Canucklr. No, you only need one (a carnet or a TIP). Last year I didn't have a carnet, I just got the TIP at the border. Problem is that they only issue the TIP for 5 days at the border. If you want longer you have to go to an office in Dakar to get it extended. I did that last year. This year I had a carnet. Problem is they won't stamp it at the border! They give you a 5 day TIP and you have to go to customs in Dakar to get the carnet stamped. Either way if you're in Senegal for more than 5 days you'll have to go into Dakar. In our case we needed to get visas in Dakar and it covered a weekend so we needed more than 5 days in Senegal.

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Tambacounda to Guinea Border

Early start to get to the border. Plan was to cross into Guinea riding down the N5. Depending on the time lost at the border crossing we could stop at Koundara or continue to Gaoual. The road was fine, mainly paved and in good condition so we made good time. Quite a long way before the border we came across a road block. Usual thing, a rope strung across the road with a few rags tied to it. We were told to leave the road and park next to a building. All a bit strange but it turns out this is actually Senegal customs. They were happy to stamp our carnets out of Senegal and send us on our way. Closer to the border we came across another road block. Similar, but this time for Senegal immigration. Passports stamped and sent on our way. At the actual border it's different, Guinea officials wanted our entry permit (A4 piece of paper). Various offices later we were on our way but this happened a few times. They all looked at it, made official type gestures but nothing productive was done. Probably the third stop they took photos and fingerprints which looked promising but again just stamped the paper and sent us on our way again. They did ask what we were doing and where we were going. We said Conakry which was true as we needed to try and get our Cote d'Ivoire visas which had been denied back in Dakar. They said OK, you can get your Guinea visa at the Ministry of Security. Richard was wise enough to ask for the specific address which they wrote down for him. They then let us go and told us that the customs office is a few miles (well Km actually) down the road. That may be but a few miles isn't specific so we rode on looking for any semblance of a customs hut to get the carnets stamped. Needn't have worried as we eventually came up to another rope road block. Busy with trucks, people, street hawkers and various people in uniform hanging about but this was customs and the carnets were stamped. Once in Guinea we bought local sim cards at the border using local currency. We had exchanged our Senegal CFA for Guinea Francs on the Senegal side Pretty happy with ourselves as we were in Guinea, what a success.

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Guinea border heading South

Having made good time we headed into Koundara. Thought of finding an hotel and having an early stop but that didn't materialise. Koundara is made up of dirt, stick huts and not much else. Decided to continue to Gaoual. Same situation there and by now we had been riding for quite a while. Best to continue until we find somewhere to stop, we thought. This proved to be a problem. The road was dirt, full if ditches, rocks, holes, dust and the odd vehicle. No chance of finding accommodation. The previous towns didn't have shops either and we were running low on water and had no food. We stopped a few times. It was baking hot, humid and every time we stopped we were swarmed by insects. We realised we had mis judged the situation and were getting ourselves into a bad position. We knew there was nothing behind us so elected to continue down the road. Progress was slow, averaging less than 20mph. Short of running a Dakar race pace and risking huge injury in the event of a crash or just breaking the bikes there is not much you can do to speed things up. Water was running out, we knew this was getting serious, so we had a mini conference to discuss our options. Richard had a very expensive water purifier which is supposed to be able to make any water drinkable. We found a sort of stream, I say sort of because it wasn't really a flowing river. Richard proceeded to magic up 2 or 3 litres of water. That would be our nights survival if it came to that. It was now dark, too hot to stay stationary or get under cover, too many insects to stay in the open and dust hanging everywhere from the odd passing truck or moped. The decision was made to continue, at least while moving the insects don't settle on you and there is a slight breeze. It did mean riding the road in the dark. This was proper darkest Africa. It took hours and hours of stand up riding. I'm not 21 any more and my loaded CRF1000 isn't a motocross bike. It was pretty tiring but at about 02:30 we reached Boke. A town with a cash machine, although it didn't work. While pondering what to do, a security guard turned up to see what we were doing at the bank at 02:30 in the morning. Richard asked about hotels and as luck would have it the hotel was just down the road. The hotel was deserted at that time of night but security eventually woke someone up and we checked in. They said that the bank ATM would be working later that day and we could pay in cash then. The hotel had AC, a shower and a bed. That's all we needed, we'd had enough for one day.

