Normally I would have carried on, but I noticed one person covered in blood. I stopped and asked Martins to stay in the vehicle and keep the engine running. They were a party of six in a Toyota pick up. Either they saw our English flag and thought we were Red Cross or they just needed our help. The main two first aid kits were in Roberts and Michaels vehicles. But I had a bottle of detol some spare dressings and some wet wipes that Sam had given me the previous day.
The injured person had been flipped out the back of the truck at high speed and had lost a fare bit of skin, and really required stitches to his face. He had massive bruises on his head. After dressing the wounds, I filled a water bottle with dilute detol, gave them some Ibuprofen and some food for an old lady that was with them. Then we departed leaving them to carry on their journey.
As the sun started to set, we passed a village running close to the Niger, the road stopped and a sheer drop into the Niger lay ahead.
We reversed back the Niger on our right and a village dwelling on our left. The chief came out to greet us and said we could stay in his house. After alot of banter he let us put up our tent and camp outside his house.
After a pleasant evening with our hosts and a ten pm delivery of goods from a boat supplying the village. We were away early the next morning, and as we approached a blind bend swerved to avoid a new born goat.
The drive was just under 280 miles of sand, deep and pure Sahara undriven, small water crossings, but the whole journey was interesting as you could see a green and active belt of life both sides of the Niger river. One kilometre away from the river, desert that supported very little.
All animals enjoying the quiet of the Niger
As we approached Gao the roads started to appear....
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( 2.9 / 126 )And what a day it was! After reaching Douentza it was time to head into unknown Dogon region. Misdirections or more likely, misunderstanding of the directions given in french by the locals, we made a wrong turn and began our steady ascent off piste up the cascading moutain of gigantic boulders.
Our presence was met by raptuous rounds of applause by the locals, many of whom in these far flung places had never seen a car...let alone a white person! In one villiage Mick and Martin stopped to hand out colouring pencils to the local children. As we left our vehicle was likened to the pied piper of Hamlin, flocks of children chased us for hundreds of metres out of the villiage screaming with glee, tumbling feet over head in our wake.
The track...although arguably immaginary, was meant for donkey and cart but only 2 hours into our 4 hour climb carts had been left abandoned as the track had been deemed unpassable. However, the robust vehicles did not let us down and nor did we want them to as the thought of turning back on ourselves at this stage seemed unthinkable! According to the map and GPS we covered total of 28miles in this time, acsended and then descended over 1600ft of rock, before the 2 hours of sand track driving.
Deciding that the vehicles had endured enough of a hammering for one day, we found a cave like building in the side of the escarpment to see in the New Year with the throbbing of drums and snapping of firecrackers carrying on until 6 in the morning.
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( 3 / 99 )Roberts photo on the Niger after yesterdays crossing.
Whilst updating the website, the local Police of Tombouctou, are keeping Sam and Robert busy, asking vehicle and personel info.
Heading towards Gao, next, bush camp tonight.
Today Tombouctou, after miday meeting it was deided to keep martin to schedule and rather than take the unknown sand track to Gao two landrovers would go back the way we came and gain some time.
George was always excited about following the Niger river and for him it was to be the highlight, with the teams blessing George and Martins carry on up the niger taking a desert track due east, hopefully catching up in a few days.
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( 3 / 111 )As 2 of the team decide to brave the 1000km round trip to Gao and back, the 4 remaining members head due south back down the corregated road from Timbuktu. This allows them to have a day or two to thoroughly enjoy what many regard as the 'would-be' 8th wonder of the modern world...the Dogon Country. Across the Niger ferry once more and halfway back towards Douentza the team set up bush camp and enjoy some fried spam courtesy of Sam.
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Arrived Tombouctoo 18:00 hrs after crossing the River Niger by Ferry. The Temperatures have been in the 30s by day but first thing in the morning around 5°C. The roads are now sand and the surfaces are corrugated by the wind making it hard work. Cold showers tonight after several bush camp nights.
The river crossing was as Thomson Mitchell would say was ...most Fancifull.
Hope Mark Cooper appreciates the way they transport the plant up river.
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