7 riders, 33 days, 9 countries, 5,500 miles.


On Tuesday 8th February I was riding my motorbike back into Aberdeen. I was tired, it was dark, cold, and the drizzle had started. The song changed randomly on my ipod, to my favourite song, Louis Armstrong’s, “Wonderful World”. I could not believe the timing - this song summed up the whole Calum’s Road trip. 13 months after committing to the Adventure, here I was riding back into Aberdeen, safe, and full of experiences.

As a group, we have raised over £40,000 for the Calum’s Road rebuild in The Gambia. Every penny you have donated is going towards the construction. The generosity shown by my sponsors has been beyond my wildest expectations. It is you that is making the dream come true for a small part of the world, but a major part of The Gambia. Thank you so very much for your support.


For you, my sponsors, here is the diary of my Adventure.

As the departure date approached, most things seemed to be tipping the balance against us going ahead. The biggest issue was The Foreign Office putting a block on visiting Mauritania; this caused all of us to do some serious sole searching and wondering whether it was worth putting our families through so much worry. However, after much discussion the decision was made, after all we had spent a year in planning and preparation for this trip, and felt committed. We would go ahead, but agreed to monitor the situation and, if required, we could always turn back.


Thursday 7th January

Today was my last shift in the office.
At 0430hrs I drove to work feeling blessed that I didn’t have to take my bike, as the snow was so deep. The rest of the day was spent scraping round trying to achieve some kind of flying schedule. My fellow workers surprised me by laying on a buffet at lunchtime, a lovely gesture, and a great send off.
Looking back, it was only then, when people came to say, “goodbye”, did it slowly start to sink in;
I am going on an Adventure!
I left the office, with a poster wishing me “Good Luck” mounted on the door. Thereafter, we collected a hire van from Aberdeen intended to take us past the worst of the snow (or so we thought) the following day, from Newburgh to Haydock. Then back home, and helped by my neighbour, Kev (also the volunteer van driver), we loaded my bike into the van. I had a wee dram, some supper, and off to bed.

Friday 8th January
Newburgh - Haydock

Up at 0530hrs to be on the road for 0600hrs, it was freezing. A very nervous farewell to Katherine, and then we were gone. We headed off to Oyne, to collect fellow biker, Gert. The road was white with a good covering of snow but not deep enough to be a problem. Arriving at Gert’s we loaded his bike. Annette, Gert’s wife, made us a lovely coffee before our departure south.
The weather was clear, blue sky and frosty (cold enough that the windows in the cab did not defrost). We stopped only for the traditional bacon roll at The Horn, south of Dundee, and later at the border, for fuel, juice and chocolate. The road improved turning clear and black from Carlisle. We arrived at Neil Hughes in Haydock in the mid afternoon. Sadly Neil was unable to join us on the trip owing to health reasons. Welcomed by Neil and Roger, fellow biker, we enjoyed a cup of tea then onto the Reading Rooms. The Reading Rooms are a traditional Men’s Club introduced during the peak of the Mining industry, giving the miners a place to read the papers. Now it is a Social Club, offering drinks at a very social price. Neil had told us the membership had gone up a couple of year previous with many of the members less than happy at the annual increase from 50p to £2.50! After a few drinks and the chance to catch up, we moved onto Neil’s other place of contact “The Curry House”. We returned back to Neil’s home for night caps and the sofa was calling me. I had an uneasy sleep with apprehension building for the next day’s trip.

Mileage covered: 420 miles in the van.

Saturday 9th January
Haydock to Folkestone

Up and ready!!! I had to turn down a bacon roll as my stomach was in knots.
Following a Team meeting, it was decided to take the bikes to a service station nearer to the M6 but more importantly some kind of hard surface - tar would be nice!!!
It was a sad farewell to Neil who had been forced to pull out of the trip due to an undiagnosed severe allergic reaction.
I was loaded in the back of the van but only after borrowing Neil’s winter muffs (the muffs were not very hardcore, but I have to say were a blessing later in the trip). The door of the van opened, the bikes were off loaded onto 4” of ice, and we fuelled up, but only after helping push a lorry out of the ice.
Gingerly we walked the bikes onto the road.
Lights changed to green – we were off!

Steady progress was made with Kev following us for a while until he was happy we were finally on our way. We stopped only for coffee, a heat and fuel until we turned on to the M20.
At this point the snow became heavier, the dark came down, and the road conditions worsened. As lead bike, I slowed down to 15 – 20 mph. Thinking I was holding up the traffic, I glanced in my mirrors to see only the headlights of Roger and Gert. I drew on my inner strength, put my head down and got on with it - there was no other option. With the screen covered in snow and the lights shining into the driving snow, the visibility soon went down to nil. I cannot explain how we completed this stretch of road without incident, but finally a lorry passed us, giving us a small piece of clear road. Finally a turn off appeared, pity it was the wrong one!!! I stopped to ask directions, restarted the engine, selected 1st gear but nothing happened, looking down, the wheel was spinning on ice!

We eventually arrived at the Premier Inn, very relieved - and buzzing even more.
As we checked in, Mike Dolan, another fellow biker, arrived. His brother-in-law had taken him South by van, after being up till the 3am the previous night changing over the luggage on his bike. Why? 10 days prior, his bike had spontaneously combusted! Thus, instead of final tweeks to his final planning, he spent the last 10 days sourcing a bike, insurance, V5 etc. Notwithstanding, he still pulled it out of the bag to pitch up (a bloody good effort!).
It was at this point we heard from two others in the group, Andres and Richard. They were holed up at a Services further back, having been escorted off the Motorway by the Police. Travelling up the slip, Richard had hit ice dropping his bike. They picked up the bike and rode over to the nearest Premier Inn, transferring their original booking, but importantly they were both safe (although no bar!!) We consumed a few drinks to ease the tension!! Followed by dinner then to bed.

