Crossed-up
Pangaman
She's still in Gabon. Having a ball it seems. I'm jealous.
Right Around Africa
- Thread starter jorust
- Start date
jorust
Race Dog
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Sorry all. Have been a bit hectic. But all is well and I am currently in Cotonou, Benin. Leaving for Ghana tomorrow and then Abidjan on Friday. Hope to post full updates in Abidjan. Should be there for about a week or so. Chat to you all soon.
PierreO
Race Dog
:3some:
White Rhino
Race Dog
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- Johannesburg *South Africa*
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Glad you've made it through Nigeria - looking forward to the update :thumleft:
jorust
Race Dog
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- Mar 6, 2012
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- BMW R1200GS
Gabon - Continued.....
We finally reached Ndende around 21:00. The road leading up to the town is still off road, but well compacted and easier to negotiate. No more mud holes, thank goodness! At the border we sat chatting to a Pastor who told me that once we get into town, we’ll reach a roundabout and that we should turn left here to find a hotel in town where we could stay. As we got into town I stopped to ask around for a hotel. We had to ride around quite a bit as it seemed that no rooms were available anywhere. Allan stopped and told me that he had only 800 meters of fuel left. So I told him to stay put and I’d go ask around.
We finally found a hotel that seemed promising. Though as soon as I stepped inside they told me that they had no rooms available. Here I met a very friendly and helpful young man who offered to help me find a place for us to stay. I told Allan to stay at the Hotel and I would go with this man. We walked all over town to find a place. There was nothing available! Unbelievable!!
We walked around, from hotel to hotel, chatting away. Then I remembered that Patrick and Albert Lobo back in Pointe Noire had given me a name of a contact of theirs in Ndende. Pinheiro…that was the name. So I asked the young man whether he knew a Pinheiro? Sure enough, he took me to the house. It was already so late and I felt bad having to disturb people. But I had no choice. We needed to find a place to sleep.
We knocked on the door of the “House of Pinheiro”. The guard met us and we explained my predicament. He then let us in and took us to see the owner of the house. Pinheiro. Understandably he was a bit confused at first as to the reason for my visit. But between my bit of French and Portuguese I was able to explain to him who I am and why I am there. He had no room available in his house but said he could make us a bed in the living room. Perfect! We then walked back to the hotel to fetch Allan. I thanked the kind young man and we made our way back to Pinheiro’s house. Allan went to clean up and I started unpacking what I needed for the night. Then I had the opportunity to clean up. I was absolutely covered in mud and dirt from head to toe. It felt so good to be able to have a hot shower! By the time I had finished Allan was already asleep. We had to share a bed. At this point I didn’t care anymore, I was too tired. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Next morning we were up at 6:00 again. Pinheiro prepared us some breakfast consisting of fresh baguettes, cheese, cold meats and yoghurt. I certainly welcomed the food! We thanked him for taking us in for the night and then set off to fill up for fuel before making our way to Libreville. We stopped at the Total garage just before you get out of town, where I was told: “Desoleil, pas essence”. Urrrggghhh. No petrol! I asked whether any of the other fuel stations might have? No petrol available in Ndende or any of the neighboring towns!! Now what?
We made our way back to Pinheiro’s place and explained our problem to him. He filled our tanks out of his own fuel supply!! When we wanted to pay him for the fuel, he refused! Sometimes, people’s goodwill just leaves me speechless.
Okay, finally filled up we were ready to hit the road. From Ndende up until Mouila you have a dirt road. Good enough to average around 80 Km/h though. Allan shot on ahead and I hanged back, admiring the sights. We were now getting into serious jungle territory. I made it to Mouila in about an hour. I didn’t go into town as I knew there would be a Petro Gabon station on the outskirts of town on route to Lamberene. Pinheiro had given us this information. From hereon out there’s a beautiful tarmac road as well. As you get on the tarmac you get to a big roundabout. Heading straight on would take you into town. I turned left on the road that would take me to Lamberene. I stopped at the Petro Gabon station to fill up but, you guessed it, no fuel!! I wasn’t too worried as I could make it to Lamberene on the fuel I had and I was carrying about 5 liters extra in one of my fuel cells.
I had no idea where Allan was. I had lost him and wasn’t sure whether he went into town or had carried on. Right outside of Mouila there is a Police control point. I was stopped and met with a big smile from the Police officer on duty. He asked me where I was from and as soon as I said South Africa he let out a big “Wow” and welcomed me to Gabon. I asked him whether another bike had passed before me and he said yes. So I figured Allan would probably stop somewhere next to the road to wait for me.
I absolutely LOVE the jungle surroundings of Gabon. I rode along just admiring the giant trees and dense vegetation all along the roadside. I have never seen such tall trees in my life. It’s absolutely beautiful. I stopped on the side of the road before reaching Lamberene to take a break. As soon as you stop you are able to hear all the sounds of all the different creatures living within the jungle. Birds, frogs, crickets and what sounds like monkeys. It’s lovely! I stood there trying to imagine what it must be like to live within a jungle like this with all the sounds that would surround you at night. I for one would love it!
Just before I reached Lamberene Allan caught up with me. Huh? I stopped at a garage just before reaching town. At least this time they had fuel and we were able to fill up. Allan then told me that he had gone into Mouila to find fuel. That’s where we missed each other. I had already decided that when we reach Libreville I would carry on, on my own. But when we reached Lamberene Allan pulled up next to me and signaled to me to stop. He had seen a Hotel on the side of the road and had decided he would stay there for the night. The next day he would then carry on to Cameroon! I was relieved, to say the least. We wished each other luck for the road ahead and I then carried on towards Libreville.
Going to Libreville you cross a river in Lamberene, twice. I got a little lost in town but thanks to my trusty GPS I was able to find my way back to the correct route. Lamberene is a pretty big town, much bigger than I had anticipated. A big river runs through the town and there are a few bridges crossing the river to lead you to different parts of Gabon. It felt like Lamberene is the central point of Gabon.
I knew I would soon cross the Equator and was eager to carry on with excitement growing inside of me. The road isn’t straight. You are met with curvy bends that just carry on forever all the way to Libreville. A good tarmac road. All alongside the road you find little villages with people walking all alongside the road in between the different villages…going about their daily lives. I took it easy at 80 km/h because of the fact that there are so many people on the road. Though it soon became clear that people are not my main concern on the roads. It’s dogs!! The dogs love chasing my bike and I was so afraid I might hit one of these animals. I adore animals and just would not be able to forgive myself if I hit a dog on the road. I would get a mini heart attack every time a dog shot out from the side of the road to chase me.
I was starting to get closer to Libreville and still hadn’t seen the Equator sign. I was starting to get worried thinking maybe I had missed it. How the hell does one miss the Equator???? As these thoughts started running through my head I reached a stretch where there were some roadworks going on. There were trucks parked all along the road side with a “stop ‘n go” system in place. It wasn’t a very long stretch, but as I made my way to the other side something caught my eye. The Equator sign!! It was behind one of the big trucks on the side of the road! Just my luck!!! There was no way I could get to it and seeing as it was getting late I had no choice other than to carry on. I was sooo miffed, but kept telling myself: “It’s okay, you’ll be crossing it again on the other side of the continent”.
With a heavy heart I started entering Libreville. It was now almost dark and I decided I would stop at the first hotel I see and spend the night there. No hotels came into sight though. I was still exhausted from the previous day’s escapades and couldn’t focus properly anymore. So I took a chance and stopped on the side of the road to take a break. I had a smoke and watched the cars passing by, honking and waving, shouting at me in French. A truck stopped right behind me. A man got out and walked to the front of the truck right behind where I was standing. He put down a prayer mat and starting praying to Allah. For a moment I just stood dead still staring at this guy thinking to myself: “Isn’t this a little unethical on some level”?? I just smiled and waited for him to finish. I felt it would be disrespectful if I started my noisy bike in the middle of his prayers.
When he had finished he rolled up his prayer mat again and greeted me. He asked where I was from and all the other usual questions. I explained to him that I was on my way to Libreville and asked him if he knew of a hotel where I could stay for the night. Turns out he could speak English and told me to follow him as he knew of a good hotel where I could stay and would take me there. Woohoo!! I followed Duklua (that’s his name) into town. As we entered Libreville I could see the line of traffic we would still have to negotiate our way through. I had started getting used to the chaos that every town brings with it. Crazy traffic and loads of people on the streets. Markets lining the roads, cars and taxis hooting like crazy all around you. I just followed the truck in front of me and made sure I stayed right behind him.
We stopped at a hotel, but they didn’t have any rooms available. So we then made our way to another hotel. But first we went to drop off the truck so Duklua could pick up his car. This would make it easier getting through traffic. The road leading up to his place is a steep road and very rocky. I lost my balance and put the bike down. Before I had even stood up a bunch of men standing by the side of the road had already rushed to my side and helped me pick the bike back up! I told Duklua I would wait for him there and made my way back to the bottom of the road. When he returned we made our way to “Hotel du Stade”. It’s a hotel right across Libreville’s old stadium. Here they had rooms available! Woohoo! I could choose a room at fCFA 28 000 or fCFA 30 000. I chose the one for fCFA 30 000 ($60) as I figured I deserved to spoil myself a little bit. Duklua helped me to carry my bags up to my room. My room had a double bed, television, shower, Air conditioner and fridge! Perfect! Duklua offered to go buy me something to drink as he said it was too expensive at the hotel. I gave him fCFA 5000 and he came back with chips, two 1,5 liters of cold drink, two yoghurts and two bread rolls. He had also bought some throat lozenges as he figured I sounded like I needed them. LoL. What a sweet guy.
