Kabale - Day 306

Date: June 20th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Shine on You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd

Went to work on the bike today. The first task was to get the crank arms off. I went to a local bike shop hoping they would have the tools. Nope, they kept telling me to just whack it with a hammer. Urgh. Too much hammer is used in African bike repairs. This is a precision instrument of travel. Not something to wail on with a blunt object.

So my real first task was to build a crank puller. Everyone at the bike shops said I was crazy. Instead I went over to the car mechanics. I needed a wide bolt with fine threads. A big truck engine was the only place I could think of finding one. Amazingly enough I found a shot that had one of just the right size. Next I got some parts together, cut the bolt down, welded a nut onto it and it actually sort of worked. I did a pretty good, job I think. It did take all day to do. So by the time I got the cranks off, all the shops were closed.

I guess I will start again tomorrow. One of the guys at the (truck) mechanic's shop said there was a real bike mechanic in town. I will see him tomorrow.

-Dravis

Ndaiju to Kabale - Day 305

Date: June 19th, 2010
Distance: 75km (and then a truck...)
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Breakdown - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

This morning I went to check out of my hotel. I also asked if they had a place I could get water from. The lady running the place was very helpful and found me a tap that I could fill my bottle from. Then she turned to me and asked "You aren't going to drink this are you?" That was a bad sign. I will drink anything the locals can stomach. In this case she said they boiled the water. So instead she gave me some bottled water. How nice is that?

The first 5km of the day was nice. Mostly downhill, plus the scenery here is amazing. I am going through a series of hills, but fortunately the road seems to stick to the valley floors. I still get amazing vistas though. From there on out things didn't get much better though. The views were still great, but I was crashing right into a wicked headwind. Really not fun at all.

Just after the 50km mark my bottom bracket blew out. At least the rubber seals on the non-drive side did. (For those of you less mechanically inclined, that is the axle where the pedals go around.) I knew it had been on its last legs, I was just hoping to make it a few more weeks. Whoops. I tried to continue on with it, but it really wasn't going well. I could hear the axle grinding along the inside somewhere. The wobble was also really bad. I couldn't use the top chainring because the chain would just wear against the front derailer cage. After another 25km and less than an hour before sunset, I called it quits.

I hailed for another passing truck. When it stopped I realized it was a military truck. I tried to tell them that I was looking for a regular (commercial) truck. The guy just looked at me and said, "hop in the back". So I did. I handed the bike up to the loadmaster in the back. I am not sure where their deal was, but there was already a load of bananas and yams in there, plus a older lady. When I got all settled the loadmaster thrust a piece of corn at me and practically shouted "Have some maize" with a big smile.

At first the road we were on was mostly downhill. I felt bad for taking the truck. That was all the potential energy I had earned. Then we started going up. I am guessing this was a good primer for what I can expect in Rwanda. It was a mammoth hill. I knew neither I nor my bottom bracket were going to make it. Plus if I had made that climb, it would have been dark before I got to the top. Going downhill in the dark sucks. You just can't use your speed like you want to. Again, wasted potential energy. So catching the truck was nice.

I made it to the town of Kabale. I am hoping I can find something here to fix my bike with.

-Dravis

Lyantonde to Ndaiju - Day 304

Date: June 18th, 2010
Distance: 107km
Country: Uganda

Another day on the road. The day started out with some hills, but they gradually got smaller. I also seem to be losing elevation. That always worries me as I assume I will have to gain it somewhere else. I know Rwanda is supposed to be brutal on that front...

Had a big lunch of matoke and chicken. Matoke is basically mashed bananas. I must see at least half a dozen trucks every day loaded with bananas. Plus bicycles weighed down with them. So I guess when you have lots of bananas, you find lots of ways to eat them.

That is one thing I haven't gotten used to yet, banana farms. Or frankly farming of any sort. It was almost non-existant in west Africa. Just a few gardens in places. Here I can see plots divided up all through the hills. I don't know why it is more prevalent here. Maybe just better land use policies.

-Dravis

Masaka to Lyantonde - Day 303

Date: June 17th, 2010
Distance: 76km
Country: Uganda

Left Masaka and got on a small road with less traffic. That has made things better. There are still quite a few terrible drivers, but less traffic means less of them as well. It is also my conjecture that the smaller the road the more likely it is to have cows on it, or goats, or a donkey cart. The vehicles that use these small roads then get used to having slow objects on the road and learn how to avoid them.

More hills today. The cool temperatures make riding easier though. It really doesn't feel a lot different from Seattle. Then again there was some pretty good cloud cover today. So that helps. In the afternoon I was riding in the wake of a thunderstorm. I could hear it ahead of me, plus the ground was wet, but I didn't get more than a few drops.

Got to Lyantonde and was able to get a hotel room and something to eat. I even got a liter of milk for about $0.30. So other than the drivers, I am liking Uganda.

-Dravis

Kampala to Masaka - Day 302

Date: June 16th, 2010
Distance: 84km (Plus cheating by truck.)
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Shine - Ben Lee

I had thought of staying on for another day to rest, but when I got up it seemed like a better idea to leave. I really didn't have much to do in Kampala. So I packed up and got ready for the road. I did make a mistake in trying to eat breakfast at the hostel. I could have gotten food down the road, but I figured it would be faster to eat where I was. It took over an hour. How hard is french toast and a scrambled egg? Anyway, I didn't get out until just before noon.

