Right Around Africa

[Dogboxelectric]

Take a Pic of the Dakar under a Dakar sign just for us boys we like stuff like that.  :imaposer:

 

[Shaun]

Take a Pic of the Dakar under a Dakar sign just for us boys we like stuff like that.  :imaposer:

+1  :thumleft: that sure will make a cool photo.

 

[ktmmer]

Clean green will also clean the filter very well. I think engine oil might be a bit to thick for a air filter. Perhaps ATF or the like?

 

[Roela]

Hel Jo maar dis lekker om van jou te hoor. Kom nounet by huis van 10 dae vakansie saam met kids by Hartenbos. Jou rr lees soos 'n Wilbur Smith!  You rock girl! Sterkte en mooi ry.
R xx

 

[Desert Boy]

Hi Jo, what a wonderful adventure!!!

Has it been a problem travelling through Portuguese and French speaking countries; or do you speak the languages? What is your opinion about doing the trip with very little of the language?

Sterkte

 

[jorust]

Thank you everyone for all your messages!! Really appreciate it!! I am busy getting ready to leave Abidjan on Sunday. Looking forward to it! I have been in Abidjan for two weeks now! Much longer than I had planned, but it has been fun. Next RR will probably be when I am in Dakar. So see you all on the other side!  :thumleft:

 

[jorust]

Hi Jo, what a wonderful adventure!!!

Has it been a problem travelling through Portuguese and French speaking countries; or do you speak the languages? What is your opinion about doing the trip with very little of the language?

Sterkte

I guess it depends on the kind of person you are. For me language has never been a problem. You can make yourself understood without being able to speak the local languages. I speak French and a little Portuguese. And trust me you learn very quickly. When traveling you need a certain number of things. You only really need to know how to ask for these things. Like directions, fuel stations, accommodation, food etc.

So in my opinion...language knowledge... or the lack thereof is really not an issue.

 

[Rynet]

Well done Jo , you brave and adventurous woman . You are an inspiration . And your report thoroughly enjoyable and informative. Thanks.  :thumleft: :thumleft:

Enjoy and God speed .  :3some:

 

[Adventurer]

Thank for the updates, reading with interest. You are doing well, keep it up...... 8)

 

[jorust]

So there I was, sitting at the bar in Bamako in Mali, minding my own business when I noticed a few people enter and sit a few seats away from me. I was having a coffee (double nogals!!) and chatting to a guy sitting next to me who was explaining the route from Bamako to the Senegal border. (All in French)

I am not supposed to be in Bamako right now. The plan was that I would shoot through Mali in two days. Four days in total from Abidjan (Ivory Coast) to Dakar (Senegal). 2500 km in total, 4 days, 3 countries. But I am tired. The road here has been long! So when I woke up this morning at 5am with the sounds of prayer calls coming from the mosques surrounding the hotel, I switched off my alarm, turned around and went back to sleep!

Later on during the day I went about searching for a bank so I could draw some cash and buy a new sim card, airtime, lunch and pay for another night's stay. But when I asked at reception how much it would be for another night's stay, I was told that  I needn't worry and it had already been taken care of by my friends in Abidjan!!!! (Wow!)

Okay so room is sorted, communications sorted, food sorted... hence my sitting at the bar enjoying a coffee. I overheard the people that I mentioned speaking in English. I looked at the guy and immediately recognized THAT accent! When I had a chance I asked him: "Where are you from"? "South Africa", he replied. "Ja, maar waar in SA"? I asked. Then they burst out laughing. Here, in Bamako in Mali, in my little hotel, I ran into Francois and Janita from Bloemfontein! Hahahahaha. I was sooo happy because for the first time since Namibia I met South Africans and I could speak AFRIKAANS!!!!! Woohoo. I very nearly got all emotional! So I immediately switched to having a beer with my fellow South Africans! LoL

Reason for this little update: It's for YOU ALL!!! Here's to all my fellow South African dogs. Here's to late nights and partying way too hard with Piet Coke and all the Worcester dogs. To early mornings and cappuccinos with the Joburg dogs and long roads to meet up with the Karoo dogs! To long days of working on the bike to get it ready to ride around Africa with Adventurer and for planning holiday rides with the East Coast dogs. And for fellow SA dogs in faraway lonely places like Geotraveller in Liberia.

