HI!

well , Id like to point out that TChad is not that bad. It is true that there is a generalized lawlessness and ITs imposible to know if someone is a soldier , a rebel , a bandit , etc..

Safety in NJamena is poor. Everyone got the hell out of the streets as soon as the night approaches. Even well wished Chadians (?) massively advised me against staying in Njamena´s streets after say 8 pm.

having said that .. I didnt had too many problems. Definitely Chad is not like Mali or Mauritania , but anyone which makes it to Chad , has surely a lot of experience in Africa by the time He arrives in chad.

Police was surprisingly friendly . I -as Its becoming my trademark- didnt have insurance , neither carnet de passage , and this last time , I even diditn have a passavant . No problems whatsoever.
Finding a safe & cheap place to stay in NJamena is impossible. At least for me , nothing cheaper than 50.000 a night , I had to plant my tent in Novotel´s parking .. and even that , It was a serious rip-off.

Roads and tracks in Chad are the worse I have ever seen in Africa. Only a few 100 ks of tarred roads , and you need to pay for that a serious toll ..( motorbikes are apparently exempted , or at least this is what I thought , as I diddnt ever stop to pay , he he )

There is only one street in NJamena with tourist amenities. ( I think is Charles de Gaulle avenue ) . with a few bars , restorants , and pattiseries. The only libanese restaurant there "Ali BaBA" is a oasis of peace , security , reasonable prices and english speaking owner. highly reccomended.

Its funny . whenever I am in Africa .. when I am in country A (say Niger) they say "niger is ok -security wise- , but Chad... uhhh , they will kill you for your bike). ok . scared enough, Then when I get to Chad , they say "chad is ok .. but Rep CentroAfrique is -buuuuh- horrible . they will kill you for your watch- and so on.

well , I had a funny (?) experience in Chad. I was just outside Bol .. tired , and getting darker .. so I decide to camp in the bush . I drive off the piste a few kilometers , and plant my tent there. I fall sleep ..

and then .. I heard noises. .people coming at 3 AM with hand torches and big , big clubs like baseball bats toward my tent ! Holy $hit. I nearly $hit my pants !! they were definitely coming for me !! they were so close that It was imposible o get on time on the bike , start it and flee away .

well , basicly I -paralized by sheer terror -(and I am serious ) , just kept still inside my tent , waiting for the inevitable and then I realized what was happening :

What was it?

Simply that a bus (one of these vanettes with 25 people on it ) got stuck in the sand of another track just 10 metres away from my tent !( I was unaware that there was a sand track so close to my tent ) , and then al the passengers were looking for bushes , wood , anything to put on the sand to help to unstuck the bloody bus ! . so they werent´ robbers , just standard bus passenger gathering wood !. They apologized me for having waked me out , and desired me a good night !!!!


Javier