| Tags: guinea, niani, sankarani river, river niger, | | | | advice, I focus my full attention on the rough road |
| mandiana, eastern guinea, road to bamako | | | | ahead of me. |
| .I depart from Mandiana customs check point in the | | | | The river Sankarani I cant see, as it is dark, but to |
| afternoon and hit the road towards Niani.Without a | | | | me it is more a lake than a river. Floating gently, but |
| proper map (as there is none) the road is not clearly | | | | mightily. A build up to the mighty dam that feeds |
| marked, especially its condition. To my astonishment I | | | | three quarters of Mali with electricity, the Barrage de |
| find it in much better condition than the ones I got | | | | Selingui. A gigantic project as I am to see later on. A |
| used to since entering Guinea. | | | | premonition overcomes me I can't explain why, but I |
| At 40-50 mph this seems a real highway to me. A | | | | slow down my vehicle to a mere 10 mph. I cannot |
| few checkpoints on the way, nothing spectacular, | | | | see the road ahead of me, and the high beams are |
| the usual 'pay 'n drive' method works well here. | | | | not helping much either. I notice the concrete |
| The scenery has changed into complete Savannah | | | | structure that stands in the dark was once a bride |
| now. Grasslands and scrubs, solitary Baobab trees, | | | | crossing a creek beneath. Now, the bridge has been |
| but no more the dense tropical jungle. | | | | washed away, and I am standing 6 meters over the |
| Life in these areas is dreadful, no running water, no | | | | creek that floats beneath under it. In the darkness I |
| electricity, as in dark ages. People though can adapt | | | | maneuver the car back and find a diversion I passed |
| to any condition that is put upon them. | | | | minutes ago, leading to the creek's bottom. The |
| We reach Niani at night close to 19 hours P.M. and my | | | | normal type of vehicle would not be able to drive |
| fuel is close to nil. Of course Niani, the border town | | | | through this makeshift road, but I manage to cross |
| must be having fuel, or so I think. What I finally find | | | | the waters which aren't deep surprisingly and climb up |
| is not the usual filling station. | | | | the other side to continue my journey. |
| After crossing the town, which is not much of a | | | | The road turns to the left and leads into pure |
| settlement, I am directed to the 'station'. I can not | | | | grassland, with bumps shaking us to the brink. In the |
| somehow forget this scene, it is another milestone | | | | distance a see a shimmering light, a line decorated |
| on a long road through Africa. | | | | with obsolete plastic carrier bags in all colors indicate a |
| I find a petroleum lit grass hut, crooked stems serve | | | | further check point. No one in sight, in the middle of |
| as poles, a straw covered roof. The fuel is all filled in | | | | the Savannah. I blow my horn. It is now 20 hours and |
| beer bottles of 0.7 ltrs, lined up in a row on front of | | | | I still have to make headway, I force myself. After a |
| the 'gas station'. If it were not for the acute | | | | few minutes a customs guy appears and tells me the |
| shortage, I would laugh at this, but now I realize I | | | | border is closed for tonight, from his uniform I can |
| have no choice, for after Niani there is a 100 miles | | | | see we have reached the Malian customs. |
| nothing except bush and unknown territory. | | | | I beg, a common way of getting things done in these |
| So I fill a 50 bottles of 'beer' gas, its price almost | | | | parts, to let me pass, as I have pressing business in |
| double inflated to the normal rate. I do not even | | | | Bamako. After consultation for which he disappears |
| want to look for food, for I know I have to continue | | | | back into the dark, he reappears and removes the |
| to Mali tonight. So I leave, with a unforgettable | | | | rope that serves as a barrier. We cross the line and |
| memory in place. | | | | follow him, guiding us to a shelter build from grass, |
| The evening brings some cool air, I sense the mighty | | | | roots and pieces of logs. The papers I am asked to |
| river nearby. And when I reach the bonfire that is lit | | | | submit. He disappears into the hut, and I wait. 5 |
| near the main road I recognize the Guinean border | | | | minutes, 10 minutes pass. After 15 minutes I follow |
| guards who camp here. | | | | him and see three customs officials inspecting my |
| To describe this would take another chapter, | | | | 'international vaccination card'. |
| however this is an entry / exit point and I must say | | | | I am asked if all my vaccinations are in order, which I |
| the guards are the friendliest I ever found in Guinea. | | | | confirm. Something they must find, and in my case |
| The exit stamp in my passport, i carry on, the dark | | | | they ask me for a valid 'Vaccination contre Meningitis' |
| road passing through the middle of the bush, beside | | | | as you guess right the vaccination against Meningitis is |
| the river. | | | | what delays my departure. 5000 CFA change their |
| Driving carefully in the dark, against my mentors | | | | hands and I carry on through the night. |