Gael Warnings in West Africa.

Now it's turning into a proper adventure :clap

I was thinking you might have to explain 'gansie' to some of your dear readers :D

I understand your iPhone predicament, although there's times I'm sorely tempted to smash the screen on my own phone !, but I'm missing the pics in some of the posts. Not sure where / how you'd get the phone sorted but I'm hoping you do. The new not-so-smart phone looks properly retro :thumb
 
Thanks is Joxhen. Are you saying some if the photos are not coming up? Are other readers having the same problem?


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Great write-up. Very enjoyable. Hope license and phone are sorted (best laid plans!!)

Any evidence of the African Eco Race? Should have finished in Dakar on Sunday 14th

cheers
Tony


Sunday January 14th 2018

Stage 12: ST LOUIS / DAKAR: 292 km

Liaison: St Louis / Niokhob: 230 km

Special stage: Niokhob / Lac Rose: 2 km

Transfer: Lac Rose / Dakar: 40 km

Assistance: 283 km
 
Not seen any evidence but I was. Ot looking and was focused on getting paperwork sorted!

Now in Tambacounda after a fast 6.5 hour ride
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Despite being blown in a sand driving wind all day, after a quick swim I got into amateur mechanic and checked over the bike. In particular I wanted to check the air filter and the battery acid keveks.

Battery output looked fine at 12.4 volts but after my last failure to check properly in Mauritania, and subsequent breakdown in Mali, I was taking no Chances and took out the battery and topped up the levels which went bad (I blagged some distilled water from a passing businessman).
On the way I took out the air filter and shook a lot of dust from it...Won't be the last time I expect!

Oil and tyres fine although the rear TKC is definitely wearing and squaring off. Not sure where the next tyre will come from... It's got a few thousand in it yet and I am told these things can be sourced in Togo (if I get 'there).

And I washed my kegs, socks and visor so a real burst of energy!

A quick photo of the salt flats outside Kaolack
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For much of the ride there were people selling bags of salt which they have harvested from the delta




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Today I set off promptly by 0900. First order of Business was to ride the bike off the 30cm drop from the terrace to thick sand by the roadside...Not my ideal start but managed successfully and thankful for the bashplate on the sump!
Then it was time to negotiate the back streets to avoid being swept into Dakar by the dual carriageway rush hour traffic. Googlemaps suggested the adjacent lane but my recce the previous night showed that was deep sand .

However I found a way with tarmac, although all the way to the dual carriageway people were sweeping off the layer of sand deposited overnight I suppose by the harmattan winds.

All the way out of Dakar there was high security with every bridge or intersection manned by police with submachine guns - no idea why buy they often have me a friendly wave!

Sand and dust were a theme of the day. Even though I was wearing Oakley sunglasses as usual I had to put down the visor as my eyeballs were being scoured by the wind borne sand and dust.

Fortunately it was not too hot, and indeed cool at the start, so the closed helmet was bearable.


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The scenery was beautiful, rather dry but with beautiful baobab trees and colourfully clad and graceful Senegalese women walking by the road carrying a load on their heads or pounding buckets of what I assumed was millet.

So please accept my apologies for failing to stop for photos, due partly to tucking my disintegrating iPhone away safe and partly my relentless focus to cover ground.

There is always a danger of riding for the sake of riding and failing to enjoy what’s around you. So I am going to start to slow down a bit as I have lots of time....

That also gives more time to observe the donkeys, long horned cattle and goats that like to cross the road in front of you . One donkey drawn cart put the heart across me at one point and reminded me to use that loud Stiebel horn to announce my approach, as life-savers (looking over the shoulder before manoeuvre) are unknown here!




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Carry on the good work and report back when you can please ...

... and take time to smell the flowers :aidan

:beerjug:
 
‘Today is the easy day', I tell myself, looking forward to a short ride South East from Tambacounda
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I ate a hearty breakfast including 2 vache qui rit cheeses, the staple of W Africa. Learning from last mistakes, I brimmed the tank with fuel and drew a large amount of CFA from an ATM before leaving Tambacounda.

As I swept past the turning to Camp Wasadou (where Kit and I stayed in November) the tarmac was gorgeous and new, better than anything around where I live!
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But that didn't stop the driver of this having a very bad day at the office
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It was laundry day at the Gambia river (a bit narrower than at Banjul!)
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And there was a more interesting class if road crisuhazard...First a troop of monkeys and later a whole family of warthogs. No photos I am afraid, for obvious reasons.

But after 120kms it all changed! The road turned to rutted dirt and billowing dust from the passing lorries and any ahead of me. I am convinced I am now 50% murram dust!
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So for the next 70 kms it was mainly standing on the pegs (to see the ruts and ridges better) and putting the visor down when a truck approached in a cloud of dust, then wiping the dust off the visor to see what the heck was coming!

But finally I got back to tarmac and decided to stop for my lunch break.


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I took Micky's advuto stop and smell the flowers but couldn't find any! What there was was a very dusty bike
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And to my alarm there was some liquid which had leaked from under the tank. Was this from the battery and had my zealous maintenance made it worse?
.I decided to ride the remaining 30 milesto my destination rather than strip the bike now and soon I was in Kedougou.

As I lifted the tank I could see the battery had vented acid and one side if it was bulging ominously.

Sada the security guard at the hotel (a keen mechanic like many Senegalese men) gave me a hand
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I drained a little acid from the cells as it was too full and not venting property and then left it to calm down (it in the shade, me in the pool!).

On my return I also removed huge amounts of dust and not a little sand from the air filter!

Battery reinstalled, the bike started easily so I am keeping my fingers crossed (and may investigate getting a replacement in Bamako!). Just hoping the cells are not damaged🤞🏼

Sada invited to share the communal dish of chep yap (delicious rice and meat, followed by an elaborate green tea session which makes the Moroccans seem like amateurs.


So the bike is having a therapeutic rest tonight before 70 kms of piste tomorrow to/from the waterfalls at Dindefelo.
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The 'ateya' or green tea ceremony which seems to take an hour or two...
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5 or 6 of the staff rotated through and took tea including Fabien the reception from Dakar
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He was teased by the others for telling me the road to Kenieba in Mali was all piste when by all reports it's goudron(tarmac)!


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And after 60 kms more of dirt roads this morning, this is really appreciated!
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And it was good to see the hills and villages of the Bassari country- apparently only hilly part of Senegal



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Crumbles: actually there were lots of people working - helpful because they explained I had gone 15 kms past the turn into the bush that I needed.. They are building a bug road along the border with Guinea Conakry


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Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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