Thank you for all your support, for all your messages and for being with me every turn of the wheel!!  :3some:

The bike's odometer churned over to 20 000km's just before the Mali border. Here's to the next 20 000 km's and perhaps making it home for Christmas!   :ricky:

 

[Oom Foe-rie]

Iemand verlang baie erg huis toe ...................... Vasbyt Jo ................ :thumleft:

 

[Shaun]

Iemand verlang baie erg huis toe ...................... Vasbyt Jo ................ :thumleft:

+1 :thumleft: You are doing a truly Gr8 job of experiencing an Amaizing Trip. Keep strong Jo Enjoy each & every moment :thumleft:

 

[Geotraveller]

You keep on keeping on, ride this trip and we can ride along vicariously  :thumleft:

en hou die blink kant bo!

next time you come visit though!

Contact JVB, he is somewhere in Kenya if I remember correctly.

Hy is daar van brits af so gooi ook die taal.

Yoyo is in Moz, in Tet, when you reach there.

we are slowly building a network for you African travellers

 

[jorust]

*** SOME STATS ***

Current location: Bamako, Mali N12°38.823' ; W007°58.712'

Days on the road: 97

Total countries: 11 (Excludes SA)

Number of borders crossed: 12

Total Mileage: 13070 Kilometers

Number of nights spent in tent: 3 (All in Namibia)

Other bikers met on road: 2 (Chris from Switzerland and Andrei from Romania in Namibia, they rode down along the West Coast)

Crossed the equator 3 times: in Gabon

Number of falls: 6 (First of which was in Namibia in some sand, the rest were just 'letting the bike rest', mostly out of pure exhaustion)

Although I try my best not to ride at night, sometimes I have no choice and have reached towns at night a number of times:
*Ondangwa (Namibia) - 19:30
*Lobito (Angola) 23:00 - With Police escort
*Ndende (Gabon) 22:00 - Along with the Czech
*Libreville (Gabon) 20:00
*Bamenda (Cameroon) 19:30
*Accra (Ghana) 19:15
*Abidjan (Cote D'Ivoire) 20:00
*Bamako (Mali) 20:00

Punctures: 0

Sets of tires used: One set, will change in Morocco

Parts replaced: Brakes and sprocket in Abidjan

Phones stolen twice: Once in Angola, once in Abidjan

Times held up at gunpoint and tied to chair: Once, In Ondjiva in Angola by Namibians!

Weirdest stuff I've eaten: Pig heart, Pig brains, Frog legs

Current Fuel Consumption: 21,5 km/L

Number of bribes paid: 0

Number of marriage proposals: Countless (For all concerned, I'm married, my husband's name is Paulo and he is traveling somewhere in South America!!! We needed a break from each other. Hahahaha)

Moments that made me go: "WTF"???
* Police hitting cars with batons in Nigeria.
* Military pulling me over in Nigeria, then getting involved in a fight with a truck driver, pulling their weapons on him and completely forgetting about me. I sat watching the ordeal for a few seconds and then just took off.
* On my way to the Mali embassy in Abidjan a guy goes and sits down right in front of me as I'm walking down the street, to take a dump!?!?
* Seeing a camel walking around in the middle of the city in Abidjan!?!?
* People walking around naked in Abidjan....
* A monkey grabbing my camera from me in Angola!
* A guy trying to sell me a dead baboon on the side of the road in Cameroon. Where would I put it???
* The guy who grabbed my phone from me and making a run for it in Abidjan?!?!?
* Drunk guy hitting my bike with a stick as I cross the border into Benin from Nigeria.
* Immigration officials too busy drinking and chatting on Facebook, I have to stamp and fill out my own Carnet? (Benin)
* Being forced to sit down and eat peanuts with immigration officials in Mali?!? LoL

ROUTE:

 

[White Rhino]

Number of times I had a good laugh: Many :biggrin:

 

[woody1]

Voorspoed verder met jou trippie.
My groot pel Tom (TVB) is in Kenya, so as jy daai kant afkom sal hy jou seker nooi vir koffie. :imaposer:  of bier want hy praat ook Afrikaans

 

[Shaun]

Number of times I had a good laugh: Many :biggrin:

+1  :thumleft: :imaposer: :imaposer:

 

[BlueBull2007]

This is fantastic, epic stuff, I cant believe I missed this until now! :thumleft:

Amazing that you have not had any punctures in 13,000km. I have a lot of catching up reading to do.

From another Wilddog in Bolivia. :ricky:

 

[MINZI]

Very interesting so far. Be safe and keep the updates coming. :thumleft: :ricky:

 

[jorust]

This happened just before crossing over into Mali! Yeeehaaaa.  :ricky: