The part of the motorcycle that I should NOT have BROKEN! [S7-E75]

Summary

While traveling through Cameroon to the Central African Republic, the motorcyclist encounters slippery roads that cause crashes and damage to her bike. She makes it through immigration but struggles as night falls, darkness descends, and she still has 33km to reach her destination of Nola. Stopping to ask for lodging, she is welcomed by villagers who provide her with a place to stay, dinner, and hospitality.

Takeaways

• 😀 Entered Cameroon and met friendly immigration officials who stamped passport
• 🚴‍♀️ Rode motorbike to Central African Republic border on slippery, muddy roads
• 🛑 Stopped at Central African Republic immigration and customs to get passport stamped
• 🌧 Rode for hours in rain through treacherous conditions towards Nola
• 😟 Exhausted and lost daylight, couldn't make it to Nola before dark
• 🔧 Motorbike breaks down, loses start button and bends handlebars in fall
• 🙏 Locals help get motorbike working again to limp into nearby village
• 👮‍♂️ Met with village chief for permission to spend the night there
• 🍲 Given food including caterpillars and couscous to eat
• 🛏 Allowed to sleep in village for the night before continuing to Nola

Q & A

Where is the motorcyclist traveling to at the beginning of the transcript?

The motorcyclist is traveling from Cameroon to Nola in the Central African Republic.

What difficulties does the motorcyclist encounter along the way?

The motorcyclist encounters very slippery roads due to the rain, making it difficult to ride. They also have trouble at the border crossing into the Central African Republic.

What happens to the motorcyclist's bike during their journey?

The motorcyclist's handlebars get bent when they fall, and they also lose the starter button on their bike from a crash.

Why is the motorcyclist worried about making it to Nola before dark?

The motorcyclist is traveling slowly due to the slippery conditions, and is worried they won't reach Nola before nightfall over 60 km away.

Where does the motorcyclist stop when it starts to get dark?

The motorcyclist stops in a village and asks the village chief if they can stay the night, who allows them to.

What damages occur to the motorcyclist's bike during the journey?

The handlebars get bent, the starter button gets lost, and possibly the exhaust gets damaged in a crash.

What languages are spoken in the transcript?

The transcript includes English, French, and some Dutch.

How do the people the motorcyclist encounters treat them?

The people are friendly and helpful to the motorcyclist, assisting them at the border and offering a place to stay.

What causes the slippery road conditions?

The rains have caused the hard-packed dirt roads to become very slippery and treacherous.

How far is the total journey to Nola?

The total journey is about 75 km from the Cameroon border to Nola.