Almost Sleeping my way to Timbuktu

Sihle Khumalo

Sep 2013 · Penguin Random House South Africa

About this ebook

Travelling in West Africa by public transport, Sihle Khumalo turned a wish list into an itinerary. The plans for his trip were lean on practical detail, but grand in concept: Visit five World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO for their historical and cultural significance. Having never set foot in Sénégal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin or Togo, Sihle planned to inform himself about Francophone Africa as he went along. Had he pondered the implications of not speaking French in a part of the world where it is the lingua franca, or what the public transport might be like there, he might have set off less bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. But Sihle is not one to be deterred by setbacks and deadends. His flexibility, irrepressible optimism and robust sense of humour, coupled with an unexpected sensitivity towards his host countries, see him reach all his goals – or almost.

About the author

Sihle Khumalo is the best-selling author of Dark Continent My Black Arse and Heart of Africa. Shorter pieces by him appeared in uMama and Cheesecutters and Gymslips, and he has contributed to a number of travel magazines. In 2011, Sihle was selected as one of Destiny magazine’s Top 40 South Africans under the age of 40 who are destined for greatness. Born in Nqutu in rural KwaZulu-Natal, he was educated at Natal Technikon (now Durban University of Technology) and the Wits Business School. He is married and has two children. He currently lives in Johannesburg where he works for a property development company