The view from my hotel room, over a part of Libreville
I was so happy to be in Libreville…on my own. I couldn’t believe my luck and how it seemed that I keep meeting just the right people at the right time on this journey. I stood on my balcony watching the hustle and bustle going on down on the street. I phoned home and had a long conversation with Hanret. That night I went to sleep with a big smile on my face.
The next day I slept until I woke up…which was around 10:00! Duklua came around at 11:00 to check on me and to find out whether I needed anything. I told him that I have a contact in Libreville and needed to phone him. I asked Duklua if he could help me to get where I then needed to go? He agreed without hesitation. I phoned Fernando, the contact given to me by the guys in Pointe Noire. Fernando explained to Duklua where his house was and we packed up to head over to his place. When we arrived I met Kathie and Fernando. They welcomed me with open arms and showed me into the house. Kathie can speak a little English and Fernando speaks Portuguese as well. I loved how we communicated using three different languages!
Fernando, Kathy and I
I unpacked and settled into what would be my new home for the next week and a half. Kathie and Fernando are two wonderful people. I instantly fell in love with both these beautiful souls. They’re down to earth, fun, caring, loving people. We spent most of Saturday afternoon just relaxing. Later on that evening Vanessa Vincent, a friend of theirs arrived. The four of us played a few games of pool on the pool table standing on their porch. Afterwards we went out for dinner at Cigalou restaurant, right on the beach. I ate pizza and drank beer, chatting away with my new friends. It was a great evening. I really love Gabon!
Muriel, Vanessa and I
The next morning I slept late. We were supposed to go out for breakfast but by the time I got up Kathie had already gone to breakfast and Fernando had gone to work. Vanessa was still at home so the two of us sat chatting until Kathie returned. It was Sunday, so we spent most of the day just relaxing. The neighbors, Lara and Henry and their daughter Valentine came over when Kathie and Fernando had returned later that morning. We were joined by more friends and all sat on the porch chatting whilst Vanessa, Lara and Henry helped me to undo my braids. I loved my braided hair, but it wasn’t the most practical thing to wear when you have to put on and take off a helmet several times a day. After we had finished we all went out to lunch at Cigalou again. I would visit this restaurant several times whilst staying in Libreville.
Later that afternoon I met another friend, Bruno Grandgirard. It was hot and we all jumped into the pool at Kathie and Fernando’s place. We spend the whole afternoon just soaking in the pool. Later that night Bruno took me out for dinner and we chatted all night long. The next day was a public holiday and I spent most of the day working on Dax. Gave her a good wash, cleaned the air filter and chain. Checked all fluids. I had a few dents in my panniers that Bruno helped me panel beat out.
On Tuesday I went to stay at Vanessa’s place in the center of town seeing as Kathie and Fernando works during the day and their wifi wasn’t working. Vanessa could also help me by taking me to the Nigerian Embassy so I could apply for my visa.
During the next week I spent my time with my new Sister in Libreville, Vanessa. We went all over town and I met a whole bunch of her friends. We went to the Nigerian Embassy where I had no issues and got my visa within a day. We had lunch and different wonderful restaurants. Went out at night to clubs and meeting up with friends. I got to listen to Vanessa and her brother Alexander’s band: The Sand Quarry Band. We really had a great time.
Before leaving I met some more friends, Muriel Gilardetti and Marie, Jack and Christophe, the owner of the Guenguette. “Guenguette” is the French word for like a local get together spot, like a restaurant. I met up with the local motorbike club of Libreville at the Guenguette. They gave me two T-shirts and some stickers to add to my collection, which I was very happy for. We arranged that some of the riders would ride out of town with me on Sunday when I leave Libreville.
Meeting up with the "Crazy Bikers" - Motorcycle Club in Libreville
Muriel, Marie and I
Muriel also gave me the contact number for a friend of hers in Cotonou, Benin, whom I could stay with after I’d made my way through Nigeria.
When it became time for me to leave Libreville, I was extremely tempted to stay a little longer. I had grown so fond of this town and especially the people I had the pleasure of meeting. I will definitely be returning in future for a visit! What’s great is that South Africans don’t need a visa to travel to Gabon. My dearest friends, Kathie, Fernando, Vanessa, Bruno, Muriel, Marie and all the rest of the bunch…I will certainly miss them all a great deal! I am amazed at the connections I am making on my journey. I will carry these friendships with me for the rest of my life.
We finally reached Ndende around 21:00. The road leading up to the town is still off road, but well compacted and easier to negotiate. No more mud holes, thank goodness! At the border we sat chatting to a Pastor who told me that once we get into town, we’ll reach a roundabout and that we should turn left here to find a hotel in town where we could stay. As we got into town I stopped to ask around for a hotel. We had to ride around quite a bit as it seemed that no rooms were available anywhere. Allan stopped and told me that he had only 800 meters of fuel left. So I told him to stay put and I’d go ask around.
We finally found a hotel that seemed promising. Though as soon as I stepped inside they told me that they had no rooms available. Here I met a very friendly and helpful young man who offered to help me find a place for us to stay. I told Allan to stay at the Hotel and I would go with this man. We walked all over town to find a place. There was nothing available! Unbelievable!!
We walked around, from hotel to hotel, chatting away. Then I remembered that Patrick and Albert Lobo back in Pointe Noire had given me a name of a contact of theirs in Ndende. Pinheiro…that was the name. So I asked the young man whether he knew a Pinheiro? Sure enough, he took me to the house. It was already so late and I felt bad having to disturb people. But I had no choice. We needed to find a place to sleep.
We knocked on the door of the “House of Pinheiro”. The guard met us and we explained my predicament. He then let us in and took us to see the owner of the house. Pinheiro. Understandably he was a bit confused at first as to the reason for my visit. But between my bit of French and Portuguese I was able to explain to him who I am and why I am there. He had no room available in his house but said he could make us a bed in the living room. Perfect! We then walked back to the hotel to fetch Allan. I thanked the kind young man and we made our way back to Pinheiro’s house. Allan went to clean up and I started unpacking what I needed for the night. Then I had the opportunity to clean up. I was absolutely covered in mud and dirt from head to toe. It felt so good to be able to have a hot shower! By the time I had finished Allan was already asleep. We had to share a bed. At this point I didn’t care anymore, I was too tired. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Next morning we were up at 6:00 again. Pinheiro prepared us some breakfast consisting of fresh baguettes, cheese, cold meats and yoghurt. I certainly welcomed the food! We thanked him for taking us in for the night and then set off to fill up for fuel before making our way to Libreville. We stopped at the Total garage just before you get out of town, where I was told: “Desoleil, pas essence”. Urrrggghhh. No petrol! I asked whether any of the other fuel stations might have? No petrol available in Ndende or any of the neighboring towns!! Now what?
We made our way back to Pinheiro’s place and explained our problem to him. He filled our tanks out of his own fuel supply!! When we wanted to pay him for the fuel, he refused! Sometimes, people’s goodwill just leaves me speechless.
Okay, finally filled up we were ready to hit the road. From Ndende up until Mouila you have a dirt road. Good enough to average around 80 Km/h though. Allan shot on ahead and I hanged back, admiring the sights. We were now getting into serious jungle territory. I made it to Mouila in about an hour. I didn’t go into town as I knew there would be a Petro Gabon station on the outskirts of town on route to Lamberene. Pinheiro had given us this information. From hereon out there’s a beautiful tarmac road as well. As you get on the tarmac you get to a big roundabout. Heading straight on would take you into town. I turned left on the road that would take me to Lamberene. I stopped at the Petro Gabon station to fill up but, you guessed it, no fuel!! I wasn’t too worried as I could make it to Lamberene on the fuel I had and I was carrying about 5 liters extra in one of my fuel cells.
I had no idea where Allan was. I had lost him and wasn’t sure whether he went into town or had carried on. Right outside of Mouila there is a Police control point. I was stopped and met with a big smile from the Police officer on duty. He asked me where I was from and as soon as I said South Africa he let out a big “Wow” and welcomed me to Gabon. I asked him whether another bike had passed before me and he said yes. So I figured Allan would probably stop somewhere next to the road to wait for me.
I absolutely LOVE the jungle surroundings of Gabon. I rode along just admiring the giant trees and dense vegetation all along the roadside. I have never seen such tall trees in my life. It’s absolutely beautiful. I stopped on the side of the road before reaching Lamberene to take a break. As soon as you stop you are able to hear all the sounds of all the different creatures living within the jungle. Birds, frogs, crickets and what sounds like monkeys. It’s lovely! I stood there trying to imagine what it must be like to live within a jungle like this with all the sounds that would surround you at night. I for one would love it!
