leaving for africa feb. 3rd

[fairclo]

just thought id say hi this is my first post on here but I am on this site all the time. this site has been by far the most useful site ive seen. im starting my first really big trip on my own on feb. 3. im going to be living with a family in cote divoire for around a year. im going to do a lot of backpacking around the area also in places like ghana, mali, burkina faso, mauritania, morocco, senegal, ill be in spain for a bit also and hopefully some others. well if anyone has any advise for travel in this area id appreciate it should be quite an adventure, take care everyone.

[joe7f]

Wow, an adventure indeed! Best of luck to you

I'll be in Spain until May so if you are around send me a PM. Welcome to the boards

--Joey

[lauren313]

Welcome to the boards, that's a great trip you've got there!! How did it come about that you're staying with a family for a year?

[LiveFreeorDie]

Wow that sounds like a fantastic trip!I hope you will pop in now and then and let us know what you're up to.

[fairclo]

thanks. I met the guy im staying with this summer when he came through the states and he and his wife ended up staying with my family for a couple days and I just got to talking with them about traveling around there so now im gonna go work with them. ill be teaching english, helping put some roofs on buildings, and learning to be a bee keeper so that should be a little different. we are going to fly to spain at some point where he is buying a land rover then road trippin back down to the ivory coast through the dessert which will be kind of a cool way to see some of west africa.

[travelpunk]

People write books based on their experiences on road trips like that.

Have a great time and welcome to the boards!

[pinknic38]

that sounds so awesome!! let us know what you're up to every once in awhile! I'm trying to get to Africa myself next summer. hopefully by then the bs in Kenya will be over!

have a great trip!

[The Sasquatch]

holy, I can't even begin to describe my jealousy. Please please keep us updated. And have fun. my god, thats gonna be amazing.

[freespiritz]

That sounds like an amazing experience that you have lined up! Do stay on and keep us updated and have a blast in Africa! I can't wait to hear about all the stuff you'll get to see and do.

[worldwidemike]

Awesome. There is an outside chance I may be headed to West Africa myself in March. As everyone says, keep us posted on the experience...!

worldwidemike

[indierock05]

Best of luck! Make sure you are careful because it is definitely dangerous. Morocco is the only place that I have been and it is amazing. Marrakech and Fes were amazing and places you should go to visit.

Have so much fun! I am sure you will!

[fairclo]

thanks for all the good wishes and tips. cant wait to get the trip going but im kind of in freakout mode now with less than two weeks till leave time!!! ill keep you guys updated when I can for sure. I just found out that the road trip ill be on is going to be at least like three weeks which is way longer than I thought so thats exciting. well take care everyone.

[fairclo]

hey everyone ive been in cote d'ivoire now for about two and a half months having a blast here seen some pretty wild stuff. im in morocco now we are buying a car in spain and driving back through mali mauritainia and senegal here in a few days. I got a couple pretty crazy stories from cote d'ivoire. the first happened a few weeks ago we got invited out to dinner by a french lady here who ownes a real nice restaurant and hotel, so we show up a little early and she invites us over to join the people she is with and it turns out the people we are joining was the prime minister and one of his top cabinet members. he is the leader of the rebel army here and he leads them in the civil war they are having now. I didnt know it was him at first so im just bs'ing with them practicing my limited french on the second most powerful guy in the country kind of crazy. the other night I went to a friends house to cause they needed a camera to film some stuff like everything here it turned into a multiple hour thing and got pretty late I was just planning on riding my bike home but they told me it was to dangerous and it happened to be at a rebel soldiers house so he said he would run me home on his motorcycle which was cool, but he had no head lights and they dont have any street lights in that part of the country so we are just flying through town on horrible roads and we cant see hardly anything except from the cars that are barely missing us so then we get to a rebel checkpoint about 3 miles from my place and we just hang out with them for a while then one of the other rebels gave me a ride on his bike that had a light with an ak on his back haha. just thought id share those stories. I highly suggest coming through west africa at some point its really like no where else. well take care everyone. peace.

[marc873]

WOW The adventure you are having is fucking awsome!!! Keep updating us for sure!

[SGRHewitt]

Wow, what a crazy story! I'm super jealous.

[interval]

no advice but that sounds liek a great trip