Hello Nairalanders, my name is Ed Wonder. I am cycling across West Africa and I am creating this topic to document my cycling adventure from Senegal to Nigeria.

Pic 1. Departure from Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos to Dakar, the starting point.
Pic 2. Bike Check-in
Pic 3. Arrival Blaise Diagne International Airport, Dakar
Pic 4. African Renaissance Monument, Dakar

edwonderz:
Hello Nairalanders, my name is Ed Wonder. I am creating this topic to document my cycling adventure from Senegal to Nigeria.

Pic 1. Departure Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos
Pic 2. Bike Check-in
Pic 3. Arrival Blaise Diagne International Airport
Pic 4. African Renaissance Monument, Dakar

Senegal to Nigeria? So Murtala Mohammed Airport is in Senegal? Abi eye dey pain me?

I plan to cover a total distance of 4,300km cycling across 11 countries and 12 borders.
Senegal - Gambia - Senegal - Guinea Bissau - Guinea - Sierra Leone - Liberia - Ivory Coast - Ghana - Togo - Benin - Nigeria

Pic 1. African Renaissance Monument
Pic 2. My life on two wheels
Pic 3. Official takeoff
Pic 4. Senegalese jollof rice

Bicycle trip through the airport....hmmm

Safe adventures!
I'll be following you...
More pics...ok?

I rode 200km on the first day from Dakar to Kaloack. Apart from music, the other unique thing about Senegal is the fitness culture. Dakar for instance, is known as one of the most fitness-focused cities in Africa, and the keep-fit craze can be seen even amongst kids.
On my way to Kaolack I met some children at one of Senegal capital's stadiums who wanted to use the facility but couldn't get in because they obviously can't afford the ticket. As part of the work I'm doing with young people across the continent, I took permission from the authority and bought them tickets granting them ACCESS to the stadium because I know among them is the next Sadio Mané, Messi or Ronaldo who just need an opportunity to express themselves.

The last picture is my favourite; Messi + Ronaldo ��

Following. Safe Adventures

The Adventure Begins.

After spending 7 hours on the bike ride, I arrived in Kaolack but found out that all the hotels in this town are fully booked, I mean every single hotel. I checked bookings dot come and hotels dot come but no room was found. Luckily Airbnb had only 2 listings. I sent the hosts messages but neither of them replied. See gbese!

How can every single hotel in this big Senegalese town be booked out? I rhetorically asked myself. I thought maybe something was wrong with the online search results so I decided to use Google Maps and ride to the hotels to inquire in person. I checked 13 different hotels but got the same answer, " we are fully booked". It was 11:30pm I was tired, sleepy, and hungry with no idea where I was going to sleep. Then I remember one Nigerian Instagram trending reel that says "My brother no matter what you are passing through make sure you eat first".
That was how I slightest one nice restaurant on the road and placed an order of baguette and cheps (Senegalese version of jollof rice) with a cold bottle of soft drink....

To be continued...

Pic 1. Welcome to Kaolack
Pic 2. Distance covered
Pic 3. 11:30pm in Kaolack
Pic 4. Food hunt

NotBeenPaid:

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Safe trip on your adventures.

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Thank you

Seaen:
Following. Safe Adventures

Thank you�

judatech:
Safe adventures!
I'll be following you...
More pics...ok?

Ok, thank you.

Will you ply Maiduguri down to Lagos? Just asking for a friend

Safe adventures!!!

You're cute. Safe trip.

blaquebelle:
You're cute. Safe trip.

just be following in peace

I love adventure
Safe trip

Following

edwonderz:
Hello Nairalanders, my name is Ed Wonder. I am cycling across West Africa and I am creating this topic to document my cycling adventure from Senegal to Nigeria.

