Riding circles in Gabon

A rare sight - Road signs

Coming into Gabon I was a little hesitant.  I didn't really know what to expect.  There where lots of rumours about bad roads and huge volumes of rain, turning these roads into a bit of a nightmare.  On the other side the Chinese where paving roads at lightning speed, there where also rumours of big money being spent on infrastructure, I would be driving through equatorial forests, and off course I would finally cross the equator. 

Rush hour traffic

Wash day

My biggest worry though was my confidence on gravel.  It took a massive beating after Moon Head Hill.  From Kribi to the Gabon border I did a 200km gravel stretch, beautifully winding through thick forests.  The road was in pretty good condition, but I really struggled.  I was hitting potholes I should be missing, diving straight into ruts, and going slower than a limp turtle.  On gravel confidence is key, you need some speed to smooth things out, you need to be relaxed so you can use your body weight to steer and dodge, and you definitely need to look where you want to go and not at the obstacle you want to miss (Target fixation – you go where you look.  Stare at that pothole and you will hit it).

I was doing none of this.  But at least I knew how to fix things.  Do as much gravel as possible.  I was hoping for some good gravel in Gabon.  And it didn’t fail to deliver.

Gabon was one of the countries I fell in love with within the first hour.  Not sure why but driving those first few kilometres through thick rain forests with beautiful little villages scattered along the way just did it for me.  And the road was in perfect condition, brand new tarmac like I haven’t seen for a very long time.  Even the grass along the side of the road was cut,  it looked like a manicured lawn.  Very surprising in the middle of Africa. 
This looked like a country that tried to look after itself and I liked it very much.

Riding among giants

It is quite a long stretch from the border to Libreville, the capital, but on my map there was a bit of a short cut.  A long unpaved stretch just short of 400 km.  I was very keen to do it, but wasn't sure about the condition it was in.  Looking at my map it cuts through some thick rain forest and was quite remote, with very few towns along the way.  I desperately needed the confidence boost, but at the same time I didn’t want another lot of big falls.  I was on my own, and didn’t want to get stuck with a broken bike.

Choices… choices.  I didn’t know what to do.

In the end I asked a police man just before the turn off.  He’s answer was ‘No you can’t do that, it’s all gravel.’  Perfect answer.  I decided to face my fears and tackle the long gravel stretch.  If the road turned out to be another Moon Head Hill I could always turn around.

Forrest villages

What a good decision it turned out to be.  Nearly all of it was in really good condition,  with a few tricky bits just to keep you on your toes.  Good road slowly winding up and down hills, a little pass here and there with some hairpins and cutting through thick forest.  Very thick forest.  It was unbelievable.  The best part was the isolation, I drove long stretches without seeing anybody.  Was fantastic.  I even managed a night camping in the bush.  Just me, a bonfire and big trees all around.  Fantastic.  By the end of the stretch I was feeling much better about gravel, and was actually looking forward to some more.  WHOOP WHOOP.  Just the result I so desperately wanted.

Another fall

Nearly perfect…  Except for two things.

One.  I had another fall.  Nothing serious.  Was going down a steep hill, with two furrows down the middle of the road.  I was on the inside next to one furrow and my front wheel started sliding into it.  Instead of fighting it, I let both wheels drop in, thinking I’ll just coast down in the furrow (can do that sometimes).  Simple enough.  But for some reason it completely backfired.  Don’t know what happened, but the next instant the back of the bike came flying past.  I was thrown off, and the bike came to a halt a few meters down hill.  The front now facing uphill.  Somehow, I did a complete 180.  I was ok, bike was ok and it was easy to pick up.  Nothing serious.  Just perfect for my ego/confidence.  Wish I had it on video camera, think it looked spectacular.

Bush Camp

Two.  The bees at my camp.  For some strange reason there was a swarm off bees around my campsite.  They liked something on me or my gear, because they just wouldn’t leave.  I think maybe the salt (Yes, I am dirty and smelly and sweaty.  Life is good).  I tried everything from a smoky fire to insect repellent.  Nothing helped even in the slightest.  There where so many that I struggled to get stuff out of my panniers.  As soon as I disturbed them they would smarm all around me and try to sit on me.  Some even tried to come land on my face.  Very gutsy for a small bee, but so irritating.   To get my gear on I had to shake the bees off, run to the fire, stand in the smoke and get dressed before they could find a landing spot. 
Luckily I didn't get stung, it was all just very very irritating.

Tumble dryer?

Coming into Libreville I had high hopes for the capital.  But I was so disappointed.  The road coming in was a potholed mess.  One of the worst so far.  Such a let down after the beautiful roads in the country.  They are busy building a new highway, so it will improve.  It is here where they are building the new highway that I saw some off the saddest sights of a capital in Africa.  A whole lot of houses, buildings and market stalls where bulldozed to make way for improvement.  But some of these houses where only halfway collapsed, or partly bulldozed.  People would be living there with a big hole for a wall, you could see into kitchens and bathrooms and living rooms.  There would be shops with the whole front gone, but business as usual (restaurant with a scenic view of the main road).  Very strange sight indeed.  The markets sprang back up, right in between all the rubble.  People would be trying to sell goods, and food,  with rubble and rotting garbage piled head high right next to them.  So sad!!

Play time

The new Africa-2000 washing station.  Adults, children, clothes and dishes all done at the same time saving you time and money.

The boys back together

Crossing the equator

 I joined up with Morten and Dominik again, and our main aim for Libreville was another attempt at getting our last visa.  The Angolan mountain.  No luck.  Same story as before, we need to get them at Matadi, last stop before the border.  Was nice to have the Abuja story confirmed.  But again it might just be a polite way to get rid of us, and Matadi was in the DRC.  We wanted to keep our stay in the DRC as short as possible, and it leaves all our eggs in one basket, we would be screwed if Matadi said ‘NO.’  We weren't happy but didn’t have much of a choice.  We tried every trick in the book to convince the Angolan embassy to give us a visa.  Dominik’s best smooth talk fell on deaf ears, they wouldn’t budge.

Both nights in Libreville it rained monstrous volumes.  Thunderstorms lasting for hours and hours, pouring down buckets of water.  I had nightmares about what the forest roads would be like in such rain.  All I could do was to cross my fingers and hope we miss it.

Official equator crossing

Need some champagne

We spend the next few days lazily exploring the forests of inland Gabon.  What an amazing ride.  I could go on for hours about how stunning the views were, and just how gorgeous those huge big trees are, but it would never do it justice.  There where so many times that you come over a hill, or go down a valley, and this stunning view would just open up before you.  To the point of goose bumps.  Again and again.  Looking at a map we only did such a small piece, but it all felt so immense, so huge.  I would love to see what the deeply remote forests look like.

Aw man, I nearly forgot.  Leaving Libreville I passed two momentous milestones. 

Firstly I passed the 18000km mark.  Huge in my books.  Why?  According to my initial calculations I should be sitting on the beach in Cape Town.  My belly full of big succulent steaks and large volumes of good red wine.  Yes, I thought I would be home after 18000km.  Amazing that I’ve gotten the distances so wrong.  I’ve been enjoying myself so much that I managed quite a few side trips and thus a lot of extra mileage.  Naturally there is a down side, I only carried enough spares and consumables for about 20000km.  But Africa and my bike has been good to me and I am not worried.
The second one was crossing the equator.  My first land crossing of the equator.  WHOOP WHOOP.  We wanted to make a huge show of it, but where my GPS shows it should be there is nothing.  Not even half a sign.  Then 20 km further there is a big equator crossing sign, showing London to be 6500km away in a straight line.  Somebody made a huge mistake.  In the end we had two confused semi-celebrations.  But no Champagne!!

At Lastoursville it was time for us to split up again.  Only temporarily.  We would meet just before the new year in Congo.  According to our calculations we where on track to reach Matadi just after Christmas.  Not a good time, we where convinced the embassy will be closed between Christmas and new year.  This gave us a few days to explore.  Morten and Dominique wanted to head inland, while I wanted to explore the reserves along the south western coast of Gabon.  They are supposed to be gorgeous and many people recommended me to go there, but most off them are super expensive and cater mainly for the rich European tourist.  I was hoping to go there and trying to wangle my way in.  If I don’t, I still get to explore the coast.  Good enough for me.

