Catching up with Pushkar in Morocco

W: When did you arrive in Morocco?
P: I arrived in Casablanca, Morocco on the 6th of August.

W: Where were you before Morocco?
P: I was in the USA before arriving at the African Continent. Back in the US I crossed the North American continent from New York to Las Vegas. It was more then 3000 kilometers of traveling. I was campaigning for the Himalayan Cataract Project based in Burlington Vermont,USA. They support the Tiliganga Eye Hospital in Nepal.

W: What do you remember the most from the last few countries you have visited?
P: There are a lot of memories but there is one that strikes out the most. On my second leg of the American journey, I was in South America. In Mexico I got kidnapped. My kidnappers took me about 180 kilometers away from the city and into the desert. There were cactuses all around. I fought with the kidnapers and I survived. Honestly speaking, it was indeed a near death experience.

W: What are your plans in Africa? Have you decided how long you might be there?
P: I am heading from west coast Africa to South Africa. I don’t know how long I will be here exactly but I am thinking this part of the journey will finish within two years.

W: Has your route in Africa been decided?
P: Yes, I already made plans for my African tour. Currently I am near the Sahara desert, the biggest in the world. It is will be one of the most challenging legs of my journey for sure. Sometimes people lose their way and die in the desert. I heard that it’s true because apparently the moving sands covers the road and people don’t know where to go after that. After Morocco I will enter Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Angola, Namibia and finally South Africa.
 
To view a map charting the countries that Pushkar has been to, visit WAVE special

Pushkar In Gambia

I heard a long time ago that there is one Hollywood movie called Casablanca.  I never watched it.  I rarely watch English language movies.  Although I didn't watch Casablanca the movie, I saw the real Casablanca with my own eyes.

Many people told me that Morocco would be the best country to start my journey in order to ease my way into Africa.  Sometimes I follow other people's advice, usually I like to discover for myself.  This time I chose to follow advice.  Morocco is looking one eye in Europe and one eye in Africa.   Morocco was to be my first country on the continent of Africa. 

After leaving New York, I spent four hours transit in Paris Airport and then caught a plane bound for Casablanca, Morocco.  The plane landed on time.  There were lots of taxis waiting outside the airport, ready to bring me to the city of Casablanca.  I had plenty of time so I chose to reach the city by bicycle. I unpacked and reassembled my bike and started riding to the city.

Agathe and Latifa helped me to get cheap hotel.  I got a room in a small hotel in Casablanca inside the Medina.  It cost me 3 dollars per night.  Medina is the one of the most famous crowded neighborhoods in Casablanca.  It is also known to be a little dangerous.

I spent 5 days in Casablanca.  Perhaps that could be compared to reading the book rather than watching the movie.  Maybe I saw there lots of things even there people couldn't get chance to watch in movie.  Every corner and every minute you can find beggers, muggers, vendors.  One time as I was in the street, a young man came near me and asked me “do you like chocolate?”  I said “sure, who doesn't like chocolate?  He followed me until my hotel gate and he said he would get the chocolate.  When I saw the “chocolate” I got a very big surprise.(Jhassenga)That was hashish. 

Casablanca has a huge influx of Liberian refugees.  There are lots of prostitutes in the city, even in this Muslim country.  When you walk in the evening down the street, you will find many street girls waiting for business.  Some of brokers ask you 'You are from Nepal?' I have one friend in Nepal.  It is a beautiful country.  Then they start to bring you their “merchandise”. 

After leaving Casablanca I crossed many other interesting cities of Morocco.  From Casablanca to Marrakesh, Essawerra, Agadir, Tijnit, Tan Tan, Laayune.  After reaching Laayune in 12 days I was tired.   From Laayune to Dakhla I took the bus. It was possible to ride bike but not possible to cross desert.

Dakhla is the last civilization place in Western Sahara.  It was not possible to ride bike crossing the desert from Morocco to Mauritania. There were hundreds and hundreds of kilometers between villages. I spent one night in Dakhla and the next morning I got a ride in a Jeep to cross the Sahara desert in order to reach Mauritania. We were three passengers in the Jeep.  Two Moroccan and me. There was wind, moving sand, and in some places the road was cover by sand.  It was very hard to cross that desert.  I had heard that sometimes people lose the way. Now I believe that. The land was entirely consumed by sand and sand dunes.  It took us 8 hours to reach the Mauritania border .It was 425 kilometer from Dakhla.  After crossing the boarder from Morocco there was about 10 kilometers of “no mans land”.  Neither Morocco nor Mauritania claim that strip of land.  There are thousands of land mines in Western Sahara which is probably why no one wants that land.  Our driver said people do lots of illegal work in that land.  When we reached the Mauritania border it was different than Morocco.  There were huts covered by plastic, clothes, tin and many other things.  One hut was immigration and other one was military.  When we went to write our entry in Military room they ask me first for dollars. Why I should have to pay dollars?  No reason.  They are just begging for even some dollars.  After asking for dollar they ask for jeans, t- shirt.  I didn' t give them anything.  The 2 Moroccan guys gave them some cookies.  Then we went to the immigration hut. They didn't have a pen.  I think they need a pen .I gave them one pen to write and I didn't ask for it back.  Finally we touched Mauritania land.  It was already  8.00 o' clock at night. The wind was still blowing. WAVE Special.