Got a bit behind there but caught up now 
Some great pics there Simon & really enjoying following your trip
Some great pics there Simon & really enjoying following your trip
Gael Warnings in West Africa.
- Thread starter Drumacoon Lad.
- Start date
Thanks Jochen!
Made my return visit to the Nigerian embassy today.
The good news: my visa application was approved
Not so good: the visa won’t be ready until Monday so I face a long weekend in Ouagadougou....of which Lonely Planet guide says ‘there is not much to do’
At least I have a Kindle full of good books, and a Guinness supplying restaurant across the road!
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Made my return visit to the Nigerian embassy today.
The good news: my visa application was approved
Not so good: the visa won’t be ready until Monday so I face a long weekend in Ouagadougou....of which Lonely Planet guide says ‘there is not much to do’
At least I have a Kindle full of good books, and a Guinness supplying restaurant across the road!
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I just love reading your ride reports.
You go to places I and most other people have never heard about or know where they are.
Phil.
You go to places I and most other people have never heard about or know where they are.
Phil.
roadrider
Registered user
Sorry 2 blokes not 2 'bikes'! and horse not 'house'. God I hate predictive text!!
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Damn you've just spoilted the vivid image I conjured up in my mind
Thanks Phil!
It is certainly true that I have met no foreign motorcycle travellers since the Slovenian guy in Senegal in mid October! Although I am sure there are other bikers around and I have just not seen them.
Remembered after lunch that I had to pick up my old, now spare, battery from the battery shop where it was being charged overnight
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It is certainly true that I have met no foreign motorcycle travellers since the Slovenian guy in Senegal in mid October! Although I am sure there are other bikers around and I have just not seen them.
Remembered after lunch that I had to pick up my old, now spare, battery from the battery shop where it was being charged overnight
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The battery shop
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An interior view
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And a very gratifying voltage... Interesting to see what it will be after 24 hours
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My lodgings at Pavillon Vert are next to a bustling market
There is everything...even motorcycle tyres for big bikes
I had a close look but most of them have less tread than my current TKCs! In my mind I am thinking that when I return from Nigeria and go to Togo I may have to look for a new rear tyre (the front has got tons of tread still).
Of course there is oil too!
Like the tyres I think the oil has seen better days!
Then I visit what is described by one reviewer as ‘the best ice cream parlour in W Africa’
It lives up to its reputation...I will be back there tomorrow
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There is everything...even motorcycle tyres for big bikes
I had a close look but most of them have less tread than my current TKCs! In my mind I am thinking that when I return from Nigeria and go to Togo I may have to look for a new rear tyre (the front has got tons of tread still).
Of course there is oil too!
Like the tyres I think the oil has seen better days!
Then I visit what is described by one reviewer as ‘the best ice cream parlour in W Africa’
It lives up to its reputation...I will be back there tomorrow
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And on my way I spot the 2 metre high giraffe I saw on a motorcyclists shoulders last night (or his first cousin)
This was just by the impressive main railway station (only one I think) which I was visiting on a whim
I entered the cavernous hall and visited one of the open counters to learn ‘no trains today’ but there is one tomorrow at 09h00 to Bobo Diolou, apparently one of the nicest cities in West Africa and on my return itinerary if I cannot Travel across Ghana..
I carried on walking and found the museum of African musical instruments where I was shown around by this knowledgeable and charming guide
She was happy for me to take a photo but asked why...I told her that people reading this blog are interested in people not just the artefacts.
But to complete the picture here is a form of stringed instrument
They have a great collection of drums of all sorts, balafon (xylophone) flutes and trumpets made of wood and explained their use in the various rituals of life.
And they had an activity room where I could bang djembe drums and play xylophones
So definitely worth a visit, and followed it by a 75p lunch of rice and vegetables in sauce at the restaurant next door before walking home for a siesta.
Strenuous stuff, this adventure riding!