The route out of Kampala was pretty rough. Ugandan drivers really are the worst. There were a few incidents where a truck or a bus would pass only inches away. This happens even if there is not car in the other lane. They just don't move over. Worse yet, I had a taxi driver run me off the road. He hopped into my lane to pass another car in a section with no shoulder. I kept signaling for him to move over but he just kept honking at me to get of MY LANE! We were playing chicken forcing me to ride my bike off into the grass and bushes on the side of the road. Frustrating. I wasn't hurt though, so you take what you can.

The road itself is pretty hilly. So I spent all day on that roller coaster. It wasn't bad until halfway through the day when the road was undergoing construction. So I did quite a bit over bumpy dirt roads.

The one bright spot of the day was crossing the equator though. I have done that once before on a flight to Australia. Zooming over an invisible line in the ocean at 41,000 feet isn't quite the same. It feels much better to conquer it by land. You can stop and get a picture of it. Yay.

I was hoping to make it to Masaka before it got dark, but because of the late breakfast that didn't happen. I also thought there would be another town along the road, but there wasn't. So as the sun set I was on a bumpy dirt road with crazy drivers zipping by. It was made worst by all the dust they kicked up. I could hardly see anything, even with the lights I doubted they could see me. Fortunately one of the trucks heading by stopped and I could get a lift. I had to sit in the back with the chickens though. They dropped me in Masaka and I got a hotel room and went to bed.

-Dravis

Jinja to Kampala - Day 301

Date: June 15th, 2010
Distance: 124km
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: The Nile's Edge - VAST

I woke up late again. I decided not to go on either the rafting or the mountain biking trip. So I just packed up my stuff and said goodbye to the people at the hostel.

I wasn't done with Jinja quite yet though. I still needed to see the "Source of the Nile". I did eventually find a good place that overlooks where the (White) Nile river empties out of Lake Victoria. Got some cool pictures too. (Also, my video camera started taking pictures again. It does seem to happen like that...)

I decided to take a different route back to Kampala. It was about 40km longer. So for the most part there was less traffic. Plus the shoulder was generally better to ride on. Lots of hills though. It was a pleasant ride. The construction out here is mostly brick houses. Many of them are stuccoed and painted. With manicured lawns they look just like they could fit into small towns anywhere in the U.S.. Plus about lunch time I had a whole pineapple. There was a guy on a bike loaded with pineapples. For about $0.25 he sliced it up ready to eat. Yum.

With the late start and time wasted at the Nile, it was dark before I got to Kampala. There really isn't anything like a little hectic night riding in Uganda. Actually it wasn't that bad. I had my bike all lit up (unlike most of the other bikes on the road) so I was a bit hard to miss. There was also a detour over some rough dirt roads. (I guess I did get my serious off-road action in today.) While the road was worse, the cars were going slower and being a little more sane.

There was one crazy incident. The detour ended and all the cars drove off onto another road. The motorcycles continued straight. So I went along with the latter. It turns out the road ahead had been graded flat (for paving) and was blocked by some heavy construction equipment. Small vehicles like bikes and motos could get through though. Two guys had used this as an opportunity to set up what I think was an ad-hoc toll booth. They didn't ask me for money, but I think that is what they were hassling everyone else about. One of the guys was armed with a bow and arrow, which he claimed was for "bad people and criminals". Again they didn't ask for money or threaten me. It still was a bit weird though. That is one nice thing about bike touring, it does seem to impress/confuse people enough they generally leave you alone.

I did make it back to the hostel in Kampala. Got checked in, showered and headed off to bed.

-Dravis

Kampala to Jinja - Day 300

Date: June 14th, 2010
Distance: 86km
Country: Uganda

I rode out of town today to Jinja. This is the "Source of the Nile". There are supposed to be a couple of hostels out there that offer white water rafting. The thing that really sealed the deal was the offer of mountain biking.

The road out was nice, but the drivers here are awful. I think they are they worst of any country I have been to. When a car decides to make a change, say overtake another car or make a turn, the driver seems to expect everyone else will get out of the way. Big trucks roaring by only inches away isn't fun. Even worse is when a car (most likely a mini-bus) hops into your lane and starts honking for you to get out of your lane. My middle finger was getting as much of a workout as my legs.

To get to Jinja you have to pass over the Owen Falls Dam on the Victoria Nile. I took a picture of me on the dam. It is quite pretty. When I got to the far side the army officer stationed there wanted me to delete the pictures. Apparently they were worried that insurgents (he claimed from Somalia) would use the pictures to attack the dam. I read too much Schneier to think that this is a worthwhile tactic. Plus, even if such an attack where somehow feasible (not an easy task) getting a picture wouldn't be the hard part. In fact not 500 meters from the dam is a billboard with a picture of the dam. Another instance of authority trumping logic.

It took me a bit to find the hostel. They didn't have beds left, but I could camp outside, which was fine by me. I ended up talking with their mountain biking guide Nawsh. I wasn't sure about going on the trip though. It sounded mostly over roads paved and unpaved. Frankly I can do that on my own. I was hoping for a little bit more wilderness/off-road action. Oh well.

They hostel had a pool table out back and for some reason I had a run of 7 or 8 games. I really didn't think I was even playing that well. Things just seemed to be working out well for me. Weird since I can't remember the last time I played. I also met and Aussie guy and his girlfriend while playing. I guess they have been traveling around east Africa for a couple of months. More good stories about travel from them.