Just before I reached Lamberene Allan caught up with me. Huh? I stopped at a garage just before reaching town. At least this time they had fuel and we were able to fill up. Allan then told me that he had gone into Mouila to find fuel. That’s where we missed each other. I had already decided that when we reach Libreville I would carry on, on my own. But when we reached Lamberene Allan pulled up next to me and signaled to me to stop. He had seen a Hotel on the side of the road and had decided he would stay there for the night. The next day he would then carry on to Cameroon! I was relieved, to say the least. We wished each other luck for the road ahead and I then carried on towards Libreville.
Going to Libreville you cross a river in Lamberene, twice. I got a little lost in town but thanks to my trusty GPS I was able to find my way back to the correct route. Lamberene is a pretty big town, much bigger than I had anticipated. A big river runs through the town and there are a few bridges crossing the river to lead you to different parts of Gabon. It felt like Lamberene is the central point of Gabon.
I knew I would soon cross the Equator and was eager to carry on with excitement growing inside of me. The road isn’t straight. You are met with curvy bends that just carry on forever all the way to Libreville. A good tarmac road. All alongside the road you find little villages with people walking all alongside the road in between the different villages…going about their daily lives. I took it easy at 80 km/h because of the fact that there are so many people on the road. Though it soon became clear that people are not my main concern on the roads. It’s dogs!! The dogs love chasing my bike and I was so afraid I might hit one of these animals. I adore animals and just would not be able to forgive myself if I hit a dog on the road. I would get a mini heart attack every time a dog shot out from the side of the road to chase me.
I was starting to get closer to Libreville and still hadn’t seen the Equator sign. I was starting to get worried thinking maybe I had missed it. How the hell does one miss the Equator???? As these thoughts started running through my head I reached a stretch where there were some roadworks going on. There were trucks parked all along the road side with a “stop ‘n go” system in place. It wasn’t a very long stretch, but as I made my way to the other side something caught my eye. The Equator sign!! It was behind one of the big trucks on the side of the road! Just my luck!!! There was no way I could get to it and seeing as it was getting late I had no choice other than to carry on. I was sooo miffed, but kept telling myself: “It’s okay, you’ll be crossing it again on the other side of the continent”.
With a heavy heart I started entering Libreville. It was now almost dark and I decided I would stop at the first hotel I see and spend the night there. No hotels came into sight though. I was still exhausted from the previous day’s escapades and couldn’t focus properly anymore. So I took a chance and stopped on the side of the road to take a break. I had a smoke and watched the cars passing by, honking and waving, shouting at me in French. A truck stopped right behind me. A man got out and walked to the front of the truck right behind where I was standing. He put down a prayer mat and starting praying to Allah. For a moment I just stood dead still staring at this guy thinking to myself: “Isn’t this a little unethical on some level”?? I just smiled and waited for him to finish. I felt it would be disrespectful if I started my noisy bike in the middle of his prayers.
When he had finished he rolled up his prayer mat again and greeted me. He asked where I was from and all the other usual questions. I explained to him that I was on my way to Libreville and asked him if he knew of a hotel where I could stay for the night. Turns out he could speak English and told me to follow him as he knew of a good hotel where I could stay and would take me there. Woohoo!! I followed Duklua (that’s his name) into town. As we entered Libreville I could see the line of traffic we would still have to negotiate our way through. I had started getting used to the chaos that every town brings with it. Crazy traffic and loads of people on the streets. Markets lining the roads, cars and taxis hooting like crazy all around you. I just followed the truck in front of me and made sure I stayed right behind him.
We stopped at a hotel, but they didn’t have any rooms available. So we then made our way to another hotel. But first we went to drop off the truck so Duklua could pick up his car. This would make it easier getting through traffic. The road leading up to his place is a steep road and very rocky. I lost my balance and put the bike down. Before I had even stood up a bunch of men standing by the side of the road had already rushed to my side and helped me pick the bike back up! I told Duklua I would wait for him there and made my way back to the bottom of the road. When he returned we made our way to “Hotel du Stade”. It’s a hotel right across Libreville’s old stadium. Here they had rooms available! Woohoo! I could choose a room at fCFA 28 000 or fCFA 30 000. I chose the one for fCFA 30 000 ($60) as I figured I deserved to spoil myself a little bit. Duklua helped me to carry my bags up to my room. My room had a double bed, television, shower, Air conditioner and fridge! Perfect! Duklua offered to go buy me something to drink as he said it was too expensive at the hotel. I gave him fCFA 5000 and he came back with chips, two 1,5 liters of cold drink, two yoghurts and two bread rolls. He had also bought some throat lozenges as he figured I sounded like I needed them. LoL. What a sweet guy.
The view from my hotel room, over a part of Libreville
I was so happy to be in Libreville…on my own. I couldn’t believe my luck and how it seemed that I keep meeting just the right people at the right time on this journey. I stood on my balcony watching the hustle and bustle going on down on the street. I phoned home and had a long conversation with Hanret. That night I went to sleep with a big smile on my face.
The next day I slept until I woke up…which was around 10:00! Duklua came around at 11:00 to check on me and to find out whether I needed anything. I told him that I have a contact in Libreville and needed to phone him. I asked Duklua if he could help me to get where I then needed to go? He agreed without hesitation. I phoned Fernando, the contact given to me by the guys in Pointe Noire. Fernando explained to Duklua where his house was and we packed up to head over to his place. When we arrived I met Kathie and Fernando. They welcomed me with open arms and showed me into the house. Kathie can speak a little English and Fernando speaks Portuguese as well. I loved how we communicated using three different languages!
Fernando, Kathy and I
I unpacked and settled into what would be my new home for the next week and a half. Kathie and Fernando are two wonderful people. I instantly fell in love with both these beautiful souls. They’re down to earth, fun, caring, loving people. We spent most of Saturday afternoon just relaxing. Later on that evening Vanessa Vincent, a friend of theirs arrived. The four of us played a few games of pool on the pool table standing on their porch. Afterwards we went out for dinner at Cigalou restaurant, right on the beach. I ate pizza and drank beer, chatting away with my new friends. It was a great evening. I really love Gabon!
Muriel, Vanessa and I
The next morning I slept late. We were supposed to go out for breakfast but by the time I got up Kathie had already gone to breakfast and Fernando had gone to work. Vanessa was still at home so the two of us sat chatting until Kathie returned. It was Sunday, so we spent most of the day just relaxing. The neighbors, Lara and Henry and their daughter Valentine came over when Kathie and Fernando had returned later that morning. We were joined by more friends and all sat on the porch chatting whilst Vanessa, Lara and Henry helped me to undo my braids. I loved my braided hair, but it wasn’t the most practical thing to wear when you have to put on and take off a helmet several times a day. After we had finished we all went out to lunch at Cigalou again. I would visit this restaurant several times whilst staying in Libreville.
Later that afternoon I met another friend, Bruno Grandgirard. It was hot and we all jumped into the pool at Kathie and Fernando’s place. We spend the whole afternoon just soaking in the pool. Later that night Bruno took me out for dinner and we chatted all night long. The next day was a public holiday and I spent most of the day working on Dax. Gave her a good wash, cleaned the air filter and chain. Checked all fluids. I had a few dents in my panniers that Bruno helped me panel beat out.
On Tuesday I went to stay at Vanessa’s place in the center of town seeing as Kathie and Fernando works during the day and their wifi wasn’t working. Vanessa could also help me by taking me to the Nigerian Embassy so I could apply for my visa.
During the next week I spent my time with my new Sister in Libreville, Vanessa. We went all over town and I met a whole bunch of her friends. We went to the Nigerian Embassy where I had no issues and got my visa within a day. We had lunch and different wonderful restaurants. Went out at night to clubs and meeting up with friends. I got to listen to Vanessa and her brother Alexander’s band: The Sand Quarry Band. We really had a great time.
Before leaving I met some more friends, Muriel Gilardetti and Marie, Jack and Christophe, the owner of the Guenguette. “Guenguette” is the French word for like a local get together spot, like a restaurant. I met up with the local motorbike club of Libreville at the Guenguette. They gave me two T-shirts and some stickers to add to my collection, which I was very happy for. We arranged that some of the riders would ride out of town with me on Sunday when I leave Libreville.
Meeting up with the "Crazy Bikers" - Motorcycle Club in Libreville
Muriel, Marie and I
Muriel also gave me the contact number for a friend of hers in Cotonou, Benin, whom I could stay with after I’d made my way through Nigeria.
When it became time for me to leave Libreville, I was extremely tempted to stay a little longer. I had grown so fond of this town and especially the people I had the pleasure of meeting. I will definitely be returning in future for a visit! What’s great is that South Africans don’t need a visa to travel to Gabon. My dearest friends, Kathie, Fernando, Vanessa, Bruno, Muriel, Marie and all the rest of the bunch…I will certainly miss them all a great deal! I am amazed at the connections I am making on my journey. I will carry these friendships with me for the rest of my life.
jorust
Race Dog
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- BMW R1200GS
Cameroon - A mix of kindness!
