Backpacking in Africa Jonny Blair
“I came in from the rain, late Thursday on the avenue. Thought I heard you talking softly. I turned on the lights, the TV, and the radio. Still, I can’t escape the ghost of you” – Duran Duran. In April 2023, I embarked on an ambitious MMM tour. It meant I would backpack three countries…
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“Wish upon a wave that hides the sand” – Noel Gallagher. Cape Maclear (Chembe) is meant to be the nuts. The coolest spot in Malawi and one which backpackers could rave about for years to come. I won’t be doing that, as it fell slightly short of my expectations but at least I got to…
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“I can see Cape Maclearly now the rain has gone” – Johnny Nash. I heard that Cape Maclear was supposed to be a sensational spot. Malawi itself is often classed as an unknown gem and a country all backpackers need to see. It was my 33rd recognised country in Africa and another dot on the…
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What has started to annoy me is the amount of countries that fake that we don’t need a visa – what utter bullshit. If you need to pay for entry to a country or need to fill in an advance form before a flight/boat/train/bus etc. then that’s a visa!! Yes it’s a visa stupidly disguised…
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“Runaway train never going back. Wrong way on a one way track” – Soul Asylum. Having watched many Michael Palin documentaries down the years, I always envied his journeys. He did them in mostly pre-internet days. Back thence, visas were tough and we needed to be embassy-loyal. Booking accommodation could, at best, be organised by…
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Friday’s Featured Food: Katxupa De Carne in Praia, Santiago Island, The Cape Verde Islands I have been to a few islands off the coast of Africa down the years. Notably, Robben Island in South Africa (on the Nelson Mandela tour), and The Seychelles. April 2022 meant a first trip to the Cape Verde Islands. I…
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“By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling” – The Dubliners. This is Nelson’s Triumph. Make no mistake about that. There has been something really weird and odd that has happened to me a few times on my journeys. Life has been really crazy how it all worked out for me –…
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My arrival into Mauritania in July 2022 was a completely spontaneous accident, it was another completely wacaday journey for me. I was supposed to be in Poland. But my lifestyle has never been predictable or obvious. Here I was in The Sahara Desert again. This defied belief yet one more time, and proof that…
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The Azores happened by fluke. I really didn’t plan this one. I was trying to visit Cape Verde Islands and it just made sense (and was cheaper on Ryanair loyal) to visit The Azores on route. So here I was! The Azores was a bonusball, extra trip and yet I still had three days here…
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“And so I cry sometimes when I’m lying in bed. Just to get it all out what’s in my head. -4NB. April 2022 saw me visit Lisboa in Portugal for the fourth time, and after that it was a brace of Portuguese speaking Islands. I first toured The Azores 🌊⛱️🇵🇹 before a direct flight from…
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