Road to Man
We left Séguéla two days ago after the first significant rainfall we have had on the entire trip. After spending 110 kilometers of dusty dirt road between Korhogo and Séguéla, we were thinking more of the same on the 140k to Man. Checking in to the hotel at Séguéla we were so dusty and dirty the snooty lady behind the counter didn’t want to let us bring the bikes into the room. We are much more comfortable with the country folks but after a few days we want AC and a functioning bathroom. As we were threatening to leave because we would not leave our bikes with the security guard, they were on the phone with the owner, more managers came out of the woodwork and there were six of them or so who after a long debate finally said we could bring the bikes in but if we broke anything we would have to pay and breakfast was not included. Seeing as how they never get a CC and we write down fake passport numbers, mostly just because it is easier than getting out our passports, and we give a fake phone number, we agreed. (Sherry has started using the phone numbers of all the cops at the many road checkpoints that want to give her their number).
Most of the checkpoints are a formality and we never get any trouble, usually just get waived through, but sometimes a power tripping cop waves us down to flirt with Sherry, often even if we are together.
The morning we left the snooty hotel in Séguéla we had a great day riding one of the nicest dirt roads we have been on without dust after the rain. We are out of the are dry savanna and back in tropical forests. The rain also cleaned the dust off of all the roadside plants and trees. The dirt roads are the best with a small village every 10 k or so but the dust can be difficult.
The countryside of Côte d’Ivoire Is amazing. The people are still a wide range of Muslim, Catholic, Presbyterian and other religions, and deeply religious. We see so many church services and symbols it is amazing to see the mixture and how it all flies together. Our image of what we would find here has changed a lot from what we expected. I thought we would find hunger and desolation everywhere. The opposite is true. We find happy, healthy welcoming people everywhere we go. We find kids working in the family business alongside mom or dad all the time. There are bicycles everywhere and it gives us a great opportunity to interact as we ride through villages. The boys with a few cassavas or a load of wood on their bike often want to ride with us and laugh at the novelty of it. Women carrying loads of water on their heads will stop joke together about us laughing and goofing around with us. The women are amazing, with straight backs and balanced loads on their heads, often with a child slung on their backs. We see them constantly up and down the road, almost always with a friendly greeting.
It is really interesting to me to have stopped noticing that everyone is black. We have literally not seen a white person in weeks. Instead, I am noticing this beautiful mix of Arab looks mixed in with the more familiar African American look that is more familiar to me from the states. The smiles and laughs are really genuine and deep. The older women will break out this wonderful full bodied laugh sometimes when they see us, I am sure just not sure what to make of us, let alone all dusty and dirty on fully loaded down bikes. The kids are the best, sometimes with just a gaping stare that looks as if they are trying to figure out if we are human then after we wave at them they break out the biggest warmest smile and wave that lets me see how really happy they are.
People want to know our story. We have been asked what we are selling because our loaded down bikes are not that different from what they are doing. They are amazed if we are able to have enough of a conversation to let them know that we have ridden over two thousand kilometers across Ghana and Cote d Ivoire. Yesterday we met a Nigerian storekeeper that had only been here for a couple of years that just seemed like he wanted to talk to us. There was a sadness to him that made me want to know more about his story. But mostly we are finding happy, healthy people that are living proudly with their families and communities. There is very little sign of alcohol, none of drugs, no junk food, (except maybe the fried bread we have come to love), almost no obesity. Yes they love America, we get lots of extra credit when they find out we are not Germans, but I say they are better off. I try to voice this to them when I get a chance.
Entering Man today was different. The big city, less welcoming feeling returned. This morning we passed through a village about 30 k before Man that had a bunch of men sitting around a coffe kiosk with the most amazing African reggae music playing. They all smiled and waved with a big “Bonne Arrivee” welcome. I wanted to sit there with them. Entering Man I just wanted to get to the hotel and hole up with the AC on, take shower and do my laundry. We will venture out into the city later for dinner. I hope to find it more welcoming when off the bike with clean clothes on so we are only half the spectacle we are on the bikes.
Day off here tomorrow The we head towards the Liberian border for another huge change that the borders seem to bring.