Ndende (Gabon) : back in the savanna

S 02°24.103’ E 