Date: April 28th, 2010
Distance: Cheating by bus
Country: Burkina Faso
Song of the Day: Magic Bus - The Who
So, I took a bus today. More cheating, but it just made more sense. Otherwise I was going to get into Ouagadougou on Friday. All of the embassies would be closed. Taking a bus would get me in with plenty of time to get my Ghana visa and possibly a visa for Benin. Plus, the ticket cost me less than one night at a hotel. Or about what my food costs would be if I was biking.
I did forget how fun taking a bus can be. There seem to be two types of countries here in West Africa, bus countries and bush taxi countries. The bus countries are easy to travel through. You don't need a bike to travel Africa. A backpack and a bus ticket is all you need. I think there are cheaper buses, but the one I got on had air conditioning and everything. They did assign me a seat in the very back though, which I found an amusing turn about.
The terrain did get much flatter as we traveled. I don't think I missed much along the way. More little villages, sahel and highway.
When I got into town I went and found the embassy for Ghana. They were closed though, I would have to come back the next day. I also called James, another guy I had me through couch surfing. He offered me a place to stay, so I headed over his apartment.
He wasn't home though. So I stopped by one of his co-workers, Krista. We had a great time sitting around chatting. She is also ex-peace corps, so she had some good advice about the country. Also, she said she has a place I might be able to stay at in Fada. Great stuff.
Later on James showed up. I ended up going out to dinner with him and, Jesse and Stephanie. They are two Rotary Scholars who were in town for a conference. Jesse is living in Benin and had some good advice about what should be my next country. Everyone seemed impressed with my bike trip. After meeting a few other people on bikes I don't think it is that impressive. Still, it makes for a bunch of good stories.
After dinner we headed into town to go to a jazz concert. I guess they are having a big jazz festival right now. It probably wouldn't have been something I would have done on my own, but I really did have a great time.
-Dravis
Friday, April 30, 2010
Orodara to Bobo-Dioulasso - Day 252
Date: April 27th, 2010
Distance: 82km
Country: Burkina Faso
Song of the Day: Nowhere Fast - Incubus
Well, the rain from the night before has again chased away my cloud cover. The wind is also back stronger than every. It is still quite cool, but it makes a frustrating current to force your way though. Oh, and this part of the country is still quite hilly. Everyone told me Burkina Faso was flat. It isn't. At least not out here in the west.
I have a feeling it might get flatter as I go forward. The lush green of the hill country I am going through is starting to give way. The ground is drying out and the plants are becoming more yellow and brown. More hot days ahead.
Still, I did force my way through and make it into Bobo a couple of hours before dark. I found a place to stay at the catholic mission in town. Found a cyber cafe for some internet time. Also a place to get some dinner.
-Dravs
Distance: 82km
Country: Burkina Faso
Song of the Day: Nowhere Fast - Incubus
Well, the rain from the night before has again chased away my cloud cover. The wind is also back stronger than every. It is still quite cool, but it makes a frustrating current to force your way though. Oh, and this part of the country is still quite hilly. Everyone told me Burkina Faso was flat. It isn't. At least not out here in the west.
I have a feeling it might get flatter as I go forward. The lush green of the hill country I am going through is starting to give way. The ground is drying out and the plants are becoming more yellow and brown. More hot days ahead.
Still, I did force my way through and make it into Bobo a couple of hours before dark. I found a place to stay at the catholic mission in town. Found a cyber cafe for some internet time. Also a place to get some dinner.
-Dravs
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sikasso to Orodala - Day 251
Date: April 26th, 2010
Distance: 104km
Country: Burkina Faso
Song of the Day: Space is the Place - Spacehog
The rain the night before seems to have chased away the clouds again. I was also still slamming into that damn headwind. The heat and the wind made for pretty slow going.
Halfway through the day I crossed the border. Burkina Faso, country 20, if I am not mistaken. The border crossing was pretty uneventful. No request for bribes. Just paperwork. I really like having all the visas ahead of time. I also stopped for lunch on the Burkina side.
Then it was just the big push to Orodala. This really isn't about speed. It is just about being determined. Also, a little bit of cloud cover in the afternoon was helpful. It even sprinkled once or twice. Not really rain, though. I think I could count the drops that hit me on one hand. The countryside was also pretty nice. Since it is the begining of the rainy season, it is getting pretty green. I see grass shooting up all over the place. It also seems to help cool everything down. So I made it to town just before dark.
I got checked into the one hotel in town. Then headed out for dinner. It started raining on me while I was out. Really pouring. It was great. I love rain here. For dinner I stopped at a roadside restaurant. They had a big chalk board with things that they didn't have. You just have to ask. I had some "To" (pronounced: like toe or tow, not two.), it looked a lot like tofu in the form of the bowl it was poured into. It came with a sauce that looked like dog snot. The sauce wasn't bad. The to wasn't great. It was like eating cardboard. So for the second course I ordered a salad and two bowls of yogurt for desert. Yum.
It was still pouring on the way back to the hotel. Can't say I mind. The cool rain felt great. I wonder if this will keep up tomorrow?
-Dravis
Distance: 104km
Country: Burkina Faso
Song of the Day: Space is the Place - Spacehog
The rain the night before seems to have chased away the clouds again. I was also still slamming into that damn headwind. The heat and the wind made for pretty slow going.
Halfway through the day I crossed the border. Burkina Faso, country 20, if I am not mistaken. The border crossing was pretty uneventful. No request for bribes. Just paperwork. I really like having all the visas ahead of time. I also stopped for lunch on the Burkina side.
Then it was just the big push to Orodala. This really isn't about speed. It is just about being determined. Also, a little bit of cloud cover in the afternoon was helpful. It even sprinkled once or twice. Not really rain, though. I think I could count the drops that hit me on one hand. The countryside was also pretty nice. Since it is the begining of the rainy season, it is getting pretty green. I see grass shooting up all over the place. It also seems to help cool everything down. So I made it to town just before dark.
I got checked into the one hotel in town. Then headed out for dinner. It started raining on me while I was out. Really pouring. It was great. I love rain here. For dinner I stopped at a roadside restaurant. They had a big chalk board with things that they didn't have. You just have to ask. I had some "To" (pronounced: like toe or tow, not two.), it looked a lot like tofu in the form of the bowl it was poured into. It came with a sauce that looked like dog snot. The sauce wasn't bad. The to wasn't great. It was like eating cardboard. So for the second course I ordered a salad and two bowls of yogurt for desert. Yum.
It was still pouring on the way back to the hotel. Can't say I mind. The cool rain felt great. I wonder if this will keep up tomorrow?
-Dravis
Niena to Sikasso - Day 250
Date: April 25th, 2010
Distance: 82km
Country: Mali
I forget that after I long day, I don't have any energy. Plus the little rain the night before had chased away the cloud cover. The wind had also changed directions. I was just plowing into it. So I was running along pretty slowly. It was just a tough day of cycling. Lots of stopping. Also cursing the wind.
Still, I reached Sikasso early in the afternoon. My first mission was to find a cyber cafe. My experience from Guinea taught me to find that before the hotel. If it is closed, at least you can get a hotel nearby. Still, this was harder to do. Eventually two guys on a moto said they knew where one was. We ended up going all over the town. The first one was closed, the second was working thankfully. As I got there it started to rain. Really rain hard. I never thought I would miss the rain. It didn't last long though. By the time I was done on the internet, the rain had stopped.
I found a hotel to stay at. Still too expensive for me. Oh well. Got some dinner and went to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: 82km
Country: Mali
I forget that after I long day, I don't have any energy. Plus the little rain the night before had chased away the cloud cover. The wind had also changed directions. I was just plowing into it. So I was running along pretty slowly. It was just a tough day of cycling. Lots of stopping. Also cursing the wind.
Still, I reached Sikasso early in the afternoon. My first mission was to find a cyber cafe. My experience from Guinea taught me to find that before the hotel. If it is closed, at least you can get a hotel nearby. Still, this was harder to do. Eventually two guys on a moto said they knew where one was. We ended up going all over the town. The first one was closed, the second was working thankfully. As I got there it started to rain. Really rain hard. I never thought I would miss the rain. It didn't last long though. By the time I was done on the internet, the rain had stopped.
I found a hotel to stay at. Still too expensive for me. Oh well. Got some dinner and went to bed.
-Dravis
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Bougouni to Niena - Day 249
Date: April 24th, 2010
Distance: 137km
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Pork and Beans - Weezer
Well, it was a hell of a day today. Sometimes I don't know why I do the things I do, I just get them set in my head and that is it. Today was like that. I wanted to get to Niena. So I did.
I did have a bit of help though. The wind was giving me a little push. Plus it was another cloudy day. So I could push through the hot part of the day. It is still warmer than the rest of the day, but it is much cooler than even a sunny morning. So it makes for pretty good going. After that it was just doing the miles. More ups and downs. The road was pretty good. Wide shoulders and so forth.
About an hour before dusk I picked up a shadow. This happens pretty often. Usually it is a little kid who decides to ride along for a while. I can be annoying at the end of the day when you are tired and it is miserably hot, and some kid on a crap bike comes up and rides along like it is nothing. Other times someone will just ride behind you without saying anything. That is what happened today. I passed a guy on a bike. After a few minutes I looked back, and he was still right on my tail. This went on up and down the next hill. Finally I decided he was drafting off me long enough. I slowed down and motioned for him to go ahead. After that I stuck to his tail for about 4km. That felt good. I think he was trying to lose me, too. On that single speed, his legs were pumping like crazy, but I kept up. He ran into two friends on bicycles as well, and they formed a rough pace line. I think they were trying to ditch me. Not gonna happen. It was nice not to have to plow my own air. Eventually they gave up and pulled off the road. I may not be the fastest thing on two wheels but I can pretty much outdistance anyone out there. Feels good.
It did get dark on me before I could get to Niena. The road was under construction as well, so I was riding on the uncompleted section. It was smoother and didn't have any traffic. Of course I did have to watch out for obstacles, like logs in the road. That just keeps things exciting.
Five kilometers from the town, the construction ended, and I was back on the main road. Pot holes and all. Fortunately I had my new rear blinken light. So I didn't feel like I was going to be crushed by a truck. Plus, if they make quiet trucks, they don't sell them here. I can here them rumbling down the road a mile away. It makes it easy to get out of the way. (I think that is how the locals do it, as I saw a number of them riding bike without any lights. I am not that crazy.)
Once in Niena, I got myself a nice cold Coke and some dinner. From then on I did what a lot of young people do on a Saturday night, I spent my time at a bar. Actually, I camped there. They were originally going to set me up with a tiny windowless cell with a dirty foam pad. No thanks. I told them I could camp instead. So I pitched my tent in their beer garden.
Just after midnight, the wind picked up which I liked. But the owner and his wife said it was going to rain. So I moved the tent under the little awning at the bar. I thought it was going to pour, but it only rained for about 5 minutes. Sprinkled really. Personally I thought a bit of rain might have done me some good.
-Dravis
Distance: 137km
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Pork and Beans - Weezer
Well, it was a hell of a day today. Sometimes I don't know why I do the things I do, I just get them set in my head and that is it. Today was like that. I wanted to get to Niena. So I did.
I did have a bit of help though. The wind was giving me a little push. Plus it was another cloudy day. So I could push through the hot part of the day. It is still warmer than the rest of the day, but it is much cooler than even a sunny morning. So it makes for pretty good going. After that it was just doing the miles. More ups and downs. The road was pretty good. Wide shoulders and so forth.
