On the 14th October 2006 I left Moscow for spending two weeks in West Africa together with my friend Morten, who is a research fellow working in Guinau-Bissau doing some research on tuberculosis at the Bandim Health Project located in Bissau; the capital of Guineau-Bissau.

Our great plan for the trip was to meet in Dakar in Senegal and then work our way by public transport through The Gambia and southern Senegal into Guineau-Bissau with a few stops for sightseeing on the way. A journey of not more than 550 km's, but with a huge diversified range of cultures, traditions, purchasing power and languages. A journey though the history of Europe's colonial rule, slave trade and the current struggle for keeping countries aloft. 

Personally it was my first real insight into the third world with all its problems, but also a view into a world where people are always smiling, even though they have a constant lack of money. Knowing that electricity, Internet, water and other utilities were sparse resources I several times stopped and asked myself what I am doing in Moscow. Moscow is a city on cocaine - a city in the fast last which slowly but surely sucks the energy out of your body. The totally opposite could be said about Bissau city, even though the city would fail any attempt to qualify as a well governed capital.

In the next 32 pictures I will try to retell my journey - an experience, which never would have been possible without the help from my good friend Morten (thank you!).

Me drinking a beer in a hotel somewhere outside Milan in Italy at 03.00 o'clock in the morning after a nightmare trip from Milan and back again. After a nice flight from Moscow to Milan I stepped onto the Alitalia Airbus 3-something thinking that I would be in Dakar approximately 5 hours later. That was a far-fetched idea because 15 minutes into the flight a very load sound appeared from around where the landing gear were. Shortly after the onboard pc screens showed that we were turning around and heading towards Milan again. The pilot a bit later told us coldly that we were experiencing problems with the hydraulics and the ground personal had to take look at it. He did not say that half of Milan Malpensa Airport's fire trucks were going to be in high alert with their lights turned on next to the runway when we were going to land.

We landed without a hitch and after spending many hours studying hands-on "Italian style management" we were transferred to a hotel to stay the night. The next morning we got an afternoon flight to Paris. From Paris we seated ourselves onto a brand new Air France Boing 777 plane to Dakar - a great leap for luxury and comfort:-)