Bush Camp Spagbog

View More Pants than Socks in a larger map

Bush camp cooking spagbog over open fire. All ok as we head to Mauri.

Kumasi market area - Kokrobite - Bamako

Driving through Kumasi Market

Buying papaya and oranges, roadside stall

Fishing boats on Kokrobite beach

Pulling in the nets

Another Ghanaan fishing port

Heavy rain on way to Kumasi

Palm fruit in back of truck

One of the mud & stick mosques on road to BK border

Sheep washing in Bamako

The Driving (by Chris)

The driving has been harder work than we had imagined. The large cities are like being injected into a very large 2 dimensional swarm. There appear to be no rules at all. We have seen many vehicles driving the ‘wrong way’ down dual carriageways, coming to red traffic lights and jumping them. There are multiple police at most city junctions who ignore local traffic violations but if we foreigners stop 2 inches over a white line they blow their whistles and wave their arms for us to stop. This is only to get hold of our driving licence to extort money from us. This fails because I refuse to speak or comprehend French and the licence we give them is a copy we made, one of a few, so if the worst comes to the worst we would drive off.

There are very few road signs and we only find our way by running 2 separate GPS systems with 2 different maps on them. About 90% of the distance and 70% of the driving time has been on tarmac roads which vary between very good and easy to cruise at 50mph to so bad that it is very, very hard work to average 10mph. It’s hard work because to achieve an average of 10mph you may drive 30 yards as slowly as possible in low range first gear over large craters and then have 80 yards when you get up to low 3^rd and 20mph, then back down 3 gears to crawl for another short distance, while weaving off the road altogether on one side, then to the other.  The dirt roads and pistes (tracks) are worse as there are corrugations or ‘wash boards’. The African drivers accelerate up to 40 or 50mph on the corrugations for two reasons: at that speed their vehicle wheels just skim the tops of the bumps so the ride is smoother for them, but means they have very little grip for braking or cornering. They also tend to be driving someone else’s vehicle so if they destroy the suspension they do not have to pay. All the roads are either built on mounds or have large ditches so there is very little room.

We have passed hundreds of large trucks that have driven off the road and several hundred that have broken down. It has not been unusual to see a lorry crankshaft lying in the middle of the carriageway with all the rest of the engine components strewn around like confetti.

In Ghana the ‘good’ roads had a lot of ‘sleeping policeman’ (donkey backs as they are called here) and rumble strips that would rip your wheels off at 10mph and low first at tick-over was too fast, which meant riding the clutch to creep over.

The other thing has been the dust. At 15mph we didn’t create or suck in much dust. At 25mph you could write your name on the inside in 5 minutes. In a day the inside of the vehicle at the back is more like the beach without the sea and takes another day to clean it, so we spend a lot of time driving slowly.  We have scraped the rear on the ground several times and had to use 4-wheel drive and diff locks about 10 times so far, mainly getting on and off the main carriageway and on the dirt pistes. We have more of that to come on the Mali – Mauretania route.

Heading home from Mali

We arrived back in Bamako Monday afternoon and returned to the Sleeping Camel. We had thought to try one of the other places as recommended to us by fellow travellers but Chris was feeling very unwell and we wanted somewhere easy to find. Last time we were here it was very crowded and noisy but we are the only overlanders here and the place is almost empty. The only noisy things are the bats but we are so used to living with their loud squeaks and shrill shrieks that it no longer bothers us. Bats seemed to get bigger the further we travelled: in Tamale, Ghana they looked like flying foxes and were out swooping around even during the day when they were not hanging upside down in the trees above us,

Since my last long post in Kumasi our first task was to escape the city without going directly through the centre and the chaos of the market. We managed to set off in the right direction to get on to the bypass only to find it was one big roadworks so it took just as long. After that, progress was good but on the main national road south - north every small settlement has multi big rumble strips and at least 2 huge roadhumps so we have to virtually stop to go over them. We had thought we would stop overnight in Techiman (the home of Ghana Nuts!) but with more than an hour of daylight left, we set off on the road to Wa. We were pleasantly surprised with the road quality and the picturesque scenery, and no more speed humps. Before dark we came to a larger town called Wenchi where they had 2 hotels advertised off the main road. They took a bit of finding down rough back streets, the worst tracks we have seen as in places the road was washed away. The first one we came to was very smart, with a beautiful garden to sit out in, air conditioned reception advertising free internet and expensive rooms. We asked if we could park in their carpark overnight and offered a good payment for doing so but were firmly refused. They had no other guests so we couldn't understand the logic. Anyway we eventually found our way to the older big hotel down an even worse track and it was hideous. By then it was dark so we had to retrace our tracks rather than trying an alternative as we could not see low hanging wires. There were frogs hopping about in the road in our headlights. Back on the main road we decided to use the new filling station forecourt as our night's stop and that worked out fine, if a little noisy with Friday night traffic and goats.

