My Round the World Trip

[pupuce]

#15 Mali , Pay Dogon , my bed under the stars
We arrived at this village for the night. The moment I stepped into the "windowless mud room" i was overwhelm by the musty smell.." can I managed tonight?" I wondered to myself. " plod plod" I heard something dripping on my bed.. I found out it was the mud dripping from the room because of the rainy season, that was the final straw
I request to have my room moved " and they made our mattress up on the roof by tying the mosquito net with some sticks.
I will never forget this night.
Generator stops working at 8pm.. i laid on my mattress in total darkness and looked up into the sky full full of stars, silence except for the soft music coming from a beat up battery operated radio, soft murmur of vocies from people gathered around below exchanging stories, torchlights bobbing in the night.
I remember wishing I had someone to share this beautiful night with and the memory will be with me forever​

 

[pupuce]

#16 Mali - Dogon Village, Life in Africa​

 

[pupuce]

#17 Mali - 3 days Niger river boat ride to Timbuktu , Comonov, our boat
My journey to Timbuktu - can choose to take a 45 minutes flight or a 3 days boat ride, just like all the Malians who takes this boat back to the villages along the Niger River. They pack everything with them, own use or for sale in their villages. I saw sacks of vegetables,potatoes, kitchenwares, cows, horses and even a motocycle. There are 4 types of accommodation, 2 persons to a room. 4 persons to a room. 8 to a room. Or like the africans, fight your way up the boat and stake out a spot on the deck with your belongings. I booked 8 to a room.. it was full of women with their babies. All activities are confine to the room - cooking, children pooping, sleeping.. the smell overwhemled. I left my bag there and slept on the deck with a thin mat. It also impossible to take a shower because outside it was full of sleeping people. And all we get is a plastic kettle (which they use fo hygiene cleaner for toilet trips) to fill up water for shower..
When i was finish with travelling in Mali, i was very very dirty. I earned all those dust and dirt.. and I love it​

#18 Mali - Comonov
It was a mad rush , squeese, push and shove to get on the boat as everyone who paid the cheapest form of accomodation, wants to get on and stake out a good location. The "curtains" goes up immideaitely as it provides a shelter in the hot days to come. Those who dont get a spot on the open air deck, will have to go to the lower deck and just outside the toilets.. it was wet and musky smelling..hard to swallow.
You see the women cooking, taking of the children and men playing cards or just hanging around while we take our 3 days cruise down the Niger River​

#19 Mali - Comonov , All Aboard!​

 

[pupuce]

#20 Mali, Village by the Niger River, View from our ferry
The boat stops at 3 villages before we arrive in Timbuktu. Here, there is a flurry of activities. Boarding the boat, disembarking, sales of goods and groceries...​

 

[SamPaul]

Hi Everyone,

Having just return from a solo 15 months backpacking Round The World trip this year, I hope to share my experience and information with anyone who is planning to make a similar trip to expand their horizon. My journey took me through 33 countries from South Africa, East Africa, Middle East, West Africa, Central America, South America and Antarctica.
While doing resarch for my trip, I found difficulty getting the information that i need to help make the trip easier. As i was also a newbie in photograpy, I had to to go through many websites to get tips for photographing different sceanarios ranging from wild life, street photgraphy, beautiful sunrises/sunsets to the wild plains of Patagonia and the snow white Antarctica.

I hope that this thread will serve as a one stop for general questions about backpacking around the world as well as photgraphy tips from the si-fu. At the same time, it will also bring your wanderlust to the surface and make you want to pack your bags immediately to explore the world


My itineary - South Africa- Mozambique- Namibia - Botswana - Zimbabwe - Tanzania - Uganda - Dubai - Jordan - Syria - Israel and Palestine - Spain - Morocco - Maritania - Senegal - Mali - Burkina Faso - Paris - Belgium - italy - London - San Franciso and Vegas - Mexico - Cuba - Belize - Guatemala - Honduras - Nicaragua - Panama (pass through Costa rica with no stop) - Argentina - antarctica - Argentina (patagonia) - Chile - Bolivia Peru - Ecuador - Colombia - New York City - HOME
Please feel free to contribute and give me suggestions to how to make this better and well-informed.
Critics are more than welcome so I can further improve my photgraphy skills.
I set off for my trip after being introduced to the DSLR world 5 months earlier when I bought my D80 and my 18-200mm VR lens.