About an hour before dusk I picked up a shadow. This happens pretty often. Usually it is a little kid who decides to ride along for a while. I can be annoying at the end of the day when you are tired and it is miserably hot, and some kid on a crap bike comes up and rides along like it is nothing. Other times someone will just ride behind you without saying anything. That is what happened today. I passed a guy on a bike. After a few minutes I looked back, and he was still right on my tail. This went on up and down the next hill. Finally I decided he was drafting off me long enough. I slowed down and motioned for him to go ahead. After that I stuck to his tail for about 4km. That felt good. I think he was trying to lose me, too. On that single speed, his legs were pumping like crazy, but I kept up. He ran into two friends on bicycles as well, and they formed a rough pace line. I think they were trying to ditch me. Not gonna happen. It was nice not to have to plow my own air. Eventually they gave up and pulled off the road. I may not be the fastest thing on two wheels but I can pretty much outdistance anyone out there. Feels good.
It did get dark on me before I could get to Niena. The road was under construction as well, so I was riding on the uncompleted section. It was smoother and didn't have any traffic. Of course I did have to watch out for obstacles, like logs in the road. That just keeps things exciting.
Five kilometers from the town, the construction ended, and I was back on the main road. Pot holes and all. Fortunately I had my new rear blinken light. So I didn't feel like I was going to be crushed by a truck. Plus, if they make quiet trucks, they don't sell them here. I can here them rumbling down the road a mile away. It makes it easy to get out of the way. (I think that is how the locals do it, as I saw a number of them riding bike without any lights. I am not that crazy.)
Once in Niena, I got myself a nice cold Coke and some dinner. From then on I did what a lot of young people do on a Saturday night, I spent my time at a bar. Actually, I camped there. They were originally going to set me up with a tiny windowless cell with a dirty foam pad. No thanks. I told them I could camp instead. So I pitched my tent in their beer garden.
Just after midnight, the wind picked up which I liked. But the owner and his wife said it was going to rain. So I moved the tent under the little awning at the bar. I thought it was going to pour, but it only rained for about 5 minutes. Sprinkled really. Personally I thought a bit of rain might have done me some good.
-Dravis
Ouelessebougou to Bougouni - Day 248
Date: April 23rd, 2010
Distance: 85km
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Spirit of Radio - Rush
Nothing really exciting today. Just more miles down the road. It is pretty rolling country. So a lot of ups and downs. Actually, scratch that, it seems there were more ups than downs. Lots of little hills, but overall I think I gained elevation. I just didn't have the zip on the downhills.
It was another cloudy day which is nice. There was also a cool wind blowing out of the south. Of course, I am heading south so it was smacking me head on. Still, the coolness seemed to mitigate any annoyance of a headwind. I was actually cool for once. I hope this keeps up. It made cycling easy today.
Once in Bougouni I tried fining a hotel. The first one wanted $40, yeesh. The second one was better, less than $20. Still, I think I need to spend more time camping to keep the budget reasonable.
-Dravis
Distance: 85km
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Spirit of Radio - Rush
Nothing really exciting today. Just more miles down the road. It is pretty rolling country. So a lot of ups and downs. Actually, scratch that, it seems there were more ups than downs. Lots of little hills, but overall I think I gained elevation. I just didn't have the zip on the downhills.
It was another cloudy day which is nice. There was also a cool wind blowing out of the south. Of course, I am heading south so it was smacking me head on. Still, the coolness seemed to mitigate any annoyance of a headwind. I was actually cool for once. I hope this keeps up. It made cycling easy today.
Once in Bougouni I tried fining a hotel. The first one wanted $40, yeesh. The second one was better, less than $20. Still, I think I need to spend more time camping to keep the budget reasonable.
-Dravis
Bamako to Ouelessebougou - Day 247
Date: April 22nd, 2010
Distance: 77km
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Paper Thin Walls - Modest Mouse
Got back on the road today. I feel really good about that. My butt doesn't. It has gone soft on me again. So a day in the saddle made it a bit sore.
I must admit I am not quite "regular" either, but I think that is just because I killed everything in my gut, good and bad. I have been eating little packets of yogurt in hopes of putting back the good digestive bacteria. (I am sure everyone was waiting for updates on how my intestines are doing.)
The road out of Bamako isn't bad, it is just crowded with trucks and motos. After the first 15 kilometers though, things seem to settle down. After that it was just putting on the miles. The land around Bamako was pretty dry, but it started to get more green the farther south I headed. It has also been cloudy the last couple of days, which has helped to keep the heat to bearable levels.
I got into the little town of Banankomo in the early afternoon and stopped for lunch. Just some rice and a peanut sauce. After that it was nap time. I slept on the mat under this little hut with a bunch of other local men. One of the other guys had the same idea and was sleeping, mouth open, in his chair. I suppose that my bike could have been stolen while I was sleeping. I just don't see it happening. Visitors are taken care of pretty well in small towns like this. So it was a nice way to spend the hot part of the day.
After that it was just a short cycle to Ouelessebougou. My first mission was to find a Coke. A cold one. Just a little treat for a day well spent. After that I got checked in at the local hotel. It is a nice place, but the toilet and (bucket) shower is outside. Eh, nothing I haven't done before.
Finding a good dinner was harder. I was looking for a nice juicy salad. I really am pretty thirsty most days. So salad has started to sound better. Especially with some bread or spaghetti. I didn't find anything close. The only thing I could get was some rubbery chicken with spaghetti. At least it was filling. Hopefully there will be something better for dinner tomorrow.
-Dravis
Distance: 77km
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Paper Thin Walls - Modest Mouse
Got back on the road today. I feel really good about that. My butt doesn't. It has gone soft on me again. So a day in the saddle made it a bit sore.
I must admit I am not quite "regular" either, but I think that is just because I killed everything in my gut, good and bad. I have been eating little packets of yogurt in hopes of putting back the good digestive bacteria. (I am sure everyone was waiting for updates on how my intestines are doing.)
The road out of Bamako isn't bad, it is just crowded with trucks and motos. After the first 15 kilometers though, things seem to settle down. After that it was just putting on the miles. The land around Bamako was pretty dry, but it started to get more green the farther south I headed. It has also been cloudy the last couple of days, which has helped to keep the heat to bearable levels.
I got into the little town of Banankomo in the early afternoon and stopped for lunch. Just some rice and a peanut sauce. After that it was nap time. I slept on the mat under this little hut with a bunch of other local men. One of the other guys had the same idea and was sleeping, mouth open, in his chair. I suppose that my bike could have been stolen while I was sleeping. I just don't see it happening. Visitors are taken care of pretty well in small towns like this. So it was a nice way to spend the hot part of the day.
After that it was just a short cycle to Ouelessebougou. My first mission was to find a Coke. A cold one. Just a little treat for a day well spent. After that I got checked in at the local hotel. It is a nice place, but the toilet and (bucket) shower is outside. Eh, nothing I haven't done before.
Finding a good dinner was harder. I was looking for a nice juicy salad. I really am pretty thirsty most days. So salad has started to sound better. Especially with some bread or spaghetti. I didn't find anything close. The only thing I could get was some rubbery chicken with spaghetti. At least it was filling. Hopefully there will be something better for dinner tomorrow.
-Dravis
Bamako - Day 246
Date: April 21st, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Left in the morning to get my visa for Burkina Faso. I had to stop and get some passport pictures first. That only took about 10 minutes though. I also had the forms from the previous day, so I filled those out while I was waiting for the pictures to get printed. (It is all digital now, even here in Bamako.)
At the embassy, I had a couple of questions about the form. (My French isn't that good. Plus, how do you fill out the line: "Du:_____________"?) The lady behind the desk looked a bit cross when I came in, but as soon as I started talking, she brightened up. She was a big help. She also offered me the 5 year visa, which is only available to Americans. As it is twice the cost, I didn't want it. That was just fine, which was a relief. Dominic said the Burkina embassy in Ghana told him he had to get it. The other thing I like is they had all their visa prices posted. So there weren't any surprises. The lady told me to come back at 3:00 and it would be ready. Great.
When I got back to the mission I got into a conversation with Dominic and Manuel, a new guy staying at the mission. He was born in Cuba, but lives in London and works for the BBC. He is taking some time off to go travel around Africa though. We ended up talking about politics in South America. It has been a while since I have been that out of depth in a conversation. It is good for me though. A little reminder that there is so much out there I have yet to experience.
At 3:00 I picked up my visa. I feel great. I am all set to go. Later on I went to dinner with Manuel and Dominic. Those guys really are fun to talk with. You really do meet interesting people while traveling. It is great to hear a different perspective on things as well.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Left in the morning to get my visa for Burkina Faso. I had to stop and get some passport pictures first. That only took about 10 minutes though. I also had the forms from the previous day, so I filled those out while I was waiting for the pictures to get printed. (It is all digital now, even here in Bamako.)
At the embassy, I had a couple of questions about the form. (My French isn't that good. Plus, how do you fill out the line: "Du:_____________"?) The lady behind the desk looked a bit cross when I came in, but as soon as I started talking, she brightened up. She was a big help. She also offered me the 5 year visa, which is only available to Americans. As it is twice the cost, I didn't want it. That was just fine, which was a relief. Dominic said the Burkina embassy in Ghana told him he had to get it. The other thing I like is they had all their visa prices posted. So there weren't any surprises. The lady told me to come back at 3:00 and it would be ready. Great.
When I got back to the mission I got into a conversation with Dominic and Manuel, a new guy staying at the mission. He was born in Cuba, but lives in London and works for the BBC. He is taking some time off to go travel around Africa though. We ended up talking about politics in South America. It has been a while since I have been that out of depth in a conversation. It is good for me though. A little reminder that there is so much out there I have yet to experience.
At 3:00 I picked up my visa. I feel great. I am all set to go. Later on I went to dinner with Manuel and Dominic. Those guys really are fun to talk with. You really do meet interesting people while traveling. It is great to hear a different perspective on things as well.
-Dravis
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Bamako - Day 245
Date: April 20th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Run-Around - Blues Traveler
Another wasted day. I spent all morning finding the embassy for Burkina Faso. You think that would be easy to find. A neighboring country. Nobody seemed to really know where it was though. I kept getting the run around. Or maybe they just don't realize there are embassies for different countries. I got told it was close by at one point, but it turned out, that was the embassy for Togo. When I did get to the embassy, they were closing for the day. It turns out to get a visa you have to drop off the application in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. Turns out, I was too late. Urgh. Tomorrow.
The charm of the city has also worn off on me. I was amazed when I got here because it has electricity and running water. Modern building and stores. Now I am seeing it is also dirty and smelly like most of the cities in west Africa. It has sewer/storm drains that are badly covered. Dirt streets covered in trash and awash in rattling cars and motos. It is more civilized, but the longer I stay here the more I realize it just isn't home.
So I came back to the mission and got my bike put together. That was the one good part of the day. It felt good to replace the worn drive train. My bike sounds much happier now. I can't wait to get back on the road.
For dinner I went out to meet up with a girl I met on couch surfing. She was meeting up with the couple of friends to watch a soccer game (Milan vs. Barcelona). I had a great time. It was a lot of fun talking with everyone about why they were in Bamako and what they were doing. It was a fun evening.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: Run-Around - Blues Traveler
Another wasted day. I spent all morning finding the embassy for Burkina Faso. You think that would be easy to find. A neighboring country. Nobody seemed to really know where it was though. I kept getting the run around. Or maybe they just don't realize there are embassies for different countries. I got told it was close by at one point, but it turned out, that was the embassy for Togo. When I did get to the embassy, they were closing for the day. It turns out to get a visa you have to drop off the application in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. Turns out, I was too late. Urgh. Tomorrow.
The charm of the city has also worn off on me. I was amazed when I got here because it has electricity and running water. Modern building and stores. Now I am seeing it is also dirty and smelly like most of the cities in west Africa. It has sewer/storm drains that are badly covered. Dirt streets covered in trash and awash in rattling cars and motos. It is more civilized, but the longer I stay here the more I realize it just isn't home.
So I came back to the mission and got my bike put together. That was the one good part of the day. It felt good to replace the worn drive train. My bike sounds much happier now. I can't wait to get back on the road.
