In Which A Bridge Is Crossed
May 15th, Day 12 - checked out of the hotel in Labe, it was once again an hour drive from there out into the countryside to the village of Timbi-Touni for training. This time didn't have quite as many beekeeping federation staff, just Khalidou the head trainer and two youngish women who are apparently interns.
The immediate surrounds of Timbi-Touni seem weirdly like Europe or Australia, because there's tall treelines of eucalyptus trees between the fields and lining the road, and then a pine plantation just across from the main part of the little town. I'm wondering if maybe it wag an early center of some colonial activity.
Training focused on reviewing the process of splitting one hive to make two, which we'd had an opportunity to do in the field the day before. And then go over what one is inspecting hives for at different times of the year. Most of the people at this training are experienced or have even been in my training before but these were things i hadn't yet integrated into my program when i was last in this area (Doumba in 2015).
It always makes me feel a bit anxious when the participants have some experience like how will i fill the time without boring them but they seemed to thoroughly appreciate what we covered and the time was perfectly filled.
"Tomorrow" (today as I'm writing this actually, in the morning) i begin two days at Dalaba town, with i think the same people as last year so I'm similarly anxious how we'll occupy ourselves but it always seems to work out.
Then training finished around 14:00, the usual frenzy of photo taking, and, after waiting a bit for a guide headed off south to a waterfall! This took more than an hour (to cover 24km),headed once again out on 4×4 quality roads through grasslands and patches of thick low forest, isolated villages and a little town or two. Then down down down into a rugged gorge with thick vegetation, until we reached the end of the road. And there three bearded Spaniards were sitting by their expedition truck having tea. They were very friendly. A month and a half out from Spain, bound for Cape Town, time-frame: "years maybe!" I admire their spirit.
This location was just by the riverbed, which was mostly exposed smooth stone here, the river clearly being very low at present moment. There was a trail headed downriver we took, eventually leading to a very very rickety cobbled-together ladder leading up to one of the most dodgy bridges I've ever seen!
I was super excited! Crossing a river over a waterfall via super dodgy bridge is definitely on my to-do list!! And I've always liked climbing things.
Unfortunately while i paused to take pictures from the base others began climbing the thing, then balking at even attempting to cross the dodgy bridge, creating a traffic jam. With two people trying to back up in front of me and three very very slowly attempting to begin to cross, i let myself be led away by the guide saying we didn't actually need to cross it -- vowing to myself to come back when the way had cleared.
While the river was wide under the bridge, it fortunately was mostly dry just above the falls and one could walk across the top of the falls on dry rock, crossing the water itself in a safe place where it could be hopped over. While we looked over the side slowly slowly behind us three of our group crossed the bridge:
It's funny i realized, I'll enthusiastically cross a dodgy bridge, just like I'll similarly climb right swinging around 54 meters above the roiling sea, where I'm just standing on one rope and holding another ... but i will not go within basically tripping-range of a cliff. I'll admit i think i was more wary of the cliff edge that my friends pictured above!
(Just received this minute from Khalidou)
Then those who had crossed the bridge joined us (well actually they'd already joined by the above picture but hey). And then by and by it was time to head back.
"I'm going to cross the bridge!" I announced, but others tried to lead me away, and Bara told me flat out not to. I can understand and appreciate his feeling that it is/was not at all safe and i should be prevented from doing so. Nevertheless rebelliously i turned my back on everyone else and struck off for the far side of the bridge. I didn't look back lest i be motioned too emphatically to stop, and no one followed.
The ladder on this side was even more dodgy, missing several rungs, and those that were there were a bit slippery and rotten. But i carefully climbed up and began to cross!
I didn't find it too bad. I'm accustomed to balancing on a rope, i had a hand hold on either side, and anyway worst case scenario was it wasn't that far down to the water below and no danger of being swept all the way to the falls.
This area was particularly dodgy, but again for me no worse than going out on the topsail yard footrope at sea. And definitely easier than the time i went out on the gaff halyard (a horizontal line (rope) not meant to be clinched, near the top of the masts, with just one rope above it to hold on to).
Fun stuff. Crossing this bridge was absolutely a highlight!
From thence we headed back. When we reached the Spaniards i said
"Wow how 'bout that bridge hey??" and the one of them responded with
"Can you believe, we saw people cross it yesterday??"
"Maniacs!" I responded.
Headed back from there to Timbi-Touni we got lost a bit on the meandering tracks, but after asking a villager we passed we got back on track. Returned to Timbi-Touni, one of the FAPI women left us there, and then onward to the main road which was maybe another hour. There bid adieu to Khalidou and the remaining FAPI woman.
It being by now 18:42, we commenced our journey and it soon became dark. It also began to rain so heavily visibility was only maybe ten meters and nearly nonexistent when staring into oncoming headlights. But we made it without incident.
Though one macabre marker we passed which i vaguely recall from before -- a monument to two peace corps volunteers on the site where they died in a car crash years ago.
And finally sometime after 20:00 we arrived at the hotel in Dalaba, same one as last year.
The end. And now I'll eat the croissant and mango in front of me.
The immediate surrounds of Timbi-Touni seem weirdly like Europe or Australia, because there's tall treelines of eucalyptus trees between the fields and lining the road, and then a pine plantation just across from the main part of the little town. I'm wondering if maybe it wag an early center of some colonial activity.
Training focused on reviewing the process of splitting one hive to make two, which we'd had an opportunity to do in the field the day before. And then go over what one is inspecting hives for at different times of the year. Most of the people at this training are experienced or have even been in my training before but these were things i hadn't yet integrated into my program when i was last in this area (Doumba in 2015).
It always makes me feel a bit anxious when the participants have some experience like how will i fill the time without boring them but they seemed to thoroughly appreciate what we covered and the time was perfectly filled.
"Tomorrow" (today as I'm writing this actually, in the morning) i begin two days at Dalaba town, with i think the same people as last year so I'm similarly anxious how we'll occupy ourselves but it always seems to work out.
Then training finished around 14:00, the usual frenzy of photo taking, and, after waiting a bit for a guide headed off south to a waterfall! This took more than an hour (to cover 24km),headed once again out on 4×4 quality roads through grasslands and patches of thick low forest, isolated villages and a little town or two. Then down down down into a rugged gorge with thick vegetation, until we reached the end of the road. And there three bearded Spaniards were sitting by their expedition truck having tea. They were very friendly. A month and a half out from Spain, bound for Cape Town, time-frame: "years maybe!" I admire their spirit.
This location was just by the riverbed, which was mostly exposed smooth stone here, the river clearly being very low at present moment. There was a trail headed downriver we took, eventually leading to a very very rickety cobbled-together ladder leading up to one of the most dodgy bridges I've ever seen!
I was super excited! Crossing a river over a waterfall via super dodgy bridge is definitely on my to-do list!! And I've always liked climbing things.
Unfortunately while i paused to take pictures from the base others began climbing the thing, then balking at even attempting to cross the dodgy bridge, creating a traffic jam. With two people trying to back up in front of me and three very very slowly attempting to begin to cross, i let myself be led away by the guide saying we didn't actually need to cross it -- vowing to myself to come back when the way had cleared.
While the river was wide under the bridge, it fortunately was mostly dry just above the falls and one could walk across the top of the falls on dry rock, crossing the water itself in a safe place where it could be hopped over. While we looked over the side slowly slowly behind us three of our group crossed the bridge:
It's funny i realized, I'll enthusiastically cross a dodgy bridge, just like I'll similarly climb right swinging around 54 meters above the roiling sea, where I'm just standing on one rope and holding another ... but i will not go within basically tripping-range of a cliff. I'll admit i think i was more wary of the cliff edge that my friends pictured above!
(Just received this minute from Khalidou)
Then those who had crossed the bridge joined us (well actually they'd already joined by the above picture but hey). And then by and by it was time to head back.
"I'm going to cross the bridge!" I announced, but others tried to lead me away, and Bara told me flat out not to. I can understand and appreciate his feeling that it is/was not at all safe and i should be prevented from doing so. Nevertheless rebelliously i turned my back on everyone else and struck off for the far side of the bridge. I didn't look back lest i be motioned too emphatically to stop, and no one followed.
The ladder on this side was even more dodgy, missing several rungs, and those that were there were a bit slippery and rotten. But i carefully climbed up and began to cross!
I didn't find it too bad. I'm accustomed to balancing on a rope, i had a hand hold on either side, and anyway worst case scenario was it wasn't that far down to the water below and no danger of being swept all the way to the falls.
This area was particularly dodgy, but again for me no worse than going out on the topsail yard footrope at sea. And definitely easier than the time i went out on the gaff halyard (a horizontal line (rope) not meant to be clinched, near the top of the masts, with just one rope above it to hold on to).
Fun stuff. Crossing this bridge was absolutely a highlight!
From thence we headed back. When we reached the Spaniards i said
"Wow how 'bout that bridge hey??" and the one of them responded with
"Can you believe, we saw people cross it yesterday??"
"Maniacs!" I responded.
Headed back from there to Timbi-Touni we got lost a bit on the meandering tracks, but after asking a villager we passed we got back on track. Returned to Timbi-Touni, one of the FAPI women left us there, and then onward to the main road which was maybe another hour. There bid adieu to Khalidou and the remaining FAPI woman.
It being by now 18:42, we commenced our journey and it soon became dark. It also began to rain so heavily visibility was only maybe ten meters and nearly nonexistent when staring into oncoming headlights. But we made it without incident.
Though one macabre marker we passed which i vaguely recall from before -- a monument to two peace corps volunteers on the site where they died in a car crash years ago.
And finally sometime after 20:00 we arrived at the hotel in Dalaba, same one as last year.
The end. And now I'll eat the croissant and mango in front of me.