Weather Sky blue then wet snow
Temp: -2c to 2c
Start mileage: 3,928
Finish mileage: 4,252
Distance: 324.

Sunday 10th January
Folkestone to Paris.

From the start, the trip was intended to be flexible, thus no pressure of deadlines. However, the one plan that we had firmly made was to take the train today through the Channel tunnel at 0920.
Yup you guessed it - we missed it!
Firstly we offloaded Mike’s bike and he scrubbed in his new tyres! This was followed by a team meet to discuss the day’s plan.
The phone rang; Richard was having problems with his bike starting, he elected to stay behind and meet up with one of the GS Forum members in the hope it could be fixed,
Andres was already on the road and heading for the Tunnel.
Breakfast was cut short as the chef must have either been on a day off, or laying the eggs, it took so long!
Onto the bikes and off we too headed to the Tunnel. What must visitors think when arriving or departing our country? The roads to the Terminal were terrible, with less than a warm welcome at the Tunnel’s main entrance. We were ushered onto the train along the deepest and most rutted road they could find.
Eventually, we arrived in Calais, meeting up with Andres. A quick coffee and we were off.
We headed south for Paris, only stopping for coffee, fuel and a much needed heat.
Arriving at the outskirts of Paris, Andres made his way to the front directing me away from the ring road and taking the lead. It should be noted at this point that Andres was a former despatch rider in his previous life showing no fear in the steady flow of busy Paris traffic. Andres proceeded to take us through the middle of Paris, much to Roger’s horror. Personally I found it exciting, I was listening to music and happy we were managing to stay together. As we exited a tunnel I was floored when the GPS announced were on the Champs-Elysees, as I looked up I saw the Arc d Triumph – bloody hell I really am on an ADVENTURE. We continued on south of Paris where we found an Ibis hotel for the night.

Weather: overcast
Temp: -1c
Start mileage: 4,252
Finishing mileage: 4,463
Distance travelled: 211

Monday 11th January

Paris to Issoire

We left Paris and I expected the temperature to warm up – no chance! We were assisted by the power of the GS Forum, with one of the forum members’ texting Roger with weather updates for our route through France; he had said it was unlikely we would to see warmth today. Our run down to Issoire was uneventful, stopping three times for fuel, much needed coffees and the essential heat up. Our last stop found us at a temp. of -4 c.
I plugged in my heated waistcoat to the power point just below the seat, tho’ unfortunately I caught my heel in the cable, this was the same heel that I needed to support the bike, the result being she was laid almost gently on the ground - this was to be the 1st of a number of drops!
We headed on to Issoire, checking into an Etap.
For those not familiar with these hotels, they are basic but clean, kind of like a Travelodge, with Ibis more akin to a Premier Lodge. Etap do not provide food, however they are generally attached to a franchised restaurant. We somehow ended up at a bowling alley. Pizzas were ordered, it should be noted we had not had lunch, so the order went in for BIG pizzas. They were monsters; I managed only almost half, with Andres helping me out. Gert and Roger had a Calzone pizza with an estimated 4 eggs in each pizza; they both finished them (seeing it as a challenge). Roger’s pizza, came back to haunt him at about 2:30am!
Some of the guys had kitted themselves out with a Spot – this is a GPS locator, which basically sends back a location every 10 minutes to a selected mailing list and website. This proved to be a real source of comfort to friends and family back home, who were able to track our progress, particularly when we entered Africa.

Weather: overcast, low cloud
Temp: 1c to -4c
Start mileage: 4,463
Finishing mileage: 4,731
Distance travelled: 268

12th January

Issoire to Perpignan
Up early and enjoyed what was to become the now typical light breakfast of Juice, coffee and French bread.
Then outside and ready for the off (it is still dark!).
Engine switched on, the temperature reading -4.5c. I must be nuts.
We climbed to one of the highest points, 1,000m above sea level where the temperature gauge on the bike stopped registering at -10c (my watch was showing -20c!), thankfully the roads were clear, tho’ wet. Passing over the Massif Central the temperature basically held at -10c, with wonderful panoramic snow scenes. Dropping through some freezing fog, Roger had pulled over to put in his contact lenses which inevitably were in the bottom of his panniers, all this was preformed at the side of the busy road with little or no hard shoulder. Both Andres and I missed all this action, but pulled over at the next Services waiting to regroup. The snow here was perfect powder, better snow than most of my skiing holidays, the strange bit was; here I was on my bike!
Having regrouped, we passed over the Millau Bridge, a spectacular sight and an impressive engineering feet.
Thereafter, we started our decent towards Perpignan, following our arrival, the temperature slowly started to rise. Andres suggested we filter past the standing traffic. The French are very tolerant towards bikes and the traffic pulled over on both sides allowing us through. I found it amusing watching Andres just missing car wing mirrors with his crutches sticking out, it was some sight! I took the opportunity of trying my “thank you”, passed on by Allan Campbell (sticking my right leg out, tho’ sadly the gesture was probably lost due to all the luggage on the back of the bike). We continued south of Perpignan where we found an Etap, the temperature now having risen to a balmy 6c. Finally I could feel my feet again!.
Drinkies, followed by dinner- my Starter was Camembert roasted in the oven with Calvados and fresh bread – what fine, onto bed for an early night.

Weather sky clear then hill fog then overcast.
Temperature -4c to -20c to +6c
Start Mileage: 4,731
Finishing Mileage: 4,983
Distance travelled: 252

Wednesday 13th January.

