Leaving Guinea and into Sierra Leone

Late last night arrived a party of 10 Indonesian Oceanographers, they had just completed 28 hours travel for a three month working trip in Guinea. They are going to be mapping the ocean currents in preparation for a new harbour in Conakry to cope with the Chinese mining program.

They were a jolly bunch and invited me to eat with them as soon as they arrived, I declined as I had already eaten but after dinner I went and sat with them to find out more. I won’t bore you with the details but what a happy team of workers! I talked about Motorcycle Outreach in Flores and they knew it well, they said it was a very good project and served the population very well.

Their boss man gave me his card and said if you are ever in Indonesia then look him up! I might just take him up on that!

We breakfasted together, along with Donal who had crept out early when the breakfast table was empty!

My plan today was to try and get the Liberian Visa, it’s supposed to take three days and the owner of the hotel again offered me free accommodation in this other room, it wasn’t really a bedroom but the offer was there and I thanked him. He was aware that I had to go into town to pay the Visa fees and also offered to drive me there when my application had been set in process, what a lovely chap he is.

So I paid my hotel bill and set off for the Liberian Embassy.

It’s only about a kilometre down the road and I knew exactly where it was as over the weekend I had checked the location on one of my walks out in town.

I expected that it would open around 10.00 am so I set off to arrive there at 8.45am, I don’t like to be late! 

The walk was brisk and the traffic was very busy, there were dozens of people in wheelchairs lined up facing the oncoming rush hour traffic with their hands out begging. It was sad to see but I suppose this is their reality.

Upon arrival I was met at the gate by a very kind man who took me inside the gate and checked my passport, he asked for the passport photos and 100$, I was a little surprised to be honest as hate keepers are rarely trusted to handle money. I have him what he needed and he asked me to follow him inside, I was taken straight to the Commissioners office, I filled in an application form and made up a place I was going to stay in Monrovia, he checked the form, asked about my made up host and promptly stamped and verified my visa, I asked about the ‘lassie passer’ for my motorcycle and he said I would have to wait three days, ‘but it’s not necessary, it can be issued at the border’ ‘ are you sure ‘ I added. He was sure. So I walked out and unbelievably within 15 minutes of arrival I had my visa for Liberia!

I was pretty excited and walked quickly back to the hotel. The traffic had eased and the wheelchair beggars had gone, maybe I was mistaken and they were waiting for specialist transport to take them somewhere for the day? I suppose I will never know.

I must have been daydreaming as I walked straight past and only realised about half a mile later!’

I was greeted at the hotel by the owner who said ‘right let’s go into town to pay your fees’. He was amazed that I didn’t need to do that, he had never heard of the embassy taking cash before and he’d been there pretty much all his life!

The bike was almost ready and whilst I was doing the final packing Donal, the hotel owner and some of the staff came over to check out the bike and wish me safe passage. It was a lovely place to stay, expensive, but lovely and I was aware that I may have been enjoying the air con too much!

I set off to find farewells and I joined the traffic exiting Conakry. This is by no means an easy journey. The city seems to stretch for about 50kms and believe me it’s horrendously busy and I had forgotten how dirty too. 

I needed fuel and pulled in to the first station and ordered my ‘essence’ it was quite expensive and I didn’t really like the new colour either! I hadn’t had ‘poo brown’ fuel before! The Little bike didn’t like it either, it wouldn’t run on low revs, damn, I had my first real bad tank of petrol. I had to keep the revs higher which wasn’t ideal but I managed to keep the bike running and after a while the bike got used to it and ran OK.

You really do take your life into your own hands as cars, lorries, bikes and pedestrians all want the same space. When the traffic was at a standstill I rode on the pavement with locals casually moving aside, at one point I went through a cafe complete with diners, ‘sorry’ I cried as I rode through, I was tempted to snatch a pastry on my way but thought better and rode on!

Finally I was out of the city and back on rural roads, I was particularly glad as I had consumed copious amounts of coffee at breakfast and really needed the loo!

I eventually managed to sort that issue out and I was on my way to Sierra Leone.

Soon o had to make a right turn, I had been people watching and almost missed the turn, I quickly corrected and nearly ran an old bloke over, I shouted ‘sorry’ and looked ahead. This doesn’t look like a very good road! In fact for the next 60km it was  somewhat tricky, not ‘jungle trick’ but it was busy, dry and dusty, then wet with thick bright orange mud and deep potholes filled with thick tomato soup! I actually quite enjoyed it but some lorry drivers had succumbed to the rigours of the road and many were axle deep and stuck fast working hard to free themselves and their precious cargo.

It was at times like a roller coaster, the oncoming cars appearing and disappearing as they negotiated the challenging terrain. As mentioned before this went on for around 60kms until I reached the border. 

Just before there is a town called Pamplona or something like that, I pulled over and asked for some food and coffee, following my meal I was invited to eat next door with some of the locals but I was full and politely declined. The food was a good idea as I thought I should prepare myself better for whatever lay ahead at the border, they can be rather challenging places.

