Good Day – October 26th
Today’s the day that we intend to make it to Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. It’s an intense journey because we’d heard the route could be rough. It’s 283 km, and we have to leave The Gambia, enter Senegal again, then leave Senegal and enter Guinea-Bissau. It’s a tall-order day, but that’s the plan—so let’s see what we can do.
As it turns out, the main roads in The Gambia are quite passable, and as long as traffic isn’t stuck, things go okay. The Garmin equipment I’m using helps most of the time—though not all the time—but it does make getting around easier. The first border crossing wasn’t a big issue at all: civilized and straightforward.
Crossing Through Senegal
Once in Senegal, the police stops begin—police, gendarmerie, and anyone else who feels compelled to flag you down. Most of the time it’s just a conversation, and with a good attitude and without rushing, things usually go smoothly. At one point, someone insisted on seeing the medical kit. We could accommodate that, of course.
Entering Guinea-Bissau
Then came the Guinea-Bissau roads. We had heard stories, but nothing compares to actually being on them. Many stretches once had pavement; some of it remains. But when there are holes in the road half a foot wide and 30 inches deep, you definitely don’t want to hit them at speed—perfect recipe for breaking axles or anything else underneath. Progress becomes very slow.
Often there’s a dirt track running alongside the paved road where you can avoid the worst of the craters and move faster. At times we encountered enormous water-filled holes—truly massive—and while we made it through, we later heard of another car getting stuck there.
Tolls, Trucks, and More Obstacles
Eventually we reached spots where a toll was required. It turned out the tolls were for bridges—500 CFA each time, less than a dollar. It feels strange to pay tolls while driving such rough terrain, but the bridges make sense. Hopefully, someday soon, the roads get repaired as well.
Throughout the journey, we had to weave around stuck trucks, broken trucks, or trucks being repaired right in the road. You can imagine the scene.
Arrival in Bissau
We finally made it to Bissau, but it stretched well into my discomfort zone because we didn’t manage to arrive before dark. We aimed for the Hala Hotel—a very large place—but didn’t find it on the first pass. We ended up wandering into some murky streets before eventually reaching it.
The next day, the pool was a welcome relief. The hotel was supposed to be fancy, but plenty of things made it feel less so. Every attempt to accomplish something came with surprises. And then there was the Wi-Fi adventure: does it work on the main floor? At the pool? In the restaurant? Where is the restaurant? Does it work in the room? An endless list of questions.
We used the hotel restaurant since it was late when we arrived—definitely convenient not to search for a place. Travel will shift a bit once Johan leaves at the end of the month, but for now this way of exploring has been fun.
Wrapping Up the Day
We were fortunate to make it into Bissau with only an hour of darkness. The limited lighting on the Land Cruiser makes night driving difficult, especially with blinding lights from motorbikes, mopeds, and cars coming the other way. My goal is always to avoid driving after dark—but sometimes life happens.
Thanks for coming along. We’ll see you tomorrow.