Perpignan – Benidorm
Up at sunrise we were planning a long day today, we hoped that more warmth would allow us to cover more distance. Onwards out of France and into Spain. Tracking down the east coast, we stopped for a spot of lunch at one of the finest Services I have experienced. Back on the road we passed field after field of Orange groves, olives, and valleys with picturesque Castles overlooking us from above, then soon we were in Valencia! I took a wrong turn upon arrival, which took us through the middle of Valencia; it was not a problem and in fact quite refreshing coming off the motorway. Our final destination for the night was Benidorm, Glen had sourced a 5 star hotel B&B for €50, it was certainly an experience, the hotel was 30c at least, with fires running everywhere, perhaps this explains why older folk head here for the winter.
Here we meet up with two others in the team, Sid and John (Glen had moved on, and we arranged to meet him later in the week), a few beers and out for a Chinese meal before returning to the hotel for some more drinkies, and bed at 3am, ouch!

Weather sky clear, turning to light rain at the end of the day
Temperature +9c to 22c backing to 16c
Start mileage: 4,983
Finishing mileage: 5,394
Distance travelled: 411

Thursday 14th January

Benidorm to Granada
It was a social start for a change, owing to the night before. All started ok, but as we headed inland the winds picked up from various directions, making it difficult when passing bigger lorries. We stopped for fuel and I decided it was safe to remove the winter muffs, however in doing so I drew blood with my knife (this was to be the first of many bleeding incidents for me!).
In the afternoon, we dropped down towards Granada, the rain started and boy did it rain (did I mention the muffs were off – bugger, cold wet hands for the rest of the day!). We arrived in Granada, but sadly we missed the cracking scenery due to the rain and low cloud.
Andres again took the lead taking us into the centre of Granada and pulling up at a Tapas bar. The staff were less than pleased, as the water poured off our well saturated clothing, however the tension was eased as a coffee or two was consumed and a plan for the evening was hatched.

Roger’s phone rang, it was Richard, telling us he was in Granada; the lad had covered some serious ground to catch up. That was the good news; the bad news was that he was under his bike with his ankle trapped with the ambulance on its way! The Tapas bar then became a temporary mission control.

Andres and I set off to find Richard, after searching for the Carrefour where he had fallen; we finally found his bike at a second Carrefour, on the outskirts of Granada. We met up with the police there. Andres was despatched to the hospital, I called in for support and waited on Gert and Sid to appear. We balanced up the bike and moved it to the hotel which by now had been sourced by Roger. Any sceptics at this point should be aware that when travelling solo, a GPS is your friend! Back at the hotel (another 4* €50) bikes were bedded in the underground car park accessed by a lift, and Richard was reported back as being stable in hospital. We headed out, not far from the hotel where we found an amazing restaurant, and enjoyed a lovely meal. A pleasant Roija and a tasty steak proved a perfect finish to an eventful day. Off to bed, really tired.

Weather fine at start, then windy, finishing with heavy rain
Temerature; 22c dropping to 6c
Start mileage: 5,394
Finishing mileage: 5,665
Distance travelled: 271

Friday 15th January

Granada
Finally a rest day, I have to say I was ready for it, and enjoyed the luxury of a lie in until 0930.
A breakfast update on Richard’s status- during the night he had his ankle set and was comfortable, although heavily drugged up.
Gert, Roger, John and I headed up to the Alhambra via a wee bar in the Jewish area for a coffee and a brandy! Meanwhile down in Algeciras, Glen hired a car and drove to Malaga and picked up our off road tyres.
We arrived back to the hotel at 1730.
We visited Richard in hospital, he was doing fine, the insurance papers were sorted both for him and the bike allowing both to be repatriated.
Dinner was a slice of pizza and bed by 2300.

Saturday 16th January.

Granada to Algeciras
Richard was stable, his bike was safe, and there was little else we could do.
We decided to move on heading for Algeciras. The road down the coast was good, and the temperature very social, we passed orange trees and olive groves en route.
The trip started to become surreal, passing places like Malaga and Torremolinos, well known Spanish holiday destinations, and here I am on my bike. We arrived at the hotel just after lunch, finally meeting up with the final team member Glen. The hotel was a peacher, old colonial style with high back seats in the cocktail bar, just the kind of place you want to sip on a Gin and tonic, or a brandy after dinner, putting the world to rights into the wee small hours. The elderly cocktail barman supplied us with a steady flow of beer. We ate in the hotel, a very respectable buffet. Both ex-pats and locals turned up later to enjoy a couple providing music and Salsa dancing. A young lady (so I am told, as I didn’t meet her) apparently took a shine to us, leaving us all a wee token of her love on each bike, mine was a lipstick love heart on my wing mirror!!! We met in with another gentleman, Eric (aged 77), a real character who was there with his Spanish girlfriend, he passed on some very valuable advice which we used when visiting Gibraltar the next day

Weather: sunny
Temperature 9c to 22c
Starting mileage: 5,665
Finishing mileage: 5,825
Distance travelled: 160

Sunday 17th January

Algeciras

This was an unplanned rest day owing to the fact that we could not get our tyres fitted.
Gert, Mike, Sid and I headed over to Gibraltar. We picked up some last minute bits and pieces that ironically, we were never to use!!
We headed over to the South Light where we picked up an ice cream on the way from the oldest ice cream man in the world.
From here we could view the Dark Continent, some 15 miles away. I must admit the prospect of heading over to Africa with no bike insurance gave me cause for concern, oh well hay ho as they say – can’t dwell on little things like no insurance - on with the Adventure!
We thought it might be a good idea to head up to the top of The Rock, however a barrier was down and a princely sum of £100 was requested for the privilege, which we thought was a little too steep (pardon the pun), so back to the Hotel to was the bike, then Dinner.

Monday 18th January

Algeciras

A local Harley dealer offered to fit our tyres. After he turned up, later than planned (Spanish time I think they call it), it took most of the day to kit the bikes out.
We decided to stay another night, leaving at first light for AFRICA.
This decision upset some of the team, but in hindsight it turned out to be the right one.
Dinner was in the hotel, and early to bed.


Tuesday 19th January

Algeciras to Rabat, Morocco

Packed and off we headed down the road to the fast ferry and we were off to AFRICA.
We encountered villages of “wobbly boxes” (mobile homes) heading for Morocco (A popular destination for the French in winter) When I say villages of, I mean at least 100 – 200 mobile homes. Paperwork was completed, and passports stamped on the ferry. Glen broke out in a sweat, as he is not a seafaring man, so my thoughts were with him. The crossing was smooth, arriving in Tangiers in good time. Clearing the Port some 4 hours later, we headed for Rabat, stopping only for a spot of lunch. The country was surprisingly fertile, there seemed to be people everywhere, all waving as we passed.

Arriving at Rabat in rush hour was seriously bad planning! I was lead bike, with Gert, Mike and Roger following. I got separated at a roundabout from them, resulting in us heading in different directions. Hay ho, I would be sure to meet them at the Mauritanian Embassy, a waypoint we had entered in our GPS’s earlier. (As I had no street map, I had to rely on the GPS for a basic track and distance.) By now it was dark, I had to adopt the African way of driving; that is you must drive in a very assertive way, almost to the point of being aggressive, hoping that whatever was behind you would not hit you. It seemed to work, but it wasn’t half stressful (don’t like to use the word stressful, but it is justified on this occasion). Circling the area where the Embassy should have been, I did get a wee bit concerned, particularly on entering a market area that appeared to be full of some scary characters!! Anyhow, round I went again, then I stopped to call the others.
A local man paced up to me; saying he had seen me pass twice, he asked if I was looking for the Mauritanian Embassy (I did think it was strange he would ask that question but given the bike was loaded, maybe it was obvious) anyhow, he kindly gave me the correct directions – relieved, I arrived at the Embassy, only to find I was the only one there!. The others had changed their plans and had instead headed off to look for a hotel. Entering the Embassy as a waypoint (we now have the correct location!!) and having contacted the Group for the location of the hotel, it was back into the traffic. 30 minutes later we were reunited. I had a well earned cold beer – happy Bhuda!!! This was the first experience of how helpful the Africans were, a situation to be repeated over and over again throughout our journey. We headed out, stumbling upon an Irish piano bar, @ £8 a pint we understandably stayed for only one, moving on to Dinner at the Magic Coq! It was Salad followed by sheep and rice - and right fine it was.

Weather: Fine
Temperature: 20c
Starting mileage: 5,825
Finishing mileage: 6,049
Distance travelled: 224

Wednesday 20th January

Rabat.
Sensibly, we headed for the Mauritanian Embassy by taxi.
That said, Glen had temped fate by saying if he was going to be in an accident he wanted to see it happen, so straight to the front seat he was bound. He then reached to where the seat belt should have been!!! Personally, I was glad he took the front seat, as he formed an airbag for me sitting in the back!!! 10 minutes later, we braced for impact, but luck was with us, and miraculously, we arrived unscathed.
Following arrival at the Embassy, paperwork was filled out, and between us we scraped together the necessary fees, before heading back to the hotel.
We took a walk over to the tomb of Mohammad V (An important Muslim prophet), stopped for a spot of lunch, before returning to the Embassy at 1500 for our visas.
All complete, we were now ready, if required, to pass through Mauritania.
That evening we ventured out to the Souk, the colours, smells and sights were amazing. We found some lovely nut crackle and nougat. Glen, our “foodie” of the trip, found a fabulous Moroccan restaurant. I enjoyed a tasty Brochette of beef. Others chose from a selection of local Tagines, soon to be renamed Tangines!!
We returned back to the hotel and to bed.

Thursday 21st January

Rabat to Marrakech

Unfortunately, not a great start to the day. Glen awoke early with a sickness bug. Andres broke his leg the night before, that is, he broke his artificial leg, so it just needed riveting, and Sid had not received the correct visa. This resulted in the group slitting once more, as Sid stayed back to sort his visa, and John helped Andres fix his leg. Glen however made a quick recovery and joined us. We rode out of Rabat along a route taking us past the Royal Palace then into the country, and finally away from Motorway, for which I was glad. On later stopping to regroup, I was reprimanded by Roger for going too fast, at 100km/h, instead, he suggested that we should adopt 60km/h as our max speed. I had to point out to Roger that in doing so, we would arrive at Marrakech at 2000hrs (well after dark). Accordingly, the pace picked up again!
We witnessed some interesting sites along the way, such as very old transit vans with sheep on top of the roof, piles of freshly picked olives at the side of the road waiting to be collected, and a low pick up truck with two cows in the back. I also saw my first, but definitely not my last, camel of the trip.
We passed an old man on a cart, he waved to us, then held his hand over his heart, although this became a common sight, the first time I saw it done, it was quite a moving experience, and gave us a real sense that we were welcome.
60km from our destination we took a wrong turn taking us along a single track, skirting the Atlas Mountains; what fun!.
Arriving in Marrakech we headed to an Ibis Hotel on the outskirts of the City.
That evening we headed to the Medina for dinner, the taxi ride was unbelievable, I was so glad not to have taken my bike.
Perhaps it was just off season, however it was not the throng I had anticipated. Following a disappointing Dinner, I had my head shaved with a cut throat razor, followed by a wet shave and a cup of mint tea and made the most of the night.