I left Libreville on Sunday, 3 June ’12. I left from Kathie and Fernando’s house where friends and members of the motorbike club gathered to see me off. Kathie had prepared breakfast with croissants and coffee and juice. They hung balloons outside on the porch to mark the occasion. Kathie, Fernando, Vanessa and Bruno would follow me out in Bruno’s car and some of the members from the motorcycle club would also accompany me outside of town.
We set off around 09:00. My next destination: Oyem, in the North of Gabon. Bruno and Fernando had phoned ahead to organize a place for me to stay with friends of theirs in Oyem. What I had forgotten is that I had to cross back over the Equator seeing as there is only one road in and out of Libreville! So I got to take a photo of the Equator sign after all. I ended up crossing the equator three times!! Haha. Going into Libreville, going out of Libreville and then turning back up North to Oyem. I had a good day on the road, no issues whatsoever. Kathie had packed me some croissants and cheese, which I had for lunch next to the road. I reached Oyem around 19:00. My new hosts were waiting for me as I entered the town. Henry and Yvette Weber, French citizens working and living in Oyem. Turns out they’ve been based all over Central and West Africa. They led me to their place, situated next to Oyem’s brewery, which they happen to be in charge of.
After I had a chance to relax for a few minutes and have an ice cold Coca-Cola, we went out for dinner. Even though they could only speak French, we were able to communicate pretty easily. My French had now improved to the point where I could have a full on conversation. Not in perfect French of course, but I can make myself understood. I spent a wonderful evening with my hosts. We chatted about my trip and experiences I have had on route. About Africa and places we have all visited.
I turned in for the night around 23:00. The next day I would cross into my fifth country – Cameroon! Before leaving Oyem I was given a tour of the brewery that supplies beer and some soft drinks to surrounding towns, covering a 600-kilometer radius. It was my first time in a brewery and I found it really interesting. The processes involved in making beer. Since I’ve grown quite fond of the stuff on this trip and try to sample a bottle of local beer in each country, I found it all the more interesting. LoL.
From Oyem I headed off towards the Cameroon border. Just outside of Oyem there is a Police control point where I was stopped so they could take down all my details. I had a nice chat with the police officer on duty whilst he wrote down my passport details in his register. From Oyem I made my way to Bitam, which is situated about 30 kilometers from the Cameroon border. What I didn’t know is that I had to stop in Bitam to have the Customs Police stamp my passport as they are not actually situated at the border. When I arrived at the border I stopped at the “Duane” office to have my Carnet stamped. From there I made my way to what I thought to be customs to have my passport stamped. Here they told me that I had to go back to Bitam to have my passport stamped there. I was annoyed, not with the border control but rather with myself. Andrei and Chris, the riders who I met in Namibia had told me that sometimes the customs police are situated in the last town before the border and not the actual border. Bummer!
So I made my way back to Bitam where I had my passport stamped and then returned to the Police control at the border as the officer in charge asked whether he could have a photo with me when I returned, before continuing on to the Cameroon side.
When I crossed the border into Cameroon, the first stop was at the Customs Office. At least on this side the Customs Office was situated at the border. The officers on duty invited me in and sat chatting to me for about 15 minutes whilst flipping through my passport and writing down my details. They then stamped me in and welcomed me to Cameroon. All of them asked for my number before I left. I just smiled and explained to them that I would be changing numbers in Cameroon. They accepted this information and sent me on my merry way. The Duane office was situated about 5 kilometers further on. It didn’t seem like there was much going on when I stopped outside the offices. When I went inside I found the officer on duty lying on his desk…asleep. I unfortunately had to wake him up because I needed him to stamp my Carnet. Lucky for me he didn’t seem too annoyed at my having interrupted his seemingly blissful slumber. He didn’t have a pen to fill in the necessary details, so I gave him mine. At least he was quick about stamping my Carnet and I was out of there in no time.
I was now officially in the fifth country on my trip. Next stop – Yaounde! Here I would meet up with a friend of mine named Divine Ntiokam. Divine and I met each other through and NGO we both supported whilst I was still going around Africa on my bicycle. We kept in contact and had become friends, although this would be the first time we would meet in person. Divine was very happy and excited when I phoned him up to tell him I am in Cameroon.
I almost immediately noticed certain differences in comparison to Gabon. The building styles were different. In Gabon you are more likely to see wooden houses in the villages all alongside the road. In Cameroon you have more brick houses. In Gabon the villages seem to be build into the dense jungle surroundings. In Cameroon I could notice the jungle starting to thin out. And in Cameroon just about every second person I passed would signal to show me that my lights are on. This would carry on all the way to Nigeria!! This would also be the main reason why I would get pulled over at Police and Military control posts. Every time I get pulled over the first thing that gets pointed out to me is that my lights are on. Then I have to explain that it’s automatic and that my lights cannot switch off. Only when I switch my bike off does the lights switch off as well. (In reality I could switch the lights off by pulling out the connection to the lights but seeing as there’s duct tape over the unit this would prove a bit of a mission, so I rather opted explaining my way out of it every time).
The roads in Cameroon are good. Tarmac almost all the way to the Nigerian border. Although I had planned on making it to Yaounde, I didn’t count on the delays at the border or the delays on route being stopped at the control posts on route. It was starting to get late and it became obvious that I wouldn’t make it to Yaounde. I phoned Divine and we both agreed that it would be better if I stopped and stayed over in Mbalmayo, the town before Yaounde. Divine had phoned a friend, who phoned a friend in Mbalmayo who happened to have a guesthouse. The guesthouse turned out to be situated about 500 meters off the main road. The only problem with this is that the roads that lead off the main road into the villages are very difficult to negotiate on a bike. Especially a heavily loaded bike! These roads are more like jungle trails than actual roads.
I had to stop a few times to ask for directions to the guesthouse. The last 50 meters was a really bad stretch and I ended up putting the bike down. Two young guys passed me and helped me push the bike to the guesthouse. The staff at the guesthouse were already expecting me and were kind enough to help me carry my bags inside. It is a humble establishment that makes up in lack of facilities with kindness. The staff prepared me some food that consisted of fish and rice. I hadn’t eaten all day and certainly welcomed the food. I washed myself out of a bucket and settled in for the night. Though around 23:00 I received a call from Divine telling me that he had to go to Bamenda, which is on route to the Nigerian border. So we decided it would be best if I carried on to Bamenda the next day rather than stop over in Yaounde. This would place me closer to the Nigerian border.
It started pouring down with rain and one of the staff members had to bring a bucket to place behind my bed, as there was a bad leak in the roof. I was tired and even the persistent dripping all night couldn’t keep me from sleeping. The next morning at 6:00 Divine phoned me again to let me know he had arrived in Bamenda around 4:00 that morning. He had taken a bus from Yaounde. I snoozed until around 7:00 and then got up to pack the bike and hit the road. The only thing that was bothering me was what the downpour during the night had done to the route leading out to the main road. The staff helped me to push the bike all the way out!
Heading out of town, I stopped at a Total garage to fill up with fuel and then headed for Yaounde. Getting into town I had some traffic and it took me about half an hour to make it through the town. Once through I stopped at another Total garage to check my tyre pressure. With the previous day’s riding I could feel that I was running on really low tyre pressure. Some of the garage staff came over to chat to me. There was a shop at the garage, just like back home and I went in to buy myself a snack and a cold drink. I asked the staff whether they knew where I could get an MTN sim card for Cameroon. They sent one of the attendants to buy me one! I was able to sort out fuel, tyre pressure, food, drinks and communication at this garage. Not bad at all!!!
The ride to Bamenda took a bit longer than I had anticipated though! In essence it’s not THAT far, but you have quite a few control posts you have to pass through and navigating your way through the towns can be challenging as well. At one of these control points I was able to witness a spectacular fight. I was pulled over by the two officers on duty. A military control point. They were rather friendly and just asked for my passport. As I stood there, a truck came past and the driver was shouting through his window. It stopped right in front of me. The female officer walked up to the truck with her firearm hanging over her shoulder and pulled the driver out of the truck. By now everyone and their dog were getting involved in the fight and they completely forgot about me. So I just smiled and rode off.
The next interesting encounter came in the way of a few people trying to sell me monkeys and rats next to the side of the road. They would hold the dead creatures by their tales and run after you to try and make a sale on their daily catch. I’m not really into monkey…and or rat meat, so I just rode on.
Just before Bamenda you get to a town called Bafousam. This town had crazy traffic and I got lost several times. I stopped at a garage to ask for directions and a man was kind enough to help me. Though further on I came to a roundabout where my GPS took me to the right. About 15 minutes out of town I stopped for a break. It was getting late, almost 18:00 now. A man stopped next to me and we started chatting. I told him that I was on my way to Bamenda. “You’re going the wrong way”, was his reply! Damn!!! He explained to me that I had to go back to Bafousam and at the roundabout as you get into town, you have to turn right. I knew exactly which roundabout he was talking about and immediately made my way back.
