06-Feb-2008 -- This is the 5^th of a series of 83 confluence visits during our voyage from Nigeria to Europe and back to Nigeria around the entire African continent. It all started on 28 January at 11N 5E.

Story continues from 14N 3E.

We are on the road from Malanville to Kandi and setting our GPS for the confluence 11N 3E.

We are surprised of the superb condition of the road - a real pleasure to drive on it. We passed Kandi and followed the road to Gogounou. A few kilometres outside the town we took a small path and followed it in direction of the Confluence and got this way as close as 7 kilometres to the Confluence. The remaining distance we had to go cross-country till we found a path again. 2 km from the Confluence we got to a river ravine, which we could not cross with our vehicle. We were ready to set up camp and stay there for the night and try the next morning to cover the remaining distance on foot when a motorcycle driver arrived.

With the entire language barrier we managed to explain to him that we wanted to go these 2 kilometres in the specified direction with the vehicle. He was thinking for a short while and explained to us that we have to go back and turn off somewhere. We asked him if he could show us the way and so he did. He brought as to the turnoff, which is not visible for one not knowing the area, watching us till we got to the next turnoff 100 meters away, which we first missed. Then we drove straight to the Confluence; the remaining distance of 80 meters we walked. It was 5:30 p.m., we made the all the required documentation and went back to the main road the same way we came and set up our camp near the road.

Continued at 11N 2E.