#1: [30-Jan-03]

25-Nov-2007 -- We have successfully managed to visit the confluence 10N 11E and we are on the road from Gombe to Bauchi. Our aim is to visit the confluence 10N 9E, which is located 5 km next to the Bauchi-to-Jos road. Several times we had passed through this place and each time we thought of visiting this Confluence, one thing or the other happened that prevented us from tackling this Confluence. A couple of times we did not have enough time left, or it was raining too much, or someone fell sick and we had to return, and so on. This time we were not prepared at all but in a very good mood.

We decided that we get Okadas to drive us near to the Confluence. It was a bit of a performance before we got the Okadas, we left the car at the main road and off we went in direction of the Confluence. We managed to get as close as 700 meter straightaway and carried on hoping to find another way to get us closer, but instead we got further away again. Then both bikes broke down within a distance of 50 meter, no fuel. At this stage we were a bit over a kilometre away from the Confluence and continued on foot cross-country, leaving the Okadas there and then. Three local boys followed us keeping some distance but eventually they found the guts to catch up to us. These three boys proved to be very useful to get to the Confluence since the area was very overgrown and it was difficult to find a path through the fields, long grasses, and bushes.

After we had documented the Confluence, we set off with our three guides in a different direction than we had come, and after a pleasant walk got again onto the main path. After walking for a couple of minutes on the main path, the first Okada arrived and took Babs back to the car. A few minutes later I managed to get also an Okada. It was a really nice outing to get to this Confluence.