Addiditonal note added
Thanks to the encouragement from those who is keeping this thread alive by giving opinions and critics on the photos, I have also decided to put the journey into words and sharing the memories. As you read on, you will see how the journey started and how the plans have changed and how I discover the world and myself at the same time.

http://busytravelbee.wordpress.com/

Thank you very much for the info. Hope I can do this in the near future..

 

[COBALT]

I am overwhelmed, am in awe and full of admiration for you. A big THANK-YOU for taking the time and trouble to share your photos and commentary about your RTW trip.
Like others here, i eagerly await your posts as your trip is slowly unravelled to us

 

[pupuce]

you are more than welcome. Been busy lately so will get back to my pics once I have more time this week.
Stay tuned

I am overwhelmed, am in awe and full of admiration for you. A big THANK-YOU for taking the time and trouble to share your photos and commentary about your RTW trip.
Like others here, i eagerly await your posts as your trip is slowly unravelled to us

 

[Will03]

#20 Mali, Village by the Niger River, View from our ferry
The boat stops at 3 villages before we arrive in Timbuktu. Here, there is a flurry of activities. Boarding the boat, disembarking, sales of goods and groceries...​

i like this image..

 

[Will03]

#15 Mali , Pay Dogon , my bed under the stars
We arrived at this village for the night. The moment I stepped into the "windowless mud room" i was overwhelm by the musty smell.." can I managed tonight?" I wondered to myself. " plod plod" I heard something dripping on my bed.. I found out it was the mud dripping from the room because of the rainy season, that was the final straw
I request to have my room moved " and they made our mattress up on the roof by tying the mosquito net with some sticks.
I will never forget this night.
Generator stops working at 8pm.. i laid on my mattress in total darkness and looked up into the sky full full of stars, silence except for the soft music coming from a beat up battery operated radio, soft murmur of vocies from people gathered around below exchanging stories, torchlights bobbing in the night.
I remember wishing I had someone to share this beautiful night with and the memory will be with me forever​

intersting..

 

[campoes]

Hi pupuce,

I would say u got urself a XXX (Xuper Xtreme Xperience) .

And that reminds me of the following quotation
"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering."

After the journey and looking back at the pictures u might be wondering....."Wow...I really did all these things ??". Normally that's what happen to me after a long Xciting journey .

Keep it up and please don't stop posting / inspire us :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[conkeychua]

Viewed 23 pages on beautiful pictures and a wonderful real life experience in a few days and i still want more....

I guess this is something that we can learn from, know what to expect when doing such trip and appreciate our beautiful City more but definately will not be able to feel what you went through.

TS i would say that you have organised this Thread in a wonderful flow and manner to share what you have been through.....

The impressive portion if i may is that NO ONE in this 23 pages criticized about the nitty gritty stuffs on your pictures (oh you will be surprise some of them always have something to say no matter how good the pictures are ) which means that your story really captures its audiance with picture supplementing the vision we have while reading. So if you are taking some of the senior's advise on the publishing route, i say you seem to have conquered this ground here

Looking forward to more updates in between your busy schedule

 

[pupuce]

Indeed, you have made a valid point.
With vacations, I guess it is hard to have much time to ponder about oneself. On this journey, because I spent so much time on the long bus journeys, some times going without conversation for 3-4 days ebcause of language barrier (and also I spent about 50% of the time alone) , I had many opportunities to re-look at my life before the trip, really learnt more about myself and realise my threshold for many difficult situations that I've encounter somedays , it is like thunderbolts, one problem after another .. troubles after troubles... that I just throw my hands up in despair!!

As for what happened to me after the trip, i did feel the same way that you did but i also felt a little lost and like a fish out of the water when i returned to this "real world"

Hi pupuce,

I would say u got urself a XXX (Xuper Xtreme Xperience) .

And that reminds me of the following quotation
"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering."

After the journey and looking back at the pictures u might be wondering....."Wow...I really did all these things ??". Normally that's what happen to me after a long Xciting journey .

Keep it up and please don't stop posting / inspire us :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[pupuce]

Hello Conkeychua,
I have been fortunate so far, i guess they let me off because the stories compensates for some lousy photos I've taken. of course, I dont mind if anyone comment because it gives me a chance to improve my photography but it has since dwindle.. and now I have only they avid travellers following the thread..:0

stay tuned ... as more will be coming up tmr!

