なぜかドーハ

ネパールから日本に帰るのに、なぜかドーハでトランジット中。もっとましなルートがあったんじゃないかって気もする。

いつもの見慣れたラウンジで、アスパラのポタージュスープ（毎回アスパラかブロッコリーのスープがある）を飲みながら、こちらもアブダビでトランジット中のFR氏とチャットし終わったところ。つまらないことでスカイプであやうく喧嘩になるところだった。

雨期で涼しいカトマンズからの、灼熱の京都は何だか想像できないな。でも半年ぶりの日本楽しみ。

そろそろ搭乗です！

電車の旅

電車の旅はなんでこんなに楽しんだろう。パリからバルセロナまでは個室の寝台車。今まで寝台車に乗ったことはあったけど、２段ベッドの個室は初めて。子供みたいにワクワクして、嬉しくて、寝てしまうのがもったいなかった。

子供の時に、毎月届く学習雑誌に電車の号があって、電車関係の付録が色々付いてきたのを思い出した。偽物の切符とか、切符にちょきちょき穴をあけるハサミが入ってた。その中で、電車の色々を書いた小さい本があった。日本で一番長い電車の駅の名前とか、鉄道関係の話が小学生向けに書いてあった。その本で初めて、寝台車は車掌さんが夜になるとベッドを下ろしにきてくれて、朝になるとまた席に直してくれることを読んで、なんてすてきなんだろう！！と寝台車に憧れたのを覚えてる。数年前にDargiling Express の映画を見てから、電車の旅行に行きたいなとも思ってた。食堂車で食べる朝ご飯も、なんてことないオムレツとパンなのにこんなに美味しく感じてしまう。

Why is it so much fun to go on a train?? From Paris to Barcelona, we took a sleeper train with a private cabin. It had a bank bed, a small sink and a space for luggage. I was so excited and giggly like a child and didn't want to go to sleep. I was laying down on the bed, staring through a window into a darkness feeling so happy. I was disappointed how soon we arrived the next morning. Simple breakfast tasted so special just because it was on a train.      

I must have been 7 or 8 years old. I used to subscribe to a monthly children's study magazine. In one of the months, the subject was railroad. It came with a "conductor kit" including train tickets and a little punch to make holes on tickets etc. It also had a book that contained various interesting facts about rail ways in Japan, such as the longest and shortest stations names.  The book also described how sleeper trains work: during the day you have seats, which turn into a bed at night. I remember admiring how wonderful this is. It was as wonderful as I imagined that to be many many years ago!   

Paris Dakar パリーダカール サハラ砂漠横断の旅

Over the past two months, we have traveled from Paris to Dakar, covering over 5,000 km.

This trip was first conceptualized as another French speaking holiday to go to Morocco and Senegal. I wanted to go back to Morocco, as I was there only for a few days last year attending a conference. M.FR, on the other hand, wanted to go to Senegal for good music. Then, he thought of this “great” idea of going overland through Mauritania combining our respective preferred destination, which was for me a crazy idea initially, given the threat of terrorism, long ride, heat etc etc. After meeting some people during the trip, everyone seems to think that it was fantastic plan, so I finally gave in and decided to go along with it.

Here is the “trajet” of the whole trip of our Paris Dakar. (FYI Paris Dakar race has been moved to South America, after tourists got shot in 2009 in Mauritania) As you can see, a wide variety of modes of transportation were applied.

Paris

ê overnight train

Barcelona 3 nights

ê  train

Cordoba   1 night

ê  train and ferry from Algeciras

Tanger, Morocco   3 nights

ê  train

Fes  3 nights

ê  Driving (Rented a car)

Volvilis  2 nights

ê  Driving

Maknes  passing through

ê  Driving

Rabat  2 nights

ê  Driving

El Jadida 1 night

ê  Driving

Essouria 3 nights

ê  Driving

Agadir 2 nights

ê  Bus and grand taxi

Sidi Wasek 2 nights

ê  Bus and grand taxi

Tantan Plage 1 night

ê Overnight Bus

Dhakla 2 nights

ê  Shared taxi

Noadhibou, Mauritania 2 nights

ê  Bus

Nouakchott 2 nights

ê  Shared taxi

Saint Louis, Senegal 6 nights

ê  Hired vehicle

Lompul 1 night

ê  Hired vehicle

Dakar 6 nights in total with 5 nights of annex trip to Casamance in the South

It looks like a backpacking type of trip, but none of us actually had a backpack. In fact, I had a huge red suitcase, which even contained things like a hair-dryer (only used once during the entire trip, though) and several summer dresses. M.FR was not too happy with my luggage, as he likes to travel light. After two months, he even has grown attached to and was fond of this travel companion of ours.  We didn’t “rough it” too much, by staying in each place a minimum of two nights in most cases and choosing middle level comfortable accommodations. Had neither bed bugs nor smelly bathroom experience. It was never too hot, since we always had a nice breeze from the Atlantic Ocean. We did not get mugged, kidnapped, stuck in a sandstorm or fell ill with malaria fortunately.  Nonetheless, it was still a huge adventure. During the course of our travel, we lined up at 7:30 in the morning in Rabat to apply for a Mauritanian visa, witnessed a huge tense fist fight on a long overnight bus where police was called in in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, drove 5 kilometers of land-mind no-man’s land between Morocco and Mauritania and maneuvered through notorious Rosso border. We narrowly escaped getting an expensive fine for allegedly passing a red light by negotiating with a police officer, cornered by vendors and ran over a tiny bird.        

