Gael warning on the Ivory Coast

[Northern jock]

So no problems anymore going north from Mauritania to Morocco?

 

[richardbd]

Jim - as long as your health holds up, you’re right to focus on the trip ahead. Not many on here will have done the ride north that you’re engaged in, fewer still on a 250. If somebody put that trip on offer, I’d sign up like a shot. It’s not the ride home, it’s an adventure all of its own. Make sure you enjoy it

Simon - I’ve done a few long trips, to a few out of the way places, in first world, second and third but always in an organised group. The stuff you take on, accompanied or solo, always leaves me awestruck. Like Jim, you are a proper adventurer and I doff my cap to you sir

 

[trebor]

........ Thinking about it, the Tizi n Test pass does appeal, if it's fully open again. That area suffered badly from the earthquake.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

It's a very interesting and scenic route, the Tizi n' Test Pass.
I drove over it in a hire car some 20 years ago. At that time, some of it was tarmac, other bits gravel, with a lot of it single track with steep drops to the side, which became very interesting when we encountered a bus coming the other way. But for that bus we didn't encounter any other vehicles, that I can remember, until we got close to Marakesh.

Enjoying reading the stories of your two adventures. Good luck and keep safe!

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

So no problems anymore going north from Mauritania to Morocco?

Well you still have the rough track for about 2.5km on the Mauritanian side, I kept away from the sand and managed OK. That was my 6th crossing. The Moroccan side was just chaotic, I was getting directed places before having all the paperwork done. The last action was to xray by little bike. It looked quite lonely in that big shed. All in all it took about 2 hours.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Trebor, I won't reply as a quote as it gets a bit big, but it is a great ride. Strangely, I did it last when Simon and I separated on a trip in Mauritania, when I got ill I believe it's all tarmac now, and I'm just remembering, I also did it in a hire car. I know it was closed for a while, the villages around there were badly damaged in the quake a few years ago. Some research needed. This idea is getting some momentum and you know, it might happen.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

 

[simondippenhall]

From the southward bound guy: I spent a lot of my travel time yesterday mulling over the route forward once I leave the Casamance (which I hope to get to shortly, through Gambia).

I have a visa for Guinea Conakry and for Ivory Coast. The rains are impending there but seem to be forecast as quite light.

The more important variable is the Ivory Coast Customs and how long they will allow me to leave the bike there…I am told there is a very strict 60 day limit and it’s difficult to get an extension. So I will weigh this up before I head into Guinea Conakry as I don’t want to be moving the bike in from CDI during the night rains . Studies continue….

 

[richardbd]

From the southward bound guy: I spent a lot of my travel time yesterday mulling over the route forward once I leave the Casamance (which I hope to get to shortly, through Gambia).

I have a visa for Guinea Conakry and for Ivory Coast. The rains are impending there but seem to be forecast as quite light.

The more important variable is the Ivory Coast Customs and how long they will allow me to leave the bike there…I am told there is a very strict 60 day limit and it’s difficult to get an extension. So I will weigh this up before I head into Guinea Conakry as I don’t want to be moving the bike in from CDI during the night rains . Studies continue….

Rain? Let's hope it doesn't reduce the road to the state Itchy Boots had in West Africa

 

[simondippenhall]

Now in The Gambia after a very easy border crossing. I have always disliked this place because of its petty corruption and sex tourism but I am approaching it with an open mind. Just trying to work out where I can lay my head tonight…all the good accommodation seems to be south of here in Senegal and don’t want to head down there for a day or two…

Even decided to get colour prints if my Carte Brune insurance as I read there was a police check point where they extracted money if you only had the policy on your phone. After much messing around I got the prints….and of course the checkpoints just waver me through.

I also got to see the money drawer of the remarkably efficient (because female run I suspect) operation full of schoolchildren copying texts and people having passport photos printed…all in the space of a broom cupboard

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Leaving Dakhla at dawn I used the streetlights and the full moon for illumination. It soon brightened up and I had sunrise on my right over the sea. As I joined the main road north this sign was a good guide to the distances ahead. My destination was Boujdour but I was fighting a strong headwind. It was 4th and 5th gear riding and when 6th was selected it was by accident. Anyway, those were the conditions so I kept riding and the bike kept working hard. At times it was hard to get up to 80kph. The other impact was on fuel consumption, which dropped to about 14km/litre. It made me speculate on how much of the good cruising speeds and low fuel consumption on the way down, was influenced by this wind from the north.