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This was just by the impressive main railway station (only one I think) which I was visiting on a whim
I entered the cavernous hall and visited one of the open counters to learn ‘no trains today’ but there is one tomorrow at 09h00 to Bobo Diolou, apparently one of the nicest cities in West Africa and on my return itinerary if I cannot Travel across Ghana..
I carried on walking and found the museum of African musical instruments where I was shown around by this knowledgeable and charming guide
She was happy for me to take a photo but asked why...I told her that people reading this blog are interested in people not just the artefacts.
But to complete the picture here is a form of stringed instrument
They have a great collection of drums of all sorts, balafon (xylophone) flutes and trumpets made of wood and explained their use in the various rituals of life.
And they had an activity room where I could bang djembe drums and play xylophones
So definitely worth a visit, and followed it by a 75p lunch of rice and vegetables in sauce at the restaurant next door before walking home for a siesta.
Strenuous stuff, this adventure riding!
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Thanks Howz.
Give my regards to Chester, where I first met my now-wife of over 34 years (and pillion in Senegal, but that's in a separate UKGSer thread)!
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Give my regards to Chester, where I first met my now-wife of over 34 years (and pillion in Senegal, but that's in a separate UKGSer thread)!
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Making good use of your rest days Simon.
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Indeed!
Back at the fabulous ice cream parlour again which btw has good WiFi.
On the way I spotted a couple of familiar logos or names that may not actually be officially licenced here.
Happy to receive 25% of any damages actually received by the trademarks lawyer!
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Back at the fabulous ice cream parlour again which btw has good WiFi.
On the way I spotted a couple of familiar logos or names that may not actually be officially licenced here
.
Happy to receive 25% of any damages actually received by the trademarks lawyer!
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An interesting possibility for my trip has emerged from my chat on Horizons Unlimited with an Austrian guy. Seems he may have found a place in Cameroon to leave his motorbike while he returned to Europe (to return later). Such an option would allow me to continue East rather than retrace my steps so will require some deep thought when I know more.
On a practical level, my nearly 5 year old passport is so full that I don't think I could go much farther than there until I get a new one!
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On a practical level, my nearly 5 year old passport is so full that I don't think I could go much farther than there until I get a new one!
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So, short of things to do yesterday, I went for a walk around town.
But before that I checked my spare battery and found its voltage had fallen overnight to 12.17 volts. I checked the new, Bamako bought battery and it was at 12.7v so looks good.
After conferring with my advisor on all things to do with electrickery, Mr Drumacoon Lad (B Sc in soldering etc), I have decided to dispense with the old battery as 4.8 kg of deadweight. It also seems there are good Moto mechanics in Togo and Cameroon so
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But before that I checked my spare battery and found its voltage had fallen overnight to 12.17 volts. I checked the new, Bamako bought battery and it was at 12.7v so looks good.
After conferring with my advisor on all things to do with electrickery, Mr Drumacoon Lad (B Sc in soldering etc), I have decided to dispense with the old battery as 4.8 kg of deadweight. It also seems there are good Moto mechanics in Togo and Cameroon so
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The Ouagadougou cathedral
This 10 year old school boy on his lunch break thinks he is the dog's proverbial, with the helmet perched on his bonce courtier style...All he is missing is the ciggie hanging from his lips!
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This 10 year old school boy on his lunch break thinks he is the dog's proverbial, with the helmet perched on his bonce courtier style...All he is missing is the ciggie hanging from his lips!
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So today was the day I was supposed to collect my Nigerian visa.
I packed my bags and got on the bike for the first time in 4 days and presented myself at the embassy at 11 as requested.
My contact is out of the office at a meeting...Come back later!
After various comings and goings (which were quite tiring in 37C heat!) I finally got the visa just before 2!
So I set off to the East , having decided that I would head for Lome, Togo, to see if I can get a Cameroon visa there.
The road out of Ouagadougou was a real battle against a succession of res lights buy eventually and gladly I got to the rolling open road - which was a joy after 5-6 days cooped up in hot and dusty Ouaga!
I asked directions of a couple of motot cops who were on very old, oily and battered 1100rts - I asked how many kms and they said they didn't know as it had been round the clock!
