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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #16  
Old 28 Jan 2011
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There is nothing in my passport about the bike. I will have to get rid of the helmet, too as that would give customs a hint. Not easy in a country where no one wears a helmet.

Anyways, I asked 3000 euro for my 1997 Suzuki GS500, just to give them an unrealistic starting price, hoping that it won't be haggled down to 500. It's not worth much in Ireland, so I would be happy if it covered my flight back and some of my expenses on the way here. The only thing I am not sure about is if I am ready to go back to -10C in Europe
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  #17  
Old 28 Jan 2011
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Hi Zoltan,

there are "only" 0-5+ degrees in Ireland!
When I came back (two weeks ago) the departure temperature in Bamako was the same as the landing temp. in Strasbourg, +12°C.
In Mali it is no problem to sell a vehicule, but the prices are down (a new moto "PowerZ" costs about 100 Euro). Burkina is not better. Maybe you can ask the "major" at the route of Koulikoro, what he will give you (he's the gendarme, who buys the cars from the "Budapest-Bamako-Rally")

Nice stay
Ferdi
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  #18  
Old 30 Jan 2011
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Yes, if you want to make business you should definitely try to sell the bike or anything else when the Budapest-Bamako crowd arives. The Kempinski parking lot becomes a second hand market for cars and everything else. All the dealers know about the day and wait there to make a deal.

Not just cars, anything can be sold.

"a new moto "PowerZ" costs about 100 Euro'
No kidding? 100 Euros a NEW one?
Next time I get on to ride around the country )


g.
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  #19  
Old 30 Jan 2011
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I bought a PowerK in Bamako last year for my friend from Nkt.
Price was 320000 CFA which would be around €500, no?
For another 100000 CFA I could have had a much sturdier looking 250.
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  #20  
Old 30 Jan 2011
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I am selling it for €1500 now, got a lot of interest and 3 or 4 guys offered 1k outright. I have all the time in the world, moved to a very cheap auberge and I am not rushing back to frozen Europe right now... if someone offers 1300 or so I will jump on it.

The Bamako crowd is all over the place, I met a few fellow Hungarians already, they are taking my bike gear back to Hungary and I just have to find a buyer for the bike now... life is looking good. Even found an ATM with a Mastercard logo clearly on it, I will try that tomorrow and let you know if it works.
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  #21  
Old 8 Feb 2011
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Best of luck for you, Zoltán
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  #22  
Old 8 Feb 2011
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Yeah, thanks. Selling a bike in Bamako is not for my nerves, they are really a shower of w&^kers there, nobody has cash. In the end I decided to ride the bike back to Europe... and maybe continue on to Asia on it if it holds up. I am just kicking back in Dakhla, Western Sahara and going to spend a few weeks in Spain before heading north.

For anyone who wants to sell a bike in Mali, ask them to show the actual cash before even talking to them. And don't trust anyone, especially not the ones trying to help you.
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  #23  
Old 8 Feb 2011
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We also discovered with some alarm that we couldn't cash our traveller cheques and although we could use our cards at some African supermarkets, we were never able to use the ATMs. Never found out why. We had cash -and had to find ways of getting more US dollars out to us. Even then, we needed so much more ....
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  #24  
Old 8 Feb 2011
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Yeah, Western Union gets expensive (I told my partner to bring plenty €€€, instead he took a small stack of $$$, that cost us dearly in the end)

Barothi, did you hear the big explosion the other night?
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...s-in-nkt-55286
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  #25  
Old 11 Feb 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barothi View Post
Selling a bike in Bamako is not for my nerves, they are really a shower of w&^kers there, nobody has cash....
For anyone who wants to sell a bike in Mali, ask them to show the actual cash before even talking to them. And don't trust anyone, especially not the ones trying to help you.
Hahaaa! A very familiar story. Imagine me trying to sell a bendy bus in Bamako 3 years ago

Everyone's interested but in the end you realize they only wanted to chat. Everyone knows somebody interested (just wait for the 'boss') and that person never shows up. Ever.

That's why I recommended you selling your bike with the Bamako people as that's the biggest market around and you might have found a buyer even for a bike (and also to contact me for assistance as I have HU friends living their with lots of local contacts).

Safe ride!
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  #26  
Old 12 Feb 2011
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Oh yes, trying to sell something in Mali (or anywhere in Africa?) can drive you nuts.
Some people enjoy it, I don't. But now I let my Mauri friend handle most negotiations and he's fantastic. If anyone needs help of any kind in Nkt let me know and I will give you his mobile number.
If there is no stamp in the passport I would prefer selling in Nkt to Bko.
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  #27  
Old 20 Feb 2011
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Hey, priffle,

can you please PM me his contacts?
Never know when I might need him
Why do you prefer NKT? Prices or sg. else?


g.
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  #28  
Old 20 Feb 2011
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gagarin check your p.m.
Well in the central market area in Bamako you can barely breathe these days. Nkt is more relaxed and you can find the same or perhaps even a better price there.
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  #29  
Old 24 Feb 2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gagarin View Post
Hahaaa! A very familiar story. Imagine me trying to sell a bendy bus in Bamako 3 years ago

Everyone's interested but in the end you realize they only wanted to chat. Everyone knows somebody interested (just wait for the 'boss') and that person never shows up. Ever.

That's why I recommended you selling your bike with the Bamako people as that's the biggest market around and you might have found a buyer even for a bike (and also to contact me for assistance as I have HU friends living their with lots of local contacts).

Safe ride!
I think that sometimes it can be a deliberate purchasing strategy: Foreigners trying to sell a vehicle will probably fly home, which means they have a flight to catch, which means maybe they can be strung along for 2 days and then desperately accept a much lower offer...

After the 2009 Budapest-Bamako I had this problem in Ouagadougou; it was very frustrating as a potential buyer would keep on saying "The boss is coming... let's talk about cash in another hour...". They were just playing games, hoping they could haggle a desperate seller down from €2500 to €1000.
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  #30  
Old 24 Feb 2011
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I wasn't that desperate to sell... I was just really happy that good prices were offered. Then I realised what's going on after a while. The people buying at the hotel parking lot after the B2B rally arrived were the same who offered to buy my bike.. I talked to them. It was an organised thing and the owner of the hostel I stayed in was the main player. They knew exactly when I was to leave...

Anyways, the ride back to Spain was amazing, and this way I can hang around here much longer... Andalucia is amazing this time of the year, and I have some catching up to do with the eating

Thanks for the tips, I will know who to talk to when I next make a trip to sell a car or bike...

One last thing, take a Yamaha and as big a bike as possible... with a really loud can... that's what they want.
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