cant6 see there being too much more to be honest i think the weather people have gone snow mad and just dont want to get caught off guard, on monday we will here we got it wrong but it was better to be over cautious
I hate this P*ssing snow now.
Another 4 inches so far, schools bloody shut again, no work for me again tonight (thats not a good thing at moment)
Can someone please do a raindance and get rid of this poxy white stuff!
Down here in Cornwall, we've again had the most beautiful day - not a trace of snow, not a breath of wind, clear blue skies, and vibrant colours in the sunshine.
Had windows and doors open for the first time in weeks, and it really felt quite warm almost spring like.
And all you lot can do, is moan about the weather!
My lad is driving from Cornwall, through France, Spain, Morocco etc to Mali, Africa to donate a car to charity.
Should turn up in Mauritania or Senegal soon with any luck!
Last heard of ....... eating roast camel in a Bedouin tent in Western Sahara.
And saying how it's so hot!
Was that what it was like for you in India, Lil'Sis ....?
Probably being forced to eat a camels scrote at gunpoint for being an infidel. 'Now send message to parents to say you having fun before we bury you in sand'! Not wanting to worry you or anything oggy. Travelling to africa to deliver a car for charidee sounds more like an excuse not to get a job but live off your parents largesse for a bit longer tbh.
[cite]Posted By: Steve Dowman[/cite]Probably being forced to eat a camels scrote at gunpoint for being an infidel. 'Now send message to parents to say you having fun before we bury you in sand'! Not wanting to worry you or anything oggy. Travelling to africa to deliver a car for charidee sounds more like an excuse not to get a job but live off your parents largesse for a bit longer tbh.
Ha ha, Steve ..... partly right, at 22 he still lives up in the roof, in the attic - and he'll find any excuse not to pay his way.
Somehow never short of a shilling to go clubbing in Plym-merff.... !
But he works hard, did a 4 year apprenticeship and qualified as a shipwright in Devonport Dockyard last year, and gobbled as much overtime as he could to save up to buy the car, all the stuff he needed with him and the cost of getting it to Bamako in Mali.
Hopefully he's not been set on by bandits or taken hostage, but as a parent .... I wouldn't mind hearing from him soon!
My lad is driving from Cornwall, through France, Spain, Morocco etc to Mali, Africa to donate a car to charity.
Should turn up in Mauritania or Senegal soon with any luck!
Last heard of ....... eating roast camel in a Bedouin tent in Western Sahara.
And saying how it's so hot!
Was that what it was like for you in India, Lil'Sis ....?
That sounds like one hell of a trip i would love to go to some of those places. When i went across the Sarah i went to Morrocco, Algeria, Tunisa and Libya. We tried to get to Mauritania (Nouackchott or somethings the capital init?) but they wouldnt let us in that way and said the only way British would be able to travel is through the Algerian Desert. We diddnt we went up through Oran and Algeries which was fun. But i would really like to see what Mauritania one of those sort of place no one heres about. Is he keeping a journal of his travels i would be interested to have a look if he is as im quiet the seasoned traveller myself.
Great to read your story of your travels across the Sahara - when did you go?
My boy Charlie picked up his visa for Mauritania at their embassy in Rabat, capital of Morocco before driving through the Atlas Mountains and across empty land to the coast at Agadir, where his little group picked up their guide and armed escort. They then ran through Western Sahara (annexed by Morocco 30-odd years ago) and cut across the desert towards the border with Mauritania, which is land-mined. They deliberately avoided the road to avoid being picked off by bandits.
Finally had a text from him tonight to say he'd arrived in Nouakchott, capital of Mauritania and advised to keep a low profile for safety reasons. Tomorrow heading on to St Louis, just across the border in Senegal.
I've been trying to follow his progress on Google Earth and Googling the route.
One website that gives a flavour of travelling across the Sahara and into Mauritania, is:
Great to read your story of your travels across the Sahara - when did you go?