Bikers' breakfast

We said our goodbyes and wished each other a merry Christmas.  Felt weird to think we are reaching that time.  MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.  I then headed off towards the coast.  I had another stunning drive towards the main road.  Loved every minute of it.  Being alone just makes you that much more aware of how huge the forests are.  It would have been a perfect excursion if it wasn’t for a few small glitches.

Why do I only get glitches when I do side excursions?  Everything runs perfect until I step off the main path.  Guess that’s half the fun?


I camped along the way in an old gravel pit (excavations made to provide gravel for the road).  It was the only semi dry spot I could find and far enough off road that no one on the road would see me.  Actually was a pretty good spot.  Flat, not to bumpy, and they bulldozed some trees, leaving me with nice fire wood.  Nothing like a bonfire to keep you company. 

Food shopping

To spoil things there where these small ‘biting flies.’  Not much bigger than a pencil point, you can barely see them, and don’t feel them bite.  But they leave extremely itchy red blotches.  I had a couple dozen that evening, and it was torture not to scratch.  The next morning I tried a double layer of Deet, but to no avail.  While packing up camp I disturbed the whole lot of them and had a huge smarm around me and the bike.  Nothing I did could get rid of them.  By the time I was packed and ready to go I had a few dozen more bites.  The itchiness was driving me insane and I just wanted to leave. 

Naturally things are never that simple.  I jumped on the bike and it wouldn’t start.  Battery flat again.  AAGGHHH!!

Everything has been working perfectly… until the moment I was desperate to leave.  Nothing serious, just not enough juice to start. 

And the suckers where eating me alive.

Nice hot shower

I was fully packed.  It would take me at least half an hour to unload, reach the battery and jumpstart with my spare.  Half an hour of being sucked dry.

Out of desperation I put on another layer of Deet,  and sprayed the area around me with insect killer.  Insect killer in the forest?  Like that’s going to help.  But I had to try something.

By the time I had my bike started (JUST)  I was covered in little black blood suckers.  More than 10 on me at a time.  This was going to be torture.  Happy that my bike was running I packed up and fled.  About 10 km further I stopped to observe the damage.

Damage from the insect bites

OUCH!!

My arms, legs, stomach and face where covered in red blotches.  My arms by far the worst.  Literary hundreds.  I took some photos so I could see the back of my arms and shoulders.  WOW.  I was shocked  It looked bad.  Nearly one big red blotch (will try my best to upload photo, looked really bad).  I was in for one hell of an itchy ride.

Trying not to let the itchiness distract me to much, I had a big decision to make about the damn flat battery.  I could ignore it as a once off glitch and just continue with my plans, or maybe this was a warning of worse to come.  Libreville was a hard days ride away.  VERY VERY hard days ride. But it had a good mechanic.

Decisions… Decisions…

I wasn’t keen on Libreville, and hated the thought of backtracking so far.  I would spend half my extra R&R time going there and back.  Riding hard and not getting the planned easy recharge days.  BUT, on the other side I was alone and doing remote roads.  Our motto for the whole trip so far has been ‘safety first’.  What if things glitch again just when I needed it most? In DRC or Angola?  I am a month away from Namibia, just need something that will last until I get there.

Who moved South Africa?

 In the end I made the hard and unpopular decision of backtracking.  I would also try to do it in one day, to minimize the days lost. Spend a day or two sorting things, and then leave ASAP.


Libreville here I come… again.  AAAGGGHHH!!

It was a hellish ride, 550km and 11 hours in the saddle.  The furthest daily run for months.  For the final few hours I seriously regretted my decision.  I knew it was the right one, but I wasn’t enjoying it.  The last hour was in fading light and darkness.  Did I ever mention it’s lunacy to drive at night in Africa?  I can confirm it again!!  NEVER DO THAT!!