Gael warning on the Ivory Coast

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Well today was meant to be a shortish ride up to Tan Tan. However, I bumped into a few people at the hotel, Franklin, from Holland, who had been down to Dakar. Then I heard a few Irish voices and of course we chatted. They are in a small group tour also going to Dakar. Meeting them solved a problem for me, as I'd left Hotel Barbas with the room key and was hoping to meet someone heading south. Anyway the key is on its was back to the hotel, thanks John.

The result of all this chatting, is that I left the hotel late and pretty soon the north wind started up again. It wasn't as directly ahead as yesterday but more from the side. So more fun meeting and overtaking trucks.

Here's Franklin leaving on his Yamaha Tenere..

 

[simondippenhall]

And going South (or rather, East on the prosaically named “South Bank Road” ) a few views from today. The above photo was a bit of egg wrapping that the lady customer particularly requested.
The rains have just ended and the grass is long. Unlike Botswana where a lion might be waiting for you in there, here the risk is goats or cattle rushing out so I positioned my self in the middle of the road

I went to Georgetown and inspected this ferry and thought better of it. Meanwhile the lively lady below was all over my bike…fortunately it only has room for one person!
Not the only bovine traffic jam today

 

[simondippenhall]

There always few inspiring business names

This chap and his mate greeted me when I returned from an after dinner stroll

 

[gspod]

Fingers and toes crossed for your license Simon.
Despite what the naysayers say we always got a better exchange rate from border money changers than any bank or atm through Central America - don’t listen to the Germans

 

[Northern jock]

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 .

I’m sure you know the answer but, if you have an International driving licence with you, once issued does it stand alone or need your UK licence as its source? So could it be enough to be legal after the 24th?

 

[simondippenhall]

Thanks for the support and suggestions. Hopefully DVLA will just give me a little more time to send my license .

Anyhoo I woke early this morning with the consciousness that I had told myself I was going towards Guinea ie a new country.

So went through a list of things I needed to do before leaving, which I attach below. (It amuses me when people ask about my holiday…because this sort of travel is both gruelling occasionally but also requires a lot of mental effort.
Here’s the list:so as I lay in bed I took advantage of the occasional WiFi to work through the actions which are largely self explanatory. Because I carry a reserve phone I needed to load offline maps on both including the ever useful iOverlander maps which carry recent traveler tips re lodgings, crooked cops etc. And offline because it’s not clear how much internet access I will have in Guinea, despite the eSIM.

When I got to the last item on my list I saw this:
It was evident that the rainy season was running late in Guinea, having recently ended in The Gambia and I was not attracted to riding into that forecast in a rush.

It was also pretty humid here

My fellow lodger Siggi, a veteran (72) project manager who has spent his life living in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kuwait etc. He asked me if I wanted to join him as he visited 12 of his projects in the area…all small scale agricultural projects sponsored by the German government. In the main they were setting up deep wells, a solar array to run a pump to high water tanks which supplies a small plot.

It was a great opportunity to take small, sandy and rutted tracks deep in the interior and visit remote villages…all in an AC Toyota along with a Gambian colleague . I would have really struggled to get my laden CRF to some of the places even if I could find them.

A little if what I saw
A poorly running poultry scheme…

 

[simondippenhall]

Our route took us to the remote east of Gambia and back. Many of you will know that the odd wiggly border seen here was defined not by the wish to imitate a deflated ballon (or similar ) but by how far a gunboat could send a shell from the river to defend the border

More than one Chinese bridge…
I also finagled a visit to a village infirmary (I have a close affiliation to them after my night on the examining table of a remote Congolese ullage infirmary, sans electric or running water, when my GS dies 200km from the nearest tarmac…but I reminisce too much).
The sparsely stocked dispensary

 

[gspod]

29 degrees with 84% humidity is worse than 42 degrees of dry heat (although dry heat is not without it’s problems) - take care Simon.

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

My route today was on better roads than Simon was experiencing but less interesting. I left Tan Tan just as it was waking up and admired again the 2 giant camels on the entrance gateway.

The section to Guelmim is on the dual carriageway and takes you through the last of the desert. One downside of this new road is that it's not overpopulated with filling stations and I had to pop into this tatty Shell station for a fill-up. I'd also hoped for a coffee but no-one was manning the cafe and about 5 people were working on the toilet. Some water and biscuits had to suffice and back on the road.

I seemed to be riding a new bike today as there was no headwind. I was able to keep it around 90kph and used 6th gear a fair bit. It was a relief, because with a couple of days fighting the wind, I'd wondered if the bike had lost some power.

The landscape changed north of Guelmim as the road took a new route through the landscape.

Then the Argan trees appeared and the desert felt truly behind me. I was missing it already.

Coming into Agadir shook me out of my daydreaming, as the busy traffic started 50km from the centre. The fastest thing through the traffic was a full size coach and I did well to hang on to his tail.

I got to my Hotel Petite Suède in reasonable time and was relieved I can park in their courtyard, and a view of my bike from my window.

I'm here for a couple of days while I consider options.

One thing that had to be done was to go down to the beach and see this.