My boy Charlie picked up his visa for Mauritania at their embassy in Rabat, capital of Morocco before driving through the Atlas Mountains and across empty land to the coast at Agadir, where his little group picked up their guide and armed escort. They then ran through Western Sahara (annexed by Morocco 30-odd years ago) and cut across the desert towards the border with Mauritania, which is land-mined. They deliberately avoided the road to avoid being picked off by bandits.
Finally had a text from him tonight to say he'd arrived in Nouakchott, capital of Mauritania and advised to keep a low profile for safety reasons. Tomorrow heading on to St Louis, just across the border in Senegal.
I've been trying to follow his progress on Google Earth and Googling the route.
One website that gives a flavour of travelling across the Sahara and into Mauritania, is:
You might remember hisSaharaBBC programme from a few years ago, going on to Timbuctu in Mali.
I'm sure it'd trigger loads of memories for you!
Yea i remember that programme was wicked i got the book as i was really into it when it first came out and really its what made me want to go. Also i had a mate who has family in Morrocco and Tunisia so we went that way. Its a really interesting part of the world and Mauritania is on my list of places to go before i die.
I would much rather do a trip like i did or your lad is doing than go on some package holiday to a place everyone else have been before. Yea the Western Sarah was a strange place i cant remeber the name of the settlement went to but we had to be checked by their authorities too before gaining clearence to enter Algeria.
So i went in 2005 February through to June so i was out there a long time it was a hell of an experience. I would do it again in a flash. Went to Rabat fantastic city thats the real Morrocco there and Agadir were my favorite places there none of that Marrakesh touristy rubbish lol.
Also Tripoli in Libya was interesting Gaddafi has messed it up in a royal way. However was incredibly interesting a bit scary in some ways though but charactor building stuff.
I know the game is likely to be on as they have under soil heating but does anyone know what the weather's like in Wycombe. Driving up on saturday but not too keen if the snow's worse than what we've had here
Great to read your story of your travels across the Sahara - when did you go?
My boy Charlie picked up his visa for Mauritania at their embassy in Rabat, capital of Morocco before driving through the Atlas Mountains and across empty land to the coast at Agadir, where his little group picked up their guide and armed escort. They then ran through Western Sahara (annexed by Morocco 30-odd years ago) and cut across the desert towards the border with Mauritania, which is land-mined. They deliberately avoided the road to avoid being picked off by bandits.
Finally had a text from him tonight to say he'd arrived in Nouakchott, capital of Mauritania and advised to keep a low profile for safety reasons. Tomorrow heading on to St Louis, just across the border in Senegal.
I've been trying to follow his progress on Google Earth and Googling the route.
One website that gives a flavour of travelling across the Sahara and into Mauritania, is:
You might remember hisSaharaBBC programme from a few years ago, going on to Timbuctu in Mali.
I'm sure it'd trigger loads of memories for you!
Yea i remember that programme was wicked i got the book as i was really into it when it first came out and really its what made me want to go. Also i had a mate who has family in Morrocco and Tunisia so we went that way. Its a really interesting part of the world and Mauritania is on my list of places to go before i die.
I would much rather do a trip like i did or your lad is doing than go on some package holiday to a place everyone else have been before. Yea the Western Sarah was a strange place i cant remeber the name of the settlement went to but we had to be checked by their authorities too before gaining clearence to enter Algeria.
So i went in 2005 February through to June so i was out there a long time it was a hell of an experience. I would do it again in a flash. Went to Rabat fantastic city thats the real Morrocco there and Agadir were my favorite places there none of that Marrakesh touristy rubbish lol.
Also Tripoli in Libya was interesting Gaddafi has messed it up in a royal way. However was incredibly interesting a bit scary in some ways though but charactor building stuff.
What a fabulous trip, Rupert - especially if you went with someone who had family in Morocco and Tunisia, because then you get shown from the inside how the people live and what the place is really about, rather than just the glossy tourist bits.
As you say, travelling is a fantastic life experience - you learn to live off your wits, realise that despite differences in culture all humanity is one. There are truly wonderful people out there, many don't have much but they love to share what they do have with you.
And you won't discover that by just sitting at home watching television!