Weather clear
Temperature: 22c
Starting mileage: 6,049
Finishing mileage: 6,297
Distance travelled: 248

Friday 22nd January

Marrakech to Tiznit

We had decided the previous night to split into two groups as it was hard keeping eight of us together, especially in towns. After fuelling up, Sid, John, and Glen headed off over one of the best mountain passes in Morocco. The rest of us took the main A road, which in hindsight was the wrong choice (I will ride the other road some day). Only an hour into the trip, we passed a dead man on the road, there were others in attendance, so we continued on.
We skirted along the side of the Atlas Mountains heading up and into fog, the road was beautiful and very enjoyable As we passed through the mountains, there were guys selling which I thought were herbs at the side of the road – they certainly were herbs, but not ones that would be legal at home!!!
We arrived at Agadir, the boys had lunch, and we filled the bikes and the fuel cans that we were carrying. The bike now felt much heavier, especially up top.
On departing Agadir we headed south, and as we started travelling along the coast we noticed considerably less people, buildings became smaller/lower max two stories high, and the landscape becoming flatter and less arable. Arriving at Tiznit, we soon found a hotel and bar with underground parking where we enjoyed a beer or two. We then strolled round the walled town eventually finding a local café offering food, I had a lovely chicken and lemon Tagine.
Sadly, the other group had headed for Agadir, where Andres was to turn back. I was disappointed not to have the opportunity to say farewell, but texted him wishing him safe passage – however, on my return home, I found that none of the texts sent with my international card had been sent or received. This was very annoying.

Starting mileage: 6,297
Finishing mileage: 6,503
Distance covered: 206

Saturday 23rd January

Tiznit to Laayoune

It was an early start, tho’ waking up was not a problem as the call to prayer at 0600hrs was my alarm. Approaching Mauritania, we were all feeling a wee bit apprehensive, so distance was the order of the day. We had a steady climb over the foothills, then down onto the plains, with the landscape changing again. We travelled along the coast with the Atlantic on the right and the Sahara on the left, the further south we travelled, the more arid it became. We spot our first wild camels.
Stopping for water and a photo opportunity, a local fisherman came over to us for a chat. When did anybody last bother to do that to you in the UK?
We travel on, passing the town of Tan Tan, the road became covered in sand in parts. We pass enclaves of Camper vans at the cliff edge perched some 180 feet above sea level.
I also noted that the Police were taking more interest in us, pulling us over regularly and requesting sight of our pre-prepared fisches (documentation with our basic details name, address, passport number, job etc.)
We arrived at Laayoune late afternoon. It is a United Nations outpost for the disputed territories of Western Sahara. We were surrounded by U.N vehicles.
We found a hotel with the assistance of the local police, where the rest of the team rejoined us.
That evening we headed up to the main part of town in search of a restaurant.

Temperature 23c
Starting mileage: 6,503
Finishing mileage: 6,842
Distance covered: 339

Monday 24th January

Laayoune to Dakhl

Departing the town, we immediately found ourselves in the desert. It was fabulous. We were in the Sahara, with dunes everywhere. The landscape continually changed. On stopping and pulling off the side of the road, it was easy to get stuck. In some places the landscape flattened out, with power and telegraph lines running alongside the road in parrallel into what seemed like infinity.
The Police continued to stop us on a regular basis. Mike, our leader at this point, was offering his best Franglaswegian, and doing a grand job in the process, building international relations.
At the turn off for Dakhl, I dropped my bike again. (I was leaning the bike back onto the side stand, but unfortunately, I had not put the side stand down!)
The turn off took us onto Dakhl at the end of a peninsula. En-route we travelled across a stretch of land that resembled a lunar landscape. I decided to go “off road”, soon followed by the others. It all started out ok, but the bikes soon got bogged down in the mud. After much pushing, we regrouped on the road!! We then made our way to the hotel, Dinner bed and breakfast for €60, another good deal.



Starting mileage: 6,842
Finishing mileage: 7,175
Distance covered: 333


Tuesday 25th January

Dakhl to Mauritanian Border

We departed early, heading back up the peninsula. We passed a village of “wobblie boxes”, who were all there for kiting and windsurfing, as the spit provided a perfect barrier to the Atlantic waves.
Southbound, we were caught in a sand storm blowing across the road. John breezed passed us, then returned to the back of the group, what was that all about? – later he explained that he held the camera in his left hand and tried to “catch the moment”.
Onwards we crossed the Tropic of Cancer at 1035hrs, disappointingly this photo opportunity was missed. However, at the next fuel stop I managed to get a photo of two camels in the back of a Landrover pick up!
The last few miles to the Mauratanian border, we were all surprisingly calm.
Approaching the border, we entered the infamous minefield and “no mans land”. There are no markings to guide you. A local had suggested a few days before that we follow a truck through, funny old thing – no trucks!!!
Mike was the first to drop his bike in the very, very, soft sand, followed closely by Glen. Sadly, Glen’s drop was a sore one, with a prominent battle scare now embellished on his fuel tank. We opted to take the assistance offered by a passing taxi driver and fortunately we cleared the area with no more drama. We arrived at the Mori border!!!!
A “Fixer” appeared. We initially tried to avoid him, but ended up employing his services. It turned out to be one of the best things we did that day. Moving forward in the queue, Sid dropped his bike, meaning all of us had now dropped their bike at least once on the trip.
Gert and Sid worked very hard with the Fixer, before finally clearing Customs at 2100hrs.
It was now dark.

There are two things you do not do in Mauritania;
1.) drive in the dark
2.) travel 60km to the nearest town, in the dark.

Bedouin tents were spied, and luckily, on enquiry, there was one available for us. It slept seven, and included a mat and cushion, perfect! As an added bonus, they offered us dinner (Chicken with vegetables, coke and a bottle of water) The gates were locked to secure the bikes. This all cost the princely sum of £12 each. An early-ish night. I didn’t take my sleeping bag out, which was a mistake, as it was extremely cold during the night.
I think it is safe to say it is an adventure now!


Starting mileage: 7,175
Finishing mileage: 7,407
Distance covered: 232

Wednesday 26th January

Mauritanian Border to Nouakchott

Up early, but unable to get on the road till 0730hrs, it was freezing. Heading south we were pleasantly surprised to find the road in good condition. Making good time, we came across a fuelling station, just at the point when I was considering using the fuel I was carrying. Stopping there we got a heat and coffee, and the added bonus of being able to buy fresh bread.
A lady approached Mike, chatting away, Mike gestured that he did not understand, she repeated in English “Welcome to my country, thank you for visiting us”.
Again, this sums up our experience of Africa, there are more people that wish to help you, than want to hinder you. This was repeated through the day, on stopping at the side of the road for water and a photo opportunity, a number of cars slowed down, asking if we needed assistance.
Onwards we headed for Nuoakchott passing many police stops. We arrived at Nuoakchott through the less affluent part of the city. It was crazy! Cars just drove where they wanted to, there were no rules of the road. The road was potholed with deep sand. The cars were amazing, it is unbelievable how bad they were.
Turning off a junction, I got caught in the deep sand, dropping my bike into oncoming traffic. A wee man on a donkey and cart ran over to assist (his donkey kept walking on). Shaken, we righted the bike, I got back on and then caught up with the others. We found a hotel with secure parking.
While we were checking out the bikes, the “Police liaison Officer” to the Moroccan Ambassador in Mauritania popped over for a chat. He reiterated that we were not to trust anybody. (This had not reflected the interaction we had experienced with everybody that day.) He did also make a recommendation for dinner that night. Go down that alleyway, you will come to a wooden door, there you will fine a fine restaurant. Just knock three times.
Meeting up later, we set out for the restaurant, as described, yes, we would have walked passed it, anyhow banging on the door it was finally opened. We were furnished with drinks and an excellent meal. A good night was had by all.


Starting mileage: 7,407
Finishing mileage: 7,678
Distance covered: 171

Thursday 27th January

Nuoakchott – St Louis, Senegal

Breakfast was planned for 7am, we turned up a little unimpressed with the spread. A man was hurrying round putting out stuff. What was offered was eaten. As Gert left, he passed reception and noticed the time 6:30!!!!! This explained everything. We had all been an hour ahead. Anyhow it took the pressure off the departure.
Into the crazy traffic we boldly ventured. Stopping at a junction, we saw a car was on its jack with not just the wheel missing but the whole hub and nobody in attendance (this should give you some idea how the driving here was)
Fuelled up, we headed south, continuing on until we were about 40km from Rosso. We then turned off on the road towards Diama, a route where customs were supposedly less corrupt. When I say road, I use the term loosely, it was a dust track with some good bits, but mainly bad, turning to sand on many occasions.
Whilst en-route, I heard a terrible grinding noise, so stopped and checked the gears, they were ok, I went to drive off again but the grinding continued. I was getting worried, thinking this may be my final drive, I stopped again and, to my relief, I found I was missing part of the bumper bit on the back of my bike – needless to say it is now part of the Diama road!!!
50miles down the road we approached the Senegal border. It was a pleasant experience until I realised my glasses were on the bag at the back of my bike, turning round, yup you guessed, I dropped her again, this time slicing open my thumb. Bandaged up, we continued onto the Senegal Border.
The barrier was down, the attendant came over demanding €70 to lift it for us, replying with a “no” he dropped the price to €40. We stood our ground for 2 hours before giving in, based on the arrival of the local Police.
Welcome to Senegal!!!!

After much paperwork and passing of monies we left the border, certainly not enjoying the hospitality so far. On the outskirts, we were fined for not having a receipt for our paperwork €15.
Arriving at St Louis we lost our bearings as by this time it was dark. A local Taxi driver was hailed and he took us to the Zebrabar, our intended destination. Turning up it was practically in darkness, however we were happy to see that it was not closed, but folk had simply gone to bed early. Rooms sorted, we settled down to a beer from the honesty bar. Glen pulled it out of the bag with pasta and some stale bread – still good.


Starting mileage: 7,678
Finishing mileage: 7,860
Distance covered: 182

Friday 28th January

Zebrabar, Senegal

I woke to a lovely view over the Lagoon. A fine breakfast of Omelette, coffee and bread.

Today was a rest day, so Beer at 1000!!!!
We attended to the bikes who had suffered after the off road section the day before.
That afternoon we took a trip into St Louis using the Zebrabar’s boat. The run took 2.5 hours with us stopping midway to bail out!!!.
We explored the town, changed some money, and enjoyed a social beer before heading back by boa to the Zebrabar.
Post Dinner we had a wee party, we had carried with us a selection of spirits to enjoy at an occasion such as this, with entertainment coming from my ipod and a wee round speaker (aptly renamed the bhuda ball). I popped over to replenish supplies, returning to find the boys listening to ABBA – how hardcore is this!!!!!

Bed much, much later!!!!

Saturday 29th January

Zebrabar, Senegal

Another rest day.

A lazy day spent round the accommodation. I emptied the spare fuel I was carrying into my bike.
Dinner, then bed, not too late!

Sunday 30th January

Zebrabar to Kaolack

We departed after another fine omelette, and headed into St Louis for fuel. Local police pulled us over again, fining Gert €50 for not indicating long enough when pulling over – this was negotiated down from €170.
Fuelled up, we headed south. Initially we planned on taking a short cut, along a less major road, however at the turn off, this idea was scrapped when the road turned out to be pure sand!.
We stopped for a drink as the heat was starting to build, Glen stopped short with me right behind him – yup, dropped the bike again, my legs were too short. Quickly back on its wheels and ignoring John’s comments, I enjoyed a cold coke while being entertained by at least 30 kids. Onward towards Kaolack the day got hotter and hotter, with the temperature peaking at 44 C. Arriving at Kaolack, Gert found a nail in his tyre, thankfully we found a sign for a hotel nearby. When we arrived there were spookily exactly 7 beds left, 2 x twins, and 1 room for 3. Booked in, we retired to a well needed beer and a swim, prior to assisting Gert with his tyre repair. Dinner was at the hotel.

