Gael Warnings in West Africa.

Thanks lads - a great write up.

We're off to Morocco next April so have taken a few notes Jim.
We have some friends who have a house in Gambia and it's been a long held ambition to ride out there one Xmas so it's really nice to read your write-up Simon.
 
Thanks all! I have just started a belated report of the second stage, through Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. My guilt forced me into action as I am headed back to The Gambia Monday week for the third leg, East to Ghana and beyond 🤞🏼


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Thanks Jim & Simon..
Whenever I see a report from you guys I know I'm in for a treat & this one certainly was.....

Safe travels..
 
Cheers Ash!

Sadly Jim is staying in Europe for now, but hope you and others will follow the next chapter in the separate report 'Gaels return to West Africa'. I plan to be back there on Monday, and heading East...
 
Fantastic stuff... Always a treat for us deskbound dreamers!!

Thanks for taking the time..

R
 
Well the first test was passed. GS started on the button once I reconnected the battery

So off to Dakar tomorrow...


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It has to be said this trip is off to a mixed start!

Before we took off from Gatwick to Banjul, 6 or 7 people were arrested on boarding the flight so we had an hour delay while their bags were found and offloaded.

Then in Banjul I threw my iPhone on hard tiles and shattered the screen, so as this is my only link to the world I am typing the blog on what looks like a spiderweb!

And finally I found when I entered Senegal today that I had left my driver’s license at home on the scanner (where I was sooo organised I was scanning a copy for backup).

I hope that’s my three!

After an early night last night (I had been up early after all!) I packed up the bike and was ready for an 0800 depart, headed for the dreaded Barra ferry across The Gambia river

Ready to ride:
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I used Garmin rather than common sense to get to the ferry which meant going through the Serrekunda morning rush hour which was more interesting than enjoyable.

The ferry was lively
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but I ended up at the front and early off
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I chatted to 3 different guys whilst queuing: one a shrimp salesman crossing to buy shrimp; a guy off to sell secondhand shoes; and a third, who ran a tourist boat, was off to the naming ceremony of his stepfathers newest baby.




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Then it was a short ride to the Senegal border. A Gambian police woman pretended a fine was due because a stamp was missing from my passavant but I told her that was not happening and she said no more!

Senegal entry was going well when the very new and very keen customs woman said I could only have a 72 hour passavant! I showed her my previous ones where I was given 20 days and after phoning head office we settled on 5 days which was a pain as I need more like 6 or 7 so will have to go to the customs in Dakar and extend it. Then she asked for my driver’s license and I had my Oh Shit moment. Skilfully I gathered my wits and showed her my Irish photocard passport which had a number she could write down so all was well...for now!

I gathered my wits by enjoying the Saloum delta scenery as I headed off but was reflecting on how these few things had stressed me. I think it’s a mixture of natural concern (my iPhone is my lifeline to the world) and an adjustment process to life alone on the road, particularly as when I rode some of the these roads in November it was with Kit as pillion and I was missing her .

But I was thinking this ride would not have been as much fun as the harmattan wind was blowing strong, scouring all with dine sand.

Eventually I was offered a sign for a Peage road to Dakar and a local told me it would be quicker so I went for it as I was keen to get to my crib in Dakar asap.

So imagine my dismay that the coordinates I had input for the Hostel ViaVia seemed far from the right place. I pulled off the toll road to try to sort it out but Garmin did not recognise the street address and Dakar is a huge city.

Tired and hungry (I had not stopped for lunch although I had bought 3 bananas) I took this badly. Fortunately there was a police post nearby and I 'persuaded them to ring the hostel and get directions which they neatly mapped out and explained to me.

I was very pleased to get there - the map was good and I stopped and checked it periodically. I was so used to using GPS that this was an odd experience!

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The bike tucked away: but I had to walk it through sand and up a homemade ramp to get it there!

So tomorrow the Mali embassy...Hope I sleep as the wind was really tiring.





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I see my last post was short on photos. There were many fine views but a combination of s disintegrated phone screen and a push to get to Dakar, it was not the time for happy snaps!


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As you may have detected, dear readers, yesterday was not my best adventure riding day and I retired to bed with a sore eye, a headache, and worried that the days events had bothered me so.

Admittedly a broken phone and a lost driver’s license along with pesky customs officials are no biker’s ideal events.

However a good night’s sleep with lots of ibuprofen meant I ate my breakfast boiled egg with a better outlook. ‘Today was a new day!’ It was a cool day and I was glad I had brought my gansie with me!

