Tri Cycling Africa

HomeBack to the homepage. JourneyThe filmmakers cycled a tandem recumbent tricycle over the dusty landscapes of West Africa. Over two months they crossed five countries from Bamako, the capital of Mali, up to the legendary city of Timbuktu on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, south through Burkina Faso, Ghana, then Togo and Benin. This is the motivation behind the journey. TrailerDownload an extended trailer for the documentary series. Media KitDownload an electronic press kit (includes full synopsis, crew bios, episode breakdowns, director's statement and more), brochure and white paper. PhotosSome images from the trip. BlogsOutside the making of the documentary, this is a series of emails sent home during the trip. They are completely honest accounts from the filmmakers of the highs and lows of travelling in a foreign place. ContactThe series is currently seeking distribution. Click here to contact the producer. CreditsThis project would not have been possible without...

JEFF McLEAN'S BLOG | MARTY POUWELSE'S BLOG

3/10/2002 - Bamako, MALI

Hi guys,

I hope you are all well. Apologies firstly for stuff that seems obvious to those who've travelled overseas!

I'm now in Bamako (capital of Mali) and all is good. Jeff (my good friend who I'm cycling with) met me at the airport and has put my mind completely at ease regarding any potential situation in this area as a result of the instability in Cote d'Ivoir (Ivory Coast) which shares borders with countries we're planning to visit. We've also since met a few other travellers who have had wonderful stories and also mentioned places to avoid, but only because of hassles from people constantly offering services of any kind for money who won't leave you alone, and not because of the Ivory Coast situation. I was also put at ease at Paris airport seeing how many people (several westerners) who were also flying to Bamako. My initial fear was bourne entirely of misconceptions and of the unknown.

Last night at Bamako airport was a confronting introduction to Mali. Many locals out the front constantly hassled me almost to the point of agression about what they could offer. Many of them surrounded me and with their intimidating power of their number constantly asked me if they could take my luggage somewhere, offer me a taxi, a hotel room or anything else. They cottoned on to the fact that I'd met someone on the plane that I was looking for him outside the airport, and insisted that I wait while they look for him. When I first got my luggage, it was taken from me by someone I thought was an official, put it through the metal detector, carried it outside (I started to get suspicious halfway outside) and then stopped and asked for money. It's difficult at the time to see that these are just very poor people just trying to make a dollar or two. (Jeff ended paying this guy as I didn't have any local currency). Anyway, apparently this behaviour is worst at the airport (some introduction!) and it only gets better from here.

My first step off the plane at 7:30pm (after an utterly mangificent three days in Paris, but I'll leave that for another time) was met with a humid 30º and the thick, thick smell of African dirt. Very strong and completely enveloping. You know immediately that you're in a completely different place. Quite an amazing sensory experience. From the air the appearance of the city lights implies a modern civilisation. A drive down the street proves very different. The dirt roads, the dirty ramshackle constructions (very loose term) people live in everywhere, people watching TV out the front in the dirt. The dirt is everywhere... it's difficult to convey it's omnipotence. It's completely the culture-shock I could only ever have had a vague, vague expectation of, and a complete assault on the senses -- and it's just what I needed. Despite the differences, in fact because of the differences, I'm totally amazed in a positive way, and am having a wonderful time taking it all in.

Now all I have to do is TRY & MAKE A DOCUMENTARY!! It's seems bewildering but I'm in the first week's "excited" phase. Next week, I'm expecting to get homesick. We've just spoken to some english travellers who've just got us excited about the possibility of going up to Timbuktu (not yet a given, but hopefully it will happen).

Jeff and I had a wonderful time last night nattering until the wee hours. It was a much needed contrast to the noisy assault at the airport. Our introduction at the airport was terrible; in the middle of a cuddle we were swamped by the locals. We had a 'hotel' (dorm room) with only one other person, and a patio area that was lovely and peaceful, where Jeff and I were able to talk in earnest.

I'm glad to see there are bats here! Just like in the Brisbane summer, I saw them at sunrise making their daily pilgrimage to wherever. Amongst the alien excitement it was good to see a wee connection to home.

There is so much more to write about the very few hours I've been here (the mozzie net, the malaria risk - now it's REAL, the African women who DO actually carry stuff on their heads, etc etc etc)!

For Jeff's updates, visit au.geocities.com/oilsbloke/africa.htm.

Love,
Marty.

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