Motorcycle Diaries
Trip Start
Sep 29, 2010
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30
159
Trip End
Nov 29, 2011
Banfora, Cascades, Burkina Faso
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Arriving well before noon on Wednesday 1st December meant we had most of the day to enjoy. Enter motorbikes. Or mopeds to be more precise. We hired two bikes and a guide and spent the next two days riding round the Burkina countryside, taking in some truely remarkable sights and generally having a great time.
First up, we rode out to the Sindou Peaks, about 50km west of Banfora. These fascinating rock formations were formed millenia ago, when Burkina Faso sat beneath the oceans and volcanic vents punctuated the sedimentary rocks laid out on the sea bed. Since that time, the sea bed rose and time withered away the soft rocks surrounding these volcanic columns, leaving behind a landscape which resembles that from a sci-fi movie. Tourist and travel literatures describe it as 'planet of the apes'-esque. An apt phrase I think. We spent about two hours wandering round this geological playground and taking in the views of the surrounding countryside. We watched the sun set over the tri-nation border of Burkina Faso – Mali – Cote D’Ivoire and commented on how unreal and computer-generated the scenery seemed to be. Like something out of a cartoon movie, the brightness and variety of colours could surely only be the product of an artist’s imagination! But it was real alright.
We spent the night in a nearby campement, showering in the open air and sleeping in a mud hut. The next day we rode out again into the countryside en route to some nearby waterfalls (I can now say I’ve jumped off an African waterfall), some more crazy geology at Domes de Fabedougou and to watch the sun set on a tranquil lake decorated with water-lillies.
This is a very scenic country and, at least in this corner, is still very much forested. In fact, here has the most dense covering of trees I’ve seen since Europe. Perhaps this has something to do with its under-development, even when compared to its still very poor neighbours. It seems to be a very agrerian economy and society. Riding round the countryside seeing the people (mainly women) working the rice fields with sythes and other hand tools seeds an image which might well have been similar to England 2-300 years ago, before the industrialisation of farming (and the rest of the economy come to that).These countries have a long way to go to reach the standards of living we in the West have been fortunate enough to have been born into.
Although the sealed roads here are, it seems, generally in good condition, there are few of them. Out of town, we rode along dirt roads, tracks and paths, often trying to avoid chickens, donkeys and cattle. Hence the colour of the water that ran down the shower plug-hole in the evenings. Safe to say that these two days were the dustiest I’ve ever been.
Comments
Good to catch up with you in the past few days. Seems you're having a great time. Take care. xx
Are you planning a trip to Russia in 2018, or Qatar in 2022? Oh well, I guess our handbags weren't big enough. Or full enough! Good news is, the brits CAN play cricket!! xx
Looking forward to seeing photos of this film set of a landscape. I remember seeing some fantastical landscapes in Greece - hundreds of volcanic plugs standing very high in a plain. Seriously weird.
Have you got any photos? Can't wait to see them xx