The Roads Between Us: A Journey Across Africa

Travel Stories: In a five-part series, Frank Bures explores the meaning of travel when arrival is not guaranteed

Photo by Frank Bures

Somewhere in the middle of the Sahel, deep in rural Burkina Faso, we pulled over to pick up some passengers. As the minivan slowed, a thin white stream of smoke started to pour out of the dashboard—just a trickle first, then in billows. The driver, a tough young guy in a ratty fedora with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth, pointed to the smoke, mumbled something and jumped out. 

“Get out! Get out!” yelled the man next to me.

I jumped out. 

We stood by the side of the road, waiting for the smoke to clear. The man’s name was James. He was small and wore oversized glasses that made him look like a miniature version of MC Hammer, circa 1987.

MORE: Part One | Part Two | Mapped—The Roads Between Us: A Journey Across Africa | Interview with Jeremy Weate: Off the Map in Nigeria

James was on his way home from Niger to Ghana, where he planned to sell the cow hides he’d bought. He spoke both English and French, and was one of the few people I’d met who traveled fluidly between Francophone and Anglophone West Africa, which were regarded by many as alien worlds. One young Senegalese told me when he went to Ghana, he felt like he “wasn’t even in Africa any more.”

When the smoke cleared, the new passengers’ bags were thrown on top, and the driver motioned for us to get back in.

“This road,” James said to me in a conspiratorial tone as we drove on, “used to be full of armed robbers. Now the army patrols it. But the road from Ouaga to Mali is still very dangerous. Many armed robbers! Don’t take small cars. Take the big moto. In small cars sometimes the driver is on the inside, if you catch my meaning.” He cast a suspicious glance at our driver.

“I catch it,” I said.

“Do you like business?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I like business.”

“I love doing business. Any kind of business. I am a businessman. There is only one kind I can’t do, and that is killing people. But any other business, I can do it! There was one business I was doing, and I was arrested twice in Cape Verde. I spent one year in jail there.”

“What business was that?”

“That business was drugs.”

“The money must have been good,” I ventured.

“Yes,” he said, and smiled at the memory of how good it was. “But I don’t do that business any more, because I don’t have contacts. But if I got contacts again, I would just go do it. Because, you know, there is no easy way in Africa.”

I finally got off the bus in Bobo-Dioulassu, a town near the border with Mali, and checked into a small hotel. Bobo was a leafy, pleasant place, filled—somewhat unexpectedly—with tourists. It was there that I saw one of the few Americans I’d seen since leaving home: a young woman traveling with her British boyfriend. They were sitting on the hotel terrace, looking glum.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked.

“Of course,” said the man, who was slightly more cheerful.

“So how are you liking Africa?”

“Well,” the woman said, “to be honest it hasn’t been quite what we expected. It’s pretty dirty. And we thought it would be cheaper, like India.”

“Yes,” he added. “India is incredibly cheap.”

“Africa is really, really expensive,” she said. “We’ve been couch surfing for the last month. That’s saved us a ton of money.”

“Have you met many locals?” I asked.

“No,” the girl said. “I mean, everyone says you fall in love with Africa because of the people, but we don’t speak the language, so it’s hard.”

We chatted for a little longer, but I suddenly lost my heart for it, so I said goodbye and headed out into the streets. Africa was a hard place to travel, and to live in. I knew that. There were crooks and thieves. You had to think fast, and move faster, unless you had to just wait. 

But then, whenever you least expected it, you always found a bit of sunshine, a smile or a joke or a gift that restored your faith in everything. To me, that is worth so much. I often feel like the world looks at Africa and loses hope. I look at Africa and find it.

I walked down the street, which was lined with trees, as if the road had left the Sahel, and dipped back into the tropics. Bobo was full of cars, and motorcycles and push carts loaded with goods. The streets were full of aspiring tour guides who hung around the massive market in the middle of town, all of which seemed to spill over into the surrounding streets. 

After a bit, I passed a small shop selling wood carvings. It was dark, and a group of men sat on a bench out front drinking hot tea from tiny glasses. They waved to me and held up a glass, offering me one, so I went over and sat down. We chatted a little, in a pidgin mix of French and English, and ended up talking until long after the tea was gone. And as I walked through the dark streets on my way home, I thought that even if Africa is a hard place to be in many ways, it is the easiest place in the world in others.

Next Page »



11 Comments for The Roads Between Us: A Journey Across Africa

Cecille Soriano 04.19.10 | 2:46 PM ET

Excellent Story. . . Nicely written.
Thanks for sharing

Lola 04.20.10 | 5:04 AM ET

Totally takes me back home. Solid narrative and looking forward to the rest.

Ayababa 04.21.10 | 6:24 PM ET

Good job, “Mr Frank!”

Hassan 04.23.10 | 5:52 AM ET

“The road is closed, but the road between people is open.” Almost brought me to tears!

Kelsey 04.23.10 | 11:14 AM ET

I leave for Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda) in two days. Thanks for helping me get mentally prepared. That’s a nice bit of writing. Well done.

Valentin 04.23.10 | 10:29 PM ET

wow!!!! I loved the stories!!!!

Janet Wilson 04.25.10 | 9:43 AM ET

I loved your stories you capture the essence of traveling in West Africa so well. Having traveled some of these same roads, I understand the feeling of relief at the end of the day, knowing I had survived yet another day. I love Africa and the spirit of the African people. Makes me want to go back

Mount Martha 04.27.10 | 9:24 AM ET

Traveling in that particular country is not easy. I like this story very much….....
Great stories! Thanks for sharing it.

Nonya 04.30.10 | 7:52 PM ET

Liking the article except for my biggest pet peeve: referring to the whole place as “Africa”.  FOR GAWD SAKE, its a f**king CONTINENT of fifty-something diverse countries.  So if talking about an African city/country, pls refer to it by name.  I wouldn’t ask a traveller in Brussels how they liked Europe because we all know that the 1 city is not the diverse continent.

Lola 05.02.10 | 1:52 PM ET

@Nonya - Under different circumstances, I would be offended too. After all, a few countries don’t make up the entire continent which is as diverse as they come.

But I personally know the author of this series and there’s no doubt that he’s got a genuine passion for Africa, especially West Africa.

“A Journey Across West Africa” would be a more appropriate title and WH should add “West”, but that oversight shouldn’t detract from the core narrative, which as a native West African myself, is quite solid.

Laurie 05.30.10 | 6:07 PM ET

Very well written. Africa is a fascinating place and many people skip it or miss it. Thanks for sharing some of your stories.

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.