On Saturday I was not feeling particularly well (a virus I think) so was not up to doing any driving on the really good road. We had a short stop in a village called Banda Nkwanta where they had an old mud and stick mosque and we were offered a tour by the future tribal 'king' nick-named Japan Boy. To raise funds for the upkeep the village had opened the mosque to tourists, including women. It was all very low key and I really enjoyed seeing the inside, hearing a brief history and climbing on to the roof through a very small hole while balancing on steep steps. We passed the turnings to Bui National Park, the Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary and a sacred crocodile lake but we did not feel like leaving the lovely paved road to trundle down dirt tracks. The hardsurface eventually gave out 80 kms before the border so we were back to slow going. Chris had driven over 400 kms in the heat (42C) by the time dusk was approachig. We only had another 16 kms to Hamile, or Hamale, on the border with Burkina Faso, so we stopped for the night at another filling station but this time it was still being built and there were workmen on site all night for security. We were woken next morning when they were trying to bump start their tractor. The only charge - Chris bought the men a beer as one of them had gone off on his bicycle to get some for us when we arrived.

It took an hour to drive the last stretch to the border on rough dirt road but after an early morning rush of heavy traffic it was very quiet. We were through both border formalities by 9am. We had successfully used our Visa de l'Entente to re-enter Burkina. There was a good new road all the way from the border direct to Bobo Dialassou, then back on to the Trans Sahelian Highway. By then Chis was really suffering from heat exhaustion and I was better so I did a lot of the driving. We were at the Mali border at Koloko at 3.40pm and no question about our expired visas from before. We decided to find a hotel in Sikasso so Chris could get a proper rest in cooler conditions as the vehicle heats up so much during the day when driving continously. There were a lot of mosquitos in the room and the net provided had holes so we were pleased to be able to use our own. I left Chris to sleep while I made myself something to eat.

We arrived at Hotel Tata, Sikasso almost at the same time as Maurizio, the Swiss cyclist we had met at the Zebra Bar at Christmas. I met up with him later to hear of his travels. He had continued south in Senegal, then to Gambia, the Cassamance, Guinea Bissau and Guinea, then on his way from Bamako to Ouaga via Sindou and Banfora to be in Cotonou, Benin by the end of March, then onwards to Nigeria.

Chris was still feeling pretty rough in the morning so once out of town I did all the driving to Bamako. There is always so much interest on the roads: people walking and cycling, often with strange loads, small buses packed to the roof, schoolchildren in their smart uniforms, villages with thatched houses and compounds, women pounding millet or mashing yams, roadside stalls with wood fires for cooking, pots being stirred or meat barbecued, pumping water and washing at wells, markets and people travelling to them (for family - yesterday I saw women with large loads on their heads walking along the main road to market, the distance from Castleton to Hathersage or Chagford to Moreton). I have seen a motorbike with a bundle of goats in a net, bicycles festooned with live hens and guineafowl, a cow sitting tied to the top of a full-sized bus and sheep stuffed in the back of cars. Then there are people holding up their hunting catch for sale: partridge, rabbits, lizards or more frequently ground sqirrels or rats spreadeagled on wooden 'skewers'. When driving, you always have to be alert for broken down lorries and buses, with leaves and branches placed in the road as a warning.

I am relieved to say that Chris is much better (still shaggy haired - I did exagerrate a bit about the ponytail, Paul!) This morning we left early to find the Mauretanian Embassy through the busy traffic of Bamako. I had fogotten how many mopeds there are. With our visa applications in for collection tomorrow, we then went to the Police Immigration Office to extend our Mali visas from our first visit at very little cost, so we were pleased we hadn't wasted time in Accra getting new ones. Our application had to be accompanied by a letter and fortunately there was another European who gave us his letter to copy the wording. We bought some provisions at the nearby supermarket and had cheese and pickle sandwiches for lunch. All being well we should leave here tomorrow afternoon ater collecting our passports and visas.

En Route...

En route from Sikasso to Bamako. Roads were very good to Wa. Left Ghana at Hamile, Sunday AM. Burkina Faso to Mail border Sunday PM. All well for two nights stay in Bamako for the Mauri visa.

On the road again

We are back in Kumasi for a brief stop, heading north again. We had an idyllic few days at Kokrobite(y). Big Milly's was a lovely place to park with a gate leading directly on to the beach. Chris needed the rest after long drives in high temperatures and humidity - the road to Accra rom Kumasi had very long stretches of roadwors, potholes, speed humps etc. When the new motorway is finished it will be wonderful. We decided to give it a miss on the way back and drove along the coastal road almost to Cape Coast, with its ancient castles and sandy beaches. We stopped for lunch and the last sight of the sea in a small fishing cove, then headed north from there through tropical rain forest and very good road conditions in spite of the thunderstorms and torrential rain. with light failing fast and another heavy downpour we stopped for the night on a filling station forecourt on the Fomena Mountain road. I made mushroom omelettes with some recently bought mushrooms along the road, while stopped at a roadworks section. They were very strange with long rubbery stalks but quite delicious. We set off at 7am this morning to dry conditions but a little foggy til the sun heated up.

