Guillaume of "Le Pavillion Vert" in Ouagadougou, promised there wouldn't be anything as beautiful as this road in Togo. The hilly landscape provides some pleasant views, but the forest is nothing like we've seen in some parts of Ghana. There's a lot of logging and burning going on and nature's obviously aching. After Blifou the track branches and we're to follow a slightly smaller but still well kept trail, occasionally eroded. But with every branching the track gets smaller and more poorly maintained, until there's only a single trace left. It's only a matter of time before the jungle swallows the remnants.
I've never been so nervous in my life! Imagine riding a 20 to 30cm wide track with raised edges, which is winding its way downhill on the rim of a steep slope, in hairpin bends and surfaced with loose boulders. F***! I study the turns intently and let my bike go in first gear, pushing the inner foot peg hard to keep it on track. The rear tire spins several times, but it helps to make the turn. I'm practically peeing my pants, but what a rush! We come to the bottom of the valley, but have to get up another hill before we reach the village of Ndigbé. Equally sharp turns, same underground but steeply uphill. Altogether, it's been the most difficult thing I've had to do on a motorbike yet. The sort of thing you wonder if you'll ever dare to do it again…
In Ndigbé, we're surprised to find a piece of tarred road. I'm glad to be able to relax for a while. But we learn that shortly after Dzogbegan it's unpaved again. We're tired and it's 4 o'clock. Better call it a day and look for a place to sleep. The sisters of the nearby monastery are happy to accommodate us with a warm smile, home-made cookies and bissap juice. What a day!
Nicolaas buying a pile of pineapples along the road. For more pics, see album "Café cacao". |
"Imagine riding a 20 to 30cm wide track with raised edges, which is winding its way downhill on the rim of a steep slope, in hairpin bends and surfaced with loose boulders. F***!"
ReplyDeleteYes i can imagine... Ik zou meegevloekt hebben... Goed om lezen. Dat deel sla ik over volgend jaar :-)
klinkt alsof we daar met onze fietsjes wel op een goede plek gaan zijn.
ReplyDeleteEn zoals jullie aangeven: it's not the road, but the people that make it worth the ride!