 

[simondippenhall]

A few details of yesterday’s ride down from St Louis to Foundiougne in Senegal I took mainly secondary roads which my Nav V knew nothing of so I relied on Googlemaps except where it directed me Soan sandy tracks which it saw as short cut.

I soaked up the beauty of Senegal in the morning (relative ) Coolth ie under 30C. The roads were uncrowded as I avoided the main road to Dakar, and all was well with the world.

As I get into the swing of travel I reflected that I need to breakfast on the road so I can start out at daylight, as by midday the heat is intense. I was told this is particularly so because the rains have just ended so humidity is higher.

One way I manage this is to seek out a posh Shell or Total garage with attached shop with air conditioning. So I fuel up, go in for a cold Coke and ask if I may sit and drink it there. Invariably they bring a chair or a crate for the old man to sit in. This gives me a chance to cool down and reflect on objectives for the best stage of the day. Then I ask for the Toilettes and soak my tee shirt in water in the sink and off I go, enjoying the evaporation cooling.

It was at one such stop I met two young (25) French people, both recent engineering graduates. He ride his T7 (with massive Aceebis tank) down from Paris and has been all across Mauritania. She has flown din from Paris for the week and they were off to sleep in the dunes. (I did mention scorpions which didn’t faze them).

 

[Posh Pete]

Like I said ... double value! Safe travels the pair of you!

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Some of might imaging I'm now riding alone but in fact I have company at times. This guy below tends to show up in the mornings for a few hours. He's pretty silent, but I have a sense that he and Snoopy swap thought bubbles about me. Just as well I don't know what they're thinking.

 

[simondippenhall]

Last time I had been down to Foundiougne (with Kit as pillion) we had squeezed into a tiny ferry. Seems it subsequently sank and in any case there is now a snazzy new (Chinese built) bridge
On the way I spotted my first (of many) baobab trees
By the time I crossed the bridge it was near 5 and I was very hot and tired. I had spotted a little place on Googlemaps just beyond the bridge so I headed there only to be told they were full. But they directed me across the sandy lane to a lovely little paradise Le Baobab sur mer where a lovely lady called Therese offered me a rundown room but crucially with some vestiges of (a creaky old) air conditioner.

It turned out to be a lovely place for a weary motorcyclist and I dined on fresh shrimp from the river accompanied by chips and vegetables. How lucky I felt, when I had thought I might be sleeping on the street in my bivvy bag!
Plus it had a magnificent baobab

 

[richardbd]

Last time I had been down to Foundiougne (with Kit as pillion) we had squeezed into a tiny ferry. Seems it subsequently sank and in any case there is now a snazzy new (Chinese built) bridgeView attachment 457461
On the way I spotted my first (of many) baobab treesView attachment 457463
By the time I crossed the bridge it was near 5 and I was very hot and tired. I had spotted a little place on Googlemaps just beyond the bridge so I headed there only to be told they were full. But they directed me across the sandy lane to a lovely little paradise Le Baobab sur mer where a lovely lady called Therese offered me a rundown room but crucially with some vestiges of (a creaky old) air conditioner.

It turned out to be a lovely place for a weary motorcyclist and I dined on fresh shrimp from the river accompanied by chips and vegetables. How lucky I felt, when I had thought I might be sleeping on the street in my bivvy bag!View attachment 457468View attachment 457469
Plus it had a magnificent baobabView attachment 457471

Great tree

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

So today was all about the wind, and one thing the wind does in a desert is create sand dunes. I'd only seen a few in the distance on this trip but near the end of the ride today, one popped up by the side of the road.

It was beautiful, such wonderful curves created naturally. I had to park carefully as the wind was at risk of blowing the bike over. However, I couldn't pass this dune by and went over to see it close up. I did the classic, first footprints walk and got to the top. The dune wasn't static and up close you could see it was moving, with sand blowing over the top and falling down the steep side. I quickly got out my plastic bag and scooped in some of the fine sand. This Sahara sand will go next to my Namib Desert sand, at home.

