#3: [14-Apr-13]

#1: [18-Aug-07] (incomplete)

11-Mar-2008 -- This is the last visit of a four part trip. Begin with us over at 13N 0.

After having read the previous attempt at reaching this confluence point, we were apprehensive about the difficulties involved, particularly since it is located in a national forest. So we made appropriate plans! Contacting a Burkinabé friend, Julien, we made arrangements on Sunday night for him to help us get motorcycles and a machete for this visit. We planned to meet up again on Tuesday morning for our departure.

At 7 a.m., March 11, we met together and loaded the motos in the back of our Mazda pickup truck. Reviewing the previous attempt, we noted that there were no details given of the exact route taken, so we decided to try it from the Kombissiri side. We left Ouaga on the "Po" road and arrived in Kombissiri at 7:50. Looking at the map, it appeared that there should be a road leading to the East, the direction we wanted to go. Sure enough, on the south end of town, we found a marked, well maintained packed dirt road (RD48). This road goes to the village of Gaongo. When we arrived there, we were pleased to find a similar road heading east towards Warodogo and were ever more excited to note that the GPS was pointing exactly in that same direction!

Just before reaching Warodogo, we ceased to make forward progress towards the point and turned off the road onto a bicycle path. Parking the truck under a shade tree a short distance later, we greeted the men tending their cows and making bricks in the dry creek bed. Untangling the motos, we allowed Julien to use the GPS and lead us to the point. It was only 3.38 km (walking distance!) and took less than half an hour to get there.

We took photos and rejoiced together in the completion of the Confluence Project in Burkina Faso.

We made it back to Ouagadougou in time for a nice meal at Appaloosa. Special thanks to Julien and his wife who allowed us to use their motos for this final trek.

Four confluence visits in four days. Perhaps others have done it, but we're quite pleased to say, we now have. Right after we arrived in Burkina Faso in 1999, we made our first visit to a confluence point in June (13N 1W). However, this will probably be our last post for some time. Our time in Burkina has come to a close and we leave on 2 April 2008. It's been great!