http://takeonafrica.com A Journey by Bike from UK to Cape Town Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:02:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Mali is famous for it's music but I haven't heard much and haven't tried to find it.  I've been singing my own song and I'd have to say it'not very soulful. Having had a bout of literary diarrhoea after two weeks of paddling a pirogue down rapids and through shallow waters, ... http://takeonafrica.com/updates/the-travel-blues-in-mali/ List of Books read during 'Take On Africa', in order read. (Those with an asterisk * are related to Africa and those in bold I enjoyed most and would highly recommend): Wide Sargasso Sea – Jean Rhys Lolita – Nabokov A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson Our Man in Havana – ... http://takeonafrica.com/literature/reading-list-books-read-during-first-7-months/ Below are three photographs showing all the gear and equipment I arrived in Africa with on my bike. I have since got rid of the MSR stove and fuel bottle as I had problems with this and I forgot the bike helmet in Bissau (although I never actually strapped it on ... http://takeonafrica.com/bike-expedition/equipment-list-updated/ For some numbers relating to our Niger River boat trip,  see the article posted over at The Travelers Notebook: http://thetravelersnotebook.com/by-the-numbers/by-the-numbers-paddling-the-niger-river/ http://takeonafrica.com/updates/by-the-numbers-paddling-the-niger-river/ This is just a short clip of me and Lars paddling through one of the faster sections of water. Shortly after this clip ends, when we're just out of camera view, we run into the bushes and I fall out, losing my sunglasses and flip-flop in the process. This is my first ... http://takeonafrica.com/updates/videos/video-from-the-niger-river-boat-trip-rapids/ Day 14: 19th Feb 2010 Fast rapids – Boat unload – Stuck! – Decision to quit in Kouroussa It was a successful start to the day, with calm open water which Joliba II glided over with considerable ease. Boosted by our progress and steady rhythmic paddling, when we heard the distinctive white water ... http://takeonafrica.com/updates/the-great-niger-river-boat-trip-part-5/ Day 11: Feb 16th 2010 Warthogs - Broken boat - Hippo encounter - Bush fire – Bat exodus – Uniformed and uninformed – Poacher or American? A long, hard morning paddle – at least we were paddling and not pushing or dragging, but the wavelets on the river surface were tiresome. ... http://takeonafrica.com/updates/the-great-niger-river-boat-trip-part-4/ Day 7: 12th Feb 2010 Ou tu vas comme ca? - Bee island - Frogs and splashes Nearly a week into the trip, about 100km downstream of Faranah, getting close to the National Park and the number of people we are seeing has diminished – just the occasional onlooker from a riverbank ... http://takeonafrica.com/updates/the-great-niger-river-boat-trip-part-3/ On day 10 of the Niger River boat trip, we came across a Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Sanctuary. Here are some photos from our visit... For more information on chimpanzee rehabiliation and the Sanctuary, visit The Project Primate website http://takeonafrica.com/updates/photos/photos-of-somoria-chimpanzee-rehabilitation-sanctuary/ Day 4: 9th Feb 2010 Quiet morning – shallow maze - near-disaster - crocodile island Following a quiet morning on the river where progress was slow but steady, the afternoon brought with it a maze of rocks and shallow waters that slowed progress drastically. We would stop paddling and stand up to ... http://takeonafrica.com/updates/the-great-niger-river-boat-trip-part-2/