Much of my own travelling was done around the time the Berlin Wall came down - and in several trips, I went to most of the Iron Curtain countries of eastern Europe to see what the Eastern Bloc communist countries were really like. The scariest place back then was Romania, like stepping back in time with broken dilapidated towns and primitive peasant culture, oxen ploughing the fields, and men galloping on horseback like the Wild West - but also real bandit country let alone wild Gypsy people roaming who would mug any traveller foolish enough to be alone.
I got "rescued" by a really warm hearted Romanian family and stayed with them for a week in their tiny tower block flat in Medias, got to meet all their extended family and as the first English person they'd ever met, was treated really well.
This was 1991, tramps and chickens lived in the abandoned churches, the shops had literally nothing to sell and because of scarcity and rationing, bread could only be bought on Tuesdays.
Their flat was very austere and threadbare but despite their absolute poverty had satellite TV - and they were amazed when I said I didn't have it and couldn't afford it!
Did I mention I got strip searched at gunpoint by the military at the Romania/Hungarian border station, and the officer stole from me 11 US Dollars and put it in his own pocket! Another day, I was met by an English speaking Romanian who wanted me to help smuggle him into the UK - he and his mates got really nasty when I refused to do it and pulled a knife on me ..... so I agreed to help him, gave him a false address and got the hell out of there!
I'll look forward to meeting you when I'm next up - and buy you a beer!
PS: My boy Charlie is at last safely out of Mauritania now, and driving through Senegal heading towards Kidira, near the border with Mali.
[cite]Posted By: Ru1986[/cite]Ok Oggy so i just finished reading your message. WOW Romania sounds like it has improved drastically since you were there mate i have never been but i think with them now in the EU they have probly come on leaps and bounds since back then.
I totally agree with you about travelling it really opens ones mind to all sorts of different cultures and people. From my experiences i would now never judge someone on what others tell me i would wait until i have met them first.
Well your right it did help that my mate knew locals as we stayed with them and they hooked us up with the camel train which took us through the desert. I think Algeria was the scariest place i ventured to ever in my life. We were told to go through the desert and staight into Tunisa however being young and cocky we decided to explore the two main cities of Algeria. First stop Oran a town left for dead by their goverment white skinj must be covered up when out in public and there is serious threats of terroism so we spent maybe 3 days there before we were asked to leave.
Algiers was a little better as it was once a thriving port one of the busiest in Africa. Now it is a shadow of its former self however its a city steeped in hostory with lots of old fashioned roman infulences but still very Arabic. Libya as i said earlier Gadaffi has ruined and eveyone that lives there wants out.
Your story about the SKY tv made me laugh they want to try living over here "expensive" lol. You probly had alittle more scary experiences than i did. Although we weere threatened in Oran to give all posseions and my life or just my life it was up to me. So my mate who speaks arabic agreed that if we left Oran immedietly we would be ok so we did on day 3 of ebeing there. Also in Trippolli we were offered to be drug mules to carry some Coke into Egypt when we refused we were told not to be seen in Trippolli again or they would take our heads after 2 weeks in the city we decided it was time to go bak to the UK.
Glad to here charlie made it safely to Senegal and that he encountered no probs in Mauitania. You will have to give an acount of what that countries like when he lets you know. By the way i would love to meet you for a beer next time oyu at Le Valley.
Are you going to the Hartlepool game if not you must try and make Orient mate i know its a monday night and on sky but its a sort of derby at the end of the day init.
Speak soon mate Ru
You know, Ru ......... loved reading your stuff especially about in Algeria, makes you wonder sometimes how you got out alive! Oran in particular sounds scary - you're right, you just have to know when to keep your head down and get the hell out of there.
The only time I've been to Tunisa was about 100 years ago before it became a known tourist destination - Charlton were playing in an end of season football tournament with Millwall, Bournemouth and Swindon Town, and about 50 of us went over with them and stayed with the players at the same hotel ......... which was later blown up by terrorists a few years ago.