And I am pleased to say it was a day of successes:

After a few goarounds and a failed attempt to persuade me the Oman embassy was the Mali embassy (both four letter countries I grant you!) my taxi driver got me to the right spot
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There was only 1 other applicant and the officials were charming and the form took 2 minutes - return at 2 and your multiple entry visa will be ready. They were unbothered by my 5 or 10 year old photos!

So next stop is Ile de Goree, the old slave trading shipment post. It’s a very somber history in beautiful surroundings so I will just post a few photos without comment
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And for those who like their buildings colourful but rundown
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Then back to Dakar on a boat whose name Tossers will appreciate
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Sadly Beer was the local name for the first European in these parts, and presumably a significant actor In developing the horrific slave trade.

Next stop was a walk in the coolth of the midday sun (still with jumper on!) to find an Orange store to replace my local sim (some will remember I lost the old portable housing it recently!).

After many false starts and issues with the absence of my passport (still st the embassy) I got my new SIM but knew that was the easy bit (for more on their subject I refer you to Drumacoon Lad’s sagas in Nouakchott as recounted in ‘Gael Warnings in West Africa ‘.

Then off to the embassy, again walking- until I nabbed another taxi in the interest of speed.

And there at 1400 was my passport with visa as promised!

Next treat: another ride to the main Douane office to get my passavant extended.

And that was another treat - another false start until after a further 1 km on foot I got to the right Douane, cunningly disguised (and unlabelled) on the 4th floor of the Axa building. Fortunately iOverlander saves my bacon and told me where to go - I must learn to look at it BEFORE heading off rather than when I run into a problem!!

On arrival at 2:40 I was advised they were all having a ‘pause’ and would be open at 3:00! Tired little teddy ! Waiting outside I got chatting to two older French guys who had only been given 48 hours at Diama and I felt I got off lightly!

They were referred to M Omar in the Customs office and I was invited to join them which was a mistake as somehow they got into a real bollocking for not having a carnet de passage and being part of a French conspiracy to buck the Senegalese system. I tried to make myself invisible in the corner as I didn’t want any of this rubbing off on me.

Anyway my hot spaghetti has just arrived so more later!


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Right well the spaghetti was great, hope your dinner was equally good. The Gazelle beer slipped down nicely too
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Now, where was I? Oh yes, skulking in the corner while Omar was ripping shreds off these two benighted Frenchmen. That didn't work as Omar worked out I was a little quicker off the mark than them and asked me about them!

Anyway he gave them a 15 day extension (which was of limited use for them as they want to spend a month!) and sent them off, chastened, to queue for payment etc.

Then he turned his attention to me and I might just have let slip that I was a former director general of the UK's equivalent organisation. Suddenly life got a lot simpler and I was introduced to the local head man in his plush office and before I knew it I had my papers stamped and was on my way, along with Omar's official business card just in case. I also managed to blag a paper clip off him! Before you wonder whether my 6 years in the civil service turned me into a paper clip collector, there is a simpler explanation: I needed one to open my iPhone to put in the Orange SIM!

And they didn't ask to see my driver's licence!
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I headed off, leaving the Frenchmen in the queue outside shaking their heads.

Soon enough Home at viavia hostel in Toff, I restored my strength with a banana sandwich (lunch had again been missed in the various wild goose chases of the day) before turning my attention to the new sim.

As I feared, my iPhone turned out to be what Drumacoon Lad calls ‘the spawn of the devil’ and refused to play nicely with my new SIM.

I found someone under 30 at the hostel and despite all his magic we couldn't get it tinwork - and the local phone shop said it would take a week to unlock it !

So as time was scarce (and smartphone are Reputedly cheaper in Mali) I splashed out €15 on an old-timer phone so at least I can make calls
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I am enjoying the retro experience...And it is so light and simple. HopefuI won't need to use it in anger!

I am ending the day with the 3 live musicians (drum guitar and vocals) who were also here last night and it is a fitting end to a good day.


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Inexplicably the musicians picture ended up in the middle of the last post - apologies!

And to put the icing on the cake, my darling wife managed to despatch my driver's licence to Mali for me - certainly the first time the Robert Dyas in my town (the local DHL agent as well as a hardware store!) has handled a Bamako delivery and quite possibly the last. I am told it made their day!
 
So tomorrow I hope to head East. After today's couple de force, U now have multiple entry visas for Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote divoire, Togo and Benin, and a single entry visa for Ghana.....But no driver's licence and a shattered iPhone.

Let's see how those cards play out.....Not certain what internet I will have from tomorrow but will update when I can.....


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