Fun things to do in Africa

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The Roman ruins of Volubilis are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site was first inhabited by traders from Carthago in the 3rd century BC. Volubilis became an outpost of the Roman Empire in 40AD.

Description of UNESCO:
"The archaeological site of Volubilis is an outstanding example of a town bearing witness to an exchange of influences since High Antiquity until Islamic times. These influences testify to Mediterranean, Libyan and Moor, Punic, Roman and Arab-Islamic cultures as well as African and Christian cultures. They are evident in the urban evolution of the town, the construction styles and architectural decorations and landscape creation."
"The archaeological site of Volubilis is rich in history, events, ideas, beliefs and artistic works of universal significance, notably as a place that, for a brief period, became the capital of the Muslim dynasty of the Idrissids. The town of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun adjacent to the site houses the tomb of this founder and is the subject of an annual pilgrimage."

BIBLOAFRO


Here are some of the books about or set in Africa that I have read. I hope I wil get around to writing a synopsis on each

Dark star safari Paul Theroux Theroux’s overland journey from Cairo to the Cape
Ukimwi Road Dervla Murphy At the age of 60 Dervla Murphy cycles from Nairobi in Kenya through Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia to Zimbabwe.
Visiting Rwanda Dervla Murphy More african wanderings by this well travelled Irish women.
In Search of King Solomon's Mines Tahir Shah
Caliph’s House Tahir Shah Shah is brilliant in discribing his home, the amazing characters he employs and the shops and coffee house of Casablanca.
In Arabian Nights Tahir Shah The story of Shah’s life and home in Casablanca.
Aboke Girls Els de Temmerman Temmerman the Belgium journalist tells the story of the abduction of 139 girls from a school in Lira District in northern Uganda by the LRA.
The Pale Abyssinian Miles Bredin The biographical story of an early visitor to Ethiopia who’s tales of locals eating raw meat were un believed back home.
My Kenya Days Wilfred Thesiger The last great explorer spent much of his later life in Northern Kenya.
Congo journey Redmond O'Hanlon The third book from one of Britain’s most amusing travel writers.
Venture to the Interior Laurens van der Post I read this just beofore climbing Mont Mulanji at the same time of year as v/d Post went but had much tamer time than he did, no flash floods, no leopards. It has been said that Post was a bit of a fibber?
Mountain People Colin Turnbull This is a sad book beautifully written by Turnbull about the Ik people of north eastern Uganda.
Forest People Colin Turnbull
Eating the Flowers of Paradise Kevin Rushby
Blood River Tim Butcher
Wizard of the Nile Mathew Green A disapointing read as Green tracks down Africas most wanted criminal Joseph Kony
Africa; Altered States, Ordinary Miracles Richard Dowden
Facing the Congo Jeffrey Taylor Taylor paddles into the Heart of the darkness
Swahili for the Broken Hearted Peter Moore I bought this book for 20p from a charity shop, possibly the worst 20p I ever spent.
Journey without Maps Graham Greene Greene walks through Liberia gets malaria and forgets to mention he did this trip with his cousin
Hashish Henry De Monfreid
Tribe Tom Stacey Goes on a bit does Stacey and not everything he says is corect but I enjoyed this memories of his time with the bakonzo people of the Rwenzori.
White Pumpkin Denis Hills This book is really of its time. Hills a lecturer in Makerere University at the time writes about his life in Uganda and about Amin who was in power when it was written, who managed to find out what Hills was writing before it got into print and for some reason Amin didn't like the bit about being called a black Nero; so banged Hills up and sentenced him to death by firing squad.
Man with a Lobelia Flute Denis Hills More wanderings amongst the peoples and hills of my favourite and most least visited part of Uganda the north.
Footsteps of Mr Kurtz Michela Wrong
I didn’t do it for you Michela Wrong Luckily the only book I’ve read on Eritrea is this one.
Its Our Turn to Eat Michela Wrong
Shadow of the Sun Ryszard Kapuscinski
Dark Safari John Bierman
Snows of Kilimanjaro Ernest Hemingway
The Shadow of Kilimanjaro Rick Ridgeway
Shooting History Jon Snow An enjoyable biography of the TV news presenter who started volunteering in Uganda and later worked there as a journalist and at one time even sharing a flight with the Amin and considered taking the gun from dictator’s holster to shoot him.
Leopold’s Ghost
State of Blood Henry Kyemba
The inside story of Idi Amin’s Reign of Fear by Amin’s former Vice President.
Africa brew ha ha Alan Whelan Rides a motorcycle through the muddy roads of Africa but what I most enjoyed was Whelan’s experiences in village huts and local cafes is an Africa that I find all to familiar.


NOVELS ABOUT AFRICA

Fong and the Indains Paul Theroux
Jungle Lovers Paul Theroux

AFRICAN WRITERS

Matagari - Ngugi wa Thiongo
The River between - Ngugi wa Thiongo
Devil on the cross - Ngugi wa Thiongo
A Grain of Wheat - Ngugi wa Thiongo
Petals of Blood - Ngugi wa Thiongo

Concubine Elechi Amadi
Estrangement Elechi Amadi

Cockroach Dance Meja Mwangi
Going down river road Meja Mwangi

Official Name: Kingdom of Morocco; Land Area: 172,400 square miles (446,500 square kilometers); Population: 31,968,361; Capital: Rabat; Largest City: Casablanca

One of the most popular sights in Fez is the tanneries located in the leather souq. The tanneries date back nine centuries and are the oldest in the world. In the fifteenth century, there were about 200 tanneries in Fez; nowadays, there are only two. The methods used in tanning hides are the same ones used for centuries, and no modern equipment or processes are employed. Visitors can observe the tanning process from the terraces of leather shops which surround the tanneries.

The hides of goats, sheep, and cattle are processed at the tanneries to be made into quality leather goods, such as bags, coats, shoes, and other items. After observing the tanning process, visitors can visit the leather souq and perhaps buy some souvenirs.

After the hair and flesh has been removed from the hides, they are soaked in one of the numerous circular stone vats which resemble a large honeycomb from above. The first step is to soak the hides in vats containing an acidic liquid which contains pigeon guano, cow's urine, and acid. This makes the hides soft and supple. The next step is to dye the prepared hides. This is done in vats containing dyes made from all-natural materials, such as henna, saffron, or mint. Workers stamp the hides with their feet to ensure that they are well soaked. After dyeing, the final process is to dry the hides on the roof of the leather souq.

The workers perform their jobs in terrible stench and heat, and they only earn about $7.50 per day. In addition, their arms and lower legs are permanently stained from a lifetime of working in the dyes.

Official Name: Republic of the Gambia; Land Area: 4,363 square miles (11,300 square kilometers); Population: 1,797,860; Capital: Banjul; Largest City: Banjul

The Gambia River rises in the Fouta Djallon Plateau in northern Guinea, and flows about 700 miles (1,130 kilometers) before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Banjul. At first the river flows northward into Senegal before making a turn to the west, where it enters Gambia at Fatoto. Because the river runs down the middle of the country from one end to the other, it is Gambia's main geographical feature. Most of the country's main towns and cities are located on the river, and it is one of Gambia's major transportation routes.

Although a relatively short river, several large tributaries give the Gambia River such a large volume of water that it is navigable for about one-half its length, and is about six miles (ten kilometers) wide at its mouth.

Official Name: Republic of Senegal; Land Area: 75,749 square miles (196,190 square kilometers); Population: 12,643,799; Capital: Dakar; Largest City: Dakar

The Sahel, which is derived from the Arabic word sahil, meaning "shore" or "border," is a dry savanna zone between the Sahara Desert in the north and wetter savanna zones in the south. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Horn of Africa in the east. All of northern Senegal is within the Sahel, and aside from scattered acacia trees, there is little vegetation, especially during the dry season. Due to overgrazing by the goats and cattle of the tribal groups that live there, the Sahel is expanding, growing wider each year. As a result, more and more cropland is being lost to desertification.

