Beautiful Poor Guinea (Conakry)

Entering Guinea changed my thinking of what I have and who I am. First day I slept in the bunch of hay. My plan was to see Mountain and village Mali - one of the internet recommendations unfortunately internet didn't specify way to get to the village - I quickly assumed - from my michelin map this can be done from  Koundara via Termesse village. I have no idea how hard it would be so I track Route National No 9. 

Route Nationale No 9 

First kilometers was not too bad - my motorbike almost gone over sharp edge to the river (was parked and collapsed)  - as I tried to help guinean motorcyclist to repair his chain. Unpaved Road was in thick forest In the first day and half I made 120km - literally I have 10km and Hour (around 6miles an Hour) the road was changed in to small divided path with no direction and nobody to ask - I have only map and the compass. I was going up and down and rear break gone. Second day afternoon 3 km from the summit - my overload yamaha burn it clutch. It was hot and I have to leave some equipment and clothes to local people passing by.  I much believe I was one of few or only first tourist seen from long time or for some maybe first time in their life time. 

3km from the summit my clutch died 

I have no idea what to do but solo glob overlanding - require decisions and I have half an hour water sipping break, just to see "where Iam now". I was 120 km from asphalt road - and no way to push or get transport from here.  I tried to readjust clutch and gears start to operate. I slowly went down down for next 2-3 hours and than slept in the big Forest, in the morning mountain were still decline but soon road was going up once again. My moto stops for good. Small poor villaga was around 200m and boys came, some chines mootorbike stops, I wasn't feel strong as poor sleep eat and liitea water take his tool. I send one of the boys to the village to get me some water, than I started striping side casing of the motorbike . In the same time one of the Chinese motorcycle stops and he was mechanic. He wrapped my clutch plates with piece of clothes and my moto starts and go. I left my camping gears including mat and sleeping bags and much more just to reduce weight of the motorbike. 

Reparation with piece of clothes (still Route Nationale No9)

Slowly I moved back to Koundara when I reach town I was happy as never before. This night and next one I was in the hotel for around 7 euro I had bed with mosquito net 2 buckets of cold water for the shower and toilet - I made washing too.

Route Nationale No9 

hand chain driven ferry 

I moved and went through Labe, Dalabe (1400 m over see level), Mamou where I stayed in Hotel for new year. I took off for Nzerekore through  Kissidougou and Gueckedou. I was riding towards Border with Ivory coast - My plan was to get new clutch disk in Abidjan - Ivory coast Everybody was also  saying That elephants are they - This was National park there but nobody could track me to elephants paths. 

I will keep this memioreis for ever 

Getting to Macenta - close to the border. I was riding through good new roads some bad unpaved roads. Sometimes asphalt was very old and eaten by the sun so the speed was not constant. I had to pay a lot of attention to make hole lees passing. 

Macenta was the ecpicentrum of Ebola of the previous years, couple days ago WHO (world health organization) announce West Africa - ebola free - people were happy and celebrate it. I had luck I meet Eric French man who traveled Africa on old BMW 20 years ago he was Head of Red Cross in Macenta and shared his knowledge about ebola. 

Eric - Head of Macenta Red Cross 

He also made comment that elephant are only the legend and I would have to travel and cross border with Liberia to see the Elephants. 

The Highest Mountains in Guinea

After around 300 kilometers I reached Ivory Coast border I asked Border Police to let me go and check if the Ivory cast border is closed or not? I had to go around 15 km to next post unpved dust road - Border were closed - so the only way to get to Ivory coast was way up to Mali and back down (1000km or more)   - I was tired and slept in the police post at Guinean side border. 

Small Shed just behind my tent is Border - Police Post at Guinea -  Ivory Coast
Can you see robe with all plastic bags tied in to it - yes this is West Afriacan type of border  

Caffe Tree - Guinea -  They use new sponsored EU asphalt road for drying beens 

I wish could write more here - maybe one day when I finish my journey I will write a book and that say more about Guinea and all people there I wish I could transfer all my thinking there. I after Borred was closed I had to go up to Mali. See you in my next entry