How many people have travelled from Cape to Cairo over the years? Some have become famous, some have stayed in the background. Some have travelled on foot, some used a pushbike, others used a car. Ton van der Lee has joined the long list of travellers. For the writer of this book Africa was not … Continue reading review DE AFRIKAANSE WEG
A Medley of Encounters
I have read quite a number of travel books. Travellers crossing border after border, travelling by foot or bicycle or by car through parts of the immense continent of Africa. One common thread in all these travelogues is the difficulty of crossing borders. The hardship of going from one country to another. Papers do not … Continue reading A Medley of Encounters
MR BIGSTUFF AND THE GODDESS OF CHARM
The writer of this travelogue is Fiona Stax Ledger who worked for the BBC Africa Service for about ten years. During this period she travelled to many countries, met many people, saw many sceneries, she travelled in many way to many places. In this book she recounts moments of this period chasing news, but in … Continue reading MR BIGSTUFF AND THE GODDESS OF CHARM
EATING THE FLOWERS OF PARADISE
The use of the khat leaves is in some countries forbidden, at other places the use of khat is a national passtime, surrounded by rituals, a way of life. When the United Kingdom decided to ban the use of khat, the khat farmers in Kenya were very angry. They saw a loss, an immense loss … Continue reading EATING THE FLOWERS OF PARADISE
TOM-TOMS IN THE NIGHT / BLACK MIST
These are the days that a tomtom is a navigationsystem in your car. In the olden days a tomtom was a kind of drum. The times have changed. Indeed the times have changed since Attilio Gatti wrote his books, based on his extensive travels in Africa. Gatti (1896 – 1969) hailed from Italy and he … Continue reading TOM-TOMS IN THE NIGHT / BLACK MIST
NOMADE BLANC
This is a story of a man and his camels and a stretch of sand. It is the story of Philippe Frey and his epic journey from the eastern ways bordering the Red Sea till the end at the Atlantic Ocean at Mauretania. He travels with two camels and he rides one of them or … Continue reading NOMADE BLANC
books touched by Africa 