What has Itchy Boots been up to?

The 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.