For dinner I went out to meet up with a girl I met on couch surfing. She was meeting up with the couple of friends to watch a soccer game (Milan vs. Barcelona). I had a great time. It was a lot of fun talking with everyone about why they were in Bamako and what they were doing. It was a fun evening.
-Dravis
Bamako - Day 244
Date: April 19th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: City of Delusion - Muse
I did get my package today. It took all day though. It also cost me $30.
I got over to the FedEx office bright and early. I was expecting the package to be in their office. Nope. What they could do is sell me the customs paperwork for $20. What? I tried to argue that it was ridiculous to pay that when they weren't do anything (like clearing it from customs). They were more successful by arguing that this was the price the customs office specified for the paperwork. Damn.
With the paperwork I had to bike out of the city to the airport and find my box. It was at another distributor out there. I found it. Then had it checked by the customs lady. She wrote it up as personal items, I thought I was good to go. Nope. I needed a stamp from the chef. Fine, I could do that. But there was a how bureaucracy involved. This one guy kept trying to help me out, which I didn't want. He said he would talk to the chef for me. I thought this was silly since he didn't speak any English and didn't seem to understand what I was telling him. So I really didn't think I needed a bad translator. Still he kept taking my paperwork and trying to run off with it. Annoying. Here I am just trying to figure out what office to talk to, and I can't get a straight answer because I have this guy following me around.
Finally I let him run off with it and I grabbed some lunch. I was too tired and frustrated to fight anymore. When I got done, my guy said it was all finished. He had spoken to the chef. I would just have to pay $40. I wanted to know who to pay and see a receipt for that. The guys said it wasn't possible. It turns the chef had said I didn't need to pay. The $40 was for all the "work" the guy had done for me. This set off a big argument. I told him I didn't even want his help to begin with. He wasn't very helpful either. I never agreed to pay anything. I did my best in French and he kept trying to find someone to translate to English. Eventually I gave him 5,000 CFA, which is a bit more than $10. I just wanted to be done with it.
Turns out that wasn't the last thing. Before I could get my box they had to make copies of the forms. I can't imagine what they do with them. Whatever. I did get my box finally, but it took all day. Far longer than I wanted to spend dealing with it. If that is their customs process, it is a wonder anything gets in or out of the country. Good luck Mali.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: City of Delusion - Muse
I did get my package today. It took all day though. It also cost me $30.
I got over to the FedEx office bright and early. I was expecting the package to be in their office. Nope. What they could do is sell me the customs paperwork for $20. What? I tried to argue that it was ridiculous to pay that when they weren't do anything (like clearing it from customs). They were more successful by arguing that this was the price the customs office specified for the paperwork. Damn.
With the paperwork I had to bike out of the city to the airport and find my box. It was at another distributor out there. I found it. Then had it checked by the customs lady. She wrote it up as personal items, I thought I was good to go. Nope. I needed a stamp from the chef. Fine, I could do that. But there was a how bureaucracy involved. This one guy kept trying to help me out, which I didn't want. He said he would talk to the chef for me. I thought this was silly since he didn't speak any English and didn't seem to understand what I was telling him. So I really didn't think I needed a bad translator. Still he kept taking my paperwork and trying to run off with it. Annoying. Here I am just trying to figure out what office to talk to, and I can't get a straight answer because I have this guy following me around.
Finally I let him run off with it and I grabbed some lunch. I was too tired and frustrated to fight anymore. When I got done, my guy said it was all finished. He had spoken to the chef. I would just have to pay $40. I wanted to know who to pay and see a receipt for that. The guys said it wasn't possible. It turns the chef had said I didn't need to pay. The $40 was for all the "work" the guy had done for me. This set off a big argument. I told him I didn't even want his help to begin with. He wasn't very helpful either. I never agreed to pay anything. I did my best in French and he kept trying to find someone to translate to English. Eventually I gave him 5,000 CFA, which is a bit more than $10. I just wanted to be done with it.
Turns out that wasn't the last thing. Before I could get my box they had to make copies of the forms. I can't imagine what they do with them. Whatever. I did get my box finally, but it took all day. Far longer than I wanted to spend dealing with it. If that is their customs process, it is a wonder anything gets in or out of the country. Good luck Mali.
-Dravis
Bamako - Day 243
Date: April 18th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: My Favorite Man - Actionslacks
Nothing much to do today. I guess I shouldn't have come in on the . Offices are closed as well as embassies. In the afternoon Dominic and I decided to see if we could head over and find a pool at the big hotel in town. I guess the hotel is owned by Libya. Weird. Still they had a nice pool. Not that I got in, the guys there wanted to charge about $25 to go swimming. No thanks. I can take a shower back at the mission for free.
I did find the FedEx office though. It is actually in the Hotel. I never thought of looking there. At least I have a place to start tomorrow.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: My Favorite Man - Actionslacks
Nothing much to do today. I guess I shouldn't have come in on the . Offices are closed as well as embassies. In the afternoon Dominic and I decided to see if we could head over and find a pool at the big hotel in town. I guess the hotel is owned by Libya. Weird. Still they had a nice pool. Not that I got in, the guys there wanted to charge about $25 to go swimming. No thanks. I can take a shower back at the mission for free.
I did find the FedEx office though. It is actually in the Hotel. I never thought of looking there. At least I have a place to start tomorrow.
-Dravis
Bamako - Day 242
Date: April 17th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Mali
It was a pretty slow day. I did find the local internet cafe and get some stuff posted. Also wrote a few e-mails and checked on my package. Which FedEx thinks is in Paris. They couldn't tell me where the office here in Bamako was. None of the taxi drivers seemed to understand what a FedEx was either. Maybe this will be harder than I thought.
I spend the rest of the day just recovering. I am feeling much better, but still not in tip-top shape. Oh, and I think the culprit is Giardia. So avoid that one if you can. I am thinking I will have to change the way I drink water. My friend Jonathan sent me an e-mail about water. As a geologist he described the best types of wells (closed/cased). He also went on to describe various kinds of treatment methods and what they are good for. In talking with my friend about this today, my friend Dominic had something quite insightful to say. He said that what you need isn't water, it is cool water. If you boil water, you get something hot and undrinkable. Even if you treat it, by the time it is ready the water has warmed up. So you either have to drink right from the well, or by filtered water. I think I will start doing more of the later from now on. In most towns you can buy a sachet of water that is pretty cheap. I am going to try and get the majority of my water that way from now on.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Mali
It was a pretty slow day. I did find the local internet cafe and get some stuff posted. Also wrote a few e-mails and checked on my package. Which FedEx thinks is in Paris. They couldn't tell me where the office here in Bamako was. None of the taxi drivers seemed to understand what a FedEx was either. Maybe this will be harder than I thought.
I spend the rest of the day just recovering. I am feeling much better, but still not in tip-top shape. Oh, and I think the culprit is Giardia. So avoid that one if you can. I am thinking I will have to change the way I drink water. My friend Jonathan sent me an e-mail about water. As a geologist he described the best types of wells (closed/cased). He also went on to describe various kinds of treatment methods and what they are good for. In talking with my friend about this today, my friend Dominic had something quite insightful to say. He said that what you need isn't water, it is cool water. If you boil water, you get something hot and undrinkable. Even if you treat it, by the time it is ready the water has warmed up. So you either have to drink right from the well, or by filtered water. I think I will start doing more of the later from now on. In most towns you can buy a sachet of water that is pretty cheap. I am going to try and get the majority of my water that way from now on.
-Dravis
Siguri to Bamako - Day 241
Date: April 16th, 2010
Distance: Cheating by taxi
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: 241 - Reel Big Fish
Woke up today, and was feeling okay. I figured I could make the trip to Bamako by truck. I was still rushing to the toilet just before or after each meal though. So I figured I wouldn't eat anything until I got into Bamako. I would still need to drink lots, but I figured that would just get sweated out. I really wanted to get out of Guinea as well.
So I packed up and headed out. I found the big truck stop, but it turns out nothing was leaving that day. I would have to wait until the next day. I didn't want to do that. So I went over to the taxi stand and found something there that was going. I know this is cheating, but I figure you get dysentery, you can take a car. It took a while to get everything ready though. Once there were enough people going, the driver had to get gas. Then fix the water pump with a little epoxy. After seeing it, I knew why the engine was running like it did.
The ride itself wasn't as bad as I though. I was stuck in the front seat with another guy. That was actually pretty good. I think they crammed at least 8 people into the back. The idle in the car was all messed up, so it would quit at random times. Then we would have to push start the car. It also needed a gallon of water every 30km. There was no radiator cap anymore, just a ragged hole to pour water into. Despite it all, the car did make it to Bamako.
Just to the edge though. From there I had to get into the center of town. So it was back on the bike. The road in was being working on. So it was all torn up. There were cars going all over it. Oh, and it was dark. So not the best trip into town.
Once inside the city I was struck by how impressive it was. Big modern buildings. Electricity that is on 24 hours a day. It was such a change from the last three countries. I thought I was back in civilization.
Eventually I bounced my way around to the Catholic Mission in town. It was after 10:00 PM though. Still, the very kind sister running the place let me in. They had a bed in a dorm style room to stay in. Perfect for me.
Now I just needed to get some food. I was starving. I wanted some soup. Simple soup. There were two restaurants across the street. The first one only had spaghetti and fish. The second one was supposed to have banana milkshakes. I thought that would have been amazing. Sadly, they were out. They didn't have soup either. But they showed me what the did have, which was eggplant stew. Close enough. It was really good too.
While eating, I started talking with this guy Dominic. He was also a traveler staying at the mission. It turns out that he had been going through west Africa as well. He had traveled much of the rest of Africa as well, and said that this part, specifically Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote D'Ivoir were the hardest place to travel in Africa. I felt a little better after that. The last month and a half have probably been tougher than I have noticed. I am also looking forward to east Africa. It was quite a fun talk.
By then it was midnight, and I was able to crash despite the miserable heat.
-Dravis
Distance: Cheating by taxi
Country: Mali
Song of the Day: 241 - Reel Big Fish
Woke up today, and was feeling okay. I figured I could make the trip to Bamako by truck. I was still rushing to the toilet just before or after each meal though. So I figured I wouldn't eat anything until I got into Bamako. I would still need to drink lots, but I figured that would just get sweated out. I really wanted to get out of Guinea as well.
So I packed up and headed out. I found the big truck stop, but it turns out nothing was leaving that day. I would have to wait until the next day. I didn't want to do that. So I went over to the taxi stand and found something there that was going. I know this is cheating, but I figure you get dysentery, you can take a car. It took a while to get everything ready though. Once there were enough people going, the driver had to get gas. Then fix the water pump with a little epoxy. After seeing it, I knew why the engine was running like it did.
The ride itself wasn't as bad as I though. I was stuck in the front seat with another guy. That was actually pretty good. I think they crammed at least 8 people into the back. The idle in the car was all messed up, so it would quit at random times. Then we would have to push start the car. It also needed a gallon of water every 30km. There was no radiator cap anymore, just a ragged hole to pour water into. Despite it all, the car did make it to Bamako.
Just to the edge though. From there I had to get into the center of town. So it was back on the bike. The road in was being working on. So it was all torn up. There were cars going all over it. Oh, and it was dark. So not the best trip into town.
Once inside the city I was struck by how impressive it was. Big modern buildings. Electricity that is on 24 hours a day. It was such a change from the last three countries. I thought I was back in civilization.
Eventually I bounced my way around to the Catholic Mission in town. It was after 10:00 PM though. Still, the very kind sister running the place let me in. They had a bed in a dorm style room to stay in. Perfect for me.
Now I just needed to get some food. I was starving. I wanted some soup. Simple soup. There were two restaurants across the street. The first one only had spaghetti and fish. The second one was supposed to have banana milkshakes. I thought that would have been amazing. Sadly, they were out. They didn't have soup either. But they showed me what the did have, which was eggplant stew. Close enough. It was really good too.