By the time I got to Bamenda it was dark. I stopped as I got into town and phoned my friend Divine to let him know that I had arrived. Divine took a taxi and rode to where I was to pick me up. It was a joyous occasion, finally meeting in person. Big hugs and even bigger smiles followed. We then made our way to the hotel where we’d be staying. “Clifton Hotel” in Bamenda. Here, more people speak English as it’s nearing the Nigerian border. It was nice to be able to have a conversation in English. I unloaded the bike and the hotel staff helped me to take my very heavy bags to my room. It was a small room, but more than sufficient for my needs. Plus, there was HOT water in the shower!! Which is always a bonus. I cleaned up and then we had dinner at the hotel. A dish with chicken, vegetables, peppers and grilled bananas... all mixed together in one dish. I have come to grow quite fond of these grilled bananas. They cut it up in slices and then it gets grilled. Some grill it in oil, others on an open fire. I’ve been eating this since Congo. I wonder what bananas are good for. You know how carrots are supposedly good for your eyesight? Because I have certainly been eating a lot of bananas.
The next day I took the day off to prepare myself for the border crossing into Nigeria, one of the most notorious countries in the world. I met Nina; she was the girl who had organized for my stay in the guesthouse in Mbalmayo. Turns out she actually stays in Bamenda and after Divine had phoned her she phoned a friend of hers in Mbalmayo to organize a place for me to stay for a night. That’s what you call ‘team effort’! Divine, Nina and I spent the day together. First we had breakfast and then headed off to the Internet café. Here I was able to catch up on emails and Facebook etc. We were at the café until lunchtime. After having lunch at the hotel I had a nap. Divine had decided that he would hire a transport bike (taxi), so he could accompany me to the Nigerian border. He was very concerned about my having to ride through Nigeria!
We left the next morning around 8:00. Divine, his driver James and myself. Our first stop would be a town called Mamfe, which is about 60 kilometers from the border. The road up until Mamfe is a good tarmac road. From Mamfe onward it would be off-road. I just didn’t know what ‘kind’ of off-road. It took us about two hours to get to Mamfe. Divine and James would ride in front of me and could only average between 60 – 80 kilometers and hour. One can see that this is a fairly new road as the Chinese are still finishing off the last touches. They’re also working on the road between Mamfe and Ekok (the Nigerian border).
In Mamfe we met with some of the Community Leaders at the Youth Center. We sat in on a community meeting for a few minutes. I found it very interesting, listening to how the communities here organize the way their villages run. The particular topic they were discussing was what the youth should do during school holidays. They felt that more and more of the youth are getting involved in ‘unhealthy’ activities and should be outdoors exploring their environment or engaging in more intellectual activities.
We left Mamfe around 12:30 to make our way to the border. Only 60 kilometers…that would take us near to 3 hours to complete! Mud, mud…and more mud. We passed a ceremonial convoy for the inauguration of a community center. First a group of men dressed in their police and military uniforms, then community members and after a group of dancing girls dressed in traditional clothing and two men in big wooden masks that reach to the ground! This was the first time that someone shouted out: “White, white, white”. It caught me off guard at first and I thought to myself: “Huh? What are you referring to”? Of course it didn’t take me too long to realize who and or what they were referring to!
There is a stretch on the route where you make your way down a mountain pass with waterfall running over the road. Although it was challenging to negotiate my way down this road, I had a great time admiring the surroundings. The tall trees again. The greenery is absolutely beautiful. There were points where we had to stop and wait for trucks that had fallen stuck. The road isn’t wide enough for trucks and other traffic to pass next to one another. So when you get to a point where a truck has fallen stuck, you have two options. Stop and find a shady spot or pitch in and help dig it out. We were lucky in that whenever we got to a truck that was stuck in the middle of the road, we were either able to pass around or it didn’t take too long to get the truck going again.
We finally reached the border town, Ekok, around 15:30. First things first I changed money and went about getting something to drink. I bought myself and Divine a Sprite each and then we went to have passports stamped and paperwork sorted out. Divine had decided that he would cross with me and accompany me all the way to Ikom, which is the first town on the Nigeria side. James, the taxi bike rider was too scared to cross with us and stayed in Ekok.
Getting through customs on the Cameroon side of the border went without hassles. Though when we got to the Nigeria side I was met with a rather unfriendly female customs officer. Even though my Nigerian visa clearly states that I have 14 Days in Nigeria, she only wanted to give me three days!! I asked her whether she would be able to ride my bike through Nigeria in three days time? So she gave me 7 days and nothing more. I figured I could have it extended in Lagos if need be and left it at that. Divine hired another rider to take him to Ikom and we were soon on our way.
I left Libreville on Sunday, 3 June ’12. I left from Kathie and Fernando’s house where friends and members of the motorbike club gathered to see me off. Kathie had prepared breakfast with croissants and coffee and juice. They hung balloons outside on the porch to mark the occasion. Kathie, Fernando, Vanessa and Bruno would follow me out in Bruno’s car and some of the members from the motorcycle club would also accompany me outside of town.
We set off around 09:00. My next destination: Oyem, in the North of Gabon. Bruno and Fernando had phoned ahead to organize a place for me to stay with friends of theirs in Oyem. What I had forgotten is that I had to cross back over the Equator seeing as there is only one road in and out of Libreville! So I got to take a photo of the Equator sign after all. I ended up crossing the equator three times!! Haha. Going into Libreville, going out of Libreville and then turning back up North to Oyem. I had a good day on the road, no issues whatsoever. Kathie had packed me some croissants and cheese, which I had for lunch next to the road. I reached Oyem around 19:00. My new hosts were waiting for me as I entered the town. Henry and Yvette Weber, French citizens working and living in Oyem. Turns out they’ve been based all over Central and West Africa. They led me to their place, situated next to Oyem’s brewery, which they happen to be in charge of.
After I had a chance to relax for a few minutes and have an ice cold Coca-Cola, we went out for dinner. Even though they could only speak French, we were able to communicate pretty easily. My French had now improved to the point where I could have a full on conversation. Not in perfect French of course, but I can make myself understood. I spent a wonderful evening with my hosts. We chatted about my trip and experiences I have had on route. About Africa and places we have all visited.
I turned in for the night around 23:00. The next day I would cross into my fifth country – Cameroon! Before leaving Oyem I was given a tour of the brewery that supplies beer and some soft drinks to surrounding towns, covering a 600-kilometer radius. It was my first time in a brewery and I found it really interesting. The processes involved in making beer. Since I’ve grown quite fond of the stuff on this trip and try to sample a bottle of local beer in each country, I found it all the more interesting. LoL.
From Oyem I headed off towards the Cameroon border. Just outside of Oyem there is a Police control point where I was stopped so they could take down all my details. I had a nice chat with the police officer on duty whilst he wrote down my passport details in his register. From Oyem I made my way to Bitam, which is situated about 30 kilometers from the Cameroon border. What I didn’t know is that I had to stop in Bitam to have the Customs Police stamp my passport as they are not actually situated at the border. When I arrived at the border I stopped at the “Duane” office to have my Carnet stamped. From there I made my way to what I thought to be customs to have my passport stamped. Here they told me that I had to go back to Bitam to have my passport stamped there. I was annoyed, not with the border control but rather with myself. Andrei and Chris, the riders who I met in Namibia had told me that sometimes the customs police are situated in the last town before the border and not the actual border. Bummer!
So I made my way back to Bitam where I had my passport stamped and then returned to the Police control at the border as the officer in charge asked whether he could have a photo with me when I returned, before continuing on to the Cameroon side.
When I crossed the border into Cameroon, the first stop was at the Customs Office. At least on this side the Customs Office was situated at the border. The officers on duty invited me in and sat chatting to me for about 15 minutes whilst flipping through my passport and writing down my details. They then stamped me in and welcomed me to Cameroon. All of them asked for my number before I left. I just smiled and explained to them that I would be changing numbers in Cameroon. They accepted this information and sent me on my merry way. The Duane office was situated about 5 kilometers further on. It didn’t seem like there was much going on when I stopped outside the offices. When I went inside I found the officer on duty lying on his desk…asleep. I unfortunately had to wake him up because I needed him to stamp my Carnet. Lucky for me he didn’t seem too annoyed at my having interrupted his seemingly blissful slumber. He didn’t have a pen to fill in the necessary details, so I gave him mine. At least he was quick about stamping my Carnet and I was out of there in no time.
I was now officially in the fifth country on my trip. Next stop – Yaounde! Here I would meet up with a friend of mine named Divine Ntiokam. Divine and I met each other through and NGO we both supported whilst I was still going around Africa on my bicycle. We kept in contact and had become friends, although this would be the first time we would meet in person. Divine was very happy and excited when I phoned him up to tell him I am in Cameroon.
I almost immediately noticed certain differences in comparison to Gabon. The building styles were different. In Gabon you are more likely to see wooden houses in the villages all alongside the road. In Cameroon you have more brick houses. In Gabon the villages seem to be build into the dense jungle surroundings. In Cameroon I could notice the jungle starting to thin out. And in Cameroon just about every second person I passed would signal to show me that my lights are on. This would carry on all the way to Nigeria!! This would also be the main reason why I would get pulled over at Police and Military control posts. Every time I get pulled over the first thing that gets pointed out to me is that my lights are on. Then I have to explain that it’s automatic and that my lights cannot switch off. Only when I switch my bike off does the lights switch off as well. (In reality I could switch the lights off by pulling out the connection to the lights but seeing as there’s duct tape over the unit this would prove a bit of a mission, so I rather opted explaining my way out of it every time).
