Comoé National Park
We got a permit and armed guide to cross Comoe National Park right after entering Cote D Ivoire. The rangers were very excited and accommodating as we are the first tourists to cross the park by bike. This is the largest protected space in West Africa and they took us to the grocery store before leaving Bouna to enter the park to by food for us and the guide which he carried for us on his motorcycle.
We paid $9 a day for the guide and
the park entrance fee, gas for the motorcycle for three days.
We did order another person for two days untill we reached the chimpanzee research center run by a great Spanish doctor who has been in the park since the end of the civil war in 2002. The war devestated the park with poaching and mismanagement. They say the animal populations are only half recovered.
We got a personal tour of the lab and saw amazing video and specimens of tools the chimps are using to harvest ants, water and honey. Chimps use tools in other places but it is more advanced here than anywhere else. There were also bird researchers and students from all over Africa here doing research. We visited at a very cool time.
After leaving the research center we rode for another full day, 10 hours to go 42 miles on very rough roads without seeing a car,
even after exiting the park for a while.
Cote D Ivoire is making me long for the relative affluence and good roads of Ghana.
The riding could be described alternately, depending on current mood or attitude as
“ miles of wild land beauty with a surprise around every bend and constant birdsong and wildlife“ or, “ miles of dusty sandy dirt roads pushing you bike through 8 inch deep sand while loaded with two gallons of water while flies the size of Rhode Island with a painful bite eat your face off”. Both are true.
We are taking an afternoon off today after finally reaching pavement at Dabakala, two hundred miles into Cote D’ Ivoire. A hotel room, doing some laundry and something to eat without sand in it are pure luxury.
Tomorrow we head out to Korhogo on pavement!
Cote D’ Ivoire is a bit tougher than Ghana. We can feel the more extreme poverty, but still the same friendliness and welcoming people. Still the same feeling of safety and encouragement. Cote D’ Ivoire is more recently out of war and was more affected by Ebola. We may also be feeling the different affects of French imperialism, but in general people are welcoming, charging us fair prices and easy and warm to us.
It is not as outgoing friendliness as we felt in Ghana, but once engaged, people are great.
My French consists of a few polite words so Sherry is dong the heavy lifting for me here and actually it is nice to be able to sit back and have the excuse of not speaking French.
Next stop Korhogo!