While eating, I started talking with this guy Dominic. He was also a traveler staying at the mission. It turns out that he had been going through west Africa as well. He had traveled much of the rest of Africa as well, and said that this part, specifically Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote D'Ivoir were the hardest place to travel in Africa. I felt a little better after that. The last month and a half have probably been tougher than I have noticed. I am also looking forward to east Africa. It was quite a fun talk.
By then it was midnight, and I was able to crash despite the miserable heat.
-Dravis
Siguri - Day 240
Date: April 15th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Money - Pink Floyd
I spent another day stuck in my hotel room. It was better than the previous day though. Not by much. I was still making frequent runs to the bathroom. The power was on for most of the day, which was nice. That meant the fan was on, so it wasn't unbearably hot. Nothing enhances dehydration like diarrhea and sweating all day.
I could also watch movies all day which was nice. I could have chosen a little better though. In the afternoon I was watching Ratatouille. It is all about food. I was so hungry, I just couldn't stomach anything. Kinda frustrating. I should have thought that one through a bit more.
In the evening I did go out and get something to eat. Just spaghetti, but it was pretty filling. I hope I am getting something out of it.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Money - Pink Floyd
I spent another day stuck in my hotel room. It was better than the previous day though. Not by much. I was still making frequent runs to the bathroom. The power was on for most of the day, which was nice. That meant the fan was on, so it wasn't unbearably hot. Nothing enhances dehydration like diarrhea and sweating all day.
I could also watch movies all day which was nice. I could have chosen a little better though. In the afternoon I was watching Ratatouille. It is all about food. I was so hungry, I just couldn't stomach anything. Kinda frustrating. I should have thought that one through a bit more.
In the evening I did go out and get something to eat. Just spaghetti, but it was pretty filling. I hope I am getting something out of it.
-Dravis
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Siguri - Day 239
Date: April 14th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Guinea
Dysentery. Doctor. Pills. Sleep
-Dravis
[Note: No further explanation of this day will be forthcoming. It will not be in the hardcover edition, the companion guide, the 30th anniversary re-mastered edition, the best-of compilation version, or the making-of DVD.]
Distance: None
Country: Guinea
Dysentery. Doctor. Pills. Sleep
-Dravis
[Note: No further explanation of this day will be forthcoming. It will not be in the hardcover edition, the companion guide, the 30th anniversary re-mastered edition, the best-of compilation version, or the making-of DVD.]
Fodecariah to Siguri - Day 238
Date: April 13th, 2010
Distance: 75km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: St. Louise - Soul Coughing
Didn't sleep well again. Still not feeling well. It isn't like I can stay here though. I got up and packed my tent away with a w of kids watching. I said goodbye to Lamin, my host. He was actually going to bike to Kankan. I guess he attends the university there. It must be quite a commute. I don't know if he was going to come back later or what.
Just a hard push down the road most of the day. Another quick rush into the woods in the morning. I am not happy about that. Nothing amazing to look at either. I think I have the Niger river off to my right for the next day or two. Right now it is just a little blue band full of sandbars. The rest of the terrain is pretty dry and open. At least there are a few trees around that I can take shade under.
I did get to Siguri right at 2:00 PM. Well, not quite. Those damn road markers lied to me again. Instead of the city I found a big intersection. At least there was a truck and taxi stop there. I could get some bissap to drink, which I desperately needed. It was mushy frozen too. Perfect. (I wish I had bought two of them. Really, it is the difference between $0.15 and $0.30, so who cares?) I would need all the help I could get. The sun was just destroying me, and it was another 5km to town.
In Siguri I found a pretty nice place to stay. For the first time in Guinea, the place had power on during daylight hours. I was so impressed. It seemed to be the city power too. I think that turns off at 8:00 PM though for some reason. After that the hotel runs of a generator. I guess you can't have everything.
I walked into town to get some dinner. It took a while to find a place. I had spaghetti and two Fanta Cocktails. (I don't think they make that in the US for some reason. It is better than the regular Fanta though. Almost like real fruit.) The walk in and out of town wasn't that pleasant. Cars and motor bikes are zipping all around, and they expect you to move out of their way. On the way out I got to see the state of repair on the vehicles here first hand. A passing semi-truck dropped one of the lug nuts of its back tire. You might think that happens everywhere. But this one came with a wedge of metal about one fifth of the center of that wheel. Yee-haw. If something is going to get me over here, it isn't lions, bandits or warlords. It is going to be a wheel coming off a truck, or motorcycle falling off a taxi.
-Dravis
Distance: 75km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: St. Louise - Soul Coughing
Didn't sleep well again. Still not feeling well. It isn't like I can stay here though. I got up and packed my tent away with a w of kids watching. I said goodbye to Lamin, my host. He was actually going to bike to Kankan. I guess he attends the university there. It must be quite a commute. I don't know if he was going to come back later or what.
Just a hard push down the road most of the day. Another quick rush into the woods in the morning. I am not happy about that. Nothing amazing to look at either. I think I have the Niger river off to my right for the next day or two. Right now it is just a little blue band full of sandbars. The rest of the terrain is pretty dry and open. At least there are a few trees around that I can take shade under.
I did get to Siguri right at 2:00 PM. Well, not quite. Those damn road markers lied to me again. Instead of the city I found a big intersection. At least there was a truck and taxi stop there. I could get some bissap to drink, which I desperately needed. It was mushy frozen too. Perfect. (I wish I had bought two of them. Really, it is the difference between $0.15 and $0.30, so who cares?) I would need all the help I could get. The sun was just destroying me, and it was another 5km to town.
In Siguri I found a pretty nice place to stay. For the first time in Guinea, the place had power on during daylight hours. I was so impressed. It seemed to be the city power too. I think that turns off at 8:00 PM though for some reason. After that the hotel runs of a generator. I guess you can't have everything.
I walked into town to get some dinner. It took a while to find a place. I had spaghetti and two Fanta Cocktails. (I don't think they make that in the US for some reason. It is better than the regular Fanta though. Almost like real fruit.) The walk in and out of town wasn't that pleasant. Cars and motor bikes are zipping all around, and they expect you to move out of their way. On the way out I got to see the state of repair on the vehicles here first hand. A passing semi-truck dropped one of the lug nuts of its back tire. You might think that happens everywhere. But this one came with a wedge of metal about one fifth of the center of that wheel. Yee-haw. If something is going to get me over here, it isn't lions, bandits or warlords. It is going to be a wheel coming off a truck, or motorcycle falling off a taxi.
-Dravis
Kankan to Fodecariah - Day 237
Date: April 12th, 2010
Distance: 62km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Red Mosquito - Pearl Jam
I woke up not feeling very well. Didn't have a restful night of sleep. I was hot and my stomach was aching. Still I had to go.
First order of business for the day was getting to that cyber cafe. It was actually one of the best I have been to. Cheap and the connection was actually pretty fast. I got a couple more posts uploaded.
Then it was back to the hotel to get all packed up. I didn't get on the road until after 11:00 AM. I knew it was going to be a short day, so I wasn't worried. Still I like the early morning rides better. Only 10km in, I had to make an emergency dash into the woods though. Apparently my Diarrhea is back.
No real spectacular terrain along the road. It is pretty flat here, and I can see the land drying out. That doesn't bode well for me. The wind was being nice again, coming from over my left shoulder. It gave me a nice gentle push most of the day.
At 2:00 I stopped in a town to hide out from the sun. I found a place I could get a Coke and some cool water. I think I like the shade of trees better than that of buildings. It seems to be cooler. After a couple of hours I got back on the road. It wasn't that far to Fodecariah, but I was going pretty slow. I can't believe how hot it is here sometimes.
When I got to the town, no hotel. Ah well. I have dealt with that before. I ask around and was eventually invited by a Student to stay in his families compound. He even fed me some dinner, for which I was most thankful. I even got a shower out of the deal.
Not that it did much good. My tent was so hot. I just couldn't do anything to cool down. I lay inside for an hour dripping sweat. By the time I fell asleep I was in a puddle of water.
-Dravis
Distance: 62km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Red Mosquito - Pearl Jam
I woke up not feeling very well. Didn't have a restful night of sleep. I was hot and my stomach was aching. Still I had to go.
First order of business for the day was getting to that cyber cafe. It was actually one of the best I have been to. Cheap and the connection was actually pretty fast. I got a couple more posts uploaded.
Then it was back to the hotel to get all packed up. I didn't get on the road until after 11:00 AM. I knew it was going to be a short day, so I wasn't worried. Still I like the early morning rides better. Only 10km in, I had to make an emergency dash into the woods though. Apparently my Diarrhea is back.
No real spectacular terrain along the road. It is pretty flat here, and I can see the land drying out. That doesn't bode well for me. The wind was being nice again, coming from over my left shoulder. It gave me a nice gentle push most of the day.
At 2:00 I stopped in a town to hide out from the sun. I found a place I could get a Coke and some cool water. I think I like the shade of trees better than that of buildings. It seems to be cooler. After a couple of hours I got back on the road. It wasn't that far to Fodecariah, but I was going pretty slow. I can't believe how hot it is here sometimes.
When I got to the town, no hotel. Ah well. I have dealt with that before. I ask around and was eventually invited by a Student to stay in his families compound. He even fed me some dinner, for which I was most thankful. I even got a shower out of the deal.
Not that it did much good. My tent was so hot. I just couldn't do anything to cool down. I lay inside for an hour dripping sweat. By the time I fell asleep I was in a puddle of water.
-Dravis
Monday, April 12, 2010
Koroussa to Kankan - Day 236
Date: April 11th, 2010
Distance: 90km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Bone Driven - Bush
Today things went pretty well. I really felt good about the accomplishment. Woke up pretty early. Got packed and had a good breakfast. I got on the road early, before it was to hot and was just killing the kilometers. I must admit I had a little help. I think I am finally getting a steady tail wind. I hope it helps through Mali. Then again, wind is a fickle creature.
The terrain here seems to be some kind of plateau. I am not sure how true that is. For some reason it just felt like I was at a decent elevation. There were a lot of little ups and downs. I just didn't seem to gaining or losing much over the course of the day.
At my 2:00 PM cut-off point, I was at 75km. I felt really good about that. Of course it was pretty hot and I had to hide in the tiny spot of shade under a little tree. There was no nice cloud cover like the day before. I spent a good while there cooling down and having some food. I try to eat at least every 25km. I could have stayed there for a bit but I knew Kankan was only about 8km further on.
Okay, that turned out to be a lie. Not my fault. That is what the mile markers on the road said. Who was I to think they were lying to me? Fortunately the last stretch was mostly downhill with that nice wind.
I got into town and started asking around for a cyber cafe. That always seems to be the part that I have the most trouble with. The last couple of countries have been really bad about that. One guy on a moto, Douku, wanted to come with me, and said he could show me a cyber cafe. Good enough.
We set off through the city, and it really is a pretty big place. We went to the area around the University and checked at a couple of places there. Only one place had an internet connection at the time. At least they were open. I didn't realize it was a Sunday.
Before I sat around for a while using the internet, I wanted to get all my stuff safely away at a hotel. After a couple of tries Douku and I found a place run by the Catholic church in town. Nice place, but a bit pricey for me. Still I didn't much feel like haggling.
From there I headed back to the cyber cafe. Well, it turns out that they only have one computer with an internet connection. I wanted to plug my laptop in and upload some posts. Well it wasn't picking up the connection. I think they would have to reboot their router, as it is probably locked to the MAC address of the other computer. Explaining that though was more that my meager skills with the French language could handle. I will try another place tomorrow.
-Dravis
Distance: 90km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Bone Driven - Bush
Today things went pretty well. I really felt good about the accomplishment. Woke up pretty early. Got packed and had a good breakfast. I got on the road early, before it was to hot and was just killing the kilometers. I must admit I had a little help. I think I am finally getting a steady tail wind. I hope it helps through Mali. Then again, wind is a fickle creature.