The roads in Cameroon are good. Tarmac almost all the way to the Nigerian border. Although I had planned on making it to Yaounde, I didn’t count on the delays at the border or the delays on route being stopped at the control posts on route. It was starting to get late and it became obvious that I wouldn’t make it to Yaounde. I phoned Divine and we both agreed that it would be better if I stopped and stayed over in Mbalmayo, the town before Yaounde. Divine had phoned a friend, who phoned a friend in Mbalmayo who happened to have a guesthouse. The guesthouse turned out to be situated about 500 meters off the main road. The only problem with this is that the roads that lead off the main road into the villages are very difficult to negotiate on a bike. Especially a heavily loaded bike! These roads are more like jungle trails than actual roads.
I had to stop a few times to ask for directions to the guesthouse. The last 50 meters was a really bad stretch and I ended up putting the bike down. Two young guys passed me and helped me push the bike to the guesthouse. The staff at the guesthouse were already expecting me and were kind enough to help me carry my bags inside. It is a humble establishment that makes up in lack of facilities with kindness. The staff prepared me some food that consisted of fish and rice. I hadn’t eaten all day and certainly welcomed the food. I washed myself out of a bucket and settled in for the night. Though around 23:00 I received a call from Divine telling me that he had to go to Bamenda, which is on route to the Nigerian border. So we decided it would be best if I carried on to Bamenda the next day rather than stop over in Yaounde. This would place me closer to the Nigerian border.
It started pouring down with rain and one of the staff members had to bring a bucket to place behind my bed, as there was a bad leak in the roof. I was tired and even the persistent dripping all night couldn’t keep me from sleeping. The next morning at 6:00 Divine phoned me again to let me know he had arrived in Bamenda around 4:00 that morning. He had taken a bus from Yaounde. I snoozed until around 7:00 and then got up to pack the bike and hit the road. The only thing that was bothering me was what the downpour during the night had done to the route leading out to the main road. The staff helped me to push the bike all the way out!
Heading out of town, I stopped at a Total garage to fill up with fuel and then headed for Yaounde. Getting into town I had some traffic and it took me about half an hour to make it through the town. Once through I stopped at another Total garage to check my tyre pressure. With the previous day’s riding I could feel that I was running on really low tyre pressure. Some of the garage staff came over to chat to me. There was a shop at the garage, just like back home and I went in to buy myself a snack and a cold drink. I asked the staff whether they knew where I could get an MTN sim card for Cameroon. They sent one of the attendants to buy me one! I was able to sort out fuel, tyre pressure, food, drinks and communication at this garage. Not bad at all!!!
The ride to Bamenda took a bit longer than I had anticipated though! In essence it’s not THAT far, but you have quite a few control posts you have to pass through and navigating your way through the towns can be challenging as well. At one of these control points I was able to witness a spectacular fight. I was pulled over by the two officers on duty. A military control point. They were rather friendly and just asked for my passport. As I stood there, a truck came past and the driver was shouting through his window. It stopped right in front of me. The female officer walked up to the truck with her firearm hanging over her shoulder and pulled the driver out of the truck. By now everyone and their dog were getting involved in the fight and they completely forgot about me. So I just smiled and rode off.
The next interesting encounter came in the way of a few people trying to sell me monkeys and rats next to the side of the road. They would hold the dead creatures by their tales and run after you to try and make a sale on their daily catch. I’m not really into monkey…and or rat meat, so I just rode on.
Just before Bamenda you get to a town called Bafousam. This town had crazy traffic and I got lost several times. I stopped at a garage to ask for directions and a man was kind enough to help me. Though further on I came to a roundabout where my GPS took me to the right. About 15 minutes out of town I stopped for a break. It was getting late, almost 18:00 now. A man stopped next to me and we started chatting. I told him that I was on my way to Bamenda. “You’re going the wrong way”, was his reply! Damn!!! He explained to me that I had to go back to Bafousam and at the roundabout as you get into town, you have to turn right. I knew exactly which roundabout he was talking about and immediately made my way back.
By the time I got to Bamenda it was dark. I stopped as I got into town and phoned my friend Divine to let him know that I had arrived. Divine took a taxi and rode to where I was to pick me up. It was a joyous occasion, finally meeting in person. Big hugs and even bigger smiles followed. We then made our way to the hotel where we’d be staying. “Clifton Hotel” in Bamenda. Here, more people speak English as it’s nearing the Nigerian border. It was nice to be able to have a conversation in English. I unloaded the bike and the hotel staff helped me to take my very heavy bags to my room. It was a small room, but more than sufficient for my needs. Plus, there was HOT water in the shower!! Which is always a bonus. I cleaned up and then we had dinner at the hotel. A dish with chicken, vegetables, peppers and grilled bananas... all mixed together in one dish. I have come to grow quite fond of these grilled bananas. They cut it up in slices and then it gets grilled. Some grill it in oil, others on an open fire. I’ve been eating this since Congo. I wonder what bananas are good for. You know how carrots are supposedly good for your eyesight? Because I have certainly been eating a lot of bananas.
The next day I took the day off to prepare myself for the border crossing into Nigeria, one of the most notorious countries in the world. I met Nina; she was the girl who had organized for my stay in the guesthouse in Mbalmayo. Turns out she actually stays in Bamenda and after Divine had phoned her she phoned a friend of hers in Mbalmayo to organize a place for me to stay for a night. That’s what you call ‘team effort’! Divine, Nina and I spent the day together. First we had breakfast and then headed off to the Internet café. Here I was able to catch up on emails and Facebook etc. We were at the café until lunchtime. After having lunch at the hotel I had a nap. Divine had decided that he would hire a transport bike (taxi), so he could accompany me to the Nigerian border. He was very concerned about my having to ride through Nigeria!
We left the next morning around 8:00. Divine, his driver James and myself. Our first stop would be a town called Mamfe, which is about 60 kilometers from the border. The road up until Mamfe is a good tarmac road. From Mamfe onward it would be off-road. I just didn’t know what ‘kind’ of off-road. It took us about two hours to get to Mamfe. Divine and James would ride in front of me and could only average between 60 – 80 kilometers and hour. One can see that this is a fairly new road as the Chinese are still finishing off the last touches. They’re also working on the road between Mamfe and Ekok (the Nigerian border).
In Mamfe we met with some of the Community Leaders at the Youth Center. We sat in on a community meeting for a few minutes. I found it very interesting, listening to how the communities here organize the way their villages run. The particular topic they were discussing was what the youth should do during school holidays. They felt that more and more of the youth are getting involved in ‘unhealthy’ activities and should be outdoors exploring their environment or engaging in more intellectual activities.
We left Mamfe around 12:30 to make our way to the border. Only 60 kilometers…that would take us near to 3 hours to complete! Mud, mud…and more mud. We passed a ceremonial convoy for the inauguration of a community center. First a group of men dressed in their police and military uniforms, then community members and after a group of dancing girls dressed in traditional clothing and two men in big wooden masks that reach to the ground! This was the first time that someone shouted out: “White, white, white”. It caught me off guard at first and I thought to myself: “Huh? What are you referring to”? Of course it didn’t take me too long to realize who and or what they were referring to!
There is a stretch on the route where you make your way down a mountain pass with waterfall running over the road. Although it was challenging to negotiate my way down this road, I had a great time admiring the surroundings. The tall trees again. The greenery is absolutely beautiful. There were points where we had to stop and wait for trucks that had fallen stuck. The road isn’t wide enough for trucks and other traffic to pass next to one another. So when you get to a point where a truck has fallen stuck, you have two options. Stop and find a shady spot or pitch in and help dig it out. We were lucky in that whenever we got to a truck that was stuck in the middle of the road, we were either able to pass around or it didn’t take too long to get the truck going again.
We finally reached the border town, Ekok, around 15:30. First things first I changed money and went about getting something to drink. I bought myself and Divine a Sprite each and then we went to have passports stamped and paperwork sorted out. Divine had decided that he would cross with me and accompany me all the way to Ikom, which is the first town on the Nigeria side. James, the taxi bike rider was too scared to cross with us and stayed in Ekok.
Getting through customs on the Cameroon side of the border went without hassles. Though when we got to the Nigeria side I was met with a rather unfriendly female customs officer. Even though my Nigerian visa clearly states that I have 14 Days in Nigeria, she only wanted to give me three days!! I asked her whether she would be able to ride my bike through Nigeria in three days time? So she gave me 7 days and nothing more. I figured I could have it extended in Lagos if need be and left it at that. Divine hired another rider to take him to Ikom and we were soon on our way.
jorust
Race Dog
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Nigeria!!!! - A quarter of the way!
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous when crossing into Nigeria. Well, truth be told, I wasn’t nervous once I had entered the country. The night before, in Bamenda (Cameroon) I had butterflies in my stomach. In my mind I had always told myself that if I could only make it through Nigeria, I should be okay on this journey.
