This is not for experienced desert foxes and dune jumpers, who battery-welded their broken chasis in the middle of nowhere or made it out of Erg Iguidi on foot with three dates and a can of tomato juice ;-)

This is for people, who always wanted to, but somehow never dared to travel by road to Africa on their own using not a 4wheel drive, but a regular inexpensive sedan.

This is for people with a lust for adventure, a yearning for the unknown, willing to jump over their own shadow, saying: this is good - let's do it.

This is an amateur rally from Innsbruck, Austria to Bamako, Mali starting January 20th 2007, lasting about 2 1/2 weeks. We will travel the atlantic route to Mauritania, head east on the "route d'espoir", than - crossing the sahel - south to Mali. We will visit the "festival sur le niger" in Segou on the great river Niger and once in Bamako, donate the vehicles to Caritas Bamako, which runs a center for homeless boys and girls. The Caritas will sell the cars in auction, the proceeds go to the center "Action Enfants de Tous" meaning "Action for the children of us all". Afterwards the participants will fly home.

The idea is not new. This is NOT A CAR RACE. It is about experiencing Africa, but also about giving back to Africa, something "desert foxes" often forget, while on their glorious and heroic sandbox games.

Chris, I hope You allow this ad on behalf of the Ralley humanitaire Innsbruck-Bamako.

more info at
www.innsbruck-bamako.at
(sorry website in German only. If interessted I mail an outline in English)

and to wet your appetite:
http://www.festivalsegou.org/

Greetings to all
Arthur

Arthur,

Be careful, you may upset a few people here on whose assistance the outcome of your project might rely.

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Roman (UK)