The terrain here seems to be some kind of plateau. I am not sure how true that is. For some reason it just felt like I was at a decent elevation. There were a lot of little ups and downs. I just didn't seem to gaining or losing much over the course of the day.
At my 2:00 PM cut-off point, I was at 75km. I felt really good about that. Of course it was pretty hot and I had to hide in the tiny spot of shade under a little tree. There was no nice cloud cover like the day before. I spent a good while there cooling down and having some food. I try to eat at least every 25km. I could have stayed there for a bit but I knew Kankan was only about 8km further on.
Okay, that turned out to be a lie. Not my fault. That is what the mile markers on the road said. Who was I to think they were lying to me? Fortunately the last stretch was mostly downhill with that nice wind.
I got into town and started asking around for a cyber cafe. That always seems to be the part that I have the most trouble with. The last couple of countries have been really bad about that. One guy on a moto, Douku, wanted to come with me, and said he could show me a cyber cafe. Good enough.
We set off through the city, and it really is a pretty big place. We went to the area around the University and checked at a couple of places there. Only one place had an internet connection at the time. At least they were open. I didn't realize it was a Sunday.
Before I sat around for a while using the internet, I wanted to get all my stuff safely away at a hotel. After a couple of tries Douku and I found a place run by the Catholic church in town. Nice place, but a bit pricey for me. Still I didn't much feel like haggling.
From there I headed back to the cyber cafe. Well, it turns out that they only have one computer with an internet connection. I wanted to plug my laptop in and upload some posts. Well it wasn't picking up the connection. I think they would have to reboot their router, as it is probably locked to the MAC address of the other computer. Explaining that though was more that my meager skills with the French language could handle. I will try another place tomorrow.
-Dravis
Cissela to Koroussa - Day 235
Date: April 10th, 2010
Distance: 91km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Near Wild Heaven - R.E.M.
Everything that was wrong about yesterday seemed to go right today. I didn't get on the road amazingly early, but it worked. I was hoping to do 60km before the hot part of the day. I was back into more forested areas, so things got better. It was cooler and I could find more shade along the road. It was up and down a lot. The downhills are a great way to cool off though. Also, there was a wind, but it didn't seem to be affecting me. Even coming head on I was making pretty good time. So I really was having a good time rolling down the road.
The roads here aren't that great, by the way. I do spend a lot of time playing dodge the potholes. Also dodging cars and trucks playing that game. There are a ton of tanker trucks driving these roads. I guess they must be the only way to get fuel around. It is crazy to watch them drive onto one shoulder, zip across the road, drop onto the shoulder on the other side, and not tip over. Still, they are at least in good repair. The other trucks on the road look like they can fall apart at any time, and do. You see them along the side of the road, and the driver or someone is trying to fix the problem. The bush taxis aren't much better. Plus they are often overloaded with stuff. Often it appears that there is a whole other car of stuff on top. Plus a couple of guys hanging on for the ride. (I wonder if you pay less for that?) I will try and post some pictures when I get a better internet connection.
Anyway, I made my 60km well before the 2:00PM cutoff time. By that point it was cloudy. That was blocking out the sun. It still wasn't cool, but not meltingly hot was good enough for me. So I kept going. I ended up getting into Koroussa just after 4:00 PM. Great time today.
In town I found a place to stay, but I had to haggle for the price though. They wanted twice as much a the night before for a room that wasn't as nice. After that I had a chance to walk around the town and walk through the market. That was fun. I love local markets.
Then it was dinner and off to bed. That last part didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked. The room was hot, and I had been sold on the air conditioner. The electricity turned on late, and when I tried the air conditioner, it didn't work. Fine, at least they had a fan, I could blow cool air in from the window. When I went to plug that in, I got a shock from the grounding pin. I don't think I got the full 220v, but it wasn't pleasant. Really, the electrical systems here are all jury-rigged solutions created mostly by people who don't know what they are doing. As people say here, "This is Africa."
-Dravis
Distance: 91km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Near Wild Heaven - R.E.M.
Everything that was wrong about yesterday seemed to go right today. I didn't get on the road amazingly early, but it worked. I was hoping to do 60km before the hot part of the day. I was back into more forested areas, so things got better. It was cooler and I could find more shade along the road. It was up and down a lot. The downhills are a great way to cool off though. Also, there was a wind, but it didn't seem to be affecting me. Even coming head on I was making pretty good time. So I really was having a good time rolling down the road.
The roads here aren't that great, by the way. I do spend a lot of time playing dodge the potholes. Also dodging cars and trucks playing that game. There are a ton of tanker trucks driving these roads. I guess they must be the only way to get fuel around. It is crazy to watch them drive onto one shoulder, zip across the road, drop onto the shoulder on the other side, and not tip over. Still, they are at least in good repair. The other trucks on the road look like they can fall apart at any time, and do. You see them along the side of the road, and the driver or someone is trying to fix the problem. The bush taxis aren't much better. Plus they are often overloaded with stuff. Often it appears that there is a whole other car of stuff on top. Plus a couple of guys hanging on for the ride. (I wonder if you pay less for that?) I will try and post some pictures when I get a better internet connection.
Anyway, I made my 60km well before the 2:00PM cutoff time. By that point it was cloudy. That was blocking out the sun. It still wasn't cool, but not meltingly hot was good enough for me. So I kept going. I ended up getting into Koroussa just after 4:00 PM. Great time today.
In town I found a place to stay, but I had to haggle for the price though. They wanted twice as much a the night before for a room that wasn't as nice. After that I had a chance to walk around the town and walk through the market. That was fun. I love local markets.
Then it was dinner and off to bed. That last part didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked. The room was hot, and I had been sold on the air conditioner. The electricity turned on late, and when I tried the air conditioner, it didn't work. Fine, at least they had a fan, I could blow cool air in from the window. When I went to plug that in, I got a shock from the grounding pin. I don't think I got the full 220v, but it wasn't pleasant. Really, the electrical systems here are all jury-rigged solutions created mostly by people who don't know what they are doing. As people say here, "This is Africa."
-Dravis
Dabola to Cissela - Day 234
Date: April 9th, 2010
Distance: 72km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: It's Hard - The Who
I don't know what went wrong today. Today was a hard day for traveling. I did get out late, which wasn't the best idea. I knew I didn't have far to go, so I was hoping to make it all before the hot part of the day. Should have left earlier.
The road wasn't helping much either. It was a lot flatter terrain, but much dryer as well. So there wasn't much shade from the sun, and no green plants to absorb some of that heat. I was hitting a steady headwind as well. I missed the 2:00 PM mark for stopping. Then I missed 3:00 PM. I was hot and miserable. Just melting in the sun. I just kept pushing myself.
Once in Cissela, I got checked in at the hotel. It really is one of the nicest places I have been to. They gave me a suite with a sitting room and everything. Cheap too. I was hoping to get some laundry done, but I was wiped out and took a nap for a couple of hours.
In the evening I walked around Cissela. I couldn't believe it was on the map. It is tiny. Then again it has a gas station and a hotel. Other than that, probably 30 houses in the whole village. It didn't look like there were any good place to eat. So I asked the guy running the hotel if he knew a good place. He said he would make me spaghetti with gazelle meat. Deal. It took about an hour and half to make though. I was starving by the time it was ready. When it did finally arrive, it was excellent though. The gazelle tasted a lot like beef actually. The sauce was great, and the spaghetti was filling. I couldn't ask for much more.
-Dravis
Distance: 72km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: It's Hard - The Who
I don't know what went wrong today. Today was a hard day for traveling. I did get out late, which wasn't the best idea. I knew I didn't have far to go, so I was hoping to make it all before the hot part of the day. Should have left earlier.
The road wasn't helping much either. It was a lot flatter terrain, but much dryer as well. So there wasn't much shade from the sun, and no green plants to absorb some of that heat. I was hitting a steady headwind as well. I missed the 2:00 PM mark for stopping. Then I missed 3:00 PM. I was hot and miserable. Just melting in the sun. I just kept pushing myself.
Once in Cissela, I got checked in at the hotel. It really is one of the nicest places I have been to. They gave me a suite with a sitting room and everything. Cheap too. I was hoping to get some laundry done, but I was wiped out and took a nap for a couple of hours.
In the evening I walked around Cissela. I couldn't believe it was on the map. It is tiny. Then again it has a gas station and a hotel. Other than that, probably 30 houses in the whole village. It didn't look like there were any good place to eat. So I asked the guy running the hotel if he knew a good place. He said he would make me spaghetti with gazelle meat. Deal. It took about an hour and half to make though. I was starving by the time it was ready. When it did finally arrive, it was excellent though. The gazelle tasted a lot like beef actually. The sauce was great, and the spaghetti was filling. I couldn't ask for much more.
-Dravis
Nidindo to Dabola - Day 233
Date: April 8th, 2010
Distance: 130km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Gravity Rides Everything - Modest Mouse
Everything seemed to be going right today. I got everything packed up and was ready to go early. Which is pretty good for sleeping in a tent. (Lots of stuff to put away.) I said goodbye to my host. He gave me a goodbye card, with his name, village, region, district, country and capital on it. Plus a few other things. Like apparently Jamie (I hope that is a girl) loves me. Also he listed that New York was the capital of America. Still it was a nice gesture.
I did stop back in town for a bit. I wanted to fill up on water from the pump there. You just don't pass up an opportunity for cool, tasty water from a pump here. I also stopped to have breakfast. I had some breakfast and some more of that rice pourage. I was ready to go.
So I got on the road, and for most of the day it was just a grind through the miles. The terrain wasn't bad though. I seem to be out of the serious mountains, but there still are some good hills. In general though it seemed to trend to going downhill which helped me out a lot. I would need all of that.
I was hoping to get to 75km before I stopped for the afternoon. Just shy of that I found a village with their market day in full swing. Lunchtime. I also saw the guy who had given me a ride two days before. So I walked up and said "hi" to him. He was happy to see that I had received the helmet. I talked with him about my trip (in French) while a crowd gathered. I mentioned that I wanted some ginger to drink, and he went off and brought a full sack full of the little things. He also found someone in the village who had a nice shady hut I could sit in for a while.
So I had lunch there and waited for it to get cool again. I didn't wait long enough, but I knew I still had a long way to go. So I headed out a bit early. I wasn't going to fast, and was pouring through the water. Still I was making the miles which I needed to do.
By early evening it started to cool off again. I was able to get a little speed up. Plus there were a few more good downhills. At one point I was screaming down a hill and a flock of these white birds was just floating overhead with me. Quite cool. Still, I wasn't fast enough, and I only got into Dabola after dark.
My first order of business was dinner. I was starving. I found a place for potato salad. The town seemed to be out of bissap or ginger for the evening though. After that I got checked into the hotel in town. The most expensive one I have been to so far in Guinea. Still it was nice, and they had a TV in the room. Not that I was watching it. I was exhausted and just wanted to get into bed. It felt good to have a day that seemed to go right.
-Dravis
Distance: 130km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Gravity Rides Everything - Modest Mouse
Everything seemed to be going right today. I got everything packed up and was ready to go early. Which is pretty good for sleeping in a tent. (Lots of stuff to put away.) I said goodbye to my host. He gave me a goodbye card, with his name, village, region, district, country and capital on it. Plus a few other things. Like apparently Jamie (I hope that is a girl) loves me. Also he listed that New York was the capital of America. Still it was a nice gesture.
I did stop back in town for a bit. I wanted to fill up on water from the pump there. You just don't pass up an opportunity for cool, tasty water from a pump here. I also stopped to have breakfast. I had some breakfast and some more of that rice pourage. I was ready to go.