Pic 1. Departure from Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos to Dakar, the starting point.
Pic 2. Bike Check-in
Pic 3. Arrival Blaise Diagne International Airport, Dakar
Pic 4. African Renaissance Monument, Dakar

Oga stop confusing us

edwonderz:
I plan to cover a total distance of 4,300km cycling across 11 countries and 12 borders.
Senegal - Gambia - Senegal - Guinea Bissau - Guinea - Sierra Leone - Liberia - Ivory Coast - Ghana - Togo - Benin - Nigeria

Pic 1. African Renaissance Monument
Pic 2. My life on two wheels
Pic 3. Official takeoff
Pic 4. Senegalese jollof rice

wao Our naija Bike hero, I wish you a safe trip....Edward d wonder man

So much distance, WOW! Also, nice gear + the Access bank top.
Be careful about the wildlife in certain areas

Good luck and be safe.

edwonderz:
Hello Nairalanders, my name is Ed Wonder. I am cycling across West Africa and I am creating this topic to document my cycling adventure from Senegal to Nigeria.

Enjoy the ride and do remember to update your travel story.

Is Access Bank sponsoring any part of this activity?

edwonderz:
I plan to cover a total distance of 4,300km cycling across 11 countries and 12 borders.
Senegal - Gambia - Guinea Bissau - Guinea - Sierra Leone - Liberia - Ivory Coast - Ghana - Togo - Benin - Nigeria

How many days do you intend to complete this journey?

edwonderz:
Hello Nairalanders, my name is Ed Wonder. I am cycling across West Africa and I am creating this topic to document my cycling adventure from Senegal to Nigeria.

Following and safe trip


By the way is Accessbank sponsoring this?

OP, nice one. Wish you a safe adventure.
FOLLOWING

This is beautiful... I will be following live. Safe trip sir.

Following

wow this is amazing

Impressive!! Good luck in your journey but you should have embarked on the trip with Lamidi the cyclist

edwonderz:
The Adventure Begins.

After spending 7 hours on the bike ride, I arrived in Kaolack but found out that all the hotels in this town are fully booked, I mean every single hotel. I checked bookings dot come and hotels dot come but no room was found. Luckily Airbnb had only 2 listings. I sent the hosts messages but neither of them replied. See gbese!

How can every single hotel in this big Senegalese town be booked out? I rhetorically asked myself. I thought maybe something was wrong with the online search results so I decided to use Google Maps and ride to the hotels to inquire in person. I checked 13 different hotels but got the same answer, " we are fully booked". It was 11:30pm I was tired, sleepy, and hungry with no idea where I was going to sleep. Then I remember one Nigerian Instagram trending reel that says "My brother no matter what you are passing through make sure you eat first".
That was how I slightest one nice restaurant on the road and placed an order of baguette and cheps (Senegalese version of jollof rice) with a cold bottle of soft drink....

To be continued...

Pic 1. Welcome to Kaolack
Pic 2. Distance covered
Pic 3. 11:30pm in Kaolack
Pic 4. Food hunt

Kaolack is a commercial town in west-central Senegal, a major peanut marketing and exporting centre. The town is not a tourist destination yet all the hotels were fully booked, perhaps there was a big event going on. Luckily, one of the Airbnb hosts reached out to me just before midnight. The following day I set out early for Banjul, Gambia. After 90km I arrived at Karang a border town between Senegal and Gambia.
"Bonjour monsieur" I greeted the Senegalese immigration officer as I handed my passport over to him. He requested 5,000 CFA to stamp it. I chuckled and asked him why do I need to pay to get an exit stamp on my ecowas passport, he said that was the procedure.
"Haba I can't go through hell travelling in East Africa with my green passport and then come to West Africa to experience the same. No way! No immigration will extort me on this trip", I replied. Then he sluggishly returned my passport. I had no issues getting the entry stamp on the Gambian side, the immigration officers were friendly, and none of them tried to extort me. I cleared the immigration and rode another 22km to Barra terminal where I took a 30-minute ferry to Banjul.

Welcome to The Gambia - The Smiling Coast of Africa.

Pic 1: Karang Border
Pic 2: View from the ferry
Pic 3: Welcome to Banjul
Pic 4: Access Bank Gambia

This adventure was sponsored by Access bank, I guess.