BETWEEN PLACE ANDTIME - MY AFRICAN JOURNEY BY OLADOKUN SULAIMAN

Between places and time


No one person can sleep in two roms at a time, no one person, no matter what the power the person has , cannot occupy two places at a time, no one person can see everything at a time- except God -- this is part of the limitation we have as human , and these limitations are sign of the exsitence of the Most High Creator- the following are logs of places I touched either via land , air OR coastal boat service during the 11 months sailling across the atlantic mediteranian and indian ocean and the adjancent seas and rivers that linked them , I earlier shared with you in my previous posting .

I would like to make it clear that the characterizations are not absolute, however, main attaction define uniqueness attached to every place on earth. Furthermore , everywhere on earth you find alost the same thing beside those unique attaction that are are exclusely made for us to develop interest in us so thatt we can try to see explore what otehrs are doing and to extract praise from it to the glory of the the greatest Creator. Again I say, everywhere look the almost the same...in every city you find the good and the dirty part,you find the nice and the mean and you find well secured and no secured part , walking miles is subject to topography and peoples way of living changes----same thing as walking from some street in New City , the big apple , the greatest city in world, and see changes from clean areas to projects or slums. At the end of the day , what matter is YOU , not where you are going , what matter is what you are looking for, what you want to do with yourself, and who you want to associate yourself with , are you ready to learn from opportunty time and space is offering you, do you respect other peoples, culture, do you believe in others people, that we are all Gods creature as long no one was dropped from the above, do you believe in yourself ... do you believe that you can also do it , are you ready to maximumise use of resources that suround you ......enjoy!!!


Dakar in Senegal


Senegal tropical West African state that has beauties both natural and urbane, its capital, is Dakar; Dakar is big, crowded, raw, and ambitious. Senegal has well known international musicians. It has beautiful coastline, where lazy beach days can be followed by cocktail-fuelled nights. But just around the corner from the busy resorts, tiny fishing villages tempt with a slice of real life and winding estuaries if you like invite solitary time and bird watching trips that is where to go.


At a glance


Area-196,190 sq km, 75,749 sq miles
Population-11,987,000
Time Zone-GMT/UTC 0 ()
Languages-French (official),Wolof (official),Serer (other),Diola (other),Fula (other),Tukulor (other),Mandinka (other)
Religion -94% Islam, 5% Christian, 1% indigenous beliefs
Currency-franc CFA (CFA)
Electricity-230V 50HzHz
Electric Plug Details-European plug with two circular metal pins
Main attraction

Niokolo-Koba Park of 900 sq km (347 sq mi),It's Senegal's major Lush and beautiful, national park and an international biosphere reserve. There are resident elephants, lions, leopards and the giant derby eland; you're unlikely to spot any of these, but you can content yourself with the sight of monkeys (green and hussar), roan antelopes and hartebeest.

Places to see

Cap Skiring-The beaches in the Cap Skiring area are some of the finest in all Africa.
Dakar - the capital
Ziguinchor-
Île de Gorée -With its colonial brick-structures and sand-blown, bougainvillea-flushed island ...
Lac Rose -Lac Rose owes its name to its pink colouring, caused by a high mineral and salt content
Parc National des Oiseaux du Djoudj -From November to April, some three million birds migrating south from Europe stop here
Parc National du Niokolo-Koba -Lush and beautiful, Niokolo-Koba covers 900 sq km (347 sq mi).

Cotonou in Benin


Benin is a small African country in West Africa that has fetish markets and voodoo culture, the remnants of the mighty culture that fed on the slave trade, and architectural anomalies such as stilt villages and mud fortresses. Cotonou is Benin's capital in everything but name, Cotonou thrived after the abolition of slavery.