So I got on the road, and for most of the day it was just a grind through the miles. The terrain wasn't bad though. I seem to be out of the serious mountains, but there still are some good hills. In general though it seemed to trend to going downhill which helped me out a lot. I would need all of that.
I was hoping to get to 75km before I stopped for the afternoon. Just shy of that I found a village with their market day in full swing. Lunchtime. I also saw the guy who had given me a ride two days before. So I walked up and said "hi" to him. He was happy to see that I had received the helmet. I talked with him about my trip (in French) while a crowd gathered. I mentioned that I wanted some ginger to drink, and he went off and brought a full sack full of the little things. He also found someone in the village who had a nice shady hut I could sit in for a while.
So I had lunch there and waited for it to get cool again. I didn't wait long enough, but I knew I still had a long way to go. So I headed out a bit early. I wasn't going to fast, and was pouring through the water. Still I was making the miles which I needed to do.
By early evening it started to cool off again. I was able to get a little speed up. Plus there were a few more good downhills. At one point I was screaming down a hill and a flock of these white birds was just floating overhead with me. Quite cool. Still, I wasn't fast enough, and I only got into Dabola after dark.
My first order of business was dinner. I was starving. I found a place for potato salad. The town seemed to be out of bissap or ginger for the evening though. After that I got checked into the hotel in town. The most expensive one I have been to so far in Guinea. Still it was nice, and they had a TV in the room. Not that I was watching it. I was exhausted and just wanted to get into bed. It felt good to have a day that seemed to go right.
-Dravis
Linsar to Nidindo - Day 232
Date: April 7th, 2010
Distance: 75km
Country: Guinea
I woke up pretty early and got some breakfast in Linsar. I figured the road out would be a nice glide downhill most of the way to Mamou. It wasn't. It was rolling hills, and if anything went up. The wind was also again playing tricks on me. Each valley and gully seemed to have its own wind direction. I was being pushed in all directions. The route turns a lot in the mountains as well. So I never did get a sense of what to expect.
The last climb into Mamou was just hell. It was hot and I kept thinking it would end over the next rise. Then there would be another uphill stretch. Argh. I learned to hate radio antennas and cell towers. They put them on top of hills, and you can be sure the road goes right by them. Ugh.
The last 8km to Mamou was an amazingly fast downhill. I really was too hot and tired to enjoy it though. I didn't care anymore, I just wanted to find a place to sit out the hot part of the afternoon.
I did find that. A cafe serving bissap, ginger, and rice with manyawk. What more could I ask? I spent an hour and a half there avoiding the sun and cooling down.
Back on the road I realized why I shouldn't have a big lunch though. It just made me tired. I didn't feel like doing any more miles, and I really did need to get going. I just couldn't.
Before sunset I stopped to rest in a village along the road. They had a pump for water, and that was good enough for me. I decided I should just stay there for the night. While resting, and drinking cool fresh water, I started talking with one of the guys from the village. I explained my situation and he invited me to stay in his family's "ensemble" or compound. Good enough. I pitched my tent, and my host explained his work as a mason building houses. I tried to explain what houses were like in America, but they really are different. Houses here are just walls. In America, they have infrastructure. Water. Sewer. Electricity. Heat. Air Conditioning. Still it was interesting to talk.
-Dravis
Distance: 75km
Country: Guinea
I woke up pretty early and got some breakfast in Linsar. I figured the road out would be a nice glide downhill most of the way to Mamou. It wasn't. It was rolling hills, and if anything went up. The wind was also again playing tricks on me. Each valley and gully seemed to have its own wind direction. I was being pushed in all directions. The route turns a lot in the mountains as well. So I never did get a sense of what to expect.
The last climb into Mamou was just hell. It was hot and I kept thinking it would end over the next rise. Then there would be another uphill stretch. Argh. I learned to hate radio antennas and cell towers. They put them on top of hills, and you can be sure the road goes right by them. Ugh.
The last 8km to Mamou was an amazingly fast downhill. I really was too hot and tired to enjoy it though. I didn't care anymore, I just wanted to find a place to sit out the hot part of the afternoon.
I did find that. A cafe serving bissap, ginger, and rice with manyawk. What more could I ask? I spent an hour and a half there avoiding the sun and cooling down.
Back on the road I realized why I shouldn't have a big lunch though. It just made me tired. I didn't feel like doing any more miles, and I really did need to get going. I just couldn't.
Before sunset I stopped to rest in a village along the road. They had a pump for water, and that was good enough for me. I decided I should just stay there for the night. While resting, and drinking cool fresh water, I started talking with one of the guys from the village. I explained my situation and he invited me to stay in his family's "ensemble" or compound. Good enough. I pitched my tent, and my host explained his work as a mason building houses. I tried to explain what houses were like in America, but they really are different. Houses here are just walls. In America, they have infrastructure. Water. Sewer. Electricity. Heat. Air Conditioning. Still it was interesting to talk.
-Dravis
Kindia to Linsar - Day 231
Date: April 6th, 2010
Distance: 73km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Vapour Trails - The Tragically Hip
I woke up early to get some internet time in, then hit the road. It would have been a good plan, if it had worked. The cyber cafe opened at 8:00 AM for some reason, but they didn't actually turn anything on until 9:00. I guess I could have had an extra hour of sleep. I did finally get my internet time in. Put up a couple of new posts. I also had to haggle over the price. The guys running the place kept telling me different prices for things. They also counted the time we argued over the price as time I spent on the internet. It did get settled in the end though. I think you just have to show that you won't settle for the aporto price.
It did mean a pretty late start for me though. The road out from Kindia was actually pretty good though. Downhill for almost 15 kilometers. After that I had a huge hill to tackle though. I got to the top exhausted. There was one bright spot, just after the crest of the hill was a village. For some reason they had a shop (hut) with bissap and ginger. Frozen. Not solid frozen either. Mushy frozen. Just at the point when ice crystals are starting to form, but haven't frozen into a rock. That is the best way to drink something. So good. That really helped me out.
Still the afternoon was hot and the terrain wasn't getting easier. There was one more big downhill before the second uphill of the day. The sun was beginning to set and it was worn out. I got about halfway up and started bonking hard. I just couldn't get enough sugar in me. The warm water I had to drink wasn't helping either. I ending up pushing my bike up the hill.
I wasn't getting anywhere so I hailed a passing pickup truck. The guy stopped and offered me cool water and a ride to the next town. No need to ask me twice. It turns out he works for Orange, the cell phone provider here, installing solar systems for their cell towers. Makes a lot of sense after melting in the sun all day. Plus the electric grid really doesn't work here. There are power lines strung all over the country, but I don't think there is ever any juice in them.
My driver dropped me off outside of Linsar, at the hotel. I got myself checked in and wanted to get something to eat. I would have to go into town to do that. It was dark and I didn't feel like taking the bike. It was too far to walk, so I would have to take a moto-taxi. I don't like riding on the things without my helmet though. (Yeah, I did that in Boke. I was actually trying to hail a regular taxi, but a guy on a motorcycle offered me a ride. I felt it would have been rude to refuse.) I went to get my helmet and realized that I had left it in the truck. Crap, crap, crap.
Nothing to do about it, so I decided to head to the boutique down the street and see what I could forage. On the way a car stopped by to say hello. The driver, Sow, who spoke English, asked if I was a cyclist. Yes. He said a truck driver had given him something that I had left. Turns out, he had been given my helmet. At first I didn't realize how he had found me, then I realized I was probably the only white guy in the village. I thanked Sow and gave him my card. I was so relieved to get that helmet back. I really don't like riding without one.
Now armed with my helmet I hailed a moto-taxi and heading to town for some dinner.
-Dravis
Distance: 73km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: Vapour Trails - The Tragically Hip
I woke up early to get some internet time in, then hit the road. It would have been a good plan, if it had worked. The cyber cafe opened at 8:00 AM for some reason, but they didn't actually turn anything on until 9:00. I guess I could have had an extra hour of sleep. I did finally get my internet time in. Put up a couple of new posts. I also had to haggle over the price. The guys running the place kept telling me different prices for things. They also counted the time we argued over the price as time I spent on the internet. It did get settled in the end though. I think you just have to show that you won't settle for the aporto price.
It did mean a pretty late start for me though. The road out from Kindia was actually pretty good though. Downhill for almost 15 kilometers. After that I had a huge hill to tackle though. I got to the top exhausted. There was one bright spot, just after the crest of the hill was a village. For some reason they had a shop (hut) with bissap and ginger. Frozen. Not solid frozen either. Mushy frozen. Just at the point when ice crystals are starting to form, but haven't frozen into a rock. That is the best way to drink something. So good. That really helped me out.
Still the afternoon was hot and the terrain wasn't getting easier. There was one more big downhill before the second uphill of the day. The sun was beginning to set and it was worn out. I got about halfway up and started bonking hard. I just couldn't get enough sugar in me. The warm water I had to drink wasn't helping either. I ending up pushing my bike up the hill.
I wasn't getting anywhere so I hailed a passing pickup truck. The guy stopped and offered me cool water and a ride to the next town. No need to ask me twice. It turns out he works for Orange, the cell phone provider here, installing solar systems for their cell towers. Makes a lot of sense after melting in the sun all day. Plus the electric grid really doesn't work here. There are power lines strung all over the country, but I don't think there is ever any juice in them.
My driver dropped me off outside of Linsar, at the hotel. I got myself checked in and wanted to get something to eat. I would have to go into town to do that. It was dark and I didn't feel like taking the bike. It was too far to walk, so I would have to take a moto-taxi. I don't like riding on the things without my helmet though. (Yeah, I did that in Boke. I was actually trying to hail a regular taxi, but a guy on a motorcycle offered me a ride. I felt it would have been rude to refuse.) I went to get my helmet and realized that I had left it in the truck. Crap, crap, crap.
Nothing to do about it, so I decided to head to the boutique down the street and see what I could forage. On the way a car stopped by to say hello. The driver, Sow, who spoke English, asked if I was a cyclist. Yes. He said a truck driver had given him something that I had left. Turns out, he had been given my helmet. At first I didn't realize how he had found me, then I realized I was probably the only white guy in the village. I thanked Sow and gave him my card. I was so relieved to get that helmet back. I really don't like riding without one.
Now armed with my helmet I hailed a moto-taxi and heading to town for some dinner.
-Dravis
Coyah to Kindia - Day 230
Date: April 5th, 2010
Distance: 74km
Country: Guinea
Left town early this morning. The plan was to arrive in Kindia early and enjoy a bit of the city while it was still light out. The road itself wasn't bad. A bit hilly, but nothing I hadn't seen before. For once I had the wind going my direction. At least some of the time. Because of the terrain the road would turn, or the wind would die. Still it was a nice change.
The country is still fairly lush and green. The mangoes are really coming along here. People are all over the sides of the road selling them. I also saw a station wagon filled to the windows with them.
I did arrive in kinda in plenty of time. My first goal was to find a cyber cafe. The first one I found was closed. It would open the next morning. The second one (just down the street) was open, but didn't have an internet connection. What a country. So I guess I would have to wait until the next day.
Since I had some time I got a little shopping done. The market was still open so I found a nice pineapple. Delicious. I also got some supplies for the road ahead. I never do know where I am going to stop.
-Dravis
Distance: 74km
Country: Guinea
Left town early this morning. The plan was to arrive in Kindia early and enjoy a bit of the city while it was still light out. The road itself wasn't bad. A bit hilly, but nothing I hadn't seen before. For once I had the wind going my direction. At least some of the time. Because of the terrain the road would turn, or the wind would die. Still it was a nice change.
The country is still fairly lush and green. The mangoes are really coming along here. People are all over the sides of the road selling them. I also saw a station wagon filled to the windows with them.
I did arrive in kinda in plenty of time. My first goal was to find a cyber cafe. The first one I found was closed. It would open the next morning. The second one (just down the street) was open, but didn't have an internet connection. What a country. So I guess I would have to wait until the next day.
