OK. So I had a destination, Banjul, and I set departure date set of 1st November. It was now March and I had to get my guano in one pile.
Right, I was now making progress towards making the trip a reality. All I needed now was a motorcycle!
Was the route possible?......
Well, a bit of research on the net proved that it was perfectly possible to get from Kent to Banjul by tarmac via the route shown on the map, and it had been done recently. A bit more research, using Chris Scotts Sahara Overland book, gave me the possibility of mixing this route with a bit of off road in Morocco and Mauritania just to make it more interesting.
Paperwork?..... This subject is guaranteed to destroy the initial euphoria of any big trip as the quagmire of bureaucracy threatens to sap your will to live!
I had a passport already! Good news. But I would need a visa for Mauritania, this could be obtained in London.
Insurance?.... I managed to get travel insurance from a company called Trailfinders which included motorbike riding (not many insurers are happy to include proper motorbikes). As for bike insurance itself, the bike would be covered in Morocco by a Green Card from my current insurers, but in Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia I would have to buy local insurance.
Carnet?.... On advice from others, and due to the fact that I was on a tight schedule, I got one of these from the RAC. This customs document prevents you having to pay import duty on your bike when you enter a country, and was only required for Senegal. In retrospect I could have probably got away without it.
Medical?... I would need a few jabs, and a course of malaria tablets. I put together a pretty comprehensive first aid kit with the help of a paramedic friend and a few prescriptions from my GP. The only thing I wouldn't be able to do was open heart surgery!
Right, I was now making progress towards making the trip a reality. All I needed now was a motorcycle!
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