It was very relaxing at Kokrobite during the week. It all happens at Big Milly's at weekends with day trippers, as we experienced on arrival last Sunday. There were fishing boats on the beach and out at anchor. At 9am on Monday, Chris helped 11 local fishermen and women haul in their nets from way out at sea. It was hard work on the rope and the resulting catch seemed small for the effort. There was a real mix of fish, big and small. We had locally caught lobsters (quite small but very tasty) with chips and salad on our first night at the restaurant. Another day, chris befriended the same fishing crew who had a boat called 'Travel and See'. Few of them spoke much English - they all use their own tribal dialect (Ewe I think on the coast). Their wooden boat had a big hole so Chris used his electric drill/screwdriver to put a patch on it for them as they had no tools. They promised us fish in exchange, but we didn't take them up on the offer.

While in Kokrobite we investigated our options - decided definitely not to travel via Cote d'Ivoire as the further possibilities through Sierra Leone and especially Guinea where roads are reported to be very very bad was not sensible. We met a German man who was returning to Hamburg by container/RoRo boat from Tema with Grimaldi Shipping. he didn't have a vehicle but we tried to get more info on availability and charges - we are still waiting for a reply from London via Grimaldi Ghana. Another option was to ship home from Takoradi, but again no information readily available. It's a possible plan for the future. We drove into Accra to visit the Mali Embassy, but a new visa would have taken until Monday to acquire so we are risking extending our existing dual entry visas at the border. We are planning to drive up the western side of Ghana to Wa and cross into Burkina Faso (which we can do on our Visa d'Etente) and avoid going back to Ouga. Don't know what to expect from the road conditions yet. If all dirt roads we may change our minds. Timing is now becoming critical as we would like to stop in Spain again before getting home. Senegal is still not 'in the bag' balloonwise but that may have to wait for another trip.

Accra had a large air-conditioned shopping mall with European standard shops an supermarkets, quite a culture shock for us. We stocked up on a few things but it was expensive compared to roadside stalls and small town shops. Pineapples, mangos, papaya and coconuts are good here. They also grow oranges but we find them tough and not very juicy. We found we craved Granny Smiths apples when we found them in the supermarket and satisfied our lust!

I drafted this blog on our rush hour entry into Kumasi, much easier to navigate this time round and we are back at the air-conditioned internet cafe. This may be the last chance for a while to communicate electronically. It was very good to talk to most of our family via Skype last Saturday. We don't intend to stay here very long.

We took advantage on our last visit here to go to Kejetia Market - what an experience! We saw no other white faces, but it was chaotic, vibrant and exciting. You enter the corrugated iron roofed market down steps (and in one place across a used railway line!) to the wider lanes but we had to watch our for people trundling wooden barrows through at speed and jump out of the way. There was fresh, salted, smoked and dried fish, fruit and veg, huge snails the size of a fist and great wooden butchers blocks piled high with fresh meat (which had to be moved from the aisles every time a barrow came through). All this was mixed up with stalls selling cheap Chinese goods and beautiful bright batik fabrics. Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti people who are famous for their brilliant patterned fabric, and everyone wears it, including smart young women with stylish dresses. I didn't buy any as it is quite expensive and I don't think I would have the opportunity at home to wear anything quite so dramatic, but we did buy a length of the white fabric with black geometrical designs, also traditional, and sewn together in narrow strips. We saw a wedding celebration where young and old, men and women were all wearing the black and white dresses and robes. Back to the market: I preferred exploring down the maze of narrow dark alleyways, barely wide enough to pass, selling spices, dried goods, bowls (vats) of spicy peanut sauce and other foods. There were also 'beauty salons', wig sellers, make-up, jewellery and hairdressers where ladies were having their hair braided and woven into fantastic styles. Everyone was so friendly, especially as Chris kept up a running conversation and joking with people as we passed through - he is the ideal companion on these sort of adventures as he converses with everyone, teases the children and young women and befriends policeman and officials in no matter what language.

After an hour at the market we had had enough so we took a taxi to the Suame Magazine district (the old artillery area) which is now a huge mechanics workshop with rusting engine and lorry parts piled high and everything covered in thick red dust. Chris eventually found a place where we could take the Enterprise to be checked over and greased, but it would not be until Monday, so that job is still to be done somewhere along the road. Also a haircut for chirs. Accra would have been a good place but we ran out of time before dark and our return to Big Milly's Backyard through the teeming, crazy traffic of buses, trucks, tro-tros and taxis, with no lane discipline, no understanding of how roundabouts work, stopping and starting at random and most without lights.

Everywhere else we have been, and especially in the French speaking countries, every other stall appears to be a hairdressers or barbers, displaying hand painted images of 'haircuts'. Chris has been reluctant to test their barbering abilities, so he is planning to start wearing his hair in a ponytail! Talking of painted images, I at last had the time and opportunity to get my water paints out and have completed a copy of a colourful African woman, bowl on her head, which was one of the many images painted on the walls of the little houses at Big Milly's.

A wet night

View More Pants than Socks in a larger map

On way north at Dompoase petrol station for the night.