-Dravis

Kampala - Day 299

Date: June 13th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Uganda

This morning I got up and began to wander around the city. So far, I love Uganda. They have milk, hot dogs and Mt. Dew. Plus with the temperature is much cooler here. That means they can have chocolate without special refrigerators. I am loving it. Kampala itself seems to be like a fairly modern metropolis. Maybe a bit more like Mexico than the states, but not bad. It really doesn't even seem all that foreign.

I did spend some time walking through the markets in town. It seems like you can buy just about anything. They even have big shopping arcades, 5 or 6 stories tall. In the old market are the cramped stalls I have seen in other countries. The Ugandans here do have a bad habit of grabbing you to try and get (and literally hold) your attention. I generally don't like being touched by strangers. Being grabbed really pisses me off. I can't imagine why anyone would think I would want to buy stuff from them when they are grabbing at me. Like spitting on me would get my attention, but it wouldn't encourage me to buy from them.

Lunch was interesting. I had gotten so used to rice and sauce I didn't really know what to expect. I found a little stall serving food and sat down. They had a stew with beef and some veggies in it. With the stew they would give you a plate of mashed plantains (matoke), half a sweet potato and some white corn paste (posso). I guess you are supposed to mix the stew and the starch together. The plantain was the best I think, though it didn't have much of a banana taste. The beef was awful though. I couldn't eat it. As in, I physically couldn't chew it into pieces small enough to swallow. So it was a bit hit and miss.

Later in the evening I watched the U.S. vs. England World Cup match. I thought it was kind of a unsatisfying game all around. Neither team looked all that great.

-Dravis

Addis Ababa to Kampala - Day 298

Date: June 12th, 2010
Distance: 46km (Also travel by plane.)
Country: Uganda

Woke up and ate the free buffet breakfast at the hotel. I never thought I would miss corn flakes that much. I wish I had more time but they kept telling me the bus was leaving.

Addis in the daylight still looked amazing. It was just like a modern city. Okay, one that still has cows being herded through town. I almost thought of canceling the part of the flight to Uganda and just biking down there. I just don't think I have enough time to do Ethiopia though. It apparently has an amazing history. I really wish I had gotten to see more of it.

I ended up getting through immigration and everything with 3 hours to spare. For a while I was sitting on the floor next to the bathroom and stealing power for my laptop. One of the guys who managed the business class lounge took pity on me and invited me in. They even had wi-fi.

Again, the plane trip itself was nice. They served lunch. I may be crazy, but I do tend to enjoy airplane food. I also had a seat by the window so I could watch the landing over Kampala. Again, I am amazed how modern everything looks.

On the ground, getting through immigration and customs wasn't a problem. I then spent a bit of time outside getting my bike back together. All the taxi drivers seemed to want to make some kind of comment about it.

The ride to Kampala was easy. I did hit the city just at rush hour though. Traffic is terrible. So far, my experience is that Ugandans are generally terrible drivers. I did find the hostel to stay at.

I also got to experience the local cuisine. They have a kind of fried bread called chapat. It is like a really thick crepe. Plus they had a few hot dogs fresh off the grill. (No buns though. I should have rolled it into a chapati.) My dinner also included a liter of fresh milk. Oh boy have I missed milk.

-Dravis

Accra to Addis Ababa - Day 297

Date: June 11th, 2010
Distance: Travel by plane
Country: Ethiopia
Song of the Day: Learning to Fly - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Took a taxi to the airport and got checked in. Customs didn't even want to look in my bags. They did have a someone to wrap my box in the big version of plastic wrap. That should hold it together. When I went to check the bags, they also wanted me to wrap the cheap bag I bought to hold my panniers. The lady at the counter kept saying the bag would rip, and I said that was fine. She wanted to me to sign a damage waver though. I didn't care about the bag, but the stuff inside I didn't want damaged. I didn't see how plastic wrap was going to do that. Eventually I realized that my logic in any case was going to be ignored. So I paid another $4 to wrap a bag that had cost me $2. Annoying.

Still, I was on my way. I took Ethiopian airlines. I have no complaints there. It was just like any other airline I have been one, but they served food.

When I got to Addis, I realized that my flight to Uganda was at 10:45 the next morning. Whoops. I wasn't sure what to do. I thought I could just sleep at the airport, but I didn't know if they closed. Everyone kept telling me to go to the interline office. They ending up giving me a voucher for a free hotel room. Okay, not really free as my ticket must have cost extra for it. Still, it is better than sleeping at the airport.

It was interesting to see more of the city. I was actually pretty impressed. Addis seems like a regular city to me. The hotel was also probably the nicest one I have been to in quite some time. They also had a free dinner buffet. While on the bus to the hotel I met Adam, a guy from South Africa. We ended up talking over dinner. I guess he works as a pilot for a UN chartered medi-vac plane in Liberia. His descriptions of their bureaucracy were both sad and amusing. Eventually though it was time for bed. Because of the air conditioning, I used sheets for the first time in a while.

-Dravis

Accra - Day 296

Date: June 10th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Ghana

I spent the day getting everything ready for the flight to Uganda tomorrow. First I had to find some cardboard for a box. Then take the bike apart. While taking the bike apart I found that the frame was busted. The chainstay is cracked all the way through near rear drop-outs on the drive side. ARGH!

