change of plans

Serendipity intervened this evening, with the dinner table next to us occupied by a couple of gentlemen conversing by telephone about the political situation in Gambia.  Clearly they were very knowledgeable about current affairs in the region, and once their telephone calls were completed we were keen to quiz them for more detail. 

As luck would have it, Colin and Nick were a couple of journalists with the Al Jazeera network who had come to the border to cover the emerging conflict. They had a wealthy of first hand information, and were able to advise us that all borders between Gambia and Senegal are now closed.  This effectively thwarts our plan for tomorrow which was to progressively try other crossing points in the hope of finding one open.  

Having lived and worked in the region for some time, they were also able to offer detailed intel for the remainder of our 2016 journey.  

We had been anticipating some issues with Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire, but both gents assure us that these countries have incredibly unique cultures and will be highlights of our trip. 

They also noted the unique environment in Guinea-Bissau.  As an effective narco-state and the major pipeline for narcotics into Europe, this unusual little country also has a thriving Portuguese-influenced culture and a pristine archipelago of islands with less than a third inhabited. We have noted several great recommendations and will be sure to take a speedboat out to the islands. 

Nick and Colin; if you are following the blog, thanks so much for your timely advice, it was very much appreciated. 

fresh?

Well, perhaps that water in the estuary was not so fresh after all...

It's now six hours since I sampled it, and have come down with a brutal sore throat and shivers.  The last few hours have been 'interesting', and I'm thankful to have stopped at a hotel for the night.  Planning on having a quick dinner then just collapsing for the night.  I'm reasonably sure that nothing much will survive the drug cocktail that I have hurled at this, so tomorrow should be a better day.  

Our Gambia decision has been taken out of our hands. We had decided to scoot across Gambia as quickly as possible, but have found the border closed entirely. When we arrived, hundreds of people were milling around and trucks lined up back down the highway. Military uniforms are very evident and the border will remain closed until regional tensions de-escalate. 

This presents some interesting logistical challenges for us, not least of which is a potential 700km detour to skirt the country and rejoin our route. Sitting down to a planning meeting right now, then off to bed. 

today's summary video

http://youtu.be/UFXkd81HtOk

border ferry

http://youtu.be/bmzeHQhc_bE

an inauspicious start

Departure from Dakar this morning took an unexpected twist, and a near miss for Gary and Ty   Whilst riding out from the hotel, a random vehicle took an instant dislike to the pair and engaged in a game of head-on chicken. The speed was only low, but paint was exchanged as the driver tried to knock Ty from his bike. Fortunately it was a glancing blow and Ty has the body mass of a Kelvinator fridge, so apart from a long smear of white paint on Ty's black panniers there was no lasting harm done. 

A missed turn enroute to The Gambia saw us forced into a truly awful patch of roadway.  Deeply broken and rutted, the bikes raised enormous plumes of dust behind them, and the occasional passing truck left us gasping for breath and everything coated in grimy powder.  Our group became separated here by more than 20km, and the InReach Explorer device was invaluable in allowing us to message and regroup successfully.  This involved backtracking for Gary and I, not a pleasant prospect in these conditions.  Following the lead of a friendly local (Maki), we headed off across the open veld instead of using the track.  Much smoother, and generally well compacted except for the occasional soft spot to keep us on our toes. 

Having regrouped, the next destination was the Gambian border.   The border is accessed via a massive open estuary system that appears as an apparent mirage on the horizon before resolving into a huge shallow body of water.  We headed off the track and out towards the shimmering water - carefully.  Our last sojourn off track and out towards a body of water ended up with two bikes nearly stuck in quicksand on the edge of the Sahara, so we proceeded very judiciously.  

Once we reached the water's edge, we were amazed to find that this is fresh water.  Our assumption has been that this would be salt water coming through some form of basin from the nearby coast.  

After a short break, we decided to move on towards the border.  This involved easing the bikes off the mud, careful to ensure everyone remained safe and clean.   At least that is the accepted practice. Ty, on the other hand, elected to engage in abject bastardry.  Finding his bike positioned directly broadside to mine, he accelerated aggressively and showered me with heavy wet clods of compacted mud.  Unlike normal 'squishy' and viscous mud, this had partly pan dried and came away in semi-solid projectiles that struck both bike and body with a resounding thwack.  Unable to accelerate out from the line of fire, I could only cower as these mud missiles coated bike and rider.  Within seconds the bike was all but obliterated under a thick coating of slime.  

