Next up was Gabon which was one of the countries that I’d pin pointed as very humid, deep jungle territory and probably bloody hard to cross. And very tropical it is too but not quite as humid as I thought it would be. As for the route let me introduce...the Chinese! The Chinese are here (and further south) in a big way. My guess is that they have secured a massive infrastructure deal in return for the oil and mineral trade which will surely follow.
The first 75% of the route through Gabon was about as good as I’ve ever ridden. Hundreds of sweeping bends on perfect fresh tarmac through the rainforests meant for a great couple of days on the bikes. In addition, the roads here are virtually empty except for the huge Chinese logging trucks. I’m not sure about the “people are more and more friendly” line anymore as to be honest it really just depends on who you meet and where.
Two following riders on a different day could have a totally different opinion of ours. Almost to make that point, the day after crossing into Gabon Mick was confronted by a drunken guy that wouldn’t leave him alone. Avoiding the huge temptation we just cleared off out to avoid what would have no doubt become an ‘incident.’ The same evening though we met and shared a few beers with a lovely guy named Valentine who really impressed us with his knowledge, kindness and potential.
I wish him very well but rather suspect that he’ll make a name for himself sooner rather than later. Back on the road then and after the obligatory photo at the crossing of the equator point
the hourly mileage rate started to drop as the road surface deteriorated and the distance to the next border began to drop. With a trip such as ours there’s always much discussion on the best route to take in terms of security and the road conditions. Mick and I decided on taking the supposedly less secure traditional route through the rebel/bandit areas and follow the ‘Earth Road’ 250km south once at the Congo Brazzaville border while the ‘Christians,’ still on a similar timescale as us opted for the newer, supposedly safer alternative eastern route. A divine decision or a childish choice?
The first 75% of the route through Gabon was about as good as I’ve ever ridden. Hundreds of sweeping bends on perfect fresh tarmac through the rainforests meant for a great couple of days on the bikes. In addition, the roads here are virtually empty except for the huge Chinese logging trucks. I’m not sure about the “people are more and more friendly” line anymore as to be honest it really just depends on who you meet and where.
Two following riders on a different day could have a totally different opinion of ours. Almost to make that point, the day after crossing into Gabon Mick was confronted by a drunken guy that wouldn’t leave him alone. Avoiding the huge temptation we just cleared off out to avoid what would have no doubt become an ‘incident.’ The same evening though we met and shared a few beers with a lovely guy named Valentine who really impressed us with his knowledge, kindness and potential.
I wish him very well but rather suspect that he’ll make a name for himself sooner rather than later. Back on the road then and after the obligatory photo at the crossing of the equator point
the hourly mileage rate started to drop as the road surface deteriorated and the distance to the next border began to drop. With a trip such as ours there’s always much discussion on the best route to take in terms of security and the road conditions. Mick and I decided on taking the supposedly less secure traditional route through the rebel/bandit areas and follow the ‘Earth Road’ 250km south once at the Congo Brazzaville border while the ‘Christians,’ still on a similar timescale as us opted for the newer, supposedly safer alternative eastern route. A divine decision or a childish choice?
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