Really enjoying this, Simon....another excellent report! 
Phil
Phil
Gael Warnings in West Africa.
- Thread starter Drumacoon Lad.
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Thanks Phil...Good to know you and others are enjoying the ride! Off hiking tomorrow for a few days with no electricity let alone WiFi so enjoy the rest!
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Thanks for another great ride report Simon 
I will show this to a friend who has a house in Gambia - he often talks of an overland trip down there and I think this may spur him on
Dermot
I will show this to a friend who has a house in Gambia - he often talks of an overland trip down there and I think this may spur him on
Dermot
Dermot: you do that, people need more tourists and most of the places I have been are way nicer than the Gambia so it may open your friend's eyes!
Pity that one if the most attractive, Casamance, has had a very recent spot of bother
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Pity that one if the most attractive, Casamance, has had a very recent spot of bother
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rachaelk1300r
Registered user
I'm so enjoying the blog, thank you for taking the time and the pictures are fab.
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Thanks Rachael!
I have just arrived in Ouagadougou the capital of Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta I believe for the older readers!).
I will recap today and then write a it later about hiking off the grid in the Dogon country alongside the Bandiagara escarpment.
It was a long and dusty ride from Bandiagara in the Dogon country of central Mali, particularly as the harmattan wind was blowing strongly all day so I feel well scoured by the sand and dust!
It was a good 400 Kms as the google route takes sandy pistes that I was certainly it going to!
This is the abiding image of the day...dry Saharan landscape
There were limited things to see by the road unless you are into cocoanut matting
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I have just arrived in Ouagadougou the capital of Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta I believe for the older readers!).
I will recap today and then write a it later about hiking off the grid in the Dogon country alongside the Bandiagara escarpment.
It was a long and dusty ride from Bandiagara in the Dogon country of central Mali, particularly as the harmattan wind was blowing strongly all day so I feel well scoured by the sand and dust!
It was a good 400 Kms as the google route takes sandy pistes that I was certainly it going to!
This is the abiding image of the day...dry Saharan landscape
There were limited things to see by the road unless you are into cocoanut matting
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Leaving Mali was easy or difficult depending on your perspective...I found no border post on the Mali side, just an abandoned concrete police post with a large number of bullet holes in it...so there was nowhere to get my passport stamped out or to hand in my Laisser passer form. No doubt I will get a talking to if/when I ride back into Mali but since I didn’t surrender my laisser passer when I left Mali in October I don’t think it can be a big deal.
Entering Burkina was straightforward with a quick passport stamp at the border and a friendly Douane at the next town 25 Kms away. They said they saw very little traffic down this road since the Mali troubles and confirmed those were bullet holes in the abandoned Mali border police post. I was glad I had left early and just ridden through (and for the record had checked with numerous police in Bandiagara that the road was safe to ride in daytime).
So once in Burkina I kept plugging away despite the sand, with my visor firmly down to keep it out.
Ouagadougou was intense especially as the main road to my lodging was closed and I had to follow a maze of muddy and potholed back alleys to get there...including meeting a set of bollards that were narrower than the bike with panniers on
Somehow I found a way through to the quirky Pavillon Vert whose French owner is a biker and has given me lots of good info on roads and bOrder crossings.
And the day ends well with a (very) late lunch at 4 pm
As I finished lunch they were removing tables to dry this fruit which they said was palm fruit (?)
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Entering Burkina was straightforward with a quick passport stamp at the border and a friendly Douane at the next town 25 Kms away. They said they saw very little traffic down this road since the Mali troubles and confirmed those were bullet holes in the abandoned Mali border police post. I was glad I had left early and just ridden through (and for the record had checked with numerous police in Bandiagara that the road was safe to ride in daytime).
So once in Burkina I kept plugging away despite the sand, with my visor firmly down to keep it out.
Ouagadougou was intense especially as the main road to my lodging was closed and I had to follow a maze of muddy and potholed back alleys to get there...including meeting a set of bollards that were narrower than the bike with panniers on
Somehow I found a way through to the quirky Pavillon Vert whose French owner is a biker and has given me lots of good info on roads and bOrder crossings.
And the day ends well with a (very) late lunch at 4 pm
As I finished lunch they were removing tables to dry this fruit which they said was palm fruit (?)
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I said I would relate my visit to the Dogon country. I did quite a bit of research given the security situation, and those in Bamako (and indeed in Segou) were very discouraging. But I spent some time talking to the remarkable and professional Monique a Dutch lady who runs Papillon reizen and is married to a Hogon man. I also met Heinrich a Berliner who had just come. Back from a hike up there. All considered it seemed the risks were limited. It was a bit like when the troubles in Belfast meant people were saying'dont go anywhere in Ireland!'
So I paired up with Ousman, a Hogon man who was to be my guide (and cook the occasional meal) as we walked along and down from the Bandiagara escarpment, itself a remarkable 195 kms natural phenomenon.
Photos to follow shortly when the WiFi behaves!
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So I paired up with Ousman, a Hogon man who was to be my guide (and cook the occasional meal) as we walked along and down from the Bandiagara escarpment, itself a remarkable 195 kms natural phenomenon.
Photos to follow shortly when the WiFi behaves!
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Ousman with some of the many children who flocked to us for entertainment
I left the moto at the hotel where I had been the only guest
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The intrepid explorer!
There's lots in t'internet about the Dogon traditions and way of life so I will just post a few photos to give you a sense of the beauty and isolation of the place....particularly now there are virtually no tourists
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Transport...
Lots of mud building: a mosque
and local brick making from muddy pools
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Lots of mud building: a mosque
and local brick making from muddy pools
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Weaving the local cotton, which is then dyed with local indigo
This 3 day old baby (which I was formally requested to visit!) is the 1151st inhabitant of the cliff top village of Indelou
I was glad to get to the bottom of the escarpment!
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Did I mention there were lots of curious and friendly nippers?
I slept in village houses or on the roof of one...and sampled some of the local miller food which is a staple
It was a fabulous 3 days and a real pleasure to walk with a Higón man who knew people in all the 8 or 9 villages we visited. And a Hogon‘hello how are you’ involves a ritualised set of 7-10 questions asking about the person and all their family members so our journey had lots of breaks while people chatted. Seems there is no variant of ‘hiya’ that takes less than 4 phrases each!
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Is one of those questions, "You'll have had your tea?" 
Great report. Keep it coming.
Great report. Keep it coming.
No Scotboxer I think that’s peculiar to you parsimonious Scots!
Having a rest day today in Ouagadougou as is the bike
This is because I am trying to get a Nigerian visa here - unlikely I know as they usually require home country application. But if not here then last chance saloon is Cotonou, Benin.
Well after much ado the Nigerian embassy gave me the 4 page form to complete but only consider visas on Tuesday and Thursday so I have an interview tomorrow
. Wish me luck!
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Having a rest day today in Ouagadougou as is the bike
This is because I am trying to get a Nigerian visa here - unlikely I know as they usually require home country application. But if not here then last chance saloon is Cotonou, Benin.
Well after much ado the Nigerian embassy gave me the 4 page form to complete but only consider visas on Tuesday and Thursday so I have an interview tomorrow
. Wish me luck!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Can't sit still on my leisure day so thought I would get my old battery charged. You will remember the Bamako police workshop fitted a new battery but suggested I keep the old one as it still had life.
Not that keen to carry a 4.8kg lump around but good to have if I decide to recross the Sahara heading North in a month.
So yesterday I checked the output with my voltmeter and it was down to 12.1v
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Not that keen to carry a 4.8kg lump around but good to have if I decide to recross the Sahara heading North in a month.
So yesterday I checked the output with my voltmeter and it was down to 12.1v
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Sorry about the interrupted post but my coffee plunger (Jetboil) needed seeing to...Now I can sip my 
️ and continue.
I picked up the battuand before I got across the courtyard to the office one if the guys directed me a block away to a battery man. When I got in the right street people saw what I was about and pointed out the battery man.
I bought some distilled water and we agreed on 40p for the battery to be charged overnight.
When I come back tomorrow I said I would bring my voltmeter....
So dear readers, suggestions on a postcard please on what is the minimum voltage that makes it worth carrying as a spare?
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️ and continue.I picked up the battuand before I got across the courtyard to the office one if the guys directed me a block away to a battery man. When I got in the right street people saw what I was about and pointed out the battery man.
I bought some distilled water and we agreed on 40p for the battery to be charged overnight.
When I come back tomorrow I said I would bring my voltmeter....
So dear readers, suggestions on a postcard please on what is the minimum voltage that makes it worth carrying as a spare?
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roadrider
Registered user
Super photo's today Simon 
Thanks road rider!
But never have my camera when I need it....Like tonight when a Moto ooops out if a side road with 2 bikes on it: the rider has a massive roundabout house on his shoulders and the pillion a giant stuffed giraffe...You can visualise the picture but I wish I caught it....Like a pantomime horse and giraffe on wheels, straight into the crazy rush hour traffic!
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But never have my camera when I need it....Like tonight when a Moto ooops out if a side road with 2 bikes on it: the rider has a massive roundabout house on his shoulders and the pillion a giant stuffed giraffe...You can visualise the picture but I wish I caught it....Like a pantomime horse and giraffe on wheels, straight into the crazy rush hour traffic!
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Sorry 2 blokes not 2 'bikes'! and horse not 'house'. God I hate predictive text!!
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