This road is long and it's definitely red !!!

Wifi is so rare it's barely warm. :)

Complete with the usual high quality map, I left Bobo and headed to the Ghana border. Ghana is not on my absolute direct route. But, the capital Accra, is a good place to get visa's. The infamous Angolan ' Willy Wonka Golden Ticket ' of the visa world, possibly being obtained there.

Some of these countries I'm going to and through, are the most beurocratic,  corrupt and difficult to get into.

Still wearing essence de la Malaria, I made my way to Pa. Stomach still dodgy and ears still slightly deaf.

Between Bobo Dioulasso and Ougadougou. ( pronounced. .waga doo goo.) I came across a sign. ' Air de parking '. ( Anyone who has been to France,  will be familiar with this. )

Now remember that Burkina Faso is a very,  very poor country. It survives only due to aid. Outside of the two main cities, you will find the population getting around via flip flops and old bicycles.

So what do you reckon I came across 160 km away from any town.  In the middle of absolutely nowhere ???

A massive car park !!!! You could land a plan on it ! Air de parking. Same as you would have off a busy motorway in France. That's,  ' busy ' motorway !! I'd read about this place before. And there it was. In all it's illogical and costly glory. Because as your people starve, thats what you'd do!! Aid at it's finest. Made a video. Will upload on Facebook page, London to Johannesburg. Click " like " and you'll get the updates. 

I finally found Pa and stayed at possibly the worst aubergine in Africa. Still feeling bad,with the left overs of malaria. I thought it better to be near people, instead of wild camping. As a ' just incase '. The room looked like it had been deficated in. And smeared on the walls. The bed was broken and flees were hoping out of the pillow. I now have an infected eye, as a result. O joy.  ( made a video and will stick it on fb page. London to Johannesburg. )

The shower was the usual hole in the floor and bucket of water. Which a lady fetched in a large silver bowl from the well. Returning with it balanced on her head. The toilet also the usual hole in the ground, flys everywhere. And a plastic kettle by it's side, with water in it. A hum....you can work it out.

I couldn't find anything to eat. Which is an ongoing problem for me. So fried one of my valued Corned Beef tins.

The locals were surprised and respectful.  Saying "bon soir', putting their right hand out. Whilst holding the forearm with the left. ' presenting ' the hand.

The French  language barrier, both frustrates and isolates me. Food and solitude, are my personal challenges in all this. The rest is within range.

The owner of the auberge did ask me a question though. Part English and part French. ....are you ready.?
Said totally seriously. ..." can you come back and take my son to L'anglataire ". Wow !! Bob smacked. Even calling his wife, who had said son, strapped to her back with a sheet. He was about two years old. I explained " impossibla...visa ". Goes to show you the desperation. And lack of understanding of the outside world.

Single with a black child. Explain that one to society. " well I was on my bike......".

On the Ghana backpacker website, it states you can get a visa at the border for 100Ghana Ceti.about £28.ish. I cleared Burkina Faso Duan and Police. No bribes and only smiles and sqwarky noises,as I explained how far I'd come.

Over to Ghana at Hamile frontier. Short of it ? A Lassier Passer is possible at the border. Despite the official line being you need a Carnet de Passage. Cost about £10. I risked it, as everything on the Internet said it was impossible. Back to ' anything can happen in Africa. ' ...and probably will.

Over to Ghana Immigration. £28 for a visa ??? No . Try $200 to be paid in US $$$. And yes,exchanged at their rate. Why would you have US $$ for Ghana ??? So I simply said " goodbye ". Mutch to their surprise. And high tailed it back to Burkina Faso.

81 km I was told to Leo. Another border crossing. The road,red with dust. Green vegetation either side. Totally rural,with the odd village. Round huts, straw roofs. Wildebeest , chickens and donkey's.

Quick one. I love the off road riding, it's real freedom. The bike luggage frame on the other hand, does not !! So much weigh on the rear,it keeps breaking the welds, as I hit the bumps and troughs. The exhaust now scraping on the tyre. ( which I've subsequently fixed. )

So,knackered and into Leo. A frontier town. Shacks and huts as shops.No street lights. And a uncomfortable feel to it. Through the whole B.F. Police and Customs routine. 18 km of no mans land. And into Ghana.

This time I complained about the visa con. But it was now $150 !!! After an hour of negotiations. I simply said " Ghana has priced it's self out of the market. Togo is 10,00 cfa.(£12). To get a visa.Im going to go there. Get visa's at Lome the capital. Goodbye."

The big Customs boss was shocked. It was now gone 8 pm, pitch black. No street lights for the return journey. ( mainly as there's no street.) It's all off road....humm in the pitch dark. No chance of coming off of course :))))

Into auberge number 2 in 24 hrs. Into another disgusting room. Where as I entered, a rat was leaving. ....

Will do a blog tomorrow. .