Starting mileage: 7,860
Finishing mileage: 8,075
Distance covered: 215


Monday 31st January

Kaolack to Sambel Kunda, The Gambia

Fuelled up, we headed for the border at Farrafenni. Arriving there we cleared customs quickly.
The final leg of the trip had started we were on our way to Calum’s Road.
We headed for Janjanbureh where we crossed the first ferry with little drama.
The second ferry was more interesting, the engine was broken (and had been for 2 years!) To get across, we had to pull a metal cable attached to each shore. This was not a problem, provided there was a return load. Mike and I ended up doing three crossings, allowing us to get all the bikes over. Eventually back on the road, we took the south bank road to Kudang, this was a dust track, but great fun!. Some distance out of Kudang, we pulled over as a group, where we were met by Heather Armstrong. Heather is the lady behind the Calum’s road project. We received a lovely big welcome from both Heather and some of the locals. I thought this was it - how wrong I was!

We later learned that the villagers, having heard that we were on our way, had been waiting 6 -7 hours for our arrival! As we passed by each village, we were cheered on by the villagers who were singing, waving branches, drumming and dancing.

On arrival at Kudang, the road was blocked, as the whole town had come out to welcome us. The temperature was 40c, with this, and the sheer energy of the experience, we were total awash with emotion. The welcome we received is impossible to describe, but rates as one of the greatest experiences of my life.
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We were in Kudang for about two hours, where we met elder after elder, all giving us blessings. With dusk approaching we needed to move on, as it was a further 10km to the horse and donkey compound, our base and ultimate destination. We left the main road, taking the track to Sambel Kunda which is sand. It was a struggle for the bikes, and Gert, Mike, and Glen all dropped them. I was at the back, going slowly, but with the heat and dust, it was not easy.
Every village we approached, the sound of singing and drumming became louder and louder, and the final 10km eventually took us two hours to complete, but ever metre was fantastic.
We finally made it to the Horse & Donkey Charity compound, where the whole village joined us. Needless to say, I was taken up to dance. The cold beer was welcome. After another couple of hours the villagers dispersed, and we retired for a spot of dinner, and caught up with Heather until the wee small hours. The disappointing part was knowing that the villagers had waited so long for us, but we did not have the time to stop at each village for any length of time, instead we passed through, but slowly.

Starting mileage: 8,075
Finishing mileage: 8,240
Distance covered: 165

Tuesday 1st February

Sambel Kunda, The Gambia

I woke still buzzing from our arrival the previous night. Breakfast was coffee and bread.
Sambel Kunda is one of the larger communities in the area, and has expanded over the past few years. It has a school providing education to both boys and girls, and is twinned with Fintry Primary school in Scotland. A new Mosque is also about to open. There are no surfaced roads, there is no electricity, and all water requires to be pumped from a deep well. The villages are made up of mud huts within compounds marked off by wicker fencing.

The plan today was visit “Calum’s Road”. We mounted up and headed over with Heather leading in the pick up truck. We passed a pack of Baboons scattering from a field.
A very sandy track leads to the worst part of the road. There we met elders and councillors from most of the catchment area who depend on the road.
Heather explained what was to be done and why. Basically, the road is on the meander of the river, and during the rainy season the water takes the shortest route, straight across Calum’s Road.

The north bank of the Gambia River has a good network of roads so most of the produce is sent to Kuntaur with Calum’s road being the major link with the south bank. Not only is Kuntaur a large market town, it also has a hospital, thus increasing the necessity for the link to the south side in Calum’s Road. In explaining the problems the villagers had, one of the elders, a tall man, indicated the water came up to his neck on many occasions. With this problem alone, it is very difficult to get to the river crossing point, and blocks access for the women to the rice fields. Added difficulties include the wildlife in the area, after all this is the middle of Africa! This threat comes in the shape of Crocodiles, Hippos, and deadly snakes. Most importantly, there is the inherent danger of poor water quality with the river carrying many dangerous diseases (an example being one of the ladies who featured on the Horse and Donkey Trust website, who had picked up a disease after eating her lunch, that had been previously contaminated in the river earlier that day, sadly 6 months later she passed away).

What also became very apparent to us that day, was that our arrival was so significant. Many people make promises to Africa that few keep; our arrival brought it home to many of the people that the road really was going to be fixed. Everybody, whether a village elder, or a farmer, all came up to us, thanking us for what we had done and how grateful they are, delighted that things are now going to change for the better. We need to look at the Calum’s road story, as many of the elders pointed out this link had been established for many decades. The road’s disrepair had been a problem for many decades (this was emphasised on many occasions in a number of speeches made that day). Anyhow Stella Marsden, Heather’s sister had seen this as a potential major improvement to the community, seeing this as her goal, she undertook the road rebuild as her project. Sadly she passed away before this dream was completed, however, as her dying wish, she asked Heather, her sister, to promise to carry out the good work she had started,. Heather, herself a great lady, also heads up the Horse and Donkey Trust. This Trust introduces Horses and Donkeys into the community, educating the villagers in animal husbandry and providing free veterinary care.

Having met all the elders from the south side, we walked the length of Calum’s Road to the river, here we met all the elders from Kuntaur, who had crossed the river to meet us. More speeches followed, endorsing the importance of the road and how it will be a great asset to the area, increasing trade, communications etc.
The walk to the river was done in heavy duty motorbike trousers and big boots and at a temperature of 33c, it was hard work, but made easier with the women from the village singing and dancing along the way. We returned to the compound spending the rest of the day there, having had a tour of the village of Sambel Kunda and the Horse and Donkey Trust.

