You're listening to an airwave media podcast. Hello and

welcome to the Explorers Podcast.

Today we continue our series on French Explorer Renee Cayet

and his quest to be the first European to reach the

legendary city of Timbuktu and return alive.

One quick note for today, if you want to see a map of Cayet's route to Timbuktu, check out Explorers Podcast.

That is it for notes, on with the show.

Last time we left Cayet as he arrived at the small river port of Kacondi on the Rio Nunez in modern day Guinea.

Cayier had come here because he wanted to avoid a place where he would be known.

He was disguised as a poor Arab traveler who had been captured by the French and

Egypt 25 years previously and taken back to Europe.

He said he had left the Christians and wanted to return to his homeland.

To facilitate this persona, Kaya had spent eight months with thekner Moors, who lived north of the Senegal River,

learning Arabic and being taught the laws and customs of Islam. It was an incredibly risky and audacious plan.

Cayet had no support, no guards, and just a single pack of provisions in a So, Pere Poor, was a key to Kaye's plans.

He needed to keep a low profile and avoid unwanted interest, especially from those who would

want to rob him.

To help him move about the country, Kaye knew Arabic and a smattered of Mandingo.

But most importantly, he was passing himself off as a Muslim.

This would provide him with a connection to many of the people that he will encounter.

We have seen this in other stories such as that of Ibn Matuta.

He traveled tens of thousands of miles and his religion would provide him with a link to so many of the people he encountered on his journeys.

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