After a good nights rest (being on the back of a moto for 50 or so kilometres does that to one's body) we got ready to head back along the same road after a morning visit to the Sindou Peaks. Bit of a funny one here: Kez waved to me in the very open toilet block, about 20 yards from the huts that were similar to ours back in Banfora. The toilet was built so that your head pops out over the top if you are standing. The thing is, I was still fast asleep in bed, and when the guy came out of the toilet it turned out he was a black man who worked at the camp. Maybe its not just Dree and Barney in need of contact lenses eh Kez?!
We left the camp and filled up the bikes by the side of the road with the unspecified red liquid. Hey, it did the trick so who are we to ask what it is! Heading back out of town, we parked up the bikes at the 'tourist office' for the Sindou Peaks - a shack - and were surprised to pay over the top for a 45 minute visit. The prices for a camera were also extortionate, so I just took about 200 pictures during the tour. Still don't understand why its limited to 45 minutes but at least we didn't have to pay more for the guide.
The Sindou Peaks were pretty cool; huge spires and columns of rock rising up like fingers on a hand. There was a bit of a walk up some natural steps and we were shown a quick view of Sindou as we were up on a plateau. We could even see to Mali, even though it just looked like more trees and plains to me! The guide explained everything pretty well, apart from being on a time limit, and we continued through the plateau, covered in hip-high long grass, across to the other side for a view across south west Burkina.
On the way we saw a poison-arrow tree (looked pretty deadly) and some really wierdly-shaped fingers of rock, created in a similar fashion to the Domes a few days earlier - used to be a huge ocean thousands of years ago, probably millions, and the erosion caused the unusual shapes. We also saw tonnes of eagles and vultures circling above, and a dubious "old bowl" from a tribe thousands of years ago. Looked in pretty good shape so didn't believe that one! The view was pretty awesome from the other side, and well worth the light climb - made difficult in sweaty flip flops eh Dree. The area seemed to hold historical significance for the local tribes around, and would be where I'd set up camp if I was worried about invaders.
After our brief sojourn, we started on the journey back. In terms of breakdowns there were no problems at all. A different story when it came to near misses and crashes! Firstly as we drove out of the township Kez went to overtake a bicycle. I am taking no sides (NO SIDES) but Kez blames Dree for not warning her about the moto coming up quickly from behind. The bike swerved, Kez swerved and the poor bloke on the moto took a very bumpy few seconds down in the leaf-covered ditch at the side of the road. Close one!
Back on our bike Barney hit a ginormous pothole that sent me up in the air for a few seconds. If I hadn't have just grabbed onto anything I could get a grip on (Barney) I would have been off. Nearly the end of me, but I was just left nursing a sore bottom! We also took a detour through some really deep sand, and started to skid around a bit. But, as I said, no actual crashes! All in all, a good return journey.
We got back to the campement in one piece (coxix not included) and had a relaxed evening doing some washing and getting the red dust out of our clothes and hair as best we could. Honestly, it gets EVERYWHERE! We organised a taxi to get us to the TCV bus journey after buying tickets on the way back home. It would be yet another early start, but we're pretty used to them now. And the added incentive of a TCV bus - a real coach(drooooool) - as opposed to a packed minivan. Ah the pleasure in having your own seat and a few inches of leg-room!
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