Weather: cool, cloudy day after a storm
Terrain: "nice" dirt, on an incline for most of the ride
#PCV riders: 9 + 1 friend of PCV
Hosts: Karfiguela--James and Julie Beregedougou--Chad Orodara--Sara and Bri
As seen through the eyes of: Ali
Accompanied by Jon Up and Julie, I had an early start with a 6 o'clock taxi ride to the bus station for an 8 o'clock departure to Bobo-Dioulasso. Sans probleme we were able to assure an air-conditioned ride that also brought our bikes, a crucial element to the tour. And the fact that we, Jon Up rather, had found a bus at all was fortunate enough considering it was the end of the Ramadan fast so most bus companies were not open in the morning. Once arriving in Bobo, we were incredibly fortunate to find a bush taxi headed to Banfora along the city's vacant streets.
We arrived in Karfiguela - the bike tour starting point - around 6 in the evening after a muddy 10 km warm-up for the tour. After seeing seeing a magnificent sunset at the edge of a waterfall, the volunteer riders and hosts sat down for dinner and the grand opening of Siaka's restaurant, which was opened in a collaborative effort between PCV James and his counterpart, Siaka. On the menu were macaroni and cheese (of the boxed variety), spaghetti, and rice with peanut sauce. Congratulations to Siaka. I think we gave the food a good test run, as many of the riders had more than one plate.
Looking at the quickly approaching rain clouds in the distance, we decided that part of the group would return to the house while the others would press on through the narrow and muddy paths to a film night held in honor of the Muslim holiday. Our intent was to talk about the benefits of the Moringa tree with the 75 people in attendance, but as the rainclouds grew nearer, we grew anxious. When the generator powering the movie broke down, we seized the moment. To gain the attention of the audience, who had stepped outside, Chris lit a Chinese paper lantern sent from his parents. Who knew that a paper box that looked as if it was lit on fire would be such a hit with the children and adults alike? We hustled to retain their attention only to have Rob's introduction to Moringa interrupted by the fierce storm we had been watching for hours.
At 11 pm, the deluge dwindled and we made a run for the house, knowing we had to leave by 7 the following day. However, my ignorance of how to navigate the mud and puddle-covered paths at night was a handicap. After only 3 minutes of riding, I landed side-first, head to toe, in what can only be described as a small lake. I made it to bed around midnight and slept like a child. The morning brought a silver lining...the weather was gorgeous....a cool and cloudy sky on our first day of riding.
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