At that point, it was time for lunch. (Never do any serious thinking without food.) I thought about sending the bike home and continuing by bus. I really wanted to finish a full year on the bicycle. Plus all my stuff is built for biking around. I have panniers for a bike. Even my clothes are made for biking. I decided to see if I could splint the frame somehow. I found a "U" shaped piece of metal and used some hose clamps to hold it onto the frame. That seemed to work, but I couldn't test it without putting the bike back together. I hope it works when I reach Uganda.

With that done, I did manage to wrap cardboard around the bike. Then wrapped tape around it all. It doesn't look pretty, but I hope it holds.

I also wanted to say goodbye to Jarret and give him the card with my blog and e-mail. I didn't see him before I left for Cape Coast. He said he was going to another hostel, so I went over there. It turns out Jarret was out, but I started talking with this girl Florence. Soon another guy, Dan showed up, and we headed up to the roof. It had a nice view of the city. The conversation was mostly about the oddities of traveling and living in strange places. Eventually Jarret showed up and joined us. We talked until past midnight. It was a nice way to cap off my trip to Ghana and West Africa.

-Dravis

Cape Coast to Accra - Day 295

Date: June 9th, 2010
Distance: 62km (Also a ride in a truck.)
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: 52-50 - O.A.R.

I woke up and my first mission was to buy a new Camera. I knew it was going to be a bit expensive (and it was), but it is a necessity. I know that many of the things I have seen (like those from Togo and eastern Ghana) are going to have to remain as fading memories. For most of the amazing things that I see and want to show people. Being able to share this adventure with everyone reading this makes it seem as if I am not so alone out here. So I got a new camera in Cape Coast. We will see how that works out.

It was almost noon by the time I got checked out and headed over to Cape Coast Castle. This one was built about 150 years after Elmina. Originally built by the Swedes, then taken by the Danes and finally the British. I didn't think that it would be all that great, so I didn't intend to stay long, but it was amazing. Inside there is a fairly good museum. It covers not only the castle, but also the local culture and some of the African diaspora. There is also a nice tour of the castle. It was used for a few centuries as a slave trading fort. The tour guide both here and at Elmina played up the inhuman conditions the slaves were forced into. First, each was sold at auction, then branded with the name of his or her new owner. Hundreds of men and women were then crammed into small cells for months at a time. The stench from sweat, mold and human waste must have been awful. (While I do agree with the brutality of it, I do wonder how the conditions differed from that of the soldiers or sailors who lived there.) I ended up spending way too much time here. Then again, I can't say that it was time wasted.

From there I did finally get on the road. I headed about 30km down the highway to a place called Fort Amsterdam. It is a ruined fort along the coast. I enjoy the way nature takes over after a while. So I really wanted to see this place. Sadly when I got there, the caretaker was out. So I had to content myself with looking at the outside. It was interesting, but not spectacular. Oh well.

After leaving the fort it started to rain. Again, I don't mind the rain. It was nice and cool. I made it another 30km before it got dark. After that I was able to hitch a ride on a passing truck. They gave me a ride back into town. The traffic was just terrible though. The rain made everything just crawl. The guys dropped me off near my guest house. From there it was an exciting ride through rain and traffic to get back. I love going faster than cars on my bike.

-Dravis

Accra to Cape Coast - Day 294

Date: June 8th, 2010
Distance: 38km (Also cheating by bus.)
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Let the Good Times Roll - The Cars

So I took a bus today out to Cape Coast. I know, more cheating, but I only have a couple days left to see Ghana, and I do want to see it. The coast is dotted with forts and castles from all the major colonial powers. I love history, so I couldn't miss this.

The bus dropped me off in Cape Coast. I found a place to stay for the night and dropped my panniers there. Then I headed down the coast to Elmina. The road out there by the ocean was really pleasant. It was cloudy but the beach was beautiful. Long stretches of sand lined with palm trees. If the day had been sunny it would have been perfect for swimming. Me, I wanted to see the castle.

Elmina Castle, officially the Castle of St. George of the Mina, was built by the Portugese in 1482. That is, before the European discovery of the Americas. (Christopher Columbus is said to have been on the expedition to build the fort, actually.) It was later taken by the Dutch. Then in the late 19th century it was sold to the British. It was quite interesting to try and get the feel for the age of exploration. The rusting cannon on the parapets illustrate the struggle between the European powers. The slave dungeons shine light onto the darkest parts of the American colonization. It really is a fascinating place.

From the Castle, I set off to the Fort of St. Jago. This was built by the Dutch to protect the Castle from the very hill that they attacked from when taking the castle. It was a neat place, but there was a lot less explanation about it. I guess it was used as a hotel in the 1970s, and you could see the remnants of that around. That made it hard to tell what you were looking at. Still, the view from the bell tower was amazing. You could see a 360 degree view of the colonial Elmina and its fishing cove. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of this because my camera has died. Actually, everything works, but the button for taking pictures is broken. This is a bit annoying.

From there it was back off to Cape Coast to sleep.

-Dravis

Accra - Day 293

Date: June 7th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Ghana

It wasn't an exciting day, but I did finally did get my ticket bought. It did take basically all day though, including another trip to the airport and two different trips down to the airline office in downtown Accra. It is finished though, so I am happy. Tomorrow I think I will head out along the coast to Elmina.