Whilst I was there a money changer came along with a stunning deal so I changed my cash over there and then, I ate an omelette with pinions  in French bread and had a coffee too. Whilst eating a bright eyed young kid of about 12 years caught my eye, in good English he said good morning. I invited him over and we chatted, he was obviously a clever young man but he told me he was 18 and he wanted to travel, he clearly was not and I reminded him how important his education was and how that could be his ticket to travel the world. He left to serve a customer in the next shop and I readied myself to leave, the owner asked me for money ‘but I have already paid’ he looked perplexed so checking my pockets I realise that I had put the money aside when changing my cash but never actually handed it over! I apologised profusely and paid the man, he was fine about it and thanked me for being so honest and apologetic.

Well to be honest I missed the turn to the border, it’s going to be one of those days I thought, and had to loop back to enter the checkpoint.

I was directed to park my bike and lead into a relatively nice and cool purpose built border post. The whole process was strung out but the staff were smart and knew what they were doing. Not one person asked for a bribe through both sides of the border, they wore clean uniform and smiled, I exited Guinea with ease and entering Sierra Leone with equal efficiency. I even got a selfie with the Chief Commisioner’ you have to try don’t you!!

I have all my paperwork done and I’m just about to set off when the chap helping me asks for something for him. ‘ You have my appreciation Sir’ was my answer, he walked off and I rode away!

200mtrs down the road and I’m at the first checkpoint, I’m stopped and they cheerfully ask for my papers. I provide my passport and refuse to give them anything else as I’ve literally just put it all away! I get off the bike and we chat happily, ‘you are in Sierra Leone now sir, like our capitals name Freetown you are free, everything’s free’, ‘is the beer free’ I ask? No sir you have to pay for that!

What a lovely bunch of people, I had such a laugh there and got another selfie with the chaps I was talking to, when I took the photo another fella photo bombed the shot, I showed them the picture and noticed saying ‘who’s that?’ He popped his head out of the office and they all mobbed him!

I left the border feeling happy and cheerful, what a lovely experience considering some of the difficult borders I have passed recently. To top it off the roads were excellent too, it smelt nicer and there was very little plastic waste too! I have a good feeling about this place.

So I’m riding along and haven’t really decided where I’m going yet, I don’t care either, I will decide later. I’m just feeling good and soaking up this new environment. I had though over the last weeks that West Africa is a bit same, same but this is different, I’m excited to see what I will find.

Stopping at another police checkpoint I’m surrounded by fruit sellers and the policeman can’t get near! Everyone is lovely and all of them want me to buy bananas, oranges, some drink concoction and coconuts! The smell is gorgeous and a fall for a bunch of good looking bananas from a girl who isn’t pushy. I chat with the policeman over the heads of the fruit sellers, he wants me to see Sierra Leone and come back this way to take him back to the UK with me! How different is this place! I ride off without any checks to waves and smiles, I’m in another world!

I have to decide where I’m going so I choose a wild camp site and head for that. As I have been riding for a while it’s not far away!

I turn off the road, travel a few kms and the turn down an overgrown track, it’s pretty rough and deep gullied by water so it a little challenging but I carefully negotiate the track and find myself by a river with lovely flat sandy areas. I like a spot under a tree and pull over. 

Whilst I’m contemplating my position a young woman comes over and I ask if it’s ok to camp here, she’s happy and explains that she’s farming and points over to a clearing, I went over and had a look and met her husband and six month old child who was latex between the crop of corn and peppers. I was met with care and respect and I knelt down to help with the weeding for a few minutes. 

Back at camp I decide it’s good. I set up the tent and go for a wash and swim in the river, after my Gambian experience I keep closer to the bank and out of the main current. Washed and refreshed I build a fire and begin to cook, it’s about time that Dutch spaghetti was used so I opt for that with a pasta sauce and some pesto. That gets rid of two jars and the pesky spaghetti! On top of that the young woman comes over and I offer her the jars, she accepts, opens the lid, tastes the content and smiles!

She then sits down by the tree overlooking the river, right beside my tent and breastfeeds the baby. 

A little later the husband comes over, washes and swims, he then takes the baby and she does the same, they welcome me once more and announce their departure, ‘I will be back tomorrow ‘ he smiles and they head off home.

I’m visited by several others throughout the evening all bringing good wishes and big smiles, but none could match the farming couple, they were lovely.

I’m on a lovely, pretty much perfect wild camp, I’ve bathed, washed my undies and swam all in the river, cooked my food over an open fire, the temperature has dropped to an acceptable level, the moon is bright and there’s a thousand fireflies buzzing around my tent, this my friends is what it’s all about for me, what a brilliant day it’s been.

Africa is full of surprises, what on earth will tomorrow bring?

The Police in Sierra Leone welcomes me to the Cointry, one chap who I hadn’t dealt with photo bombed the shot and was jumped on by the border guards, they were all so happy!

The roads could have been better but nothing phases me now!

My wildcamp was an amazing experience, I love being on my own, it’s a Rae thing in Africa!

Sorry the sunsets are just so lovely!