I remember the camels were muzzled because they could carry syphilis (the arab version of the Welsh lovelife and sheep, perhaps?) and you could be infected from their spit; no other tourists, the soukhs and culture in the towns, and the safari trip in a Landrover deep into the desert. It was so damned hot! Loved it.
I'll keep you posted when I next hear from Charlie Farley - he should get through the frontier and into Mali, in the next day or two. You've already been into Mali, haven't you mate......?
As I live in Cornwall these days, I can only see about 10 matches a season so won't be up for Hartlepool or Orient, especially as they're night matches - but hope to do Tranmere.
Might do Swindon too, but been there lots before - and deffo doing the new ground at Brizzle Rovers!
Comments
Clear blue skies for 2 glorious days now, sunshiny all day.
Like a calendar picture.
But Christ, is it cold ....!!!!!
Another 4 inches so far, schools bloody shut again, no work for me again tonight (thats not a good thing at moment)
Can someone please do a raindance and get rid of this poxy white stuff!
Had windows and doors open for the first time in weeks, and it really felt quite warm almost spring like.
And all you lot can do, is moan about the weather!
;o)
Ha ha, Tel ...... when the weather's like this, don't you wish you were still Tel in Oz?
Your back Lil'Sis !
How was Indiah ...?
THE MAIN ROADS ARE CLEAR.....D'oh They have been since loony time between 8am and 10am
Ive been out delivering all over N Kent/SE London today...its fine, just dont go down the side roads unless its to deliver a kidney.
I bet!
My lad is driving from Cornwall, through France, Spain, Morocco etc to Mali, Africa to donate a car to charity.
Should turn up in Mauritania or Senegal soon with any luck!
Last heard of ....... eating roast camel in a Bedouin tent in Western Sahara.
And saying how it's so hot!
Was that what it was like for you in India, Lil'Sis ....?
Ha ha, Steve ..... partly right, at 22 he still lives up in the roof, in the attic - and he'll find any excuse not to pay his way.
Somehow never short of a shilling to go clubbing in Plym-merff.... !
But he works hard, did a 4 year apprenticeship and qualified as a shipwright in Devonport Dockyard last year, and gobbled as much overtime as he could to save up to buy the car, all the stuff he needed with him and the cost of getting it to Bamako in Mali.
Hopefully he's not been set on by bandits or taken hostage, but as a parent .... I wouldn't mind hearing from him soon!
;-)
Never argue with a woman, MoG.
They tell me they are always right!
;o)
That sounds like one hell of a trip i would love to go to some of those places. When i went across the Sarah i went to Morrocco, Algeria, Tunisa and Libya. We tried to get to Mauritania (Nouackchott or somethings the capital init?) but they wouldnt let us in that way and said the only way British would be able to travel is through the Algerian Desert. We diddnt we went up through Oran and Algeries which was fun. But i would really like to see what Mauritania one of those sort of place no one heres about. Is he keeping a journal of his travels i would be interested to have a look if he is as im quiet the seasoned traveller myself.
Great to read your story of your travels across the Sahara - when did you go?
My boy Charlie picked up his visa for Mauritania at their embassy in Rabat, capital of Morocco before driving through the Atlas Mountains and across empty land to the coast at Agadir, where his little group picked up their guide and armed escort. They then ran through Western Sahara (annexed by Morocco 30-odd years ago) and cut across the desert towards the border with Mauritania, which is land-mined. They deliberately avoided the road to avoid being picked off by bandits.
Finally had a text from him tonight to say he'd arrived in Nouakchott, capital of Mauritania and advised to keep a low profile for safety reasons. Tomorrow heading on to St Louis, just across the border in Senegal.
I've been trying to follow his progress on Google Earth and Googling the route.
One website that gives a flavour of travelling across the Sahara and into Mauritania, is:
Linky: Mauritania - as seen by Michael Palin
You might remember his Sahara BBC programme from a few years ago, going on to Timbuctu in Mali.
I'm sure it'd trigger loads of memories for you!