Arriving at the Ferry crossing (three semi clean and one indescribably filthy) we made the brief crossing to the border town of Foundigne, and have come to a grinding halt.  It seems that The Gambia border may be closed due to political strife in the country.  Recently renamed to 'The Islamic Republic of The Gambia'; things have been tense for some time, but it appears that this may have spilled over into military strife and street arrests. Going around The Gambia is a possibility.  It's a long detour, but may be the best option in the circumstances.  We will hang around Foundigne for a little longer this afternoon and try to gather some local intel before making a final decision.  

It's worth noting that The Gambia is a long, thin country that pokes into Senegal from the west coast of Africa.  At the point we propose to cross, the country is only 50km wide.  We can enter one side and be out the other side in an hour if all goes well.   We'll see what happens...

dakar, a most unusual day

HToday started unusually, with James again the victim of recalcitrant wildlife.  A small troupe of monkeys decided to play chicken when crossing the road in front of his motorcycle.  Fortunately, he had spotted them moments earlier and was already treating them warily.  No monkey stew for dinner this evening. 

The ride into Dakar was so much more enjoyable than Mauritania, with a bit of moisture in the air instead of that blistering desert heat (it was 43 degrees the day before).  This corresponds with more greenery, and generally happier people.  The pale blue robes of the desert Toureg people have been replaced with riotously coloured gowns on the women and rasta-style dreadlocks for the men. 

We drifted down to the waterfront for an early dinner last night and ended up chatting with a small group next to us. Their volume was disproportionate to their number, and they were obviously enjoying themselves immensely. 

Wresting is a much-loved sport for the Senegalese, and it wasn't long before conversation turned to this national obsession.  When we expressed our interest, it wasn't long before a challenge was thrown down, Australia vs Senegal.  

Ty was the obvious choice for this duty, but several beers in meant he was firmly ensconced in the chair.  When he was unable to be coaxed out and I was drafted instead, the betting in Australia's favour plummeted along with Australia's chances.   

The opposing team offered a dreadlocked guy with a big smile, and much more importantly, a small stature.  We circled around one another in the beach sand before a saw an opportunity and launched myself at his midriff.  

I'm not sure how it occurred, but he suddenly free deep roots into the beach sand and was absolutely unmovable.  In fact, as a grunted and strained, he was casually inspecting his fingernails and playing shamelessly to the audience.  

Several impressive and complex manoeuvres later from the Australian champion had him equally unfazed and unbudged.  He eventually wanted to return to his beer, so used his 60kg frame to effortlessly lift my 90+ and deposit me gently on the sand.  Game over.  

After a short time on the beach we were joined by a visitor.  A large pelican flew in and waddled up to join our group.  He was a very friendly chao, perfectly content to be patted and stroked, with the occasional mock snap from a very large beak that has no real power in the jaws.  One of our rasta friends was feeding him fresh water from a bottle, to its obvious delight.  

These moments illustrate the spontaneously bizarre moments that happen so often with this type of travel.  If I went into an Australian travel agency and asked to spend an afternoon trying Sebegalese wresting on a beach and patting wild pelicans, I would possibly be locked up for treatment.  Over here, the wildly improbable seems to happen on a daily basis. 

timbuktu

What an interesting evening.  We met a local woman in the St Luis hotel lobby who is one of the hotel staff and was interested in our journey.  Turns out she is Malian, and comes from the city of Timbuktu (yes, there is really a Timbuktu).  She ended up joining us at the dinner table and we had a delightful hour or so learning about each other's culture.  

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's travels.  A dud battery has seen me dreading stopping the bike today because it then involved a lengthy process to jump start it in order to continue.  One of the friendly staff from the hotel hailed a cab and piled in with Gary and I to locate a battery.  Large capacity bikes are not common in Senegal, and we visited three closed stores before finally locating one that was open (at 8pm).  For under $100 we enjoyed a lengthy taxi ride, guided tour in perfect English, and a brand new battery.  I really like this place.