What was around us.

Sunset. Western Sahara.

Tropic of Cancer!

Nouakchott, Mauritania.

A broken down truck. Typical African sight.

Mauritania.

Langue du Barbarie, Senegal.

We pulled off the road to find some shade. Near Djenne, Mali.

Another broken truck. Good place for a snooze. Djenne, Mali

The mud walled Mosque, Djenne, Mali.

Practising for a L'Oreal ad.

On the banks of the Niger.

The train station, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

Cape Coast, Ghana

It couldn't always be easy.

It looks easy but this was taken a moment before the front wheel fell off the ramp.

We like the 'action' of the guy on the boat.

Near Djenne, Mali.

The heavy bike in deep sand was very difficult to control.

Sometimes, we didn't manage it.

On road to Douentza, Mali.

With other people around, it could be put back on its wheels quickly.

It took us 40 minutes if we were on our own

Sometimes it didn't fall over; it just sank.
Lots of digging, lifting and heaving was needed to get moving again.
On piste to Timbuktu.

The third time the bike had fallen in 2 km.

The smile is very forced!
Still on way to Timbuktu.

Niger river, Mali.

The Pinasse carrying An Capall hit a sandbank and started to take on water. The men started to nail patches inside and outside the hull while water was baled out. It was strange to be standing in the middle of a mile-wide river.

Overturned truck blocking the road near Banfora, Burkina Faso

People

We met Spanish man Jose (beside Linda), cycling across the Sahara on his own.

The children loved to have their photos taken. Louga, Senegal.

Near Louga, Senegal.

In a cafe, near Tambacounda, Senegal.

We just sat back and watched people passing.

San, Mali.

Funny little girl with crazy hair. Djenne, Mali

We had a great chat with this man on the ferry crossing the Niger.

Enjoying Tuareg hospitality.

Umu, Haile and Asmail who lived on the Pinasse.

Spot the Barack Obama t-shirt.

Baba and Ali who owned the Pinasse.

Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

Kobus who was riding a BMW F650 from Amsterdam to South Africa.

Marie and Ivan who were driving a Citreon Acadiane around West Africa.

Little girl in Sawla, Ghana

Billy and Trish. Aussie bikers we met in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Twas tough on the machine.

Chefchauoen, Morocco.

The big job. Replacing the rear bevel bearing.

St-Louis, Senegal.

Mending the wiring for the rear lights in the hostel foyer.

St-Louis, Senegal.

A road-side welding repair to the left pannier rack.

The right one needed to be welded in Burkina Faso.

Bamako, Mali. Rebuilding the switch-gear. Sand had worn the contacts.

My colouring was starting to blend in with the locals too.........

Near Djenne, Mali.

A temporary fix to the damaged bash-plate after I nearly dropped the bike off a ferry ramp.

A little help from some friends.

Sevare, Mali. A permanent fix for the bash-plate.

The tent cover is blocking the sand and sun.

Bambara-Maounde, Mali.

Our lucky escape. The oil sight glass had blown out.

This man was a great help.

Burkina Faso-Ghana border. The bike had been running quite badly so we decided to change the plugs and oil before crossing the border.

Akosombo Dam, Ghana. Clutch cable.

Accra International Airport, Ghana.

Getting An Capall ready for the plane. Fluids out.

The way ahead.

Coming down the foothills of the Atlas mountains, Morocco.

Crossing the Tropic of Cancer, Western Sahara.

Mauritania, 60 miles from Senegal border.

Our first section of piste (track) and a steep learning curve ahead.

Kaarta, Mali.

Hot, sticky, noisy, busy, brilliant Bamako, Mali.

On the road somewhere after San, Mali.

Mali. Not much visibilty after a truck has gone past on soft sand.

Both thumbs are up but 5 minutes later, the bike would be on its side!

Mali. After leaving Douentza on the track north to Timbuktu. Not much shade around!

One of Linda's excellent action shots from the back of the bike.

The beautiful but tough piste to Timbuktu.

About to enter Timbuktu, Mali.

An Capall on the Pinasse ahead of us on the Niger river, Mali.

The road to Mole National Park, Ghana.

West Africa's biggest market. Kumasi, Ghana.

The rains arrived. Kakum National Park, Ghana

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