-Dravis

Accra - Day 292

Date: June 6th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Birthday Song - Ben Lee

My plan for the day was to head to the beach. Jarret had nothing better to do, so we headed out together. It took a while getting around the city by tro-tro (intra-city transport) and then doing a lot of walking. It was fun though. Jarret is a cool kid to hang out with. Finally we found the beach and I got to go swimming. Again, it is taking the time for the little joys that makes it all worth it.

After that Jarret and I were wandering around by the national stadium. It turns out they were having a free soccer match at the time. So we decided to watch that. It was part of the "Africa Women Cup" and we got to see Ghana crush Senegal, 4-0. The game did seem particularly hazardous as I think there were about ten players carried off the field. It was fun though.

From the game we wandered over to the Osu neighborhood. It was supposed to be the nice part of town. It was nice, but still West Africa. As in, beautiful modern buildings would be right next to tin roof shacks. The main road was paved but the side roads were still sand and gravel. Don't get me wrong here, Ghana is great. It is easy to travel and the infrastructure (water, power, internet) level is very high. If you are used to a western lifestyle you could live that way very easily here. It will still be apparent that you aren't in a western country though.

In the evening I did finally arrange a flight online. I am heading to Uganda on the 11th of June. I couldn't pay for it online though. I will have to head to the airport again tomorrow and pay for it.

-Matt

Accra - Day 286

Date: June 5th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: The Apartment Song - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

I spent the day trying to get a flight over to Uganda. That didn't go so well. It took all day and in the end, I still didn't have a flight. I also had to move my stuff over to a different lodge. That was annoying, but good. The new lodge was cheaper and I ended up hanging out with this kid Jarret for the evening. I guess he is here to work on a research grant and then will be going to school at the university in the fall.

-Dravis

Akosombo to Accra - Day 290

Date: June 4th, 2010
Distance: 108km (I think. My odometer got wet and stopped working for a bit.)
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Spies - Coldplay

Woke up early as I didn't want to overstay my welcome in a cabin I really shouldn't have had. From the port it was only about 5km to town of Akosombo. Still it was up and down a lot. After that it was more hills for the next few miles along the Volta river. Quite pretty. Things flattened out after that, but I was riding along an area know as the Shai Hills. These are a lot like the collines from Benin. Pretty rocky hills. It was raining pretty hard for most of the morning, so I didn't get too many pictures though.

In the afternoon I made it to Tema and got on the road to Accra. This was a freeway. The police and people working the toll booths didn't mind me riding along there. There was also a nice wide shoulder, so it wasn't really dangerous. Still it was not the most pleasant ride. Noisy trucks and cars kicking up a spay of mud and water. The last 10km was just awful. The road is torn up for maintenance. So it is basically every man/car/truck for himself. Actually the traffic would be okay except for the broken down cars and trucks. There were probably a half dozen on that little stretch of road. That would block up traffic and annoyed taxi drivers would try and run me over to get around it. (They always seemed surprised that I wouldn't just leap out of their way.)

I did make it though with no big problems. I found a place to stay for the night and am quite ready for some rest.

-Dravis

Yapei Queen - Day 289

Date: June 3rd, 2010
Distance: Ferry cruise
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Lake Fever - The Tragically Hip

I spent a better night on the boat. Still on a wooden bench, but this time I remembered to pull out my air mattress. It was even cool enought to pull out my sleeping bag liner. So that was just fine.

Again, not much to do. I did start talking with one guy. People here really do have a hard time believing you can ride a bicycle all that way. Back home, I don't think anyone would question if it was possibly, just the sanity of the person doing it. The guy also did have a pet monkey. Those things are so cool.

Later in the afternoon I started a conversation with another Ghanaian, Joseph. I guess he owns a entertainment and video production company. So I was asking about the equipment and editing he did. He of course asked about my trip. Eventually he invited me to have dinner with him and his sister. They were cooking up some of those yams the boat was filling up with. It was really good. The yams really do taste a lot like potatoes. The sauce Joseph made was really great too. People here really are friendly.

The ship arrived at Akosombo just an hour or so after dark. I was asking around for a good guest house in Akosombo, but everyone said they were expensive and the town was 10km away from the port. I could stay on the boat if I wanted. Another night on a wooden bench didn't exactly appeal to me, but it did seem like the best option. I also realized that the two passenger cabins were free. So I was able to snag one of those for the night. Yeah. The sweet life.

-Dravis

Yapei Queen - Day 288

Date: June 2nd, 2010
Distance: Ferry cruise
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Sealegs - The Shins

I woke up with the sun today. I was ready to be up anyway though. I was pretty sore from sleeping on that wooden bench. Years ago I saw a picture of ship breakers in Bangladesh sleeping on sheets of steel (presumably cut from ships). I didn't understand how they could sleep like that. After my night I can see how it is possible. I also feel for those men.

Once I was up, I had the whole day and nothing to do. That is a weird experience for me. Almost anywhere I have been I can at least sleep to pass time. That I figure is at least giving me the rest I need. I couldn't even do that. If I had a cabin I could have slept, or watched some movies on my computer. Or done some writing. Something. Anything. Nope, I was basically confined to the back deck of the ship. I did take a shower which was great. I really needed that. I was at least clean and bored. Not having a cabin sucks. I spent most of my time just staring out as the scenery slowly passed.