Malaria

Well Malaria is just one long giggle.  O what fun it is. I've been feeling bad for over a week now.  Doing the denial routine,  that it could be Malaria. But knowing whatever I had,was similar to Thyphoid. Which I had back in 2010, in Cambodia.

So past three days I've been sweating my bits off. As it hit me big time.Throwing up and basically having a jolly good time. All whilst I took some very powerful medicine. Artefan 80/480.

Feel 80 % ok now. And am looking forward to getting back to the challenge. Next stop is Leo frontier crossing,  between Burkina Faso and Ghana.

Lots of technical issues here. Can't upload and so on.

Here's some photos of my journey to Bobo Duilassa. Keeping it short. So hopefully it will publish.

Please,please remember....I am putting myself through all this. To raise awarness and donations for wounded servicemen. CLICK HELP FOR HEROES LOGO. TOP RIGHT.

Ps. Or I will give you the lergy !!!

Bobo Doiulassa . Foret Diasso auberge.

I've got some sort of sickness at the moment. I'm hoping its just food related, namely the lack of. They are long, long days on the road. And bits of dried bread and luncheon meat, just isn't enough basically.

From my research in the beginning of the year. I knew of a Dutch couple who had camping facilities and an Auberge. Here in ' Bobo '. So using my Mk1 pen and paper, drew a map,when I had wifi. Well I'm pleased to say im here now. 2,000 cfa a night. The lady is Dutch and the husband is from the Ivory Coast. She provides meals,using the garden as the restaurant. It's all pretty cool and well worth a visit.

Just find the roundabout with the metal pyramid on it. Here in Bobo. And ask someone. You are 600 m away. Rooms are 8,000 cfa. But I can't warrant the extra money. Being on a tight budget.

Stopping here for two nights. Mainly to get some real food down me. And just in case there is something really wrong with me. Such as Malaria.

If all is well, I'm going to take a mooch around the town. I never get to do any touristy things. Due to bike security.

Ps. Since I wrote this, turns out I do have Malaria. Comes and goes. Cyclic symptoms. Sat outside. Eyes going again. But will stop skiving in two days. Just letting medicine do its thing.

Please donate to wounded servicemen via clicking the Help For Heroes logo. Top right. Past £6,000 raised. Make my efforts worthwhile please.

Or I will give you the Lergy !!!
Will

Victor Meldrew meets Ewan Mcgregor

Burkina Faso. Bobo Ouilassra.

Fifty odd failed publishing attempts later. I've redone it and see how this one goes.

Right. I want to moan. Kidding. Been ill for a number of days. Just cant stop feeling sick. So have stopped at a Dutch couples house. Camping in the garden and trying to get some nutrition in me.

Done around 500 -520 kms since Bamako. The terrain changing drastically. Its getting greener and greener.

No bribes at the border. Just had to pay 5,000 cfa for my Lasser Passer for Burkina Faso. I already had my multi entry visa, costing 31,000 cfa.

Keeping this short,as wifi can't hack it.

Im about 250 km from Leo border crossing. Keep meaning to get a map. Looking forward to Ghana.

Ok speak soon. I'm doing this so you will donate to my charity page. Click the Help for Heroes logo to donate.

Only thirty quid short of £6,000 .....

Global launch of the Suzuki Van Van XT 600 hybrid.

Well "oow bloody la lar ".

Had a 'To Do ' list for today. Find somewhere to get twenty more passport photos. Buy some more tinned food,that cost less than its weight in plutonium. And adjust the chain on the bike.

Having bought a knife off a Toureg tribesmen. Who 'seemed ', I'll say that again. 'Seemed',to speak English. I employed him to explain in French, what was needed with the bike chain. As these guys over here,just potter on slow Chinese mopeds. They simply tighten them to the max. And I couldn't explain, that their was going to be more luggage. ( my tent and sleeping bag ).Going on, the rear axle actually needed to be perfectly straight. And the chain at the right tension, allowing for the future weight increase.

I can't convey how frustrating it is when i can't make my point understood. And.....and...it turned out Soro. Captain English.  Knew about as much English, as I knew French! !!! So there was the mechanic talking in tribal language to Soro. Who did a great job, in translating, to bloody French !!! Mon ami !!! Jai non compronde !!!

I started to get somewhat frustrated. Needed not have. As the good news kept on a coming. The previously broken frame and suspected broken rear shock absorber,turned out to be true. Not just the frame. !!! " oooo ##### la lar ### lar "!!!!

Knowing how rare the Suzuki Van Van shock absorber is in the UK. I knew there was no chance in Mali. They don't even sell the bike here !!

So it was literally 'game over', or make something fit. Bring on to the stage the Yamaha XT600. The shock absorber , longer and the top fitment, much wider,our hybrid ' delux avec le bodge Gti ', started to take form.

