Four women, a motorcycle, a boat, an ultra-light, and a few camels travel to the 'City of Gold.'
Profiles - Routes - Sponsors
Each
woman, representing the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water and
using different modes of transport to signify those elements, travel to
Timbuktu along four different routes. The 'City of Gold' as it has
been known for centuries, is not the only precious thing the women search
for and find as each struggles to survive in a terrain just as foreboding
as it has been since the earliest days of exploration.
Where’s
Timbuktu? Follow us and find out!
The overall travel time will range
from four to six weeks with an arrival time in Timbuktu scheduled during
March 2003. The end result of this project is a book interwoven with photographs
and diary excerpts, and a film.
|
EvaLotta
|
Name: EvaLotta Wahlstrom
Nationality: Kenya-born Swede! Date of Birth: Dec 16, 1972, Sagittarius Profession: Pilot and Flight Instructor Previous Travel Experience: Born in Kenya, lived in Jordan and Kenya before moving to Sweden at 12, traveled Europe and USA during summers, back and forth to the States since I turned 18 (mostly living in New York). Crewed on sailboats in the West Indies at age 23. Visited Kenya twice again before moving here in October 2001. Just visited Malawi and South Africa! Type of Transport: Aircraft (Ultra-light?) Proposed Route: Kenya, South Sudan, Chad, Niger, to Timbuktu. Trip Duration: Three to four weeks Mileage Covered: Approximately 11,000 kilometers Cost of Trip: Fuel, oil, water, food, landing and navigation fees, visas, bribes, watchman fees (for my vehicle) and accommodation. Fears about Trip: None yet. Hopes: That it will happen and I will have something to look back at and be able to tell my children about (I will have children one day be they biological or adopted or both!). Hoping the exposure to new cultures will be a positive one. What you'll miss: My bed. Things to interest you along the way: I should be busy flying and absorbing the adventure. Looking out for blue skies and moonshine! |
Name: Lorraine Chittock
Nationality: British/American Date of Birth: April 4, 1960, Aries Profession: author/photographer with a primary interest in the animal/human bond Previous Travel Experience: Around Europe by train when 19, overland through West Africa, along the Forty Days Road by camel, and travel through the Middle East and East Africa. Type of Transport: Motorcycle Proposed Route: From England, through Europe to Morocco, Mauritania and Mali Trip Duration: Four to eight weeks depending on how many detours I take! Mileage Covered: Approx. 15,000 kilometers Cost of Trip: Cost of bike, carnets, fuel, food, visas, film, occasional accommodation. Fears about Trip: That I’ll wonder what on earth I’m doing. Hopes: That at 42 years of age, I’ll stop and smell the desert flowers on the way! And that, instead of missing ‘home’, I’ll feel at home. This is what I think true nomads feel. I’m hoping at my age there won’t be as much male harassment! What you’ll miss: My dog and partner John. Friends. Salads. Things to interest you along the way: Taking photos of desert animals and their owners, all animal life, Rock Art, wide open spaces and feeling ‘In the middle of nowhere.’ |
Lorraine
|
| Name: Carol Flake Chapman
Nationality: American and Choctaw Date of Birth: April 20, 1947, Aries/ Taurus Profession: Writer/journalist who specializes in exploring other cultures. Previous travel experience: Almost all my journeys involve a mission or adventure. I've driven around Mexico in search of historic haciendas and a hidden cloud forest; across Bali to watch cranes returning to sacred trees; across the Dubai desert to follow endurance and camel races; around the peaks of Italy's Dolomites to witness a solar eclipse; and across India to reach the Camel Fair in Pushkar. Type of transport: Camel. Proposed Route: Araouane to Timbuktu. Trip Duration: Approximately four weeks Mileage Covered: 300 km Cost of trip: Transportation to and from the U.S.; hiring of camels and guides; meals and overnights Fears about trip: Finding a reliable guide; encountering bandits along the way. Hopes: Deepening my infatuation with camels to an enduring relationship. Getting to know the Tuareg people. What you'll miss: My husband Gary, my dog Zip, my garden, my friends. Things to interest you along the way: Learning about interpreting tracks in the sand, writing poetry to the pace of camels. |
Carol
|
Barbara
|
Name: Barbara Fudge
Nationality: American ex-pat, resident in Cairo, Egypt since 1988 Date of Birth: May 14, 1944, Taurus Profession: Travel agent specializing in the Middle East, Arabian & Persian Gulf area Previous Travel Experience: Native American reservations of the Pacific SW and NW Mexico, Europe, East Africa, Middle East; Central Asia, the islands of the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. Type of Transport: River travel, local transport Proposed Route: Probably Cairo – Niamey, Niger, then North to Timbuktu Trip Duration: About four weeks Mileage Covered: Approximately 800 kilometers Cost of Trip: Transport to/from Niamey, Niger, boat fees, tips Fears about Trip: Deficient French language skills Hopes: That I will improve my French, experience W. Africa which is new to me, collect stories What you'll miss: Jere and Pandora (partner and puppy), my daughters, friends Things to interest you along the way: French dictionaries, camera, diary, maps. I'd like to see the birdlife, old Islamic architecture and of course, the water and the villages, always favorites for me. |
· Will age make a difference
in how others perceive us?
· How will we be treated as
solo female travelers in both traditional societies and through challenging
areas of Africa?
· Will our different types
and speeds of transport affect our ability to observe what’s around us?
· How will it affect our interaction
with others?
If you would like to share your thoughts or ideas about this project, or would like to help, please email us individually or as a group at: assist@desertwomen.net
