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Goin‘ West – Sea, Sun’n’Senegal
After Monika has finished eating the whole stock available in a pharmacy thinking that chemical food may be good against her fishy malaria, we finally got her back 2 normal foods e.g. chicken with fries or fries with chicken; it depends on the offer.
Last week, we drove quite a bit 2 the west. Currently, we’re enjoying heat’n’humidity in Cap Skirring in Senegal.
But let’s start in Bobo Dioulasso where it starts.
Bobo Dioulasso 2 Cap Skirring
We leave Bobo on our way 2 Ségou in Mali; the border is pretty easy, no long waiting, no missing internet connections 4 useless forms – after less than an hour we cross it.
Roads are quite ok, few vehicles, it seems the road is mainly used 2 transport chicken and ….
…. by the evening we arrive in Ségou, admiring River Niger and having a cold beer watching the world floating by.
The next day on 2 Bamako. The great capital of the remainings of the proud Republic of Mali. On the way 1 of these reliable fuel stations selling smuggled extra heavy Nigerian diesel enriched by huge loads of sulphur’n’dust.
In Bamako we find a classy guesthouse – C’est Comme chez Soi – same price as everybody, but much better…
… and in the evening a great sundowner with a sunset kitsch as kitsch can be.
After Bamako the long drive 2 the Senegalese border. A famous road with all kinds of surprises, taking at least 2 days.
On the way some more interesting transports ….
… the 1st evening we arrive at Lake Manantali – the lake with its famous dam producing energy for the whole region.
We use our lodge on the rooftop at Cool Camp.
Thanx 2 our fridge we have some ice-cold beer, nevertheless we dream the whole night of North Pole in January.
In the afternoon we finally reache Kayes in Western Mali. The town still very remote, but a lot of life and colors.
We stay at the Hotel du Rail – a world-renowned place for spending the night in Kayes – at least it had this reputation a long time ago. Here everything about this place and their gourmet temple.
Then we move on to Senegal. Now the road is ok, the border absolutely chaotic with 1000s of trucks waiting 4 ages to enter Mali.
The main problem 2 cross the border is the road blocked by all these trucks, so we have to take these muddy paths normally utilized by smugglers.
Border formalities are not 2 complicated, of course, we need the famous biometric visa 4 Senegal – give ur or ur neighbor’s fingerprints, or simply paint them on a piece of paper, hand over some money – and that’s it.
Traffic in Senegal – the usual, at least they make good use of available space in public transport.
Tambacounda, our 1st town in Senegal. Not much 2 do, buying a SIM card, going 2 the ATM, refueling, and ….
… recovering from Mali’s roads’n’hotels with a bottle of Gazelle.
The next day on the way 2 Kolda we experience that Senegal is heavily competing with Mali concerning road quality.
Thus, it takes slightly longer 2 reach Kolda, the place we have worked some 15 years ago.
Well, nowadays it’s a little bigger, a little busier, but we still find many places not having improved over time.
On the way 2 Ziguinchor we follow the Casamance River on the northern shore, and make a short visit to 2 Sédiou on the riverbanks, …
….and finally reach Ziguinchor where we stay at the Hotel Kadiandoumagne ….
…. and admire the beautiful sunset over River Casamance.
Finally, we arrive in Cap Skirring. Very quiet, most places closed, no season, no tourists, but still wonderful sunsets.
Accommodation is not really world-class – well, maybe except 4 the prize.
And last but not least
The 6pack of this post: It’s all about fashion in Africa. Who the hell needs a special brand? Why go to a specialized shop? In West Africa u just follow the road. It’s all there, it’s all made in the same country – China – and it’s all beautiful (at least some of it).
