LocationGuinea — from rural backroads near the Sua Piti Dam to the chaotic streets of ConakryEpisode Notes I woke up in a tent for the first time on this trip—soaked ground from the night’s rain, cow chips to dodge, but otherwise a peaceful start after yesterday’s battle with the mud. The morning roads were slow, rough, and winding, and for 50 kilometers I had to practically sculpt my way through the sculpted tracks. Every tiny village felt like a reward, especially when I could grab a small cup of strong roadside coffee.Eventually, the rough trail opened up as I reached the Sua Piti hydropower dam on the Conchure River—one of Guinea’s biggest energy projects. From there, the pavement finally started, and for a moment I thought I’d make great time. Not quite. Once I hit the N3, the road alternated between smooth stretches and brutally rough 100-meter sections. And then came Conakry.Conakry felt like a 40-kilometer bottleneck—narrow, crowded, and pulsing with traffic complications in every direction. Cars on both sides started driving into oncoming lanes just to get ahead, turning the whole situation into controlled chaos. After a very long, exhaust-filled crawl, I finally reached Hotel Azul before dark.The hotel had looked promising online, but in person it was tucked away down a rough dirt road, with a pool that hadn’t been cleaned in weeks and a beach full of low-tide garbage. Still, it had an Indian restaurant on the top floor with a great view and good food, and after the day I’d had, that was enough.It was a day of contrasts—tent camping, hydropower megaprojects, endless rough roads, and an unforgettable commute through one of the most challenging traffic situations I’ve ever dealt with. More stories to come.Key MomentsWaking up in a tent after a rainy night and avoiding cow chipsSlow, rugged driving through 50 km of rough backroadsRoadside village coffee breaks that hit the spotReaching the Sua Piti hydropower dam and finally getting smooth pavementSurprise rough patches on the N3 despite the good sectionsEntering Conakry’s 40 km traffic marathonCars driving into oncoming lanes to escape the jamFinally arriving at Hotel Azul after a long, exhaust-heavy waitDiscovering the hotel’s quirks—unclean pool, hidden entrance, but great Indian foodReflecting on one of the most challenging traffic experiences of the trip

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