Viewed 23 pages on beautiful pictures and a wonderful real life experience in a few days and i still want more....

I guess this is something that we can learn from, know what to expect when doing such trip and appreciate our beautiful City more but definately will not be able to feel what you went through.

TS i would say that you have organised this Thread in a wonderful flow and manner to share what you have been through.....

The impressive portion if i may is that NO ONE in this 23 pages criticized about the nitty gritty stuffs on your pictures (oh you will be surprise some of them always have something to say no matter how good the pictures are ) which means that your story really captures its audiance with picture supplementing the vision we have while reading. So if you are taking some of the senior's advise on the publishing route, i say you seem to have conquered this ground here

Looking forward to more updates in between your busy schedule

 

[pupuce]

#21 Mali - Niger River, Villages by the river bank
Slow cruising on the "ferry" enroute a series of local villages.
I look at their lives and cannot imagine how my life would be, if I am "fortunate" enough to be born in Africa..​

 

[pupuce]

#22 Mali , TIMBUKTU... sandstorm brewing
Finally... I arrived in Timbuktu after 3 days of river journey in the wee hours of the morning, tired and very dirty as I have not taken a shower during the time on the boat. Here I was looking for a breakfast place. The signs led me up to a shed selling breakfast. As I was talking with the cafe owner, the sandstorm rolls in without any warning. As the wind and sand swirls around us, I quickly wrapped my african scarve (very useful as everyone use it)covering my nose and mouth, snapped a photo of course and disappear into the cafe to take shelfter and enjoy a warm serving of fried egg and bread.​

 

[CT 3833]

Hello Conkeychua,
I have been fortunate so far, i guess they let me off because the stories compensates for some lousy photos I've taken. of course, I dont mind if anyone comment because it gives me a chance to improve my photography but it has since dwindle.. and now I have only they avid travellers following the thread..:0

stay tuned ... as more will be coming up tmr!

Pupuce,
thank you so much for sharing your valuable experience. every of your photos tells a interesting story. I am not an avid traveller, neither am I a photographer. I am one of the many who read and follow your thread quietly with deep interest, admiration, inspiration and respect. And I have viewed all your flickr photos and am still following your thread here almost every day to see your story telling.

The one key reason why there are few feedback about your photos simply because the content of your thread, both photos and stories, are too attractive and interesting, no one would want to disturb the discussion and the learning from you.

I look forward to seeing more posts from you. Every of your Timbuktu and Donga photos is so interesting, I hope you could post every single one of the phtosos there to share with us your encounter.

To be frank, your 15 months journey to me is a dream, or at best a wish. But you give me an opportunity to see, read and imagine what is happening in every locations you have been to.

Thank you again for your valuable time spent on this thread and your generosity in sharing your experience with all of us. Hope to read more from you.

 

[Raylen]

Hey Pupuce,

Just read through your thread, from the first page, and I'd have to say that you're one courageous traveller, going to so many places that many people (Including me) have not even thought about visiting before.

Great photos, and great stories. Can't wait to see more

 

[pupuce]

#23 Mali, Timbuktu - Street Scene
First day checking out the town of Timbuktu. I cant believe I am finally here after the long journey. Timbuktu.. some who still think it is a make-belief place where your parents promise to banish you there forever if you dont your homework or you misbehave. No name brings the splendor ancient Africa to mind more than Timbuktu, a great city that flourished on a bend in the Niger River for more than four hundred years
Here I was snapped with the street kids, self proclaim "guides" who will not leave you alone. You can ignore dthem but they continue their chatter and introduction of the town.
On this day, there was a cut off of electricity. We were not able to buy cold drinks from the streets and it was also a concern if food were fresh or exposed in the open heat for too long. Only the high end hotels with their generators are able to provide so called "fresh" food.​

 

[ManWearPants]

There are 23 pages now. Do you remember where I last stopped?

Timbuktu really looked out of this world. With the sandstorm, it does makes sense why women don the hijab. i think it is very practical to have a piece of cloth that you can cover your eyes, nose and mouth with. Unfortunately, this useful piece of cloth has been taken out of context.

 

[007]

Wow! My respect to pupuce! If I were to travel alone to so many countries, don't know can come back alive. :sweat: Anyway, wall of text, will have to start reading from beginning. Btw, do you plan to make these photos and writting into a book? Last time during my trip, I finished almost 80% (yet to finish ;p ), would like to edit it soon.