#1: [07-Jan-07]

21-Apr-2008 -- This is the 21^st of a series of 83 confluence visits during our voyage from Nigeria to Europe and back to Nigeria around the entire African continent. It all started on 28 January at 11N 5E.

Story continues from 13N 8W.

After finding our way through Bamako, we were heading towards the village Kourémalé on the border to Guinea. The crossing of the border was quite pleasant - no hassles and quite swift. Several kilometres outside Siguiri we set up our camp next to the road. The next morning we went into Siguiri, changed some money, and fuelled up. Outside of the town on the riverbanks of the river Niger, the villagers have established gardens and are growing all sorts of vegetables and lettuce.

At Niandakoro we crossed the river Niger. A few hundred meter after the bridge, the villagers were busily involved in some sort of fishing festival. What a sight this was, as all of them stormed into the water. After spending some time watching the spectacle, we continued toward Kankan. At Kankan there was market day. We had to cross the market to get onto the road to Kérouané. Somewhere next to the road to Kérouané we set up our camp for the night. The next morning we continued. Approximately 30 km after Kérouané on the road to Beyla is the turnoff for the track to Macenta. This track is leading as close as 370 meter to the Confluence. The remaining distance we had to fight our way through thick grass. After completing all he nessesary documentation, we returned to the vehicle and set up our camp for the night only a few kilometres from the Confluence.

The next morning we continued our journey to Nzérékoré and then further to Lola, Bossou, and the Mont Nimba area. It was there where we took two guides and went into the rainforest to find some chimpanzees. What an experience to see these apes in the wild, and what a pity that so much of their original habitat is being so senselessly destroyed daily.

Continued at 8N 9W.