05 january

BANYO-GEMBU ROAD

I did not sleep much tonight for copla of some people who were making a racket in a neighboring building. I get up at half past five, prepare the bike. Last night I found two boys who will accompany me to Gembu in the event of a fall. We leave around half past six, it is just day. The road is immediately demanding but it is flat, so even some stretch of sand is quickly overcome. After about ten kilometers the road begins to rise steeply and in the same way to descend, gullies formed with the rains and the passage of four-wheeled vehicles, difficult to balance at times with 10-15 cm of space available, you must not be wrong . The boys’ bike goes up without problems, mine makes more effort, it is heavy and it is more difficult to manage. I do most of the road on my feet. We overcome two fords and we arrive at the border Cameroon, no problem, I quickly arrive at the Nigeria border. All very kind and hospitable. I have already placed the bike on the ground two volts, on a couple of climbs full of stones. Luckily they are the boys, probably at this hour I would still be there, difficult to start uphill with that type of road. About seventy kilometers are still ahead. As the journey gets shorter I feel more peaceful, we pass two bridges with wooden planks, one of which is about six, seven meters long and one meter wide. They chose a second path, faster than they say, where the cars do not pass. There is also the ford of a river about sixty meters wide and about fifty cm deep. I fall uphill on a gully, the right side bag where the computer is is damaged, I hope it hasn’t broken. Other vertical climbs and equally descents, often in sand where I have to go really slowly in order not to fall, on one side the mountain, on the other the overhang, forbidden to make mistakes. Around half past two, I see the asphalt, the terrible road is done. Once in Gembu we immediately find the mission where Father Richard welcomes me like a brother. I am happy to have managed to overcome this part, certainly the most demanding of the trip. I ask for information for the next day, I was told that police have to be escorted because of rebels living in areas along the way. Richard reassures me by saying that at the moment the situation is calm and we can proceed without escort. I am very tired but happy, I have dinner and at eight I go to sleep.