I realized that the only way I could keep myself focused is to treat Nigeria just like any other country. It’s just another country that I am riding through. This way I could just focus on where I needed to be at the end of each day and getting there in one piece. For my first day in Nigeria I needed to be in a town named Ikom. I needed to go to GT Bank and ask for Nkem, the branch manager. He was my contact in this town.
I had been in contact with riders in Lagos since Congo. News about my arrival had spread across the country, to all the different motorcycle clubs. So by the time I had arrived I had contacts in every town I would stay in. Nkem took Divine and myself to a hotel in Ikom where we could stay for the night. I paid for both my and Divine’s accommodation. I felt it only fair as Divine had paid for my stay in Bamenda. We went to have dinner at an eatery not far from the hotel where I tried out some of the local food. It was the equivalent of “Pap en marog” in South Africa. My Afrikaans friends will know what that is. It was rather tasty and I enjoyed my meal. Afterwards we went to another hotel where we had a drink before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest. I was tired and could see Divine was at the point of nodding off at the table.
The next day I would ride to Calabar. Andrei and Chris (The riders I met in Namibia), had told me so much about this town and how they enjoyed their stay here. A friend of mine back home, Ingrid, who had lived in Nigeria for quite some time, had told me that Calabar was her favorite place in Nigeria. So I was looking forward to reaching this town!
Divine left at 6:00 in the morning. I got up to see him off and then went back to sleep until around 8:00. I knew I could afford the sleep-in seeing as Calabar is about a 3-hour ride from Ikom. I sat outside the hotel waiting for Nkem who were supposed to meet up with me before I left. By 10:00 he phoned to say he wouldn’t be able to make it. Many people at the hotel came over to chat to me. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I finally left around 11:00 and first stopped to fill up with fuel. Luckily for me the hotel was situated right on the road that I had to take to Calabar, so that meant there was no way I could get lost, seeing as my GPS wouldn’t even pick up Calabar when I tried searching for it!
The road from Ikom to Calabar is pretty good. It’s just the first 100 kilometers that you have stretches of corrugation here and there…but I’ve definitely seen worse! At first I was a little nervous about being on the road on my own, my main concern being the notorious military control posts one gets stopped at. I’ve heard SO many stories about these stops. About how they get aggressive towards you and only try to scam you out of money and will intimidate you with their firearms. Well I can certainly report that I did not experience anything like this whilst on the road. I did pass a couple of military control posts. But all they would do is wave at me and shout out: “You’re welcome”. So either things have changed…or I’m just the luckiest person on Earth.
The roads are always busy in Nigeria no matter where you’re heading and traffic can be a little scary at times. It’s like there are no rules on the road. First off, there’s no speed limit (seriously). Secondly, it would seem that the first rule of survival is that: “he who is fastest, wins”. Trucks come at you from the opposite direction, in your lane…and you just have to either duck or take your chances with playing chicken with a ten-ton truck.
Nevertheless I made it to Calabar safe and sound. First things first, I phoned my contact in Calabar: Chief Matthew Olory. I had made contact with him before I entered Nigeria so he knew when I would be arriving. He directed me into town and organized for someone to meet up with me seeing as he wasn’t in town that day. From the pick-up point I was taken to my hotel where I would spend the next three nights. I spent my first evening in Calabar just relaxing, and got to bed pretty early.
The next day I got to meet Chief Olory when he came to my hotel. I also met with the club’s road captain: “Kenny G”. Olory took me to have my bike washed and we spent most of the day meeting up with other riders and riding around town. Late afternoon we went to a restaurant on the Calabar river where we had something to eat and drink. There are two things I wanted to see in Calabar: The Calabar river and the Slave Musuem. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the Slave Museum but at least I had lunch on the river. Here I met the Nigerian National Motorcycle Club President. They call him “the King”, seeing as he’s the president over all the existing motorcycle clubs in Nigeria. There are quite a few clubs all over the country. The Easy Riders – in Lagos, The Millenials in Calabar, The Angels – in Lagos, The Crazy Riders – in Port Harcourt, and a clubs further North as well.
I really had a good time in Calabar. It’s a beautiful town and has a very laid back energy to it. When time came for me to leave Calabar, Olory rode out of town with me. He accompanied me to the turn off that would put me on the road towards Benin City. He had written down the directions for me as my GPS wouldn’t pick up the route and I would have to make a few turns in the different towns I would be passing through. The clouds overhead seemed threatening and I was really hoping it wouldn’t rain all the way. It didn’t. Only three quarters of the way!
The road wasn’t too bad. Tarmac road with potholes. From Calabar I had to make my way to Ikot Ekpene, then Aba and onwards to Owerri, Onitsha, Asaba and finally Benin City.
I will never ever, for as long as I live forget the town of Owerri. It is officially THE most chaotic town I have had the misfortunate privilege of having to negotiate my way through! First off, it was pouring with rain. You have single lanes going in and out of town. In the middle you have huge rubbish dumps dividing the two lanes of traffic all the way through town. On the roadsides you have thousands of little stalls covered with umbrellas and even more people! Luck would have me fall stuck behind a truck for about half an hour. All around me little yellow, three wheeled taxi cabs (exactly as the ones you see in India) gathered in anticipation of squeezing past the truck. People zig-zag through the traffic between stalls. All around me people would point and shout at me (in local language so I couldn’t understand what they were saying)…and even if I could understand, I wouldn’t have been able to hear them as I just cranked up the music playing on my headphones in my helmet, allowing me to almost disappear into my own little bubble. At a junction a female police officer was directing traffic with a baton in hand. If anyone dared ignore her instructions or jump the queue, they would have to face a whack from her baton on their vehicle or any body part that might happen to stick out! I witnessed one such unfortunate queue jumper receiving a whack on his car’s bonnet!
I was just too happy when I finally made it out of there! From Owerri I made my way to Onitsha. About 20 minutes from Owerri I stopped for a break and noticed a car turning around and pull up next to me. A news reporter from NTA (Nigeria Television Authority) introduced herself to me and inquired as to who I am and what I am doing? After I had explained my mission to her she pulled out a camera and asked to conduct an interview with me. This interview would feature on that night’s news. I spent about twenty minutes riding up and down the road so she could get a few shots of me in action. Then she asked me a few questions and gave me her card. She was also kind enough to direct me to the Asaba road. If not for her I might have missed it because of detours on the road.
From Owerri the road got much better and I was able to get on the “Express” road (like a highway). The road was good and I could get up to speeds of 120 kilometers an hour for the first time since Angola! Asaba is a town just after you’ve passed through Onitsha. There is a big bridge crossing the river that divides these two towns. I was told to stop after I had crossed the bridge and phone up the contacts I had been given in Benin City. So I did just this.
As I stood just a few meters from the bridge, waiting for information from the guys in Benin City, a car stopped in front of me. Two guys got out and ran up to me, greeting me in German! I just smiled and told them that I’m not from Germany. I let them play the guessing game for a while, to my amusement and then eventually gave them the answer they were looking for. Once they heard that I am a South African they both hugged me and told me how much they love South Africa. These two guys bought me lunch and drinks in town (Asaba) and helped me get to a fueling station, before I had to carry on again. They tried really hard to get me to stay in Asaba for the night, offering to have my bike washed and serviced and to put me up in a hotel etc etc. They were two really nice guys and I could tell that they were sincere. But unfortunately I had to get to Benin City. A bunch of riders were waiting for me and I had to get going again.
I met up with one of these riders just before getting into Benin City. He then took me to a hotel; the Uyi Grand Hotel. Here I got to meet about 4 riders who had ridden from Lagos to meet up with me, and two riders from Abuja who also just happened to be in the area. I was very happy to meet up with the guys, especially knowing that I wouldn’t have to ride alone into Lagos. Plus, I got to meet Mohammed Ducati. The guy who’s T-shirt I’ve been carrying since Namibia! One delivery made successfully! That T-shirt went from Romania, to Namibia and then back up to Nigeria!
We only left around 12:00 the next day for Lagos. We were six riders, though I would only stick with one of the guys (Busayo) all the way. He was kind enough to slow down to my speed and stick with me throughout the ride. The other guys sped on ahead, then stopped and waited for us to catch up and then sped ahead again. Speed, that’s the name of the game in Nigeria! 250/260 kilometers per hour is the average speed of these riders. It rained pretty much all the way to Lagos! A few kilometers outside of town, more riders from Lagos met up with us and rode with us to the hotel where I would spend my first night.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous when crossing into Nigeria. Well, truth be told, I wasn’t nervous once I had entered the country. The night before, in Bamenda (Cameroon) I had butterflies in my stomach. In my mind I had always told myself that if I could only make it through Nigeria, I should be okay on this journey.
I realized that the only way I could keep myself focused is to treat Nigeria just like any other country. It’s just another country that I am riding through. This way I could just focus on where I needed to be at the end of each day and getting there in one piece. For my first day in Nigeria I needed to be in a town named Ikom. I needed to go to GT Bank and ask for Nkem, the branch manager. He was my contact in this town.