At a glance

Capital City -Porto Novo
Area- 110,620 sq km,42,710 sq miles
Population -7,400,000
Time Zone -GMT/UTC +1 ()
Languages-French (official),Fon (other),Yoruba (other)
Religion-Animism & Voodoo (50%), Muslim (20%), Christian (30%)
Currency-West African CFA Franc (CFA),
Electricity -220V 50HzHz
Electric Plug Details -European plug with two circular metal pins


Places of attraction

Abomey's main and seriously impressive attraction, the Musée Historique d'Abomey, consists of palaces of the ancient kings Ghézo and Glélé. The museum displays royal thrones and tapestries, human skulls that were once used as musical instruments, fetish items and Ghézo's throne, mounted on four real skulls of vanquished enemies. Other cities of attractions are :

Porto Novo-Officially the capital (though the government long ago moved itself 32km (20mi) west to Cotonou)
Grand Marché du Danktokpa -This huge must-see market sells everything from food, radios, waxed cloth, pottery and baskets etc
Parc National de Pendjari -This 275,000-hectare national park 45km (28mi) north of Natitingou,

Lome in Togo


Its small strip of landing West Africa, with capital Lomé, lome has is surrounded by beautiful beaches with unique village cultures and the vivacity of their markets and festivals. Lomé used to be pearl of West Africa Before the country's political troubles of the 1990s.





At a glance

Full Name - Togolese Republic
Capital City - Lomé (pop 600,000)
Area-56,600 sq km,21,853 sq miles
Population - 5,400,000
Time Zone - GMT/UTC +0 ()
Languages - French (official), Ewe (other), Kabyle (other)
Religion - indigenous beliefs (59%), Christian (29%), Muslim (12%)
Currency - West African CFA Franc (CFA)
Electricity - 220V 50HzHz
Electric Plug Details - European plug with two circular metal pins


Place of attraction

Togo's best waterfall is the 35m (115ft) Akloa Falls. It's like something out of a shampoo commercial: water gushing down a cliff, and people frolicking in the pool below, surrounded by lush vegetation. The falls are accessed via a strenuous climb that follows the Domi River and passes through coffee fields, pineapple plantations and a butterfly garden. Other city of attractions are :

Togoville-On the northern banks of Lake Togo, Togoville's chief drawcard is its history.
Akloa Falls -Togo's best waterfall is the 35m (115ft) Akloa Falls.

Other interesting cities in West Africa are: thus war ravage situation is depleting them from tourism advantage


Ivory Coast – is currently a being ravaged by war-it most powerful attraction of the Côte d'Ivoire (the 'Ivory Coast') is its people, so if you're interested in African history, art or music, this is the place to be. There's also a whole lot of physical beauty, from towering mountains to fishing villages, easily reached on some of the best roads in Africa.

Sierra Leon- is a war ravaged country however Peace has broken out and this little gem of an African nation is back. It is still desperately poor, but has good beaches and national parks.




Zuirik in Switzerland

Switzerland has with fusion of German, French and Italian ingredients has formed a robust national culture, and the country's alpine landscapes have enough zing to reinvigorate the most jaded traveller. Goethe summed up Switzerland succinctly as a combination of 'the colossal and the well-ordered'. You can be sure that your trains and letters will be on time. The tidy, just-so precision of Swiss towns is tempered by the lofty splendour of the landscapes that surround them.

Full Name-Swiss Confederation
Capital City-Bern
Area-41,290 sq km,15,942 sq miles
Population-7,461,100
Time Zone-GMT/UTC +1 ()
Languages-German (official)- spoken by about 63.7% of the population.
French (official)-spoken by 20.4% of the population.

Italian (official)-Spoken by 6.4% of the population.

Raeto-Romance (official)-spoken by 0.5% of the population

Religion- 41.8% Roman Catholic, 35.3% Protestant, 4.3% Muslim, 1.8% Orthodox Christian, 11.1% no religion, 5.7% other.
Currency-Swiss Franc (CHF)
Electricity -230V 50HzHz

Zurich

Zurich is not the boring banking capital it's reputed to be. In fact Zürich is - whisper it softly - surprisingly hip and trendy. Hundreds of new bars, restaurants and clubs have opened since planning laws were changed in the late 1990s and Zürich now hosts Europe's largest annual street party. Admittedly, the first impression, of a small, clean and orderly metropolis with church steeples above a crystal-blue river and lake, is pleasant rather than exciting. Taking a very broad definition of design, this museum comes up with some wonderful exhibitions... For example, looking at how Bollywood film producers love to shoot films in Switzerland; examining dendrites - or tree-shaped structures - that are found throughout nature; or fondly presenting takeaway food packaging.

