Africa scooter adventure
Senegal – The Gambia – Guinea-Bissau: One serious overland adventure
From Senegal to The Gambia and on to Guinea-Bissau: This is one serious overland adventure
Imagine a two-wheel motor holiday which caters to you. A summer camp with alcohol. A culinary adventure into creative cuisine. Brewed tea, regional coffee and local beer. Our group of 10 riders went to bed at night delightfully exhausted after each adventurous day left us dusty with dirt and sweat, and rarely a hot shower. Phil Paoletta and Matt Christie began running scooter tours through West Africa in 2017. They are the ultimate rough riders who laid out the red carpet for us. Phil is focused, an easy-going native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a middle school teacher in Washington D.C.
Matt’s hails from Queensland, Australia, and has spent a number of years in the tourism industry. Together they own a hotel called ‘The Sleeping Camel’ in Bamako, Mali.
Phil and Matt are enthusiastic hosts with a natural connection to nature. They know the players as they negotiate the political and military systems throughout the three West African nations we toured. To keep our scooters running they deployed their mechanic, Boubacar Tessogue, who adjusted the bikes on the fly. There was no chase vehicle so Boubacar took up the rear, leaving no one behind.
Get your shi(f)t together
The day after arrival in Dakar, Senegal, we took a bus out of town to pick up our KTM (Jakarta) 110cc scooters, most of which were new. This is the most popular scooter in this region as parts are available and there are mechanics in every town. “Drop off your bike, and in 24 hours you’ll have a new engine,” said Matt. I picked out my shiny new red scooter, but saw only one brake lever. Matt told us the other brake was operated by the right too, the rider shifts with the left, and the clutch is automatic… it became apparent that we would be riding ‘dog boxes’. I was dubious. A few of us who would admit it
were filled with anxiety. Similar to myself, most of us rode classics and automatics at home. Fortunately, within a few hours things settled in. Add a bit of gris-gris on our scooters (amulets that bring luck and protect from evil) and we were all set for a safe adventure, once everyone had transferred their personal items into a 35-litre saddle bag, which was provided.
This is Africa
We were thoroughly informed every evening about what to expect the next day. Matt would warn us if there were hazards ahead, and allay any fears. Single file through military check points; watch for animals such as monkeys darting across the road; and beware of meandering cows, goats and horses, which spontaneously cross our path. Frequently, when we’d stop, Matt would look back and stand up so he could count the helmets of his clients in his ever-present earth-coloured shorts and sturdy boots. We felt well cared for.
Infrastructure
The WiFi was inconsistent, electricity didn’t always work, and water pressure was often weak. To communicate, we depended on WhatsApp. For navigation, several of us used maps.me. It was cash, not credit cards, and in big cities ATMs are plentiful if you can find one that works. People on the street will change your money, but check their exchange rate. The area we travelled within is semi-arid, known as the Sahel. It’s a transitional landscape between desert and grasslands. What was plentiful is not any longer. Wildlife, which once roamed this part of West Africa, doesn’t exist freely any longer. Wildlife has been under threat in West Africa, and according to sources, has virtually disappeared unless you visit a national park or reserve. While we cruised primarily on paved roads, averaging between 60 and 80kph, there were times when we had to negotiate unforgiving sand, dirt and pot holes. It was slow going, but we mostly came out unscathed, but for one rider who went down in the dirt with a few minor scrapes. These were our challenges. For me, it didn’t diminish the experience. Some riders actually relished the rough stuff. Scott Wilson, who rides dirt bikes at home, showed his casual coolness by standing on the foot pegs as we skirted pock-marked roads. The rest of us took it sitting down. Connie Taylor shouted: “Are they trying to kill us? As rough and demanding as it is, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” We were badass, but sometimes we arrived shaken and stirred.
Hotels and eco-lodges
We stayed in comfortable lodgings, Walt Driggers felt they were “a little more basic than I expected, but not a problem at all”. Carry a headlamp as electricity, and internet is not a constant. One night I was greeted by a frog in my room. I wished it happy mosquito hunting, and went to bed. Netting was provided in almost every hotel but fortunately it was dry season, and we didn’t need it much. Trips are run October through February when the weather is not unbearable. The temperature ranged in the high 60s, and climbed into the mid-90s. In the Gambia I was able to swim in the warm waters in the beachfront town of Serrekunda.
Under the African sky, vultures led the way
There is a kind of magic as the day breaks and birds flood the morning sky. After a leisurely breakfast we’d ride out, often following vultures and yellow-billed kites. Riding through the narrow forest roads, I was hoping to see giraffe loping along, but saw only ghosts of animals past. We took a safari to the Fathala Wildlife Reserve in Senegal. It’s about 24 square miles. This is home to the giant eland, a variety of antelope which is only found in Senegal and Mali. What was most exciting is the 45-minute lion walk. This was a chance to get relatively close to semi domesticated lions. We wanted to linger, but a giant ostrich chased us down in the parking lot, making it clear we should motor on.
Urban jungle
We scooted past muted brown villages made up of traditional thatched structures, and some with cement block walls and thatched roofs. The villagers