Wednesday 2nd February

Mike and the boys headed to Bansang hospital, with the purpose of Mike checking a solar panel system that was having problems.
I remained in the compound with Gert and Roger, where we tried, and failed, to get a Safari Landrover going, worse still we could not get the pick up truck started, this being a very real problem as Katherine, and Roger’s partner, Linda, were due to arrive that afternoon. Finally giving up, a donkey was tacked up with a cart and dispatched to pick up the girls. I followed the donkey and cart on my bike, and en-route met up with Katherine who was on the back of a scooter driven by a local boy! We swopped over passengers and with Katherine onboard we returned to the compound some 10km along a jungle track. She loved every minute of her mini adventure, her protective gear was made up of flip flops and a baseball hat!!!
After a light lunch Katherine and I visited the Trust and had a wonder round the village. That evening, Heather took us to the lookout a platform that overlooked the jungle canopy and the river, a lovely walk with stunning views. We returned back to the compound for some supper.


Thursday 3rd February

The Morning was spent in the village, we met Heather who had been presented with two elegant cockerels as a welcome gift for Katherine and Linda! That afternoon we took a boat up the river to visit the islands where Stella Marsden, Heather’s sister, had set up her world reknowned Chimpanzee Rehabillitation Sanctuary. The scenery was stunning, with much wildlife, crocodiles, chimps, various monkeys and a host of birds.

Friday 4th February

Sambel Kunda to Banjul

Sadly we had to depart Sambel Kunda, leaving early at 0700hrs due to the heat. It took us an hour to travel up to the main south road, two of the group dropping their bikes on the way.
Once onto the main road, we headed West for Banjul, arriving at Soma. We spoke with an Englishman who suggested we could take the south road all the way. Sadly we missed the turning and ended up heading for the Barra ferry.
The heat was building and the temperature peaked at 44.5c It was hard work, and we stopped only briefly to drink the warm, almost hot water, that we were carrying.
Arriving at the Barra ferry we expected a lengthy delay, however to our surprise, the officials ushered us to the front of the queue. The crossing was interesting to say the least, it was so tightly packed, I had to hold the bike up for the 45 minute crossing. I was however entertained by a Senegal man offering me everything – and I mean everything!!!
Coming off the ferry, a jeep behind me was a little too keen, ramming me from the rear, and only moved after I smacked the life out of his car bonnet, he didn’t even bat an eye lid!
Off the ferry, John added some air to his back tyre and we headed to the hotel, Ocean Bay at Cape Point, Banjul. A touch of luxury after our experience over the past 5 weeks!!!!

Starting mileage: 8,240
Finishing mileage: 8,391
Distance covered: 151

Saturday 5th February

The day was spent chilling out on the beach.
That evening we went as a group, with Katherine and Linda having joined us, to The Clay Pot, an Indian restaurant, which ranks as one of the best Indian meals I have ever had.
Retired back to the hotel for night caps

Sunday 6th February

Cape Point to Banjul Airport

We delivered the bikes to the airport, drained all the fuel and disconnected the batteries. Returning to the Hotel at Cape Point, Gert, Roger, Mike and I went out for some money. There was a lot of hassle from Bumsters, however, we soon ditched them by jumping into a taxi and headed back to the hotel.
That evening, our last as a group, we met up with Anna (the Administator of the Horse & Donkey Charity) and Heather, and headed to the Butcher’s Shop, a restaurant owned by a Gambian celebrity chef. We had a lovely, but very expensive meal. The downside was that most, if not all in the group, later suffered food poisoning. It is ironic really given what we had experienced over the previous 5 weeks, without ill effect.

Starting mileage: 8,391
Finishing mileage: 8,409
Distance covered: 18

Monday 7th February

Banjul and the return home.

We departed for the Airport at 1100. I was not at all well. Arriving at the Airport we packed the bikes into a smaller than expected container. To my surprise, they fitted in OK and appeared secure.Mike and I were scheduled to travel back the following day, but went to the Airport and tried our luck for last minute seats. George, the local Fixer, had pulled it out of the bag, we were on the flight! We arrived in Manchester 2230 going straight to the hotel, and straight to bed for me.


Tuesday 8th February

Up, but avoided breakfast, opting for coffee instead. A handling agent was sourced. We headed over to the Airport, they were very helpful, documents all sorted and the bikes were unloaded from the containers, and to my astonishment, there was no damage at all. The handling agent gave me his fuel can and a lift to the petrol station.
An hour later, 1200 we were on the road heading North back to Aberdeen.
Overcast and cold 3c Arrived home to Newburgh at 2000hrs.

Starting mileage:8,409
Finishing mileage:8,795
Distance covered: 386


Total distance travelled by bike: 4,867
Adventure, over.

Heather Armstrong heads up The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, a small charity based in Sambel Kunda, The Gambia. It is a British charity with the funds held in the UK. The facilties at the trust are basic, with all donations spent on bringing in supplies and veterinary services.
The accommodation compound is a block building; there is nothing in the way of luxury, except the gas powered fridge. Water is pumped up to a holding tank, but only after the horses and donkeys have been attended to. Hot water comes courtesy of solar panels. Catering is provided by village ladies cooking over open fires outdoors.

As outlined earlier, Heather took on her sister’s dream to rebuild the road between Kudang and Kuntaur, Calum’s Road. She has worked relentlessly to help the people in this area and as such, quite rightly, is held with much regard. I felt very humbled in her presence, as she gives up all her time and much of her money to help. For those who read this and have not contributed, please take the time to consider the good Heather is doing for the people in The Gambia. You can be rest assured that every penny will count, and every penny will go to the right place.

Further trip reports can be found here under Calum’s Road;

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/index.php



Further details on the Trusts work and Calum’s Road

http://www.gambiahorseanddonkey.org.uk/

Photos can be found at my facebook page davemonro

The Riders
Dave Monro (Bhud)
Roger Gillespie (Thunder)
Gert de Jong (Nakambale)
Mike Dolan (Mike O Fishe)
Glen Bagnell (Milk tray man)
John Hawkins (Paintman)
Sid Horman (Crapaud)
AndresSotos-Castello (Outtomuch)
Richard Collyer (Sockpuppet)



Thank you again, photos of my trip can be found at my Facebook; David Monro

Warmest regards
Dave