Since I had some time I got a little shopping done. The market was still open so I found a nice pineapple. Delicious. I also got some supplies for the road ahead. I never do know where I am going to stop.
-Dravis
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Balamui to Coyah - Day 229
Date: April 4th, 2010
Distance: 90km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: He Knows I'd Love to See Him - Morrissey
Woke up at sunrise today, which is pretty good for me. The border opens at 7:00 and I knew the guys in the truck to Ghana wanted to start early. I was all packed up and ready to go just after 7:00. I said goodbye to Mr. Simon and his wife. He even gave me a soda for the road. Wouldn't accept payment for it either. When traveling you meet some of the most amazing and generous people.
The border was actually pretty easy to cross. No real hassles on either the Sierra Leone side or the Guinea side. In Pamalap on the Guinea side I was supposed to meet up with the truck. I just didn't see it. I waited around for an hour or so. Had a bean sandwich and something like hot-cocoa. Still no truck.
I decided that I should get moving. I was pretty distinctive on the road, so they could see me if I was there. If it had somehow passed already, well I would need to get myself to Coyah. That is what ended up happening. I never did find the truck. Ah well. Each choice, each circumstance, is just a different experience. For me that meant a lot more miles down the road.
Still, it wasn't a bad day. A bit cloudy, so that kept things reasonably cool. I could also buy watermelon along the road. I was never that big a fan back in the states. Now I get it. When it is hot, and you are thirsty, it is wonderful.
I got to Coyah in the early evening. The hotel was about 2km out of town though. I got checked in and took my shower. Then headed back to town to find some dinner. I wanted some potato salad. They didn't have a "restaurant" for it though. I could buy all the ingredients (cooked) right at the same place though. I don't know why they didn't take the one further step to actually give me a plate of the stuff. Oh well. I bought what I needed and brought it back to the hotel.
When I got back, the manager at the hotel told me that they didn't have electricity. So I would have to go to the hotel down the street. I guess they are owned by the same guy though. Fine. So I got packed up and headed over there. The room was a bit nicer, and had air conditioning. Fine. So I made my potato salad and headed to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: 90km
Country: Guinea
Song of the Day: He Knows I'd Love to See Him - Morrissey
Woke up at sunrise today, which is pretty good for me. The border opens at 7:00 and I knew the guys in the truck to Ghana wanted to start early. I was all packed up and ready to go just after 7:00. I said goodbye to Mr. Simon and his wife. He even gave me a soda for the road. Wouldn't accept payment for it either. When traveling you meet some of the most amazing and generous people.
The border was actually pretty easy to cross. No real hassles on either the Sierra Leone side or the Guinea side. In Pamalap on the Guinea side I was supposed to meet up with the truck. I just didn't see it. I waited around for an hour or so. Had a bean sandwich and something like hot-cocoa. Still no truck.
I decided that I should get moving. I was pretty distinctive on the road, so they could see me if I was there. If it had somehow passed already, well I would need to get myself to Coyah. That is what ended up happening. I never did find the truck. Ah well. Each choice, each circumstance, is just a different experience. For me that meant a lot more miles down the road.
Still, it wasn't a bad day. A bit cloudy, so that kept things reasonably cool. I could also buy watermelon along the road. I was never that big a fan back in the states. Now I get it. When it is hot, and you are thirsty, it is wonderful.
I got to Coyah in the early evening. The hotel was about 2km out of town though. I got checked in and took my shower. Then headed back to town to find some dinner. I wanted some potato salad. They didn't have a "restaurant" for it though. I could buy all the ingredients (cooked) right at the same place though. I don't know why they didn't take the one further step to actually give me a plate of the stuff. Oh well. I bought what I needed and brought it back to the hotel.
When I got back, the manager at the hotel told me that they didn't have electricity. So I would have to go to the hotel down the street. I guess they are owned by the same guy though. Fine. So I got packed up and headed over there. The room was a bit nicer, and had air conditioning. Fine. So I made my potato salad and headed to bed.
-Dravis
Port Loko to Balamui - Day 228
Date: April 3rd, 2010
Distance: 63km
Country: Sierra Leone
Song of the Day: Future Says Run - Tonic
Left Port Loko this morning. They were disappointingly without any breakfast foods. Even the ginger juice from the night before was gone. Annoying. They did at least have bread so I could have that with peanut butter. Oh, and I got a couple of mangoes too. They weren't very good though. The ones from Kabala really were something special.
Not much to report on the road though. More dirt and gravel. Lots of dust. Nothing too steep though. There is also a new highway and an old one. I can't tell which is which. Neither seems better than the other. They keep crossing over each other as well. Just two paths braided through the bush.
I did stop at one town for lunch and ended up eating way too much. I had something called "gossi-gossi" in Fula. This is rice pourage with mayonnaise, sugar and yogurt. It sounds pretty gross, but was really good. I also had some spaghetti, which turned out to be too much. Oh, and the packets of frozen yogurt didn't help. Still, I was quite happy after that.
From there it was actually shorter than I expected to Kambia. I almost stopped there, but someone told me it was 30km to the border. Yesh. Tomorrow was going to be a long enough day without an extra 30km to the border. I guess that wasn't really true though. I did another 8km to the border. Found a nice guesthouse to stay at and got my shower. All before the sunset as well.
After the shower I started talking with, Simon, the guy who owns the guesthouse. Telling him all about my journey and the countries I have passed through. Also about what it is like in different parts of America. It was a lot of fun. He even invited me to eat with him and his wife. I couldn't refuse that. They were having rice with a spicy sauce and okra. I know a couple of people out there reading this who would probably enjoy it a lot. I thought it was wonderful.
After dinner Simon's brother showed up. I guess he is a long-haul truck driver from Ghana. He was dropping off stuff in Sierra Leone and heading back to Ghana. He is using basically the same route as I will, through Mali and Burkina Faso. Avoiding Liberia and Cote D'Ivoir. It feels good to know that truck drivers are taking the longer/safer route just like me. Simon asked him if he could take me as well. Actually, they were thinking of taking me all the way to Mali, but I don't want to go that far. I will go as far as Coyah or Kindia. I know, more cheating. Still, it is all a different experience. So we shall see how that all goes.
-Dravis
Distance: 63km
Country: Sierra Leone
Song of the Day: Future Says Run - Tonic
Left Port Loko this morning. They were disappointingly without any breakfast foods. Even the ginger juice from the night before was gone. Annoying. They did at least have bread so I could have that with peanut butter. Oh, and I got a couple of mangoes too. They weren't very good though. The ones from Kabala really were something special.
Not much to report on the road though. More dirt and gravel. Lots of dust. Nothing too steep though. There is also a new highway and an old one. I can't tell which is which. Neither seems better than the other. They keep crossing over each other as well. Just two paths braided through the bush.
I did stop at one town for lunch and ended up eating way too much. I had something called "gossi-gossi" in Fula. This is rice pourage with mayonnaise, sugar and yogurt. It sounds pretty gross, but was really good. I also had some spaghetti, which turned out to be too much. Oh, and the packets of frozen yogurt didn't help. Still, I was quite happy after that.
From there it was actually shorter than I expected to Kambia. I almost stopped there, but someone told me it was 30km to the border. Yesh. Tomorrow was going to be a long enough day without an extra 30km to the border. I guess that wasn't really true though. I did another 8km to the border. Found a nice guesthouse to stay at and got my shower. All before the sunset as well.
After the shower I started talking with, Simon, the guy who owns the guesthouse. Telling him all about my journey and the countries I have passed through. Also about what it is like in different parts of America. It was a lot of fun. He even invited me to eat with him and his wife. I couldn't refuse that. They were having rice with a spicy sauce and okra. I know a couple of people out there reading this who would probably enjoy it a lot. I thought it was wonderful.
After dinner Simon's brother showed up. I guess he is a long-haul truck driver from Ghana. He was dropping off stuff in Sierra Leone and heading back to Ghana. He is using basically the same route as I will, through Mali and Burkina Faso. Avoiding Liberia and Cote D'Ivoir. It feels good to know that truck drivers are taking the longer/safer route just like me. Simon asked him if he could take me as well. Actually, they were thinking of taking me all the way to Mali, but I don't want to go that far. I will go as far as Coyah or Kindia. I know, more cheating. Still, it is all a different experience. So we shall see how that all goes.
-Dravis
Freetown to Port Loko - Day 227
Date: April 2nd, 2010
Distance: 34km
Country: Sierra Leone
Today was kind of a mixed bag. In the morning I took a taxi into downtown. I wanted to get a few pictures and a little more video. (I am sorry I don't have the time to go through it all now. Maybe someday I will post it. Stay tuned.)
While there I basically ate my way through the morning. For breakfast I had some bread with sweetened condensed milk on it. Sounds weird, but it is pretty good. I had some "juice" to wash it down. Okay, it was just from a powder, but it had been made up and frozen the night before, so it was wonderfully cold. Then I had a couple of the frozen yogurt bags. Then had an ice cream. Real ice cream. Coconut flavor. It wasn't the best I had ever had, but the flavor was right on. Being the first ice cream in a few months, I have no complaints. I even went back for seconds. I finished it all off with a big plate of potato salad for lunch.
Then I had to get back and check out of the hotel. I got everything on the bike and started riding out of town. I didn't want to ride all the way back to the highway that goes to Guinea. It would have been about 100km, and the traffic is pretty heavy. Plus I just didn't want to do it. So I hitched a ride on a passing truck. I guess you could say that is cheating, but I already did the road once. I don't recall having that much fun the first time either. (Then again my stomache wasn't feeling great, so that could have had something to do with it.)
Anyway, it was a new way to get around. Not actually as pleasant as I would have thought. The guys who ride around on the backs of the trucks look so cool. In actuality, if you sit, your butt goes numb from the vibrations. Plus the truck was rattling so much you couldn't hear anything else. I put in my ear plugs. With that it was a bit more quiet, and I could really sit back and watch the scenery go by, Beautiful palm forests. You would think that it would be easy to watch it while biking. Sometimes you just get so caught up in watching the road, the cars, what your bike is doing, that you just miss what is going on around you. Also if you are tired it can be hard, mentally, to appreciate the beauty. Sometimes that takes being deaf, and sitting on a numb butt to see.
The truck dropped me off at Bere Junction. Now on the map it shows the road to Port Loko as being a big paved highway. This is not true. Instead it is a big gravel road. So every passing car picks up a shower of dust. Oh, and I was still running into a headwind. Sigh. Oh well, nothing to do. Just wrap the scarf around my face and grind down the road.
Still it wasn't that far to Port Loko. I found a nice place to stay. It turns out the Japanese cyclist I met in Nouachott was here the night before. Shucks, I just missed him. Still, it is good to know that he is doing okay. I should e-mail that guy. Anyway, I got some dinner and headed to bed. With the gravel roads and the wind tomorrow should be another long day.
-Dravis
Distance: 34km
Country: Sierra Leone
Today was kind of a mixed bag. In the morning I took a taxi into downtown. I wanted to get a few pictures and a little more video. (I am sorry I don't have the time to go through it all now. Maybe someday I will post it. Stay tuned.)
While there I basically ate my way through the morning. For breakfast I had some bread with sweetened condensed milk on it. Sounds weird, but it is pretty good. I had some "juice" to wash it down. Okay, it was just from a powder, but it had been made up and frozen the night before, so it was wonderfully cold. Then I had a couple of the frozen yogurt bags. Then had an ice cream. Real ice cream. Coconut flavor. It wasn't the best I had ever had, but the flavor was right on. Being the first ice cream in a few months, I have no complaints. I even went back for seconds. I finished it all off with a big plate of potato salad for lunch.