We agreed a price, translated wonderfully into French for me. And work began. The top of the shocker was cut by 10 mm. Made more narrow. The chain re adjusted. Fitted...and tad dar !!!! 

Admittedly, the Van Van looks like it's hit the gym. And is giving it 'billy big poatoes'. It's seat now, about 3" inches higher. But....it seems...it seems, to work! ! I've gone two up, over rough ground and all is well.

So fingers crossed the global  launch, here in Bamako,of the Suzuki Van Van XT goes well. It's proving ground is from Mali to the Congo. Angola to South Africa. So one shall jolly well see. :))

Some final bits to get tomorrow morning. Then I'm going cup in hand, to a Army training camp. On the scrounge for. ...well anything they might have :)  namely, boil in the bag rations. I've lost so much weight, it's a bit shocking.

Wish me luck. Triggers 'original' sweeping brush 'springs' to mind. See what I did there ?? Comedy genuis me. :)

And once again. Thank you to Suzuki GB. Who gave absolutely no assistance or support, what so ever. But at this rate, I shall be arriving on a Yamaha anyway !!

Ok. Some pics below of product development. Lol.

Top tips. Cheers and fears.

Ten days stuck waiting, here in Bamako, are nearly over. I'm no mechanic or linguist. But as far as I can tell, my bike luggage frame broke in several places. My rear tyre subsequently getting worn out,by the rear Fender scraping on it. The rear shock absorber seems ok,but there is a noise occasionally from that area. Whilst going over rough ground. And my engine at high revs,makes a tinging noise.

The locals only see and work on Chinese mopeds and speak French. Trying to explain anything, is nigh on impossible for me. Despite taking my pocket note book,with drawings and sentences in French. That I've copied when using wifi.

Today 'Soro',a Toureg tribesmen is meeting me at 11 am. He does speak some English. I'm taking him with me to get my chain adjusted correctly. And engine noise diagnosed properly. It maybe the tappets need a tweek. Also on the 'To Do' list, are getting twenty passport photos. As the ten I brought from the UK, have all been used up. ? I still have ten plus countries to get visa's for.

I wanted to say a massive " thank you ," to all those who have supported and helped me over the past ten days. In times of need you truelly find out the value of those around you.

So to Nick Bayes, a guru of IT, Twitter and administration. " Thank you very much. I look forward to that beer." And Darren Hinch,who I've known since school. "Thank you inchy ". He's always promoting the challenge and being there for me. And finally Simon Hayes,who I was in the army with. He has raised and donated £1,500 to my charity page. Sent over the most expensive tyre,outside of F1,to me here in Mali. Not to mention loads of technical bike support. I don't know how to thank these guys enough. I do know that Tennants are sending Nick a crate of beer. So that can be a start point :))

Outcome of this ? You can not do this alone. You need an address in the UK. And a support team.

Tips . Photocopy your passport 30 times. Have thirty passport photos. Know all currencies exchange rates written down prior to departure. Not your home currency to. But for example. CFA to Ghana GHS.and so on. No.1 tip??? If riding solo,do a course in French. English is worthless here. Worthless.

And remember, your plan is only as good as the information you base it on. Research, research, research. But insure the information is accurate, credible, up to date. And applicable to you. ie. On the complcated subject of African visas. A French passport holders requirements are different to a British passport holders. And so on.

To any 'Overlanders'. Bamako is pretty safe and a nice place to be. Hotel Plage Bamako. On Rue 92. Toroboroboogoo. Is a great place to stay. Whilst you get visas etc. I pay 4,000 cfa a night, to camp 15 meters from the pool. There is wifi and a restaurant, security and helpful, informal staff. I've learnt about forty French words here. They are always keen to teach me.:) 

( just stop bring me omelette. When I'm asking for butter. )

You may note also Overlanders. I managed to get the infamously difficult Nigerian visa here. 66,500 cfa. One form. Two photos and 24 hrs. Saves going to Niger and getting it there. Despite it being 42,000 cfa there. You are saving on about 1,000 km of fuel and time. Accommodation and of course, the visa cost for Niger.

My route now is dictated by the need for visas. Angola being the most difficult in Africa. So I'm taking in as many Angolan embassies on the way. So after Burkina Faso.  I drop into Ghana. And apply at Accra. Failing that I still have Togo and Benin. Before I get to Nigeria. Where I am most likely to get the Willy Wonka Golden Angola Visa ticket.

The terrain is going to change rapidly now. The Sahel region is behind me. That being desert or sub desert. Fears ?? Well, lots of new wild camping mates!! Crocodiles, hippos and elephants. Replace,sand,sand,bugs and snakes. Looking forward to the challenge. (No ravioli will be left out. That's for sure. )

It's been a very costly and frustrating week. I've seen the true colours of some folk. And been humbled by others. I won't forget the help and support I've received.

Will