After leaving the cotton region behind, I have only a few days left to reach the border with Mali. Every day that I advance towards the Sahel, it is an
Shortly after leaving Yamoussoukro, the green tones of the southern vegetation give way to the aridity of the north. I am experiencing the reverse transition process that I experienced almost 3 months ago when I was pedaling south from the Burkinabe Sahel to the fertile south of Ghana.
One of the most beautiful emotions that cycling has given me is knowing how to appreciate slowness. Living life in slow motion, without running and at my own pace. However, there are times
It takes me several days to arrive and stay in the region of the triple border between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger living with the Fulanis. At no time do I feel in danger, actually quite the opposite, but it is time for me to return to civilisation.
2015 has finally come to an end. A chaotic year that started as one of the most difficult of my life but ended as one of the best. Life may kick you mercilessly sometimes, but afterwards, it will always find a way to compensate you with joy, for the sorrow it put you through.
Despite the great inconvenience, I am surprised at how quickly I am able to resolve the end of the visa process. I find it amazing because that's how things are always like in Africa: totally unpredictable.
My original intention to head directly to the heart of the Sahel once I entered Burkina Faso, was truncated by the unexpected condition imposed on Burkinese visas obtained at the country's borders.
It's mid-morning, the sun is high already and the heat is tightening. I am happy because I am about to cross into a country that I have been waiting for so long to arrive: Burkina Faso. It is one of those countries (as were Kyrgyzstan, Gabon and others in the past) to which, with total honesty, I always wanted to go mostly because of the very curiosity that the name generated in me
The rest period in Cotonou was a balm for my soul and for my body. The days of good food, beach, photography and especially the invaluable company of a great friend like Germano, were an essential part of my recovery process.
I don't go to each and every one of the places I visit for pleasure. I prefer to avoid some places and effectively, I manage to avoid many of those I don't want to go to, but not others. Had it been for me, I would have avoided Lagos, as I have been able to avoid other cities with a bad reputation.
The nights in the jungle are always special. It's like when we go to a theatre and at the moment before starting the function they turn off the lights and everything is in absolute darkness. We, the spectators, at that moment fill ourselves with excitement and enthusiasm for what is to come.
I arrived at Olloba with the intention of resting but the bicycle was shattered, and so was I. After a few hours of lying on my back, now on a mattress without mice, I could barely feel my muscles.
I was already only 160 km away from the border with Gabon. I was still in the equatorial savannah, suffering more and more the scorching heat, the sticky tropical humidity and without any place to take shelter.
If you have come this far after reading all the stories of Angola, you already know it and it will not be any mystery: Angola has reached my highest personal award, that of having won my heart.
Rest periods on a trip of many years are necessary, but more rest than necessary may also end up being counterproductive. Getting back on the saddle after living 3 weeks in Luanda, among friends, events and hang outs, required a great effort.
A few kilometers after leaving the bush I once again met again with the Atlantic Ocean in Benguela. I began a new stage in this country that I had already fallen in love with.
