My last African trip had taken me down the eastern side of the continent from Cairo to Capetown in 1995 but it had left out all the West and Central African countries. As I had visited only some of these on business I decided it was time for me to discover the remainder. I chose to go via Madrid to visit friends on the Costa del Sol and to see Gibraltar on the way to Morocco. I had initially planned to enter Libya from Chad on one of the trucks that go from Zouar to Sabha through the Korizo and Murizidie passes. Unfortunately, only Chad and Libyan nationals were allowed to use that route at that time and all others had to enter from Egypt or Tunisia. Seeing the Tibesti range and that great trek through the Sahara not being possible, I decided to skip Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, which I had seen before, and use that time to have a look at what was going on in the Balkans.

The map traces my journey through Spain (1),   Spain (2),   Gibraltar,   Morocco,   Mauritania,   Senegal,   Cape Verde,   Gambia,   Guinea,   Liberia,   Ivory Coast,   Burkina Faso,   Ghana,   Togo,   Benin,   Niger,   Mali (1 Gao),   Mali (2 Timbuktu),   Mali (3 Dogon),   Mali (4 Bamako),   Tunisia (north),   Tunisia (south),   Libya (1 Sabrata),   Libya (2 Leptis Magna),   Malta,   San Marino,   Slovenia,   Croatia (1),   Bosnia-Hercegovina,   Croatia (2) and   Italy.

I continue developing this site for the pleasure of sharing the joys of discovery with you. Meeting wonderful people of all skin colours, ethnic origins and beliefs has inspired me to set up the Humanist Foundation of Quebec to promote critical thinking and intercultural tolerance.

You may download and use the globetrotter's photos provided you mention "Photo by Bernard Cloutier" with a link to this site below each photo. High resolution versions can be acquired from our agent Travel-Images.com.

If you feel like it, you may exchange comments and impressions with other readers in the questbook or express them to me privately by the e-mail link. Putting a link on your web site, if you have one, would invite your viewers to enjoy free virtual travel as I hope you did.