AFRICA: THE FINAL STRETCH
After the adventures of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti, I made my way to the westernmost point in Africa — Dakar, Senegal. From here, I would begin the final leg of my journey on the African continent, traveling north through Morocco by train and crossing the Strait of Gibraltar by ferry into Europe.
By this point in my African journey, I was exhausted and facing imminent burnout. I kept telling myself, just make it to Gibraltar. That was my gateway into Europe — a place where I knew my way around and could finally relax. I even remembered which aisles in the grocery stores had my favorite snacks! That little image kept my morale up during the final stretch of Africa.
I arrived in Dakar during rush hour and was quickly engulfed in the chaos of traffic on the way to my hotel. The density and busyness of Dakar is not to be underestimated — overwhelming and captivating at the same time, buzzing with life.
From my hotel room, I could see the Atlantic Ocean, but it wasn’t close enough for me. So the next day, I relocated to a quiet bed and breakfast right on N’Gor Beach. I spent the next three days there, watching the locals each morning as they bathed their goats and cows in the ocean. Busy fishermen and other boaters came and went constantly from the cove. It was the perfect place to relax and try to outrun the burnout.
It was Ramadan in Senegal at the time, and each night traditional music played as people gathered in prayer. One evening, a group of locals took me through their village to show me how they lived. They showed me the mosque and how the children played — even with almost nothing — as the whole community ate together. I wanted to contribute something, so I bought a 10 kg bag of rice for the village. That should feed a few hungry people!
Even though the beach was relatively clean, it was clear the people faced hardship. Children played football barefoot with an empty plastic bottle. It made me wonder how people travel to beautiful places like this while the local communities struggle to make ends meet. It was another moment of deep gratitude — I felt incredibly fortunate to be traveling the world.
After some rest, I knew I had to keep moving. I boarded a flight to Marrakech, the capital of Morocco. From there, I experienced the first high-speed rail line of my travels so far, heading north toward Gibraltar. I arrived in Tangier on the coast by late morning.
But in classic spontaneous travel fashion, I found out the ferries from Tangier had been canceled for two weeks due to large waves and bad weather. Oh, the joys of unpredictable travel!
After some digging, I learned there was another port about an hour down the coast where ferries were still operating. I negotiated a ride there and, finally, found a ferry departing at 7:30 that evening. My spirits weren’t dampened — I had my ticket to Europe, and I knew my parents were waiting for me on the other side. It would be the first time I’d seen family in six months!
As the ferry engines rumbled to life, I said my final goodbyes to Africa. It was a sentimental moment. This crossing had been a mental checkpoint — something that kept me going through all the tough times on the road. It was a symbolic crossing, closing one continent and opening another.
When the ferry arrived in Algeciras, Spain, and I stepped off the boat, the waves of relief were palpable. With each step, the tension unraveled from my body. The more I relaxed, the more I realized just how on guard I’d been in Africa — how alert I had to be all the time.
What a relief it was to make it this far.
I had already spent about a year in Europe before, so this felt like a little homecoming — exactly what I needed after such a long stretch on the road. The next day, I made my way by bus to Valencia, where I finally got to give my parents a HUGE hug. It was their first time ever in Europe, and I was so excited to re-experience this wonderful continent through their eyes.
On to the next leg of the journey!
Look for my next blog on beating the burnout, recharging, and reconnecting with my family as their private tour guide!
