Dhaka to Dakar Book 3: Across Africa

'Dhaka to Dakar' was my backpacking dream. To travel from from Bangladesh to Dakar, Senegal as much by land as possible. To see countries such as Iran, Ghana, Mali and India. In 2004 I took off on this journey, and these three books detail my experiences, the things I saw and how I was effected by the whole amazing adventure.
The final part of Dhaka to Dakar represents two different trips than the ones previously written about. This was the real challenge for me, I was facing fear and culture shock in a place as far from home as it was possible to go.
The countries I visited in Africa to get the Senegal and Dakar are West African countries, not one’s on the tourist trail or even on the backpacker’s trail. Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal are found on the western ‘hump’ of Africa, below Morocco, stretching from what was once the Gold Coast to the Sahara. They were countries where being white meant being stared at even more than in India. People in the streets whispered ‘Le Blanc’ (white man in French) as I walked along.
The weather went from very hot and humid to crazy hot and dry. I visited places where the slave traders took Africans from to the Americas, the castles in which they were held before a ship was ready to sail. I saw poverty like I’d never seen before, save perhaps India and Bangladesh. I saw mud brick mosques in the middle of nowhere.
I visited the villages of Dogon Country in Mali, and desperately sought pizza in the capital Bamako. In Niger I was taken in by a man in Niamey who showed so much kindness it was hard to fathom. I went from the Gold Coast – the bunch of coastal countries next to Nigeria, to one of the most western points of Africa in Senegal.
In Burkina Faso I did it tough with a persistent guide who wouldn’t go away and then coming down with malaria. Again I was taken in by some of the kindest, friendliest people you could hope to meet as well. Oh and yes, I finally made it to Dakar.
It was a hell of an experience, but I achieved what I set out to do. Please follow to find out how I finally made it to the Senegalese capital, Dakar!

Countries in this book:
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Niger
Burkina Faso
Mali
Senegal