Then approaching me later I saw a police rider waving me to the side. And after him there was a huge convoy of armoured cars of various sizes and other military vehicles, all piloted by Europeans. There must have been 50 vehicles and I could not make out any markings to know where they were from. This was the road to Niger so maybe they were returning from there - but it was 250 kms away so seems implausible.
I carried on to Koupela - it was now past 4 and very hot so I checked out 2 hotels with a view to stopping - both very cheap and pretty grubby. One was remote and down a sandy lane and the other had a noisy bat on the main road..
So after swigging my tea from breakfast (like the little old fellow that I am I usually make a tea or coffee in a little flask to tide me over as I usually skip lunch) I decided I would carry on and turned South towards Tofo, having checked with some customs checkpoint there was a hotel in Tenkodogo.
I had a lovely ride in the cooling evening (still hot but a little less) and came to a big, international style hotel (Hotel Latif) which seems incongruous in this little town. It's pricey but has a pool so I decided to splash out after my cheap little non air con cubbyhole in Ouagadougou for the past 5 days.
Although it's a big hotel I think I may be the only guest.
So I decided to balance the budget by going out to a local cheap restaurant. As I asked around, a chap called Frank pulled up and asked if that was my 'grande moto'. He was boggled when I explained I had ridden from near London.
So he very kindly offered me a lift on his moto into the town - all dirt roads - to a lovely little restaurant where I had a massive Coca-Cola and a dish of foutou which was rive with a great cause and some peppers and a little meat....All for £1.80.
.Frank then gave me a lift back to the hotel and we wished each other all the best. Just another example of the kindness of strangers that I have experienced throughout this trip.
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I packed my bags and got on the bike for the first time in 4 days and presented myself at the embassy at 11 as requested.
My contact is out of the office at a meeting...Come back later!
After various comings and goings (which were quite tiring in 37C heat!) I finally got the visa just before 2!
So I set off to the East , having decided that I would head for Lome, Togo, to see if I can get a Cameroon visa there.
The road out of Ouagadougou was a real battle against a succession of res lights buy eventually and gladly I got to the rolling open road - which was a joy after 5-6 days cooped up in hot and dusty Ouaga!
I asked directions of a couple of motot cops who were on very old, oily and battered 1100rts - I asked how many kms and they said they didn't know as it had been round the clock!
Then approaching me later I saw a police rider waving me to the side. And after him there was a huge convoy of armoured cars of various sizes and other military vehicles, all piloted by Europeans. There must have been 50 vehicles and I could not make out any markings to know where they were from. This was the road to Niger so maybe they were returning from there - but it was 250 kms away so seems implausible.
I carried on to Koupela - it was now past 4 and very hot so I checked out 2 hotels with a view to stopping - both very cheap and pretty grubby. One was remote and down a sandy lane and the other had a noisy bat on the main road..
So after swigging my tea from breakfast (like the little old fellow that I am I usually make a tea or coffee in a little flask to tide me over as I usually skip lunch) I decided I would carry on and turned South towards Tofo, having checked with some customs checkpoint there was a hotel in Tenkodogo.
I had a lovely ride in the cooling evening (still hot but a little less) and came to a big, international style hotel (Hotel Latif) which seems incongruous in this little town. It's pricey but has a pool so I decided to splash out after my cheap little non air con cubbyhole in Ouagadougou for the past 5 days.
Although it's a big hotel I think I may be the only guest.
So I decided to balance the budget by going out to a local cheap restaurant. As I asked around, a chap called Frank pulled up and asked if that was my 'grande moto'. He was boggled when I explained I had ridden from near London.
So he very kindly offered me a lift on his moto into the town - all dirt roads - to a lovely little restaurant where I had a massive Coca-Cola and a dish of foutou which was rive with a great cause and some peppers and a little meat....All for £1.80.
.Frank then gave me a lift back to the hotel and we wished each other all the best. Just another example of the kindness of strangers that I have experienced throughout this trip.
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Edging ever closer to the Bight of Benin
My night of luxury!
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