Did you know that Timbukto is actually a real place? I always thought it was an imaginary land until my grandmother told me about a decade ago that her older sister was going there on a trip. Aunt Marge was one of the most adventurous women I've know for her generation. I remember as a child looking forward to seeing her at Christmas because she always regaled us with stories from her latest travels. I wanted to be like her when I grew up and travel all over the world. Aunt Marge was in her late 70s or early 80s when she flew to Mali in Africa where the city of Timbuktu is located.
I recently finished reading a travel adventure by Mark Jenkins called To Timbukto. It was quite a fascinating read. Not only does he tell the tale of how he and three friends set out to be the first to navigate the Niger River from source to delta, but he tells of the travails of Western explorers long before him who all set out to find this mythical city that was said to be immensely wealthy. Mark and his friends are beset with all kinds of problems such as harsh climatic elements, tribal wars, theft, etc making things difficult. Add to it that Mark's and one of the other men's wife were both six months pregnant when they left the States to begin their journey.
I won't give away the ending in case anyone wants to read the book. I checked it out from the Rockford library. All I will say is that those four men were far more adventurous than I will ever be! I admire people who have the chutzpuh to embark on travels like that, and love to hear their stories. But I am not brave (or perhaps crazy) enough to do it myself. I do like to travel, but I like my creature comforts. Being crocodile and rhino bait while kayaking down a dangerous river and sleeping on the hard ground in a tent while being attacked by killer bees is not my idea of a good time. Give me a day at the Louvre, dinner al fresco at a Parisian brasserie, and a comfortable bed in a clean hotel anyday!
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