The Sahel is characterized by little rainfall, averaging only between six and 20 inches (150 and 500 millimeters) per year. Most of the rain falls in the rainy season from June through October. There are cyclical periods when the Sahel experiences higher than normal rainfall. During those years, many nomadic peoples move north with the increased vegetation. However, there are also cyclical periods of drought, and devastating famines can occur when the crops and forage die from lack of moisture.

The purpose of my traveling to the Sahel of northern Senegal was to look for Sahelian species of birds that are found nowhere else. Therefore, my group spent several days walking through the dry areas looking for these birds, all of which we did find. In addition to birdwatching, we were also able to interact with some of the Wolof herdsmen who live in the area and learn about their lifestyles.

Official Name: Tunisian Republic; Land Area: 63,170 square miles (163,610 square kilometers); Population: 10,629,186; Capital: Tunis; Largest City: Tunis

Tunis is Tunisia's capital and largest city, with about 2,150,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. It is a modern and pleasant city, but not many visitors remain long before heading off to more tourist-oriented towns and beach resorts.

Tunis, originally called Tynes, was founded by the Carthaginians on a narrow isthmus of land between Lake Tunis to the east and Sebkhet Sejoumi (a salt lake) to the southwest. Throughout the centuries, Tunis remained a small and unimportant town. About the only improvement was a medina built by the Arabs for defensive purposes in the late seventh century.

It was not until the ninth century, when the Aghlabid ruler, Ibrahim ibn Ahmed II, moved his court to Tunis that the city began to become an important center. In the late tenth century, however, the ruling Fatimids moved their capital to Mahdia. But after the conquest of North Africa by the Almohads in 1160, Tunis once again became a national capital. Tunis flourished between 1229 and 1574, and especially after Baghdad fell to the Mongols in 1285. That event caused Tunis to become the most important city in the western part of the Arab world. It was during this period that culture flourished, the population grew, and mosques, universities, schools, libraries, and souqs (markets) were built.

In 1881, after a period of rule by the Ottoman Turks, the French took control of Tunisia and made it a colony. They built the Nouvelle Ville (new city) east of the original medina on land reclaimed from Lake Tunis. The French influence can still be seen in wide boulevards and sidewalk cafes.

Official Name: Republic of Djibouti; Land Area: 8,873 square miles (22,980 square kilometers); Population: 757,074; Capital: Djibouti City; Largest City: Djibouti City

The Ghoubet-Kharab is an almost landlocked sea located at the westernmost end of the Gulf of Tadjoura. Two points of land from the north and south coasts almost meet and close off the Ghoubet-Kharab from the Gulf of Tadjoura proper. The narrow strait passing between the points of land is called the Ghoubet Pass.

The Ghoubet-Kharab, also known as the "Devil's Cauldron," is one of the finest diving sites in East Africa. Because there are no rivers emptying into the Gulf of Tadjoura, the waters are extremely clear and are free of silt and other debris. The clear waters provide an excellent environment for soft coral, of which over 200 species have been identified in the area.

Since the Ghoubet-Kharab is almost landlocked, it is relatively protected, and is therefore good for the production of plankton. This in turn attracts large numbers of fish, including barracudas, jacks, manta rays, sailfish, snappers, and whale sharks. The whale sharks go to the Ghoubet-Kharab to breed, so it is often referred to as a "whale shark kindergarten."

The Route du Roi Fahd passes high above the Ghoubet-Kharab, and scenic overlooks provide spectacular views of the water below.

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Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean there are bottles floating with a message inside. The message is from me and asks the finder of any of these bottles to let me know where they find them. I have been doing this for years and only ever had 2 found – 1 in Venezuela and the other in Thailand. These pictures are from the Island nation of Cape Verde, of the West coast of Africa. Before I travelled to Cape Verde I laminated sheets of bright coloured paper with my message and simply put them in empty water bottles. I removed any labels and added a small amount of sand as ballast. Then threw them as far out as I could. Last seen – headed south. If you find one let me know!