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The Guinea roads are either fine as they are being rebuilt by the Chinese or they are non existent and comprise dirt where a road once used to be. We kept to main roads and the N23 is the dirt track you see in the pictures above. Not overly impressed with the CRF as it blew a fork seal. I know the roads are rough but it's supposed to be made for it.

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Boke to Conakry

We were expecting an easy ride to Conakry but it wasn't to be. The road was generally ok but it was slow with villages, trucks, animals and many police stops. The police didn't cause any problems but it slows progress when you have to keep stopping and getting the documents out for inspection. There were traffic jams at bridges etc. It was dark by the time we got into Conakry. Fortunately we had already chosen an hotel so had somewhere to go and directions on the SatNav. Just as well as Conakry is a place I can't describe. It's on the end of a peninsular so only one way in and out. Crazy would be nice, Dakar is crazy but Conakry is just off the chart ridiculous and not in a nice way. There are no rules, just complete pandemonium. Anyone can go from anywhere to anywhere at any time without regard for anybody else or for the direction the road should go in. Use any side of the road (or pavement) to go anywhere, anytime. Lots of vehicles without lights at night, going the wrong wrong way up a dual carriageway. The roads have open sewers, holes large enough to swallow wheels, trucks, other vehicles, donkey carts, mopeds, tricycles, livestock, vendors putting their goods out into the street and anything else you can think of. The loudest hooter on the biggest vehicle wins. It's like nothing I have ever seen before. We were happy to get to the hotel.

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We arrived in Conakry late on a Thursday night. Next morning we hired a driver and his car for the day to go and do all the visa chores. First up was the Ministry of Security (MoS) to get the full Guinea visa inserted into the passports. Richard gave the driver the address he'd been given by the border officials. The hotel reception guy knew someone who worked at the MoS and offered his services. We arrived at the MoS, the driver called the friend and together we went in, past the security gate. There was an open air hall full of people. Friend and driver went up to the desk and some discussion took place. Suffice to say the MoS officials said they wouldn't do it that day, come back next week. It was Easter weekend so that meant Tuesday. Next up was the Cote d'Ivoire embassy. It was a long process and fortunately for us there was a very helpful guy there who could speak English. We found out later he was actually the ambassadors driver but as he was in the building he was happy to help. The visa is done online but doesn't cater for overland travel which means you can't fill in the online forms. Usual thing, you need flight tickets and arrival point must be at the airport. After this was put to the visa official he told us what to put in the relevant boxes to bypass the system. As he was issuing the visa himself we were on a winner there. It all had to be approved by a more senior official though so we were told to come back later, which we did. They were really helpful and did it before closing for the weekend. So only one out of two visas done on Friday which meant we were stuck in Conakry until Wednesday, assuming we could get the exit visa on Tuesday of course. Disappointed, we resigned ourselves to many nights in the hotel.

The hotel was situated near the end of the peninsular, close to the MoS. Going anywhere in Conakry is a mission so we wanted to stay close to the areas we would need. The hotel had a grand sounding name and looked OK so we decided to stay there. The entrance had security although the area itself was pretty rough but the block had a low wall around it and some of the buildings were accessed by a separate road. The bikes were safely parked in font of the hotel and in view of the guards. First odd thing was the hotel, although rather grand, didn't accept card payments, cash only. Problem is the currency is so weak it was costing 600 000 per night and the ATM, can't dispense that amount of cash so we had to withdraw money daily or twice daily. Picture shows 2 nights cash payment. There was a Chinese restaurant outside with kerb side dining. Food waste had been dumped on the pavement, not in bins or bagged, just dumped as is, in a pile. With the rotting waste and heat you'll have to imagine the smell and flies. This aromatic pile of waste was right opposite the tables and Chinese restaurant. Who does that? There were some strange things happening. Our stay was fine and we felt safe enough but a cash only hotel/ casino where photography is not allowed made us wonder.

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Tuesday finally came and we were off early to the MoS. Security wouldn't let us in the main gate, told us to walk around the block to another entrance. There, a guard was selecting who could enter. After 5 or 10 minutes we became the chosen ones and in we went. Some wandering around following instructions led us to an office. A woman was cleaning her desk and looking important. Something was mentioned about paying money. We showed the visa payment. More confusion and the driver was told to take us somewhere else. An hour or so in the car and we were at the airport. Without flight tickets, the airport guards wouldn't let us in. After many calls by the driver a more important guard came out and told security to let us in. After wandering around the empty airport and meeting various officials we found our way to the immigration kiosks. As there were no flights due in there was also nobody manning the kiosks. We waited and then were taken back to the police office where we waited a bit more. The police were just being nice by letting us wait in their office rather than at the kiosks. Eventually someone showed up and in next to no time had printed a couple of visa pages and stuck them in our passports. We were finally good to go so it was back to the hotel in the car. Not easy given the shambolic state of Conakry. Getting these visa pages took the whole day but it was a relief to know we could leave the next morning.

Leaving Conakry

We were up at dawn and riding out at daybreak. Again, it's difficult to articulate what we encountered. There is a multi lane road with separated median but traffic uses whichever side of the road has space. That means Southerly traffic in the Northerly lanes and trying to get out of town is like swimming upstream. Following a police vehicle which was also dodging oncoming traffic gave some respite. As the road narrows we were met at a roundabout by aggressive (the nasty type) cops. Clearly out to make a quick profit from the tourists, they stopped us, demanded documents and tried to get us into a side street. I wasn't going into a side street so I took my keys out of the ignition and opened the pannier to get my documents. That put me in the road, further blocking it but that was fine by me, I wasn't moving. As the situation escalated, a more senior cop arrived. He wasn't having any of it and I don't know what he said but he really let fly at the corrupt cops and just by the body language told them to get back to work and told us to get going again! We were on our way in the chaos again. It took about 1.5 hours to get out of town and that was from leaving at daybreak. As soon as we reached a clear spot we stopped to recuperate.

Conakry to Faranah

We continued up to Mamou. The road to Mamou has mostly been rebuilt by the Chinese and is good. From Mamou to Faranah it's not so good although we made it to Faranah. It had been a long ride. Unfortunately Faranah doesn't have electricity (or anything else, except some really friendly pump attendants at the service station). We stopped at the only hotel we could find. It set a new low standard for me but there was nothing else. We bought bread from a street vendor and coke from the service station. We ate on the service station forecourt as they had lights on and the pump attendants offered us chairs. The hotel was in darkness but they said the generator would come on about 8pm. It was on when we got back. There was no running water so it was shower by bucket and a fan to move the heat around the room. It was no problem leaving at dawn the next morning.

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Faranah to Macenta

Mixed roads. Some parts good but some parts slow, hot and dusty. Will try post some photos but nothing special about this day. Found a nice hotel in Macenta. Reception guy spoke some English, rooms were fine, had running water and secure parking for the bikes.

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Macenta to the Cote d'Ivoire border

This was the big day. Ready for a border crossing, we set off early with no idea of how this ride would change the course of our Africa trip. What a mess. Initially it was going really well. Good roads, nice scenery everything you could want in an Africa ride. We stopped for a break and I opened my right side pannier. Next stop was for fuel which was normal, get off the bike fill up, push bike forward so Richard could fill up. Helmets etc. on again and set off. The police stopped us at a roadblock but it was just banter, they were friendly and were only really interested in the bikes. Off we went, next stop would be just before the border. We duly stopped for a break. I went to my right side pannier to get a drink and the pannier was missing. Just then Richard said "they're both gone", how could this happen? Both at the same time. They were Givi Trekker Outback panniers. The left one hadn't been removed that day and the right one was refitted at the first break stop. I couldn't recall if they were on at the fuel or police stops. I then realised my bike documents were in one of the panniers. You can't cross a border without papers. The feeling of absolute dread and stomach churning worry is something I won't forget. Richard immediately said we must go back and look for them. I raced on ahead scanning the road and kerbs. Richard took a slower pace to take a more thorough look. I stopped at the police check point to ask if they could remember seeing the panniers. With the language barrier I couldn't make out if they were saying the panniers were on or they didn't notice them when we were chatting earlier. Same problem at the fuel station although through a translator the attendant said she thought at least the right one was on because it was on her side. We rode back to where we took our first break as we knew they were on at that point. I had electronic copies of everything except the Carnet. Richard volunteered to ride all the way back to Macenta. There he would ask the hotel guy to make a printout of the photo of the V5 (V5 is the UK registration document). It would be better than nothing. I turned back and rode the route again, slowly this time, standing up and checking thoroughly for the lost panniers but they were not to be found. We would have found them if they had just fallen off. What happened is a mystery. We discussed it and ran many scenarios but the reality was they were gone and we were in rural Guinea. An area without proper roads or electricity and a 3 or 4 day ride back to the capital. My stomach churned and my heart sank.

I'd lost so much stuff, tools, chain lube, water proof riding kit, gloves, goggles, multimeter, alarmed disc lock, satnav cables and case, anti malaria tablets, spare tubes, puncture repair kits, mosquito nets, cable ties, tie downs, bungee cords, duct tape etc. I'm still finding things which I want to do and then remember, no, you lost all that with your panniers. By far the biggest loss was the Carnet and V5 but also my yellow fever card, passport photos, passport copies. Fortunately, I had my passport, driving licence, bank cards and insurance in my tank bag.

Richard got back to the point where we had discovered the loss. He'd been all the way back to Macenta, ridden round Macenta with the hotel guy looking for a print place and then all the way back to meet up again. He was pretty much done. I was stressed but we had to assess the situation and make a plan as it was now getting late. Options were limited but we decided the best course would be to go to the border and argue our case directly with the border officials. We were in a remote area, no hotels, shops or water. Not knowing when the border closed we decided our best bet would be to make a dash for the border which we did, arriving in the dark. We had prepared what to say to keep it all consistent. First up was Guinea customs. He wanted our Carnets. Richard produced his, I explained mine had been lost and showed him my missing panniers. He took us to an office, stamped Richards Carnet and didn't say anything to me. I wasn't going to bring up the subject so just followed along. Customs didn't stop me leaving Guinea. Next up was immigration. No problem there as I had those papers. The immigration guys were nice. One liked bikes and engaged in lively banter which made the other lighten up a bit. By the end of it they wanted group photos with the bikes. A huge relief to be out of Guinea. Getting into Cote d'ivoire without papers was the next hurdle.

Entering Cote d'ivoire

First was immigration. It was dinner time, the officer did the passport stamping as his colleague fetched their dinner. We must have looked in a right sorry state as someone came out with bags of water for us. We gulped it down like dehydrated desert dwellers. It had been a long day and we weren't done yet. Next was the dreaded customs barrier. A guy in white coveralls came out and took our temperature with a hand held pointy thing, we evidently passed, which probably says more about the accuracy of his gauge than our temperature because by this time we had long passed the point of overheating! Then Mr important came out and called us to his office where he proceeded to trash our passports, write details in a book, take photos of everything on his phone and generally show he was boss. That done it was back to white coat man. Typically, for the first time ever, someone asked for my Yellow Fever vaccination card, on the very day I'd lost it. I explained and said I had a digital copy. He was OK about it and recorded it in his book. Next up was awkward guy. He wouldn't lower the rope barrier. No, he wanted the V5. I went first and handed him the photo print out Richard had made earlier. It was in colour and pretty good I thought but obviously not original. It was two sheets of A4 paper not A3. He was OK though, didn't question it, he just recorded all the details in his book. Then out came the phone and he wanted photos of us next to the bikes. Not social photos, official non humour photos! All this is done in the dark by torchlight. He let us go. We thought we were in but no, we got stopped up the road in a customs road block. He wanted our Carnets. It's a long story so short version here, Cote d'Ivoire is not a valid country listed on the UK Carnet. They used to use Laissez Passers but the embassy stopped issuing them in January and I had a copy of that memo. We showed it and argued the case. It was late, dark and he said OK, go to the next town but there they will stop you and want a Carnet. We rode to the next town, the rope barrier was down, nobody stopped us so we kept going. We were in Cote d'Ivoire. A huge relief. We rode into Danane. When the Police stopped us I asked about hotels. The policeman gave a recommendation and we followed it to a reasonable hotel. What a dreadful day but we could only look forward, not back.

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Well that took a turn, I have no idea what I’d do in that situation! Well done for pressing on, hope you manage to complete the trip without the documents.

No chance of that tjmouse.........