📍 LocationBissau → Bafatá, Guinea-Bissau📝 Episode NotesGood day—October 27th. Even though staying an extra day in Bissau had become something of a pattern, we decided to keep moving. With Johan aiming to reach Conakry by November 1st to catch his flight back to Spain, we needed to stay on schedule. Before leaving, we explored a bit of old Bissau. The streets were chaotic—markets, people, motorbikes everywhere—and I spent the whole drive alert, watching everything coming at us from all sides.I also realized I’d forgotten to mention something from the day before: on the way out of The Gambia, we spotted an old Bedford truck just like the ones we used to use at Encounter Overland. This one was still running tourist day trips, which made me smile.Before heading east, I remembered I had mail sent to the Poste Restante in Bissau. Finding it turned into its own adventure. The main post office had nothing on the first floor, and upstairs I found someone who knew just enough to lead me to someone else—who then took me into a courtyard to meet the boss. He finally pointed me to the Poste Restante: a five-inch pile of loose papers. When I asked about my letter, he shrugged and said, “October? Two months.” So much for that plan. Maybe Conakry will be more promising.From Bissau, we drove to Bafatá—slightly out of the way, but I’d read it was an interesting town. The roads were classic Guinea-Bissau: old pavement that hasn’t been maintained, cratered with potholes so frequent that unofficial side tracks form and become the “real” road. Slow going, but manageable.We arrived early enough to walk around town. Our hotel was as basic as they come—no running water, just buckets; no air-conditioning, but at least a fan when the power stayed on. We wandered the streets looking for food and stumbled across an abandoned swimming pool near the river, one of many unexpected sights.For dinner, we met Ugwe Solomon Ekini, a Nigerian man who had been in Bafatá for six months running a tiny restaurant. He only served fufu—cassava dough with meat and vegetable sauce. Johan couldn’t handle much of it, but I appreciated the meal and Ugwe’s story. He spoke great English and was now working on learning Portuguese—or at least the Portuguese-adjacent language spoken in Guinea-Bissau.By the time we finished dinner, it was dark, and we made our way back to the hotel. It had been an intense and fascinating day, and tomorrow’s goal is to reach Guinea. The route looks straightforward, and Bafatá, despite being off the main track, was worth the diversion.If anyone wants to send a road maintenance crew to Guinea-Bissau, they would be warmly welcomed.⏱️ Key Moments00:00 — Leaving Bissau earlier than usual We choose not to stay an extra day so we can keep pace toward Conakry.01:00 — Navigating the chaos of old Bissau Busy markets, tight streets, pedestrians, and motorbikes everywhere.02:00 — Spotting a Bedford truck A nostalgic reminder of the Encounter Overland days.03:00 — The Poste Restante adventure I search for my mail through empty floors, courtyards, and a pile of unorganized documents.04:20 — Heading toward Bafatá We take the detour and face more of Guinea-Bissau’s cratered, deteriorating roads.05:30 — Arriving at a very basic hotel No running water—just buckets—and a fan instead of air conditioning.06:15 — Exploring the town on foot We find food, a river, and even an abandoned swimming pool.07:00 — Dinner with Ugwe Solomon Ekini A memorable encounter with a Nigerian restaurateur serving fufu.08:00 — Preparing for tomorrow’s journey We set sights on Guinea and hope for smoother roads ahead.

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