Everyone likes Thiès. It’s a mellow city with not much in the way of traffic jams.
Perhaps it’s the vehicles. This one is only slightly less roadworthy than average.
Oft times having one reliable horse power is better than than the motorized alternative.
Africans do love football.
Trash removal workers are not unionized here.
Africa has great potential.
I project great things for this city.
I’ve always heard that Cape Town has one of the most stunning locations in the world.
True.
That’s me in the hostel close to the stadium.
Reconnaissance day. I’m organizing to hike the Garden Coast.
The new, planned city of Abuja is impressive.
“… the best purpose-built city in Africa as well as being one of the wealthiest and most expensive … “
Last day we made a driving tour of the modern city center. The National Cathedral is close to the National Mosque.
The highlight for me was a children’s park and small zoo at the foot of Zuma Rock.
My last night, some of the expat parents took me out to a new, gorgeous Club and restaurant. They had plenty of stories describing the challenges of living in Nigeria. But have no worries about their children living in Abuja. It’s safer than Las Vegas, Chicago or Toronto.
more interesting photos tagged Abuja, Nigeria
I’m off to see my friends in Senegal. Another week long Gymnastics Camp.
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. …
… a planned city, … built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria’s capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos …
Similar to Brazil’s planned capital, Brasília.
… the unofficial metropolitan area of Abuja is well over three million …
In light of the ethnic and religious divisions of Nigeria, plans had been devised since Nigeria’s independence to have its capital in a location deemed neutral to all parties. …
Abuja is known for being the best purpose-built city in Africa as well as being one of the wealthiest and most expensive …
I arrived one day prior to the start of my gymnastics coaching course. Have not yet had much time to see the city.
First impressions: Churches, buses, chickens, music, relaxed, smiling people. Touts all tried to wave me on to the various different night buses to Lagos.
One rat in the trash, looking quite relaxed, too.
The rainy season is just starting.
I’m gone again
MARCH
14-15 – London, England
18-22 – Nigeria
23-30 – Senegal
APRIL
1-17 – South Africa (holiday)
6-10 – Otter Trail
18-21 – NCAA WAG Championships, Los Angeles
I’m traveling with Lonely Planet South Africa. The book, not the downloadable PDF chapters.
… Up until 2008, the guidebook industry had few signs that the bottom would soon fall out of their business. Sure, website usage was up — both on some of their own sites and digital-only competitors — and user-generated sites like TripAdvisor were eating some of their cake, but sales were solid.
In 2007, combined U.S. sales from the big five travel publishers that represent over 80% of the market (Frommer’s, Dorling Kindersley, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, and Avalon’s Moon/Rick Steves) were just over $125 million, according to Stephen Mesquita’s “World Travel Guides Market” report for Nielsen BookScan. The following five years were tough, to say the least: By 2012 combined sales had dropped nearly 40% to $78 million. …
Lonely Planet and the rapid decline of the printed guidebook
Exclusive: BBC selling Lonely Planet to Kentucky cigarette billionaire Brad Kelley:
… What Kelley and his team plans to do with Lonely Planet is confounding insiders — including the irony that a historically environmentally forward-thinking brand like LP will now be owned by someone who made a fortune with cigarettes and now is a land-buying environmental conservationist.
Who knows?
I’m a lot more excited about Google buying Frommer’s for $23 million.
I’m thinking this will be the last snow I see this winter.
downtown Calgary
It’s been a rough winter for many in parts of North America.
The McCharles clan signed on for one of the tacky tourist attractions in Arizona. The boat departing under the London Bridge.
Surprisingly, we all quite enjoyed the trip.
Wild burro. In the wild. 🙂
Of a few different companies, we decided on Blue Water Jet Boat Tours. A 2½-hour narrated trip up the Colorado River to Topock Gorge in the Starship. Recommended. 🙂
The hard way.
… what’s the hard way?
By crappy moto-Rickshaw.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Dave linked to the new trailer of YogaSlackers’ fascinating upcoming documentary. Seems they survived.
Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.
… Call me a masochist, but I’ve been getting urges to go back to the frantic subcontinent once again myself. I’ve spent about 12 months there, over the years.
Crazy crazy.
Oatman is a former mining town …
… it began as a tent camp soon after two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find in 1915 …
Oatman has undergone a renaissance of sorts in recent years thanks to burgeoning worldwide interest in Route 66 and the explosive growth of the nearby gaming town of Laughlin, Nevada, which promotes visits to the town. …
Wild burros freely roam the town and can be hand-fed carrots and “burro chow,” both readily available in practically every store in town. Though normally gentle, the burros are in fact wild and signs posted throughout Oatman advise visitors to exercise caution. The donkeys are descended from pack animals turned loose by early prospectors …
“Wild West” shootout
Great family road trip.