The ship would stop occasionally at these tiny villages and load up with yams. These aren't like the yams I am used to. They are more like huge potatoes with a bark-like husk. The women of the village would bring them onto the ship. Each one would place an aluminum bowl of them on her head and walk out through the water out to the ship. (The Yapei Queen has a shallow draft, but it can't quite reach the shore in these villages.) I would watch the lines of women moving back and forth between the ship and shore bringing yams. Once the yams were on the ship young men would stack it into wooden crates for the journey.

That was about all there was to do. It was very pretty though. It also gave me lots of time to think...

-Dravis

Bimbilla to Yeji - Day 287

Date: June 1st, 2010
Distance: 110km (plus a 7 mile canoe trip)
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse

Left Bimbilla early. I knew it was going to be a long day. I didn't really know quite how long it was going to be though.

It was cloudy in the morning though, so that was at least helpful. Then it started to rain. Pretty soon it was just pouring down. After about 30 minutes I was soaked. I really couldn't have been more wet if I jumped in a river. Not for the first time I have been happy to have those Ortlieb waterproof panniers. For the first bit it was nice to have the rain. I was actually cool for once. Plus it kept the dust down. After a couple of hours though the roads started to get muddy. That was not helpful. The going was slow and rough after that.

I would also like to get a bit philosophical for a moment. (If you were hoping for a nice adventure story that doesn't make you think, then skip ahead.) It would appear that when humans first started to find religion they came up with two different forms for god. Groups that had settled into a farming lifestyle tended to believe in a goddess of fertility. She was associated with the earth and good harvests as well as healthy children. Nomadic groups on the other had tending to perceive god as a man in the clouds. He was responsible for rain and wind and lightning. Zeus is a classic example of this. Also, as Abraham was a herdsman this idea was handed down through the major western religions. So our classic example of God is a man in a white billowing cloak who lives among the clouds. As a nomad myself, today I have gained a bit more understanding of this idea. When you are outside in the pouring rain in the middle of nowhere watching lightning flash around you while 20 seconds of thunder peals over your head, it is a big reminder that you are a very small part of a very big world.

I did get to Salaga in the mid afternoon. I even had a bit of extra time to stop and have some lunch. I would need it. By that point the rain had stopped as well. The road out of town kept switching between ancient pavement with lots of potholes to rough dirt roads. It was mostly downhill, so I made good time.

I reached Mkango well before dark. This is right across the lake from Yeji, where I needed to go. I guess I was an idiot though and didn't hop on the first boat in the harbor. There was one pulling away as I rode up. I was still trying to get my bearings and nobody told me it was the last boat. Yep. The last one that night left. I need to get to the other side to take the ferry down to Akosombo. If I waited until morning, the ferry would be gone. So I had to make it tonight. I didn't have enough money to charter a motor boat. At least that is what they told me. Now it was getting late and I had to cross this lake. The boat crews kept telling me to wait. They would find something. I asked if I could take a canoe, as there were several sitting on the beach. Everyone seemed to think I was crazy for suggesting that. Finally after an hour, they found some guys who would take me across by paddling a canoe. We set off just before sunset with me paddling along with them. For some reason they found it inconceivable that a white guy could paddle a boat. (How hard is it to paddle a boat?) It did take a long time to cross. Probably an hour and a half. The wind was really not helping. By the end my arms were aching and I was shaking because I was so out of food. I did make it though. Life brings you to weird places. Then again crossing a lake at night in a wooden canoe may not have been the best idea. I never claimed to be smart though, just determined.

Now I was in Yeji, but out of money. So I had to find someone to change money. That was actually easy. I ended up finding this guy Alfred. I guess he is a student in Yeji, but also helps tourists find their way around the city. He was able to change money and even took me over to a place for rice. If you get to Yeji on the ferry, ask for Alfred or his friend Eric.

From there it was a long wait for the ferry, the Yampei Queen. It arrived just after midnight and started to offload. Alfred tried to help me out and get a place to stay. I was depressed to learn that there were no cabins available though. I was really looking forward to a bed, a shower, and a good night's sleep. Instead I would have to settle for a wooden bench on the top deck. I should mention this ferry was never really meant for long distance passenger travel. There are cabins for the crew and a couple of extra ones that occasionally are rented out. After that it is a couple of lounges with wooden benches and tables, or for high class travel, the top deck with the long benches that also hold life preservers. I was just so tired at that point, it didn't matter. A wooden bench it was.

-Dravis

Nkwanta to Bimbilla - Day 286

Date: May 31st, 2010
Distance: 92km
Country: Ghana
Song of the Day: Love Hurts - Incubus

Nothing spectacular about the ride today. It was still over dirt roads. It did rain a bit in the morning though. That was nice for keeping the dust down, but it didn't last. The clouds did stay for the whole day, which I appreciated. It was still hot, but bearably so. The countryside is still nice and green, but less hilly an beautiful. The towns also seem a bit less quaint as well. More boring I guess.

The one thing I was happy to see is that kids have finally stopped calling me "yovo". Now they run out and scream "fadda" at me. I guess this comes from the fact that the Catholic church used to send missionary priest to the area. They were all white men. So in this area all white people are called fadda. For some reason this didn't annoy me. It was a cute missappropriation of a word. Plus it is probably one of the few times in my life I will ever be confused with a Catholic priest.

I was pretty happy to get to Bimbilla. Eventually I found word on the cheapest guest house in town. They really don't offer much. A simple room with a bed. The toilet and place for a bucket shower are at the end of the compound. It is only 3 Cedis though. That is a little over $2. I spent more on food today.