Main attraction



These Roman ruins by the Rhein are Switzerland's largest, and the last remnants of a colony founded in 43 BC that had grown to 20,000 citizens by the 2nd century. Today, restored features include an open-air theatre and several temples, plus the Roman Museum, which features an authentic Roman house among its exhibits.

Geneva-Geneva is not Switzerland's capital, despite what many think. Other cities of attraction are:

Lucerne-Lucerne is ideally situated in the historic and scenic area
Augusta Raurica -These Roman ruins by the Rhein are Switzerland's largest, and the last remnants of a colony founded.
Château de Chillon -This extraordinary, oval-shaped castle was brought to the attention of the world by Lord Byron.
Great St Bernard Pass Hospice Museum – Perhaps the Great St Bernard Pass should be renamed the Great Alsation Pass.
Swiss National Museum -A great cream cake of a museum, this mammoth but riveting turreted affair was built in 1898

Italy

Italy is know for popes, painters, polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates. Its dreamy light and sumptuous landscapes seem made for romance, and its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduces just about everyone. You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and gaze at beautiful churches. Naturally you can also indulge in the pleasures of: good food, good wine and improving your wardrobe.

Full Name -Italian Republic
Capital City-Rome
Area-301,230 sq km,116,305 sq miles
Population-57,300,000
Time Zone-GMT/UTC +1 (+2 in summer) (Central European Time)
Languages-Italian (official),A Latin language related to French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian. Standard Italian and numerous dialects are spoken.
French (other), German (other), Slovenian (other),Albanian (other)
Religion-84% Roman Catholic, 6% Jewish, Muslim and Protestant
Currency-Euro (€)
Electricity-220V 50Hz
Electric Plug Details-European plug with two circular metal pins

Rome

Is the arrogant opulence of the Vatican, the timelessness of the Forum, the top speed of a Fiat Bambino, the gory resonance of the Colosseum, trying to cross a major intersection, or the bill for your caffe latte. Make like the locals and souse your senses in the glut of pleasures the city has to offer, from the grandiose thrill of feeling centuries of turbulent history under your feet to the small but potent intoxication of eating chestnut gelati on a hot day.

Main attraction


The main tourist season starts at Easter and runs until October; peak periods are in spring and autumn, when the tour buses pour in and tourists are herded around like cattle.Numerous outdoor festivals and concerts and the fact that Romans desert the city for the beaches and mountains, which means very light traffic and a less-crowded city centre, makes summer almost worth the heat. If you do visit in summer, try to hit the sights early, take a long lunch and a nap, and then head out again around 18:00 to take advantage of the cooler evening. Be aware some restaurants and shops close for the month of August. Winters are usually mild with few tourists and some fun events around Christmas time.

Places of attraction

Leaning tower of Pisa-is the world’s greatest architectural cockup. Its creator, Bonanno Pisan, was in trouble three tiers in when the tower began to list badly to the south. Things got worse at the rate of about 1mm a year, but at least it gave Galileo a chance to throw rocks from the bell tower to test his theory of gravity. Today it's 4.1m (13.5ft) off the perpendicular. Other cities of attractions are:


Amalfi- is beautiful coast stretching for 50km (31mi) along a promontory.
Florence-The cultural and historical impact of Florence (or Firenze) is overwhelming.
Milan-The now and the next are invented daily in Milan, Europe's creative capital.
Naples-Naples (Napoli if you live there) is raucous, polluted, anarchic, deafening, and crumbling
San Gimignano-Only 14 of the original 72 towers remains, but this wonderfully preserved medieval city in Tuscany.
Sardinia-Sardinia has some fascinating medieval sections and beautiful beaches.
Sicily-The island of Sicily is a place of contrasts, from the crumbling grandeur of its capital, Palermo.
Siena-Siena had been a bustling economic centre based on its textiles, saffron and wine in the 12th century.
Venice-Venezia, La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic, city of canals and palaces.
Basilica di San Francesco - This basilica saw heavy damage and four deaths during a series of earthquakes in 1997.
Grand Canal - Venice's Grand Canal is the artery along which courses the city's lifeblood.
Pompeii -Victim of the world's most famous volcano disaster.
The Uffizi –Florence-To enter the Uffizi, which qualifies as the world's oldest gallery.
Valley of the Temples Via dei Templi runs through the middle of the archaeological park.

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