I had been in contact with riders in Lagos since Congo. News about my arrival had spread across the country, to all the different motorcycle clubs. So by the time I had arrived I had contacts in every town I would stay in. Nkem took Divine and myself to a hotel in Ikom where we could stay for the night. I paid for both my and Divine’s accommodation. I felt it only fair as Divine had paid for my stay in Bamenda. We went to have dinner at an eatery not far from the hotel where I tried out some of the local food. It was the equivalent of “Pap en marog” in South Africa. My Afrikaans friends will know what that is. It was rather tasty and I enjoyed my meal. Afterwards we went to another hotel where we had a drink before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest. I was tired and could see Divine was at the point of nodding off at the table.
The next day I would ride to Calabar. Andrei and Chris (The riders I met in Namibia), had told me so much about this town and how they enjoyed their stay here. A friend of mine back home, Ingrid, who had lived in Nigeria for quite some time, had told me that Calabar was her favorite place in Nigeria. So I was looking forward to reaching this town!
Divine left at 6:00 in the morning. I got up to see him off and then went back to sleep until around 8:00. I knew I could afford the sleep-in seeing as Calabar is about a 3-hour ride from Ikom. I sat outside the hotel waiting for Nkem who were supposed to meet up with me before I left. By 10:00 he phoned to say he wouldn’t be able to make it. Many people at the hotel came over to chat to me. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I finally left around 11:00 and first stopped to fill up with fuel. Luckily for me the hotel was situated right on the road that I had to take to Calabar, so that meant there was no way I could get lost, seeing as my GPS wouldn’t even pick up Calabar when I tried searching for it!
The road from Ikom to Calabar is pretty good. It’s just the first 100 kilometers that you have stretches of corrugation here and there…but I’ve definitely seen worse! At first I was a little nervous about being on the road on my own, my main concern being the notorious military control posts one gets stopped at. I’ve heard SO many stories about these stops. About how they get aggressive towards you and only try to scam you out of money and will intimidate you with their firearms. Well I can certainly report that I did not experience anything like this whilst on the road. I did pass a couple of military control posts. But all they would do is wave at me and shout out: “You’re welcome”. So either things have changed…or I’m just the luckiest person on Earth.
The roads are always busy in Nigeria no matter where you’re heading and traffic can be a little scary at times. It’s like there are no rules on the road. First off, there’s no speed limit (seriously). Secondly, it would seem that the first rule of survival is that: “he who is fastest, wins”. Trucks come at you from the opposite direction, in your lane…and you just have to either duck or take your chances with playing chicken with a ten-ton truck.
Nevertheless I made it to Calabar safe and sound. First things first, I phoned my contact in Calabar: Chief Matthew Olory. I had made contact with him before I entered Nigeria so he knew when I would be arriving. He directed me into town and organized for someone to meet up with me seeing as he wasn’t in town that day. From the pick-up point I was taken to my hotel where I would spend the next three nights. I spent my first evening in Calabar just relaxing, and got to bed pretty early.
The next day I got to meet Chief Olory when he came to my hotel. I also met with the club’s road captain: “Kenny G”. Olory took me to have my bike washed and we spent most of the day meeting up with other riders and riding around town. Late afternoon we went to a restaurant on the Calabar river where we had something to eat and drink. There are two things I wanted to see in Calabar: The Calabar river and the Slave Musuem. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the Slave Museum but at least I had lunch on the river. Here I met the Nigerian National Motorcycle Club President. They call him “the King”, seeing as he’s the president over all the existing motorcycle clubs in Nigeria. There are quite a few clubs all over the country. The Easy Riders – in Lagos, The Millenials in Calabar, The Angels – in Lagos, The Crazy Riders – in Port Harcourt, and a clubs further North as well.
I really had a good time in Calabar. It’s a beautiful town and has a very laid back energy to it. When time came for me to leave Calabar, Olory rode out of town with me. He accompanied me to the turn off that would put me on the road towards Benin City. He had written down the directions for me as my GPS wouldn’t pick up the route and I would have to make a few turns in the different towns I would be passing through. The clouds overhead seemed threatening and I was really hoping it wouldn’t rain all the way. It didn’t. Only three quarters of the way!
The road wasn’t too bad. Tarmac road with potholes. From Calabar I had to make my way to Ikot Ekpene, then Aba and onwards to Owerri, Onitsha, Asaba and finally Benin City.
I will never ever, for as long as I live forget the town of Owerri. It is officially THE most chaotic town I have had the misfortunate privilege of having to negotiate my way through! First off, it was pouring with rain. You have single lanes going in and out of town. In the middle you have huge rubbish dumps dividing the two lanes of traffic all the way through town. On the roadsides you have thousands of little stalls covered with umbrellas and even more people! Luck would have me fall stuck behind a truck for about half an hour. All around me little yellow, three wheeled taxi cabs (exactly as the ones you see in India) gathered in anticipation of squeezing past the truck. People zig-zag through the traffic between stalls. All around me people would point and shout at me (in local language so I couldn’t understand what they were saying)…and even if I could understand, I wouldn’t have been able to hear them as I just cranked up the music playing on my headphones in my helmet, allowing me to almost disappear into my own little bubble. At a junction a female police officer was directing traffic with a baton in hand. If anyone dared ignore her instructions or jump the queue, they would have to face a whack from her baton on their vehicle or any body part that might happen to stick out! I witnessed one such unfortunate queue jumper receiving a whack on his car’s bonnet!
I was just too happy when I finally made it out of there! From Owerri I made my way to Onitsha. About 20 minutes from Owerri I stopped for a break and noticed a car turning around and pull up next to me. A news reporter from NTA (Nigeria Television Authority) introduced herself to me and inquired as to who I am and what I am doing? After I had explained my mission to her she pulled out a camera and asked to conduct an interview with me. This interview would feature on that night’s news. I spent about twenty minutes riding up and down the road so she could get a few shots of me in action. Then she asked me a few questions and gave me her card. She was also kind enough to direct me to the Asaba road. If not for her I might have missed it because of detours on the road.
From Owerri the road got much better and I was able to get on the “Express” road (like a highway). The road was good and I could get up to speeds of 120 kilometers an hour for the first time since Angola! Asaba is a town just after you’ve passed through Onitsha. There is a big bridge crossing the river that divides these two towns. I was told to stop after I had crossed the bridge and phone up the contacts I had been given in Benin City. So I did just this.
As I stood just a few meters from the bridge, waiting for information from the guys in Benin City, a car stopped in front of me. Two guys got out and ran up to me, greeting me in German! I just smiled and told them that I’m not from Germany. I let them play the guessing game for a while, to my amusement and then eventually gave them the answer they were looking for. Once they heard that I am a South African they both hugged me and told me how much they love South Africa. These two guys bought me lunch and drinks in town (Asaba) and helped me get to a fueling station, before I had to carry on again. They tried really hard to get me to stay in Asaba for the night, offering to have my bike washed and serviced and to put me up in a hotel etc etc. They were two really nice guys and I could tell that they were sincere. But unfortunately I had to get to Benin City. A bunch of riders were waiting for me and I had to get going again.
I met up with one of these riders just before getting into Benin City. He then took me to a hotel; the Uyi Grand Hotel. Here I got to meet about 4 riders who had ridden from Lagos to meet up with me, and two riders from Abuja who also just happened to be in the area. I was very happy to meet up with the guys, especially knowing that I wouldn’t have to ride alone into Lagos. Plus, I got to meet Mohammed Ducati. The guy who’s T-shirt I’ve been carrying since Namibia! One delivery made successfully! That T-shirt went from Romania, to Namibia and then back up to Nigeria!
We only left around 12:00 the next day for Lagos. We were six riders, though I would only stick with one of the guys (Busayo) all the way. He was kind enough to slow down to my speed and stick with me throughout the ride. The other guys sped on ahead, then stopped and waited for us to catch up and then sped ahead again. Speed, that’s the name of the game in Nigeria! 250/260 kilometers per hour is the average speed of these riders. It rained pretty much all the way to Lagos! A few kilometers outside of town, more riders from Lagos met up with us and rode with us to the hotel where I would spend my first night.
Probie
Race Dog
WOW that it all that I can think of at this moment! Enjoy every moment! And here I am sitting behind my laptop 
Subscribed :salut:
Subscribed :salut:
Enjoy and continue safely :thumleft:
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Mooi so Yolandie, jy doen fantasties hou so aan.
I had to smile at that car / baton whacking habit of the traffic police.
I saw that for the first time in Lagos and couldn't stop laughing :biggrin:
Glad you met some great Nigerian people.
I saw that for the first time in Lagos and couldn't stop laughing :biggrin:
Glad you met some great Nigerian people.
G
Geotraveller
Guest
Update for you all.
Jo is in Abijan and may ship out for Dakar by boat. She contacted me regarding travel through Liberia and Sierra Leone and may still take those options. I am in Liberia currently and have contacts in Ghana, Liberia (obviously) and Sierra Leone. her gut feel says boat and that is important, especially in this part of the world.
Jo is in Abijan and may ship out for Dakar by boat. She contacted me regarding travel through Liberia and Sierra Leone and may still take those options. I am in Liberia currently and have contacts in Ghana, Liberia (obviously) and Sierra Leone. her gut feel says boat and that is important, especially in this part of the world.
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