Also, while I was there I met James, a Ghanian business man. He was really impressed with my journey. It was a lot of fun to talk with him. The best part, he didn't want me to take him to America. He knew he would have to do that on his own. He said it takes a lot of hard work and money to be successful there. I really wish more people here got it the way he does.

I guess James and his business parter, Brian, are up here in Bimbilla looking for these special bottles. Apparently they were brought here during the early 1800s as part of the slave trade. The liquid inside was supposed to make the men who drank it forget what they were doing and sell off their whole family. The bottles themselves are special though. I guess they are made with mercury somehow. That makes them very valuable to certain people. I still don't get all the details, but it sounds interesting. Brian even took us over to his uncle's house for some dinner. So it was a very good night.

-Dravis

Likete to Nkwanta - Day 285

Date: May 30th, 2010
Distance: 85km (I think???)
Country: Ghana

I left the lodge in the morning, and took the road back to Hohoe. I was going to try and find a truck going north and skip the part I had already done. I forgot it was Sunday though. Ghana is the most disturbingly Christian country I have been to. So that meant not much was happening. I ended up doing 50km back the way I came.

North of Jasikan I did see a truck and they were willing to take me north. They weren't going all the way to Nkwanta, but that was close enough for me. Plus it was the hot part of the afternoon and I didn't want to bake in that heat. It was fun to ride along with the truck and see what that was like.

They dropped me off at was was claimed to be 15km from Nkwanta. The cable for my speedometer must have been snapped when putting it in the truck, so I don't have a good idea how far it was. It did take 3 hours to get there, so I am gessing it was more like 35km. Whoosh.

-Dravis

Hohoe to Lakite - Day 284

Date: May 29th, 2010
Distance: 28km
Country: Ghana

Boy did I sleep in today. I just couldn't get out of bed this morning. When I finally did, it was lunchtime. I checked out and had a pretend brunch in town (rice and sauce).

After getting some food in me, I headed out to Wli. That village is supposed to have the highest waterfall in West Africa. Worth the trip. The road out there was hell though. Rolling hills, and in the saddles the road was all broken up. So you couldn't even build up speed on the down slopes. Annoying. Also, the sign that says 13km from town is wrong. The turn to Wli is 13km from town. Wli is another 6km from that.

Once in Wli, I payed my ticket and headed out to the falls. I haven't been around that many white people in quite some time. There was what looked like a U.S. high school group of some kind. Plus a few other groups and couples. The falls really are inspiring. A bit taller than the one at Akloa, but fairly similar. I went swimming under the falls again. That is twice in three days. Not bad. By the time I got out everyone else had left. So I was able to get some great pictures without anyone else in them. Hehe. I guess there is also a hike up to the top of the falls, but it would be dark by the time I got up there. Oh well.

When I got back to the bike, I didn't think I was going to make it back to Hohoe. I knew the next day was going to be hard though, so I decided to see how far I could get. I made it back to the turn and saw the most beautiful compound I have seen yet in Africa. There was a little lawn with tiny bushes as a border. Inside was another lawn with palm trees. I stopped to talk with the owner, and it turns out it was a lodge as well. So I stayed the night there.

-Dravis

Badou to Hohoe - Day 283

Date: May 28th, 2010
Distance: 76km
Country: Ghana

Left Togo today and entered Ghana. Country 24 and (hopefully) my final stop in West Africa. Crossing the border was easy. Except on the Ghana side everyone kept asking me if I had brought them anything. "We want to remember our American friend." I don't give bribes. Don't ask again.

The ride south to Hohoe was hot but beautiful. The sun was out and I was riding through a series of tropical hillsides. The heat from the sun did make it slow going though. I got into Hohoe late in the afternoon.

I town I met a guy working at a bike shop there. My bottom bracket has been giving me problems, and I wanted to see if they might have one. Their mechanic, Michael, turned out to be a really cool guy. He gave even showed me a couple of tricks about maintenance that I didn't know. I had stuff to do, but I promised to stop by later.

I check in at a hotel and I was going to go out to the Agomasta falls in the village of Wli. It turns out they are almost 15km away, and then you have a 45 minute hike. It was getting way to late in the afternoon for that. So instead I just rode around Hohoe for a bit and then got some dinner.

After dinner I met up with Michael again and took him out for a drink. I had a good time chatting with him about what it was like to be a bike mechanic in Africa. I guess they don't really make any money doing it. Instead he works with his brother fixing up bikes to sell. I wasn't real clear on how the bikes got here, but I am pretty sure they came from the states. Other than that, fixing a bike is something you do more out of charity than to make money. That is when the bikes get fixed at all. In most other countries the bikes don't even have breaks. Michael did seem a bit hopeful that people were finally starting to give bikes a bit more respect. People were paying more for bikes and were beginning to understand the need for maintenance. It is a start.

-Dravis

Atakpame to Badou - Day 282

Date: May 27th, 2010
Distance: 89km (Plus an 18km side trip and 3km hike.)
Country: Togo
Song of the Day: Courage - The Tragically Hip

The first then kilometers out of Atakpame wasn't bad. It was mostly down hill. The next ten was awful. Just a march up and over this big mountain. Lots of switchback and no letup. It was also a bright sunny day, which normally would be nice, but it was just making me hot. I was glad I did it in the morning.