Then I had to get back and check out of the hotel. I got everything on the bike and started riding out of town. I didn't want to ride all the way back to the highway that goes to Guinea. It would have been about 100km, and the traffic is pretty heavy. Plus I just didn't want to do it. So I hitched a ride on a passing truck. I guess you could say that is cheating, but I already did the road once. I don't recall having that much fun the first time either. (Then again my stomache wasn't feeling great, so that could have had something to do with it.)
Anyway, it was a new way to get around. Not actually as pleasant as I would have thought. The guys who ride around on the backs of the trucks look so cool. In actuality, if you sit, your butt goes numb from the vibrations. Plus the truck was rattling so much you couldn't hear anything else. I put in my ear plugs. With that it was a bit more quiet, and I could really sit back and watch the scenery go by, Beautiful palm forests. You would think that it would be easy to watch it while biking. Sometimes you just get so caught up in watching the road, the cars, what your bike is doing, that you just miss what is going on around you. Also if you are tired it can be hard, mentally, to appreciate the beauty. Sometimes that takes being deaf, and sitting on a numb butt to see.
The truck dropped me off at Bere Junction. Now on the map it shows the road to Port Loko as being a big paved highway. This is not true. Instead it is a big gravel road. So every passing car picks up a shower of dust. Oh, and I was still running into a headwind. Sigh. Oh well, nothing to do. Just wrap the scarf around my face and grind down the road.
Still it wasn't that far to Port Loko. I found a nice place to stay. It turns out the Japanese cyclist I met in Nouachott was here the night before. Shucks, I just missed him. Still, it is good to know that he is doing okay. I should e-mail that guy. Anyway, I got some dinner and headed to bed. With the gravel roads and the wind tomorrow should be another long day.
-Dravis
Freetown - Day 226
Date: April 1st, 2010
Distance: 27km
Country: Sierra Leone
I did finally get my visa for Mali today. I am very happy about that. It means I can skip Conakry. It isn't supposed to be the best place in the world to visit. Plus it is at the end of another peninsula. (It seems like most West African capitols are that way. Dakar. Bissau. Freetown.) So that means a trip in and back. Hassles with army and police both ways. So I am glad to skip that. It did come at a price though. About $40. When I asked how much for the visa the guy said "100". One hundred what? Dollars. Now I had heard the visa was supposed to be just a couple of bucks. So I didn't have the money. I did have 20,000 CFA. Which is about $40 bucks. I gave them that and that seemed to work. Still, it left me with the impression of giving a bribe. I didn't like that.
In the afternoon I did head back out to the beach. Had a great time too. The beach was clean, at least for Africa. There was only a little bit of trash around. The water felt great. Cool, but not cold. I just had a great time swimming in the Atlantic. Then sat on the beach for a bit to get some sun. It seems like Freetown could be a really great tourist destination. Right now though the only places to stay near the beach are super expensive western hotels. So I had a bit of a trip back to my guesthouse in town.
Oh, I must tell you, on my way back I had more frozen yogurt. It took me a while to understand what these were. I kept seeing guys pushing baby strollers. Except there is a cooler instead of a baby. (I don't even know where the stroller came from. Babies are ALWAYS carried in a sling on the back of a mother or older sister.) Inside the cooler are glorious frozen treats. A little pouch with icy yogurt. They taste so good. If you ever get here, you have to try them.
Back at the hotel I just got cleaned up and ready to go in the morning.
-Dravis
Distance: 27km
Country: Sierra Leone
I did finally get my visa for Mali today. I am very happy about that. It means I can skip Conakry. It isn't supposed to be the best place in the world to visit. Plus it is at the end of another peninsula. (It seems like most West African capitols are that way. Dakar. Bissau. Freetown.) So that means a trip in and back. Hassles with army and police both ways. So I am glad to skip that. It did come at a price though. About $40. When I asked how much for the visa the guy said "100". One hundred what? Dollars. Now I had heard the visa was supposed to be just a couple of bucks. So I didn't have the money. I did have 20,000 CFA. Which is about $40 bucks. I gave them that and that seemed to work. Still, it left me with the impression of giving a bribe. I didn't like that.
In the afternoon I did head back out to the beach. Had a great time too. The beach was clean, at least for Africa. There was only a little bit of trash around. The water felt great. Cool, but not cold. I just had a great time swimming in the Atlantic. Then sat on the beach for a bit to get some sun. It seems like Freetown could be a really great tourist destination. Right now though the only places to stay near the beach are super expensive western hotels. So I had a bit of a trip back to my guesthouse in town.
Oh, I must tell you, on my way back I had more frozen yogurt. It took me a while to understand what these were. I kept seeing guys pushing baby strollers. Except there is a cooler instead of a baby. (I don't even know where the stroller came from. Babies are ALWAYS carried in a sling on the back of a mother or older sister.) Inside the cooler are glorious frozen treats. A little pouch with icy yogurt. They taste so good. If you ever get here, you have to try them.
Back at the hotel I just got cleaned up and ready to go in the morning.
-Dravis
Freetown - Day 225
Date: March 31st, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Sierra Leone
Song of the Day: Fallible - Blues Traveler
Well, it finally happened. The big-D. I was starting to think that I was immune after more than 3 months in Africa. Nope, guess not. I spent the night getting up every hour or so to use the toilet. As you can imagine, I didn't sleep well.
I basically spent the rest of the day in bed recovering. I only ventured out in the afternoon to get some water to drink.
This is the second time this month my immune system has let me down. I guess I am not as invincible as I would like to believe.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Sierra Leone
Song of the Day: Fallible - Blues Traveler
Well, it finally happened. The big-D. I was starting to think that I was immune after more than 3 months in Africa. Nope, guess not. I spent the night getting up every hour or so to use the toilet. As you can imagine, I didn't sleep well.
I basically spent the rest of the day in bed recovering. I only ventured out in the afternoon to get some water to drink.
This is the second time this month my immune system has let me down. I guess I am not as invincible as I would like to believe.
-Dravis
Freetown - Day 224
Date: March 30th, 2010
Distance: 32km (around the city)
Country: Sierra Leone
Woke up way late, which again felt good. My stomach still wasn't feeling good, so I was taking it easy on the food front. Just a little bit of juice for breakfast.
I met up with Ali, my guide from the day before. I guess I am not sure why. Just wanted to say "hi" and see if he could explain a little more about where the consulate for Mali was. Didn't work out that way. Instead it led to a bike tour of the city of Freetown.
Ali had borrowed a bike from a friend because his had been stolen. The thieves had been riding it for a few months and worn out the break shoes, so that turned out to be our first mission. It wasn't a straight shot though. First we stopped by a friends place. It seemed like a hangout for those into bikes in the city. That was one good thing to see. In most places people just ride things until they break. Most bikes in Africa eventually get turned into single speeds when the derailer jams or the shift cable breaks. I can't tell you the number of bikes I have seen where the break cables are just wrapped up and tied off. I am not even sure the cable is broken, just nobody has bothered to reconnect it. So it was nice to see that some people here do take care of their bikes. I think the guy who owned the house where everyone was hanging out said he would get Ali the break shoes the following day.
Then it was off to three or four shops. I don't think this had anything to do with getting bike parts. I think Ali just wanted to show me off. It seemed to be the same conversation at each one. "Meet my friend, he just biked here from England."
The one good thing was we ended up by the immigration office, so I could get my entry stamp finally. It took a while for them to get what I wanted. Frankly I don't understand why the first guy at the border didn't give me one. Even the guys at the head office where confused as to why I was sent there. Oh, also, the stamp is huge. It takes up half a page. Between that and the visa I already got, Sierra Leone has taken up a page and a half just to come in.
Anyway, after the immigration office we stopped for lunch. Which I had to pay for. I really wouldn't have minded, but Ali didn't even ask. We go to get it and he tells me I owe for both of us. Frustrating. I didn't even want lunch. Just a little bit of bread or something. Nope, rice with a spicy sauce and beef. Didn't help settle the stomach.
Still, we did finally head for the consulate for Mali. But by the time we got there they had closed. They said to come back the next day at 9:00 AM. So I guess all the running around had cost me one chance to get the visa. More frustrating.
I thought Ali was trying to make up for it by offerning to show me the beach. I have heard the beaches here in Freetown are not to be missed. But we didn't go there, at least not at first. Instead we headed out of the city, then started going uphill. I may not have an extensive knowledge of geography or physics, but I am pretty sure beaches are usually located at the bottoms of hills. Ali had actually taken me over to his sister's house. Thanks. She was out, but I did talk with a few of her sons. They gave me cool water at least.
Then finally it was off to see the beach. It was really pretty, and I wanted to come back and swim. That would have to be another time. I was tired. My stomach wasn't feeling that well. It was getting late as well. So I was happy when we headed back into the city. Not an easy road as it was, as mentioned before, uphill. At some point Ali said he had to return the bike and I was glad to be off on my own again. He really has a knack for annoying detours.
I made it back to the hotel. For dinner I just bought a little bit of bread and a pineapple. After that it was time to turn in.
-Dravis
Distance: 32km (around the city)
Country: Sierra Leone
Woke up way late, which again felt good. My stomach still wasn't feeling good, so I was taking it easy on the food front. Just a little bit of juice for breakfast.
I met up with Ali, my guide from the day before. I guess I am not sure why. Just wanted to say "hi" and see if he could explain a little more about where the consulate for Mali was. Didn't work out that way. Instead it led to a bike tour of the city of Freetown.
Ali had borrowed a bike from a friend because his had been stolen. The thieves had been riding it for a few months and worn out the break shoes, so that turned out to be our first mission. It wasn't a straight shot though. First we stopped by a friends place. It seemed like a hangout for those into bikes in the city. That was one good thing to see. In most places people just ride things until they break. Most bikes in Africa eventually get turned into single speeds when the derailer jams or the shift cable breaks. I can't tell you the number of bikes I have seen where the break cables are just wrapped up and tied off. I am not even sure the cable is broken, just nobody has bothered to reconnect it. So it was nice to see that some people here do take care of their bikes. I think the guy who owned the house where everyone was hanging out said he would get Ali the break shoes the following day.
Then it was off to three or four shops. I don't think this had anything to do with getting bike parts. I think Ali just wanted to show me off. It seemed to be the same conversation at each one. "Meet my friend, he just biked here from England."
The one good thing was we ended up by the immigration office, so I could get my entry stamp finally. It took a while for them to get what I wanted. Frankly I don't understand why the first guy at the border didn't give me one. Even the guys at the head office where confused as to why I was sent there. Oh, also, the stamp is huge. It takes up half a page. Between that and the visa I already got, Sierra Leone has taken up a page and a half just to come in.
Anyway, after the immigration office we stopped for lunch. Which I had to pay for. I really wouldn't have minded, but Ali didn't even ask. We go to get it and he tells me I owe for both of us. Frustrating. I didn't even want lunch. Just a little bit of bread or something. Nope, rice with a spicy sauce and beef. Didn't help settle the stomach.
Still, we did finally head for the consulate for Mali. But by the time we got there they had closed. They said to come back the next day at 9:00 AM. So I guess all the running around had cost me one chance to get the visa. More frustrating.
I thought Ali was trying to make up for it by offerning to show me the beach. I have heard the beaches here in Freetown are not to be missed. But we didn't go there, at least not at first. Instead we headed out of the city, then started going uphill. I may not have an extensive knowledge of geography or physics, but I am pretty sure beaches are usually located at the bottoms of hills. Ali had actually taken me over to his sister's house. Thanks. She was out, but I did talk with a few of her sons. They gave me cool water at least.
Then finally it was off to see the beach. It was really pretty, and I wanted to come back and swim. That would have to be another time. I was tired. My stomach wasn't feeling that well. It was getting late as well. So I was happy when we headed back into the city. Not an easy road as it was, as mentioned before, uphill. At some point Ali said he had to return the bike and I was glad to be off on my own again. He really has a knack for annoying detours.
I made it back to the hotel. For dinner I just bought a little bit of bread and a pineapple. After that it was time to turn in.
-Dravis
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