13-Jan-2001 -- I had to make a trip from Ouagadougou, where I live, up to Tougan, in the northwestern province of Sourou. As always I scanned the map for any Confluences I might visit, and found 13N 3W some 11 kilometers southeast of Tougan. It looked to be about three kilometers off the main road, which I thought might present a problem as I wasn't able to take a four-wheel drive vehicle, but I determined to walk it if I couldn't reach it any other way.

Nearing the Confluence some three hours from Ouagadougou I saw the Samo village of Kassan, which I figured might have some farm trails leading to the general area of the confluence point. The first trail I took eventually led north instead of northeast as I desired, so I turned off and struck out along a donkey-cart trail. I was able to get within less than a kilometer of the point in the car, so I parked it under a tree and started off on foot with 750 meters to go. The "bush" was not thick and I was able to keep a fairly straight line, following by turns the map page, the direction finder, and the coordinates page of my GPS III+.

Upon arrival I was able to get the "zeros" to show without much trouble and determined that there was a scraggly bush growing right out of the Confluence. The general area was uncultivated bush, but had been burned recently as it is not too far from a village. I keep hoping I will find a picturesque Confluence but there isn't much hope of that in this part of Africa. It seems most of the ones I have done are about the same; either a farmer's field or flat terrain with scraggly bushes. I will keep looking, though!