripped of for it to appear again.

At Least Do This: after Mauritanian formalities you have to get a boat to Senegalese Rosso which will cost you 1500UM for a vehicle and plus 500UM for each passenger.

On the Senegalese side things get worst eve. If you heard people talking about corrupt police force but never saw them in action, here is the perfect place to meet them face to face. open your eyes and open your hears baby, cos you’re going to give money away…

for entrance policeman that stamps your passport will ask you for money…doesn’t exists in other entrances to Senegal like in Diamba or south in the Gambian border.

Police will tell you how the customs are closed and you have to stay there 2 days without passing unless you give double to costume staff. Don’t give your passport away to the men that are in the border telling you they will take care f everything for you just for an exchange of money, you can do it by yourself.
Alternative: IF YOU COME WITH A VEHICLE OLDER THAN 4 YEARS YOU WILL NOT PASS INTO SENEGAL! you need carnet de passage…

For more information on Mauritania:

http://mauritaniatraveldiaries.wordpress.com

Policemen in Senegal are the worst I’ve seen. Altough I know in some other countries in Africa they are even worst (how is this possible??). Even if you have all your documents and papers in order, follow all the rules and take care of people and situations, police will always try to get something out of you. Once a police in countryside Senegal told me I would leave until some money would be given to him…come one…

In St. Louis on a road there is no road sign so I just turned left and he told me i made an infraction and should have gone to the roundabout (250m after) to make the run. He wanted some money and kept my drivers license. I didnt give him money and went direct to the police headquarters in St Louis. I made some pictures with my digital camera of place in St Louis with road sign and from the specific place without road sign to me to follow the rules, the head police was very understandable and gave me a paper that would stop my infraction and i went to the police on the sreet and he had to give my drivers license back.

I had to wait almost 45 minutes to be able to talk to the head police. At the police station they will try to tell you YOU are the one wrong and should come to the police station…wait be perssistent, they are not going to eat you its just to frighten you and with this you can go away. wait and be precistent. tell loudly that polçice in senegal are bad and they dont like it…

At Least Do This: On the picture you have the place with no road sign telling you should keep straight. This is right in front of the big St Louis market in langue. On the picture the market is on your right side.

Music Video KazaKhstan

Another music video from KazaKhstan. Very nice video and nice images.

Again i say that the language is very nice to hear. A mixture of turkish sound with chinese sound. this is just what i think so for a more precise information about this language here it is:

KAZAKH LANGUAGE

Kazakh, also Kazak, Qazaq, Khazakh, Kosach, and Kaisak (Қазақ тілі in Cyrillic, Qazaq tili in the Latin alphabet, and قازاق تءىلءي in the Arabic alphabet) is a Western Turkic language closely related to Kyrgyz, Nogai and Karakalpak.

Kazakh is an agglutinative language, and it employs vowel harmony.

Geographic distribution

Kazakh is the official state language of Kazakhstan, along with Russian, the official language of commerce. In Kazakhstan, nearly 10 million speakers are reported (based on CIA World Factbook’s estimates for population and percentage of Kazakh speakers). Another million or more speakers reside in China. Other sizable populations of Kazakh speakers live in Mongolia (fewer than 200,000). Smaller numbers exist elsewhere in Central Asia and the former Soviet Union, and in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and other countries. There are also some Kazakh speakers in Germany. They immigrated from Turkey in the 1970s.
Writing system
Related predecessors to Kazakh were written in the Orkhon script, containing 24 letters. Modern Kazakh can be written using modified versions of the Latin, Cyrillic, and Arabic scripts. The names of the Kazakh letters are derived mostly from their corresponding names in the Arabic alphabet.

Info taken from WIKIPEDIA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakh_language 

Music Video from Kazakhstan, Traditional music and Traditional clothes

This is a nice well made video from Kazakhstan. The girls voice is nice. You can notice the beautiful kazakh language.

This music however doesn’t have the typical kazakh sound, i mean at least the most well know.

You can also notice the interesting traditional clothes the patterns colours.

Enjoy.

Expect high temperatures all year round. Best time to go there maybe its in European Winter and Spring. I went in April and was ok although we got max 53º Celsius ( 127.4 degrees Fahrenheit ), which is hot but ok. In summer temperatures can rise up to 60 ( 140 degrees Fahrenheit ) which is a lot already. I can handle around 55 not more.

Current temperature in Dakar capital of Senegal:

Interesting text about the climate in Senegal:

Sunshine guaranteed ! Senegal is one of the sunniest countries in the world (more than 3.000 hours of sun per year). Two seasons can be distinguished:

- The rainy season, that goes from June to October, with an important amount of precipitation from the south to the north;
- The dry season, from November to May, with temperatures ranging from 22°C to 30°C, with a significant variation between the littoral and the interior of the country.

On the littoral, especially between Saint-Louis and Dakar, the trade winds that blow along the coast cause a drop in temperature.

In Dakar, the maximum average temperature is 24°C from January to March. During the months of April, May and December they stay between 25 to 27°C. From June to October, the temperatures can reach 30°C.

In southern Senegal, the freshest period is from December to mid-February, with average temperatures close to 24°C. In October and November, and mid-February to April, the maximum temperatures are around 26°C. From July to September, they reach 30°C.

The important precipitation decreases as you go from the south to the north of the country. In the extreme north (Senegal river region), the average annual precipitation is 300 mm, while in the extreme south (lower Casamance, region of Kolda), it can exceed 1 500 mm.

check this article on the link below :

http://www.au-senegal.com/pratique_en/climat.php

Other links to temperature or climate information on senegal:

http://www.geographyiq.com/countries/sg/Senegal_climate_c.htm

http://www.wunderground.com/global/SG.html 

Bad Water in tea, Senegal

You should take care and don’t drink the local water. Sometimes the tea people offer you is made from that non good water and while making the tea, the water doesn’t boil enough time. If someone invites you for a tea at their place or in the street just say yes if you feel like but know or ask to boil the water well.

At Least Do This: If you get sick, you’re done for a couple of days. take medicine and wait, suffer, roll over yourself, head aches, pains in intestines etc…suffer…suffer…

Alternative: Bring lots of chloride pills to mix with the local water.  Well, there are not many alternatives as you’ll get sick anyway…

Yes its me on the picture, not lying on the beach cos I was having a great time but I was actually feeling really bad. This was the second time of many that I got sick in just 2 weeks period while traveling in West Africa. First time i got sick from my sinusitis that got me into a little crises due to weather changing already in Mauritania, and this one I felt sick cos I ate too much “Chakry” a Senegalese dessert with yogurt and fruit along with couscous.

At Least Do This: Take pills to your stomach and intestines, take all vaccines you can at home: yellow fever, tetanus, hep A B, Typhoid also. Bring lots of chloride pills to mix with the local water.
Alternative: there’s no alternative unless you stay home. Traveling to West Africa or Africa generally specking you’ll probably get sick. If you eat and drink like the local people even taking care of normal things like washing hands, food etc. we went 4 people on this trip and everyone got sick at least 2 up or 3 times…i got back home with less 14 pounds or 7 kilos.

Goree Island by night

You can go around the island and enjoy its night illumination. the lights along with the water reflex can make a very nice ambiance.
I don’t think Goree Island would have problems of people trying to rob you or anything. It just look so calm to me… this however will not happen in the center of Dakar.