The essential rules of packing in Guinea

A Guinean Land Cruiser

Voilá our vehicule, doubled in size and packed in the most Guinean style! Well, I have to admit we are still missing some more luggage in and out, 6-7-8 people inside plus one that goes half in - half out the trunk, the guy on the roof and, of course, the live chickens tied to any free spot that flap their wings during the whole way simulating flight. Sometimes there are also goats on the roof. So, next to that image, our semi-packed Toyota is not really an achievement... 

However, all that luggage is what's gonna keep me alive during one year in the forest, among the most valuable resources we can find (all equally important): 

1. A full bidon of peanut butter (organic and hand crushed)

2. A solar panel

3. My camera

4. Water filters to convert any source of water into drinkable water

The rest is only complement. Now, all ready, time to go!

The First Mile...

New and old world Primates, Primates of the new world who inhabit the old world and the other way around, introduced and exotic Primates;

I want to introduce you all to my blog, the one I should have started a long time ago. Those of you who have not read my stories before need to know this is not a conventional travel blog, I do not write about travel advice, there are plenty of Lonely planet guides for that. I aim for personal stories, not only from my experience but also from the characters I meet on my way; I aim for details and simple versions that can say a lot about a place customs, lifestyle, everyday life economics and even some politics. I aim for texts, videos, images and sounds to make these stories alive for those who read them. I welcome comments, questions, additions, corrections, and I hope more than just a "blog" comes out from this personal project. 

It's September 29th. and I am in Togue, in the Guinean highlands, better known as the region of Fouta Djallon. I am sitting next to a noisy generator which is also the only hope for electricity in this town. Incredibly I have found a USB internet device that will make this blog possible every now and then. In a few days I will be settled in a tiny village in the woodland savannah, I have come here to manage the first chimpanzee temporary research site in the Fouta Djallon area, which host the highest chimp density in the whole west Africa.

That's the context at the moment, more will come later.

Good morning lizard.

Every morning, while I go through my morning routine, I see this intrepid lizard climbing the dead log in the garden. It seems it got its own spot there, no other lizard in the area comes close. Head in the sun and body in the shadows, it looks like a really nice spot to sunbath, with a nice view of the peanut fields. Dabola - Guinea.