The laughs never end with this Rupert. When I went across Sarah it was a very different set of circumstances altogether.
lol
Yea i remember that programme was wicked i got the book as i was really into it when it first came out and really its what made me want to go. Also i had a mate who has family in Morrocco and Tunisia so we went that way. Its a really interesting part of the world and Mauritania is on my list of places to go before i die.
I would much rather do a trip like i did or your lad is doing than go on some package holiday to a place everyone else have been before. Yea the Western Sarah was a strange place i cant remeber the name of the settlement went to but we had to be checked by their authorities too before gaining clearence to enter Algeria.
So i went in 2005 February through to June so i was out there a long time it was a hell of an experience. I would do it again in a flash. Went to Rabat fantastic city thats the real Morrocco there and Agadir were my favorite places there none of that Marrakesh touristy rubbish lol.
Also Tripoli in Libya was interesting Gaddafi has messed it up in a royal way. However was incredibly interesting a bit scary in some ways though but charactor building stuff.
Nice one Sherlock!
What a fabulous trip, Rupert - especially if you went with someone who had family in Morocco and Tunisia, because then you get shown from the inside how the people live and what the place is really about, rather than just the glossy tourist bits.
As you say, travelling is a fantastic life experience - you learn to live off your wits, realise that despite differences in culture all humanity is one. There are truly wonderful people out there, many don't have much but they love to share what they do have with you.
And you won't discover that by just sitting at home watching television!
Much of my own travelling was done around the time the Berlin Wall came down - and in several trips, I went to most of the Iron Curtain countries of eastern Europe to see what the Eastern Bloc communist countries were really like. The scariest place back then was Romania, like stepping back in time with broken dilapidated towns and primitive peasant culture, oxen ploughing the fields, and men galloping on horseback like the Wild West - but also real bandit country let alone wild Gypsy people roaming who would mug any traveller foolish enough to be alone.
I got "rescued" by a really warm hearted Romanian family and stayed with them for a week in their tiny tower block flat in Medias, got to meet all their extended family and as the first English person they'd ever met, was treated really well.
This was 1991, tramps and chickens lived in the abandoned churches, the shops had literally nothing to sell and because of scarcity and rationing, bread could only be bought on Tuesdays.
Their flat was very austere and threadbare but despite their absolute poverty had satellite TV - and they were amazed when I said I didn't have it and couldn't afford it!
Did I mention I got strip searched at gunpoint by the military at the Romania/Hungarian border station, and the officer stole from me 11 US Dollars and put it in his own pocket! Another day, I was met by an English speaking Romanian who wanted me to help smuggle him into the UK - he and his mates got really nasty when I refused to do it and pulled a knife on me ..... so I agreed to help him, gave him a false address and got the hell out of there!
I'll look forward to meeting you when I'm next up - and buy you a beer!
PS: My boy Charlie is at last safely out of Mauritania now, and driving through Senegal heading towards Kidira, near the border with Mali.
You know, Ru ......... loved reading your stuff especially about in Algeria, makes you wonder sometimes how you got out alive! Oran in particular sounds scary - you're right, you just have to know when to keep your head down and get the hell out of there.
The only time I've been to Tunisa was about 100 years ago before it became a known tourist destination - Charlton were playing in an end of season football tournament with Millwall, Bournemouth and Swindon Town, and about 50 of us went over with them and stayed with the players at the same hotel ......... which was later blown up by terrorists a few years ago.
I remember the camels were muzzled because they could carry syphilis (the arab version of the Welsh lovelife and sheep, perhaps?) and you could be infected from their spit; no other tourists, the soukhs and culture in the towns, and the safari trip in a Landrover deep into the desert. It was so damned hot! Loved it.
I'll keep you posted when I next hear from Charlie Farley - he should get through the frontier and into Mali, in the next day or two. You've already been into Mali, haven't you mate......?
As I live in Cornwall these days, I can only see about 10 matches a season so won't be up for Hartlepool or Orient, especially as they're night matches - but hope to do Tranmere.
Might do Swindon too, but been there lots before - and deffo doing the new ground at Brizzle Rovers!