GUINEA Conakry (not Guinea Bisseau nor Equitorial Guinea)

27/28 January

Up bright & early at the gare routiere and one guy is going all the way to Labe, which is where I want to go. It would be great to get there in one go without a night in a one horse town, Koundara, of which I've heard a horror story of getting stuck in for days. Car fills up, we’re off and then 2 hours later we stop & park @ Velingara. Apparently this is the transport town to Guinea. As we arrive there was a car waiting for 1 more passenger, the bloke I was talking to races in and they’re gone. So I get to wait for a new car to fill up. After 3 hours we have enough passengers, and upon advice, I take a back seat. And then we’re off at midday, 15 of us including kids. And we go & we go & we go. There is a couple of blokes cadging a lift on the roof, and one of them can speak english. He reckons we’ll get there in the morning. I’m hoping late tonight. The border formalities are long and drawn out, due to many passengers not having correct, or no, paperwork. We finally pull into Koundara, Guinea, around 5pm for dinner and then start on the road to Labe. We finally arrive in Labe after a numbing 19 hours, at 6.30am. I am absolutely ripped and can’t believe I actually put myself through such a ridiculous trip. Twice they got lost, meaning more back tracking on the WORST road I have ever travelled on, including that one in Cambodia that the Chinese had abandoned after getting so far. But I am also so relieved that it’s over. I head for a Fouta Trekking rep to organise transport straight out to a very small, remote place called Doucki. I get mucked about a bit, then finally say good bye to 40 euros (I am still unclear who actually got paid for this trip!) to be driven out by two young guys in a late model mercedes benz! I knew that the road wouldn’t be good, so I did question the owner about this to be reassured with “this is a good car”. Yes, I know that but think that if he breaks down, there will no roadside assistance for a Mercedes where we’re going. Before heading off we stop by his house! To pick up petrol (why he has gallons of petrol in his home, I have no idea), and I wait in the large lounge room, which has a blackboard explaining in french the downfalls of colonial mentality etc. Not too sure who is lecturing to who here or why. And I’m not asking why – just too hard in french! Well his Mercedes Benz certainly got a baptism of fire along with a battering on a shocking road out to Doucki, the home of the Fouta Djailon. After last night’s effort today I get transported in real style with a whole back seat to myself. Arrive late afternoon to be greeted by Hassan Bah effusively, made welcome and settled into my very own hut! @ peace corp vollies have also arrived this afternoon so I’m in time for a short introductory hike out to the edge of the Djaillon at sunset. We head back through small villages & peaceful evening meal preparations. We stop by another hut to talk to other tourists here OMG – Its Caitlin & her boyfriend who I’d met in Mopti & again in Timbuctou with Fillip. Great couple who are studying Ghana & trying to fit lots of travel in before heading back to another semester @ uni in Acra. They both have an amazing attitude to travel – nothing fazes them & their up for any adventure - they got stuck in Diaobe (town before Velingara for 3 days trying to get transport into Guinea. Perhaps my 19 hours was actually a quick voyage??!!

Fact: The current president has only recently stop televising every night. Previously TV news each evening featured Moussa Dadis Camara telling Guineans of the previous government’s misrule & revelations of corruption. It was familiarly known as the Dadis Show, but apparently is not missed.