The rest of the day after that was better. Lots of up and down, but no major climbs. The scenery was amazing. It really was like riding through jungle. Or more to the point it was riding through areas with great vistas of hills covered in jungle. I could do more days like that. The last bit to Badou also dropped me down quite a bit. It would have been more fun with less potholes though. The taxis and motos here like to play dodge the pot holes. That leaves me playing dodge the pot holes and the crazy drivers.

That actually wasn't the scariest thing of the day either. At one point I was riding along and this black snake jumped out onto the road. It was trying to catch a lizard I saw scampering off. That left me and the snake right next to each other. Fortunately the snake had gotten turned around in its leap out of the bushes. So its tail was to me. In the end I rode away and it slithered back into the bushes. Still, it did stop my heard for a bit.

I did get to Badou in the middle of the afternoon and got checked into a hotel. Not bad, and it only cost 2,500 CFA, or about $5. My deciding factor for coming to Badou as opposed to going to Ghana through Kpalime was the falls at Akloa. When I asked at the hotel they said it was too late. I have a schedule to keep though, so I headed out there anyway.

It was about 9 more kilometers to Akloa. Again, lots of rollers, but not major ascents or descents. Plus I just had my bike. Not carrying 50 pounds of gear makes it easier. Once I got to the village I had to pay the cheif. He didn't explain why, but I guess you don't argue with him. Then I also had to pay a guide. Those two cost me as much as the hotel. It was more than worth it though. First there is a long hike to get to the falls. The hike is through some of that wonderful jungle I had been passing. I got to see cocoa, coffee, and bannans being grown. (Plus a few other local staples, cassava, corn and mangoes.) Then the falls themselves are spectacular. They must be somewhere around 100 feet tall and surrounded by that same dense jungle. It really is like something out of a movie. The best part, you get to swim in the pool at the bottom of the falls. I was looking forward to that all day. Life is good.

From there it was 9 kilometers back to Badou. Of course it was getting dark by that point. I was glad it was a full moon, because the sunlight was completely gone when I got to town. I went back to the hotel (which is also a bar) and I saw a table of westerners. It turns out they were all teaching at a school in Lagos, Nigeria. They also seemed to have taken a bush taxi ride that was much less pleasant than my journey in. One of the guys, Ela, was actually from Nigeria. It was fun to hear his take on Africa and Nigeria specifically. Soon enough it was time for them to go. I also knew I wasn't smellin' to great. So I took a shower and went off to bed.

-Dravis

Kpalime to Atakpame - Day 281

Date: May 26th, 2010
Distance: 106km
Country: Togo
Song of the Day: Young Pilgrim - The Shins

I woke up to a big thunderstorm. That actually made me happy because it means cooler temperatures. By the time I got on the road though the rain had pretty much stopped. Apparently they are working on the road because it is all torn up. With the rain that means mud. Lots of it too. I saw a big truck get stuck in one place.

After the first 30 km things got better. The road, while not great, wasn't torn up. I could go pretty fast if I avoided the frequent potholes. And the scenery was spectacular. Green jungle hillsides. Quaint little villages. Sometimes I really enjoy my life. If I could just get the little kids to stop screaming Yovo at me, that would be perfect.

I made it to Atakpame just after sunset. The last bit was hellish. Atakpame sits at the top of a steep hill. It had started to rain again as well. I asked around for a good cheap hotel. The first guys I talked to said to go to "Hotel Mary". After following their directions for a bit I asked again. It turns out they meant "Mairie" or the "Hotel de Ville". So there I am, wet, tired, and it is dark, for some reason they thought the first place I would want to go is the mayor's office. Idiots. Fortunately the second guy I talked to got me all straightened out and checked in at a local hotel. Much better.

-Dravis

Lome to Kpalime - Day 280

Date: May 25th, 2010
Distance: 74km (also cheating by tro-tro)
Country: Togo

After leaving the auberge I headed into Lome. It does have a very different feel from Cotonou. They are both cities on the ocean, but Cotonou hides its beach. I was there four days and didn't see it. Then again I also heard it was covered in trash and sewage. So I doubt I was missing much. In Lome the beach forms a beautiful stretch of land right on the city's southern edge. But it is practically dead. There were more fishermen pulling in nets than people enjoying the beach. Without people that means no beach-side cafes. Not even macaroni mamas selling rice and sauce. I didn't see much of a reason to hang out there. Passing through the rest of the city was interesting enough. It reminded me of Freetown in Sierra Leone. A little bit colonial, but run down.

Once outside the city I was back into a countryside of rolling green hills. The wind is still pretty strong, but at least it is now coming in over my left shoulder. Not much out there though. A few villages and farms, but most of it is empty.

After doing 70 kilometers, I decided to call it quits. It was getting late in the afternoon, and I could tell I wasn't going to make it to Kpalime on the bike. That was another 75 kilometers away. I also have a bit of a schedule to keep. So I hopped on a passing tro-tro. It was a pretty nice ride, and I wasn't missing much in the way of scenery.

Once in town I got myself checked in at a hotel. Then I went out to find a cyber cafe. I wanted to check e-mail and add a few blog posts. After I was finished I went to pay and the guy was charging me 500 CFA instead of the 300 CFA posted. He said it was because I plugged in my laptop. I told him that was ridiculous. I wasn't using his electricity, or one of his computers so he could have more customers. Nope, he said that was the price. I tried to argue for a bit before realizing I was using logic. That doesn't work here. This is Africa.

-Dravis