Then I looked, in more hope than expectation, for the Lebanese restaurant I had visited 11 years ago, on my first Sahara trip. It was still here and I feasted on hummus, bread and a garlic dip. Delicious!

 

[richardbd]

Thanks for the support and suggestions. Hopefully DVLA will just give me a little more time to send my license .

Anyhoo I woke early this morning with the consciousness that I had told myself I was going towards Guinea ie a new country.

So went through a list of things I needed to do before leaving, which I attach below. (It amuses me when people ask about my holiday…because this sort of travel is both gruelling occasionally but also requires a lot of mental effort.
Here’s the list:View attachment 457928so as I lay in bed I took advantage of the occasional WiFi to work through the actions which are largely self explanatory. Because I carry a reserve phone I needed to load offline maps on both including the ever useful iOverlander maps which carry recent traveler tips re lodgings, crooked cops etc. And offline because it’s not clear how much internet access I will have in Guinea, despite the eSIM.

When I got to the last item on my list I saw this:View attachment 457931
It was evident that the rainy season was running late in Guinea, having recently ended in The Gambia and I was not attracted to riding into that forecast in a rush.

It was also pretty humid hereView attachment 457933

My fellow lodger Siggi, a veteran (72) project manager who has spent his life living in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kuwait etc. He asked me if I wanted to join him as he visited 12 of his projects in the area…all small scale agricultural projects sponsored by the German government. In the main they were setting up deep wells, a solar array to run a pump to high water tanks which supplies a small plot.

It was a great opportunity to take small, sandy and rutted tracks deep in the interior and visit remote villages…all in an AC Toyota along with a Gambian colleague . I would have really struggled to get my laden CRF to some of the places even if I could find them.

A little if what I saw
View attachment 457934View attachment 457935View attachment 457936A poorly running poultry scheme…View attachment 457937View attachment 457938View attachment 457939View attachment 457940

What a great experience Simon. I especially like the two-headed cow project.

 

[simondippenhall]

Just a brief update to say that I am now in Northern Guinea at Kundara having ridden from E Gambia through Senegal to here. A three border day is a big one, especially when you land at the second Guinea customs post during the lunchtime ‘pause’ which lasts u til 3pm. The Customs did however invite me to share their traditional lunch dish in a communal bowl, which was a great experience As my ‘hotel’ here has only intermittent power and no running water or WiFi I shall leave my update at this. Despite the basic nature of my lodgings I think it may be the best in town!
This very kind Sierra Leonean lady prepared a meal for me this evening so I sat with her and various other family members plus a duck and a chicken (both live!) in the building site that is the back yard of the hotel and dined. (On arrival I had a challenging ride over rough brickyard to park my bike

 

[simondippenhall]

My first day in Guinea ended with the onset of power (although only until 02h00 when I woke boiling in my oven of a room as the fan had gone off. Fortunately I worked out after half an hour that they had some form of stored supply which would run the ventilator if not the lights so I sank into an uneasy sleep.

I woke early intending to head SE through the Fouta Djalon mountains towards Labe. This would have been the route to Ivory Coast for me, and the map was not promising. (I am not sure what that colour road line means on this, a veteran (but the latest edition at the same time) Michelin map

 

[simondippenhall]

I set off early, via the ‘gare routiere’ where taxis leave from, as I was advised that had the best choice of food for my breakfast which was this (you will detect a certain sameness creeping in soon).

 

[geotim]

I set off early, via the ‘gare routiere’ where taxis leave from, as I was advised that had the best choice of food for my breakfast which was this (you will detect a certain sameness creeping in soon).View attachment 458657

Sustaining, not exciting.

Most Africans will be grateful for sustenance.

There are many reasons why there are not that many fat Africans!

 

[simondippenhall]

Indeed Tim I am very conscious of that; each meal I ate, I made sure the leftovers went to a good recipient (who shamed me with their appetite!). Tonight I am staying in a mission dedicated to helping malnourished children….it’s a lovely, calm place

 

[geotim]

Indeed Tim I am very conscious of that; each meal I ate, I made sure the leftovers went to a good recipient (who shamed me with their appetite!). Tonight I am staying in a mission dedicated to helping malnourished children….it’s a lovely, calm placeView attachment 458703View attachment 458702

The joys of travelling in Africa.

 

[Kritou]

My first day in Guinea ended with the onset of power (although only until 02h00 when I woke boiling in my oven of a room as the fan had gone off. Fortunately I worked out after half an hour that they had some form of stored supply which would run the ventilator if not the lights so I sank into an uneasy sleep.

I woke early intending to head SE through the Fouta Djalon mountains towards Labe. This would have been the route to Ivory Coast for me, and the map was not promising. (I am not sure what that colour road line means on this, a veteran (but the latest edition at the same time) Michelin mapView attachment 458656

Heavily mined?

 

[Mzokk]

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).

Would they have bothered you as a horny 25 year old Great report and Photos BTW.

 

[simondippenhall]

Thanks Mzokk for your comment (I see you are catching up with some older posts ).

It’s so long since I was 25, to be honest I cannot remember.

 

[simondippenhall]

Although it’s not late I am knackered after two intense days . I will post a few photos of my ride through the mountains yesterday. Saw a lot of huts like this… The road starts to get interesting (in more ways than one!)