I can’t document the trip in detail, but I hope to write about some anecdotes and highlights.    

This was by far the longest travel and covering the most distance in my life. It was really once in life time kind of experience.    

In Senegal now

You may be wondering where I am and whether I have passed through Mauritania safely??

I am in the southern part of Senegal, which in a way is an annex trip to our "Paris- Dakar" (also known as aero-postal trip no.1 ). This is the final stretch of the travel before flying back to France early next week. So many things and landscapes I have seen, the food that I have tasted, what I learned and the people I met.... can't be easily summarized. I hope to upload some entries and photos in coming days after I digest it a bit.

I was starting to get a  travel fatigue, but now with an end date in mind, I already miss this trip. Like all things good, this also has to come to an end at one point...

Seemed like a crazy idea at first, but it turned out to be amazing.

Sur la plage de Nouakchott    

Leaving Morocco

Finally leaving Morocco tomorrow morning (given all goes well, meaning the driver shows up!) I am currently in the city called Dakhla at the edge of the country. It is in the middle of a desert. It's going to be a long day tomorrow with a long drive over the border. Looking forward to what I will see in a total new country, Mauritania!   

Sidi Ouarsek

砂漠に近くなって、だんだん世界の果てにきた感が強くなる。

石がごろごろの原っぱを自転車で走る。ガイアナのジャングルでのサイクリングを思い出したな。

El Jadida to Essaouira

Portugese quater in El Jadida- love the colour of the wall

Beautiful fishing towns along the atlantic coast not to mention the seafood that I have been enjoying.

We are in a city called Agadir, getting ready for the trans Sahara trip.... 

Rabat

Volubilis

Romain ruines from 3rd century, one of the most amazing experience in this trip so far   

フェズの街角にて

Tangier to Fes

Cordoba to Tanger

Barcelona to Cordoba

いってきます

スペインからモロッコへの旅。

大好きだったパリのアパートとも今日でお別れ。

冬服はお友達の家にいったん預かってもらった。

これから訪れる国でどんな風景に出会えるのか楽しみ。

最初の１週間しか予約のない旅行。

必要のないものまで詰まった傷だらけの赤のトランクと行ってきます。

Marché aux puces de la porte de Montreuil

M. FR's sister and father were visiting from the US for five days.  Was very nice to get to know his family, indeed. 

Visited a flea market in Montreuil. Love the knickknacks and treasures. (look at some funny details and items in the photos.) 

I came here in 2005 by myself. I remember that I bought two scarves, pink and blue ones. 

It was my first trip to Paris, and I totally fell in love. "Falling in love" is the right expression. I went back to Ottawa and I couldn't think about anything else but Paris for a week, looking at photos and sighing, wondering how I could come and live here. Simple in fact, quit your job and move here.  Wish I knew this before! My "love" for Paris has not faded away since then. 

I bought a hat for our up-coming trip this time.  

Just a few days of stay left in Paris....  

モントレイユの蚤の市。２００５年に行った時の記憶のままの楽しいがらくた市場。

Huitres

Oysters

Flavours of ocean.

It's like swimming in the sea and eating it at a same time.

At a seafood restaurant in the neighbourhood.

今日のエッフェル塔

散歩とその果て Promenade plantée et ensuite??

最近、やっと春らしく暖かくなってきたパリ。先日一人で、marcheの帰りに、ぶらぶらバースティユ周辺を歩いていた時に、たまたま見つけた遊歩道、Promenade Plantee。昔の電車の線路を遊歩道に改装してあって、全長４．５キロもある。

http://equipement.paris.fr/promenade-plantee-1772　

眺めも良いし、色々な木や花が植えられていて、ベンチもたくさん。途中に公園もあるし、パリで私のお気に入りの場所の一つになった。

今週末、またその遊歩道まで散歩に行ってきた。植物を見たり、写真と撮ったりしてのんびり散歩の午後。途中の公園で昼寝したりなんか。

折角だから、最後まで行こうということになり、ずーっと歩いて行くと、たどり着いたのが、なんと

パリのお隣のCharenton-le-Pont という街の..............遊園地。

めずらしいので、見学して、良い年をして観覧車に乗ってきました！私も彼も遊園地なんて、何年も来てないので、乗り物も珍しくて、別世界に迷い込んだような何だか不思議な気分。遊園地って特別な空間。まるで異次元に迷い込んだような。お化け屋敷も嘘くさい信憑性がある気がする。

砂糖が驚くほどかかった、チュロスなんていうジャンキーなものも雰囲気で買ってしまった。

Une petite surprise!  Nous avons suivi la promedande jusqu'a la fin, et ensuite nous nous sommes trouvés dans la foire de trone en dehors de Paris. Nous avons pris une grande roue comme un enfant!
            

パリの風景２

Jardin de Monet

モネの庭にて。お天気も最高でした。写真を撮るには、日が少し強過ぎました。