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 Journey
into History at Kagga Kamma
by
Muguette Goufrani
After a rugged 3 hour
motor trip from Cape Town with Daniel Dunn, our
group of five was little prepared for the amazing
'moonscape' of this spectacular hideout in the
rugged Cedarburg Mountains. It was a place that
could easily be the movie set for a "Jurassic Park"
or "Planet of the Apes." As twilight approached,
many of the odd rock shapes near the camp cast
weird shadows, taking the form of wild animals or
strange spirit creatures.
Continued
Express
Train to Casablanca
by
Jerry W. Bird
 As
originator of a travel series
called
Railways
of the World,
going to
Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, by rail was
a wonderful way to start off the week and
celebrate the new year. We enjoyed the journey
so completely that the route from Marrakech (3
hours in total) seemed far too short. However,
as we soon learned from the staff on board,
visitors can travel between many of Morocco's
principal cities by rail. That includes the
Northern port of Tangier, a few miles from Spain
with its famous Talgo Trains.
Rail
travel is still one of the most practical,
inexpensive and relaxing of all modes
on
transportation, and this route to Casablanca was
no exception. We traveled in a first class coach
enjoying the privacy of having a 6-seat
compartment all to ourselves, with ample
overhead storage for luggage and carry-ons. The
one way tickets
purchased at the counter without reservations
were less than $15 in U.S. currency.
Continued-
You're
in the Driver's Seat! Adventure
Roads and Great Drives is a series our editors have
been producing for years, in print and video. Our
next challenge is a feature on Cross Africa Drives
in several directions. Watch for it.
Majestic
Mountains, Romantic Kasbahs and
Deserts
by
Habeeb Salloum
For two
days we had explored Fez, Morocco's historic city,
glorifying in its ancient section which remains
enclosed within its ancient ramparts. Inside no
auto is allowed. Only donkeys contest with humans
the few feet wide medieval streets. Seemingly, we
had traveled back a thousand years in time. It was
a fabulous beginning for the trip we intended to
take across the Atlas Mountains to the land of
kasbahs (mud castles) and deserts. Fez, with its
air of the Arabian Nights, was still on my mind as
our tour group of five, along with Abdelatif, our
guide, traveled through the foothills of the Atlas
Mountains towards the desert frontier town of
Erfoud, some 480 km ( 298 mi) away.
Continued
Blue
Train with White Glove
Service
by
Muguette
M. Goufrani
- For years I had
read that South Africa held many pleasures for
those of an adventurous spirit or romantic
nature. So one summer, taking a month's vacation
from my job as a travel agent in Ivory Coast,
West Africa, I headed south. Here at last was my
chance to spend some leisurely, laid back weeks
getting to know that fascinating country
surrounding the Cape. While the sights and
delights were many and varied, the epitome was
my experience aboard the famous Blue
Train. It was
like the finest luxury
cruise.
continued
-
 From
the Paris of Africa to
its Roman Cathedral
by
Jerry W. Bird
Having
heard our Associate Editor Muguette Goufrani
sing the praises of her life and times in Cote
d'Ivoire and other West African countries, I was
full of anticipation as we boarded the Air
Afrique jet at the Cotonou, Benin Airport, bound
for the legendary Ivory Coast. As serendipity
plays a big part in many of my African journeys,
the first Ivorian we chanced to meet en route
was a Mr. Gakpo, "The Lobster Man of Abidjan" (a
possible song title), who kindly invited us to
stay at his seaside inn the following week.
Continued
-
 Moroccan
Coastal Drive
to Agadir,
by
Jerry W. Bird
A
favorite topic of mine is writing about great
drives for our popular series "Roads
to Adventure,"
which began in the early 90s and has appeared in
travel magazines, newspapers and video accross
North America. Now we're challenged to do the same
series for Africa. While the overland route along
Morocco's Atlantic Coast from Essaouira to Agadir
is relatively short in distance, taking two and a
half hours, the scenery we encountered during the
trip by land rover, was unforgettable. We were in
good company, traveling at the invitation of Ms.
Elena Hall, partner in the escorted tour operation
"Blue Men of Morocco" who participated with us
earlier at the ATA Symposium in Fès. The
trip was leisurely, and along the way we made a one
hour detour inland to a rugged area that reminded
me a lot of parts of Northern
Arizona.
Continued
In
the Queen of Sheba's Footsteps
by
Jerry W. Bird
Everything
that I had read about Ethiopia in Wilbur Smith's
novels, the River God and Secret Scroll, was as he
described. As we learned later from Hon. Yusuf
Abdullahi Sukkar, Ethiopia's Tourism Commissioner,
airport construction enjoys a high priority, and on
the high plain south of Lalibela, a new terminal
building is in the final stages of completion. Our
temporary waiting area was a baggage shack, where
we basked in the morning sun, awaiting the commuter
bus.
A
Storybook Land: I've never been to Tibet, but the
spiritual presence and views we saw during our
corkscrew journey up the hillside would easily fit
that image. Small wonder this storybook land has
such a spiritual presence, a proud tradition and a
way of life that has survived three millennia,
despite an outside world of hate, conquest,
treachery, trial and turmoil.
Continued
Motoring
in the Switzerland of Africa
by
Muguette Goufrani
Some
call Guinea the "Switzerland of Africa" and one of
your first pleasant surprises when visiting the
Republic of Guinea is that it is uncrowded. Big in
size, yet small in population. A nation of 7.5
million, Guinea is also described as the land of
contrasts. Those apt comparisons became evident to
me a few days into our journey.
Continued
Africa
in One Country
by
Jerry W. Bird
Mount
Cameroon, West Africa's highest peak, stands like a
giant sentinel, gazing out over the Gulf of Guinea
on Africa's Atlantic Coast. Among it's
legendary names is "Throne of Thunder," a fitting
tribute to the powerful gods that are said to
inhabit the mountain's inner core. Our group of ATA
members and journalists approached the 'throne'
shortly after one of its frequent volcanic
eruptions, and the ribbons of cooled lava resembled
grey frosting oozing from an enormous layer cake.
The lava beds are evident from the main highway to
Kribi and a hiking trail winds up and over them.
The warning signs advised us to pay respect and to
tread gently in this eco- sensitive area. Mount
Cameroon's rugged peak is the crown jewel of a
chain of volcanic mountains that are strung like a
giant pearl necklace along the Cameroon Nigeria
border. The range stretches from here all the way
to the northern plains of Maroua, gateway to Waza
National Park. Continued
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