Guinea - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 116

veered to the side, were almost like a gorge in depth. They were made worse by the rain
and were extremely dangerous for any kind of vehicle- even for cyclists. However, I did
take time to just stop and enjoy the view. On one occasion, some 20 children suddenly ap-
peared from the forest and stayed with me as I viewed the breath-taking landscape.
It was 5:15 p.m. when I came upon a small village. I wanted to ask the chief of the
village for permission to camp when I met Lisa, a Peace Corps volunteer. She introduced
me to the chief of the village who was very kind and welcomed me with open arms. I was
given a bucket of hot water…yes, hot…and I took my first hot bath. What a luxury! I was
then given my own room with a stunning view of the forested hills. I sat down with Lisa
fordinnerandwasservedricewithpeanutsauce.WhenLisatoldmethattheexchangerate
was $1US to GF 1,000. I started to laugh for I thought my GF 1,500 was a lot of money.
As it turned out, I only had $1.50 worth of local currency.
Ask before drinking anything!
I made a capital blunder. As Lisa left the dining room, I helped myself to a large
container full of water that I assumed was treated for parasites. I was completely wrong.
When she entered the room and saw me drink the water she told me that she hadn't filtered
it yet. Shit. I thanked her for dinner and bid her goodnight. I retired to my room wondering
if I would get sick...news at 11.
Iwokeupfeelinggreatandpreparedthebikefordeparture.Myfronttirelostalittle
air, so after inflating it, I stepped out to meet Lisa. As we chatted, I noticed the villagers
congregating close by. I walked over and soon realized that a cow was being slaughtered. I
have ever seen anything as violent as seeing this animal struggling to stay alive. They laid
the animal on palm leaves and then the butcher walked toward me to hand me the knife
to cut up the animal. I shuddered at the thought and shrunk back two steps which brought
laughter from the villagers. I returned to my bike and thanked the chief and Lisa for their
kindness. I started cycling eagerly anticipating my arrival in Labé.
Oh What Joy!
As I neared Labé, the earthen road stopped and a tarred one began! I stopped my
bike and ceremoniously photographed my bike with the front wheel on the asphalt and the
rear wheel on the earthen road. Oh what joy! The scenery was again eye-catching and the
weather was warm and slightly cloudy. The next 30 kilometres were taken at a slow but
easy pace so that I could savour the amazing road and panoramic views.