Welcome to my website! Enjoy and have a great ride....
What has Itchy Boots been up to?
Season 7 : Return to Africa
1 May 2023The past few weeks, I've taken a break from YouTube and I'm excited to share with you the preparations I did for the next leg of my journey through the African continent. Traveling West Africa is not for the faint of heart and it requires careful planning for some of it.
Motorcycle service
I'll be servicing my motorcycle in Dakar before continuing further into West Africa. My Honda CRF300l Rally 'Alaska' got quite a beating in Mauritania and needs looking after. It's also time to get new tires fitted but I already know that I can't be picky. When you're on the road, you have to make do with what the bike shop has, so let's hope it's any good!
I'll also be cleaning my fuel filter to remove any sand that may have accumulated during my Sahara rides. On top of that, several other wearable parts will need replacing and cleaning. Alaska needs to be in top shape for the next leg of the journey!
Visas
I will be crossing many countries through West Africa and for most of them I have to organize a visa beforehand. Each African country has different visa rules so it's crucial to plan this accordingly and to avoid any last-minute issues. Arranging visas while on the go is quite time consuming and it also means I have to visit almost every capital city, since that is where the embassies/consulates are. Those capital cities are terrible to ride through on a motorcycle so I'm not particularly looking forward to this logistical part of the trip.
On the other hand, arranging visas in neighboring countries will be a lot easier, quicker (and cheaper) than trying to arrange them in my home country of The Netherlands. For some reason it's much harder to get visas sorted there, so getting them along the way also has its perks.
Vaccinations and malaria
Another important aspect of preparing for this part of my trip is taking care of the necessary health precautions. In some African countries, you are not allowed to enter the country if you don't have a yellow fever vaccination for example. Malaria is also a concern in this region, so I'll be taking the necessary measures to protect myself against it. I am bringing self-test malaria kits, anti-malaria tablets, insect repellent and also a mosquito net.
For the first stretch until Dakar (so crossing Morocco and Mauritania), this wasn't a concern as there is no malaria there. That's why I had to arrange a mosquito net to prepare myself for the jungle part of my African adventures!
Clothing
As for clothing, I'll be packing lighter clothes suitable for the hot weather in West Africa, including bringing lighter gloves . I've also changed my jersey to a thinner and lighter one to get more airflow while I'm riding.
Finally, I've also got a new drone that I'll be using from now on - for information about my camera equipment, check out www.itchyboots.com/academy.
I can't wait to hit the road and continue my adventures! But as always, it's important to take time every now and then and make some preparations that can be crucial in a later stage.
Your reply
Hallo Noraly, deze vakantie je boek gelezen, inspirerend verhaal, helemaal omdat ik ook de “plaatjes” van deze reis nog helder op het netvlies had; ik ben begonnen je te volgen aan het begin van de Azië reis. Tijdens een motor tochtje met mijn buurman vertelde ik hem dat ik jou avonturen volgde, hij luisterde geïnteresseerd, helemaal toen ik je naam noemde, hij kent jou goed, komt ook in het boek voor, het is Hidde de Boer. Mocht je op op je avonturen in de buurt van Giessenburg belanden, dan heb je al twee koffie adressen, bij mij en mijn buurman. Safe travels! Leo van Marion
Leo van Marion
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Norally, after binge watching your riding adventures for more than a year(?), I’m caught up on all your videos. After your accident and surgery, I can understand your need for healing and a break from the road. But I sure have been going through “Itchy Boots withdrawal.” I miss those daily video journal entries and would surely like to have an update on your activity and healing. Please catch me up... RiderRB
RiderRB
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My 90 year-old aunt and I have followed your rides through Liberia and Ghana (where I have lived) eagerly. We were amazed at beauty of the subsaharan countries where I haven't visited. So sorry about your accident in Tanzania but the people there were so gracious. Get well. Can't wait to see you back on the trail.
sammcgee
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Noraly, I wish you a fast and full recovery. Best wishes and I hope you can present us with an update.
Hugo Da Costa
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Loved your Cameroon experiences. We lived in Yaoundé in the mid 70s. I was a missionary pilot and flew all through the areas you traveled. We even spent one week in a beach front missionary rest house in Kribi. Did you ride through Bertoua and Batouri? I flew there many times. I flew in to Lome via helicopter to survey and begin construction of a new airstrip. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Sherpatt
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*Happy New Year* Noraly
I get that on live chats there are so many repeat questions (which could be answered just by exploring your website)
BUT i for one, love the more in depth info given during them. Found a great interview (Dutch) online but not linked in here.
Wishing you the greatest of enjoyment (while also working) & total respect for what you do!
(seems i have started my own 'channel' while subscribing... DOH ) Regards Clayton
Kiwi-Flyer
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Hi Noraly,
We are religious viewers of your YouTube channel - LOVE IT!
As you are moving into Cameroon and areas east, I wanted to make you aware of a wonderful program that we support called Trees for the Future that works with the local people in African countries, coaching them to create Forest Gardens and changing their lives. If you are interested, here is a link to the 2023 annual report (https://trees-for-the-future.s3.amazonaws.com/2023-Impact-Report.pdf)
They do great work and we thought you might run across their projects. Safe travels! Sheila & Tom
Sheila Boyce
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Seeing that you are having bike trouble - and it has served you well for 1000’s and 1000’s of miles, you might want to think about what motorcycle you will have for Season 8….Maybe a Tenere Raid?
KLT1962
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Just saw her in a YouTube video of her presentation at the 2023 SBR Festival in the UK. Video uploaded by “701 Adventures”. I don’t think that she mentioned that she had left Africa in today’s video.
jrobles999
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June 26. Has anyone heard where Noraly is at this time? No episode yesterday and she's never missed one till now.
Is there an Africa 911? Should we be worried? Lars, Seattle
Lars48
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