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

So what happened on the ride you may ask. Well, the wind never abated, but I kept plugging along till I got to Boujdour at about 1:30. Well 1:30 is too early to stop if it means an afternoon in Boujdour and an night in the campsite, so I had a look ahead and found a hotel just short of Laayone. This would take me 160km up the road and I'd be in a proper hotel. The bike is parked outside the Hotel Beauport, in Le Marsa and I enjoyed a good evening meal.

 

[Greyrover]

So today was all about the wind, and one thing the wind does in a desert is create sand dunes. I'd only seen a few in the distance on this trip but near the end of the ride today, one popped up by the side of the road.

It was beautiful, such wonderful curves created naturally. I had to park carefully as the wind was at risk of blowing the bike over. However, I couldn't pass this dune by and went over to see it close up. I did the classic, first footprints walk and got to the top. The dune wasn't static and up close you could see it was moving, with sand blowing over the top and falling down the steep side. I quickly got out my plastic bag and scooped in some of the fine sand. This Sahara sand will go next to my Namib Desert sand, at home.
View attachment 457474
View attachment 457473
View attachment 457472

Hope that you racked it Jim?

 

[simondippenhall]

Jim what an epic ride! Well done.
Whilst Jim was battling north, here I lay thinking in the little swimming pool here south of Farafenni.

I was trying to reconcile the different constraints around my travel:
- the Ivory Coast Customs regulations
-a wish to be back in December to see my brother, over from Brazil
- a consciousness that I am on a small bike (which up to now has been faultless and a pleasure to ride!)

So the product of this was (I think) a decision to go East, not West as it was yesterday and to explore eastern Gambia. I shall overnight in Basse Santé Su…Un usually for me I will start off knowing where I intend to stay.

From there I shall re enter Senegal and head SE to Guinea, but may not go as far as Ivory Coast on this leg, saving it for after Christmas.

This simplifies things a lot as I am reasonably confident I can store my bike in Banjul, Gambia until next year.

 

[Northern jock]

Jim what an epic ride! Well done.
Whilst Jim was battling north, here I lay thinking in the little swimming pool here south of Farafenni.

I was trying to reconcile the different constraints around my travel:
- the Ivory Coast Customs regulations
-a wish to be back in December to see my brother, over from Brazil
- a consciousness that I am on a small bike (which up to now has been faultless and a pleasure to ride!)

So the product of this was (I think) a decision to go East, not West as it was yesterday and to explore eastern Gambia. I shall overnight in Basse Santé Su…Un usually for me I will start off knowing where I intend to stay.

From there I shall re enter Senegal and head SE to Guinea, but may not go as far as Ivory Coast on this leg, saving it for after Christmas.

This simplifies things a lot as I am reasonably confident I can store my bike in Banjul, Gambia until next year.

View attachment 457531

That sounds like a plan and hopefully one without too much stress

 

[simondippenhall]

Thanks Alistair - I found myself really enjoying my ride East today because I was not tied to the uncertainties of the far-distant Ivorian Customs system. It opens up a range of other interesting possibilities, too.

The chilled, unstressed me did get a bit of a knock when I got to my destination, a charming and inexpensive guest house in the vibrant little town of Basse Sante Su.

After threading my way through the masses of people going to the mosque for prayer, I settled in and then received (via my beloved diligently monitoring my post) a request from DVLA dated 3 November for me to return my license by 24 November or else they would revoke it. (Because I have recently been diagnosed with glaucoma I need to receive a 3 year medical review license…a concept I am absolutely fine with….but practically impossible for me to comply with as I won’t be back until December!).

After thoroughly reading their 4 page communication, and my wife's success in finding a human who would talk to her although she’s not the license holder , I now have an email address within DVLA and have written a begging letter pleading for 3 week’s grace to return my license. .

So pulse rate is now back to somewhere near normal, and after trying 3 ATMs none of which would accept either my Visa or Mastercards, I found a money exchanger so I can also eat, sleep and drink. I had foolishly accepted the ‘advice’ of a Senegal resident German that CFAs were accepted in most parts of The Gambia. They aren’t .