Ouagadougou

Beast 1 wouldn't start when we set off on Thursday morning. The Maissa Hotel was a pleasant place to break down and the people at reception summoned a mechanic within minutes. While Nick stayed with the stricken car, Malvena and I bought provisions and changed money and by the time we returned the car was fixed. The clutch that had been repaired the previous day had been fashioned from a part not specifically designed for our Nissan. We now had the right component and it drives like a dream. We drove over the border into Burkina Faso with scarcely a hiccup and decided to push on the 450 miles to Ouagadougou. Nick and I led with Malvena following with i-pod in her ears. It was a difficult drive once night fell. There were lorries that had no lights seemingly popping out of nowhere and the inevitable potholes. Yet we were exultant when we arrived at the Hotel Yibi at 10.30 and took great delight in waking Ben up. He was pleased to see us. He felt he'd missed out on the lows and therefore the whole experience. It took some convincing!