Kilkenny to Cape Town: Hugh Berginslogs on across the Equator, and finds blocked border posts and mud, mud, mud
Crossing the border from east Gabon and arriving in the northern Congo town of M'Binda in the evening, I just beat an electrical storm that lasted for over two hours, accompanied by a dramatic light and sound show into the night. Next morning I had to turn back after less than two kilometres, with mud-caked wheels weaving on the road, unable to gain any purchase on the slimy surface.
It was a long way to the next settlement on this little travelled track and I didn't fancy my chances of staying upright much further, let alone making progress. M'Binda - with a population of about 2,000 and a civil service of a customs man, immigration, police, and hospital (having seen the inside I use the term very, very loosely) - was fairly isolated.
It had no electricity, no running water and no broadcast signal for radio or television. What it did have though was a railway station, at the end of a line, and there was a train due in the next few days.
I had arrived in this remote place circuitously. It was with some sense of achievement I crossed the Equator in the Gabon rainforest, continuing to Lambarene, a relaxing island town on the Ogoué River, up which the Italian explorer Count Brazza had navigated to claim the territory for France. Latterly it became better known when Dr Albert Schweitzer set up his hospital in the jungle at the begiining of the last century.
My plan was to go south towards the Congo on the road marked red on my map. This was despite the warnings from the Argentinian Sister Eva at the Catholic mission where I was camping. She heard reports that it had deteriorated badly and was very slow. The evening before departing, I got chatting to a couple of French expats and discovered one of them was employed as an engineer on the roads. Obviously the one to ask, I simply got a sideways wagging finger when I mentioned my route. It had been tarmac but now was so potted with holes it would be very slow and uncomfortable. I took his suggestion of heading east across Gabon towards Franceville, and down into the Congo by an alternative route. In truth, it sounded more of an adventure, into the dark interior.
Four days later, in a jungle clearing, I arrived at the Gabon border to find the Congo was locked. The grass growing on the road indicated there had been little use of this frontier for a while.
But there was a presence. I was hailed from a small dwelling a distance away and the two border guards dressed in civvies made their way over. The Congolese guard informed me he didn't have a key for the gate, and that he'd have to call for one from M'Binda, 7km away - using my phone as he had no credit left on his. The problem was my phone hadn't found a network since Nigeria. With a pedestrian gateway barely wide enough for the bike but involving a two foot step the only apparent option, I laid some timber posts across to lessen the height, unloaded all the gear, and eased the bike up.
With my front wheel in the Congo and rear wheel still trying to complete the exit from Gabon, the torque from the 650cc engine spun a length of timber back, bruising the Gabon guard's toe leaving him hopping around, and the Congolese with a nasty gash on the shin.
We were now in a greater predicament - we had to get him stitched up. I ended up stomping a path through the bush (safe in my motocross boots from any snakes) to where the fence ended in a steep mound, and spectacularly jumped the bike over.
Pleased with my feat, I'd hoped to take a picture of the scene, but judged it a little insensitive with the injured man grimacing with pain.
And so I arrived in M'Binda, an injured border guard proudly riding high behind me. I ended up heeding local advice that the heat of the sun would improve conditions in the afternoon, gave the train a miss, and was delighted I did.
The following week brought a challenging and hugely satisfying journey in the mud and jungle through a little travelled part of the Congo, towards the next border - Angola.
More details and photos of Hugh Bergin's journey can be found on his website www.kilkennytocapetown.com. He is raising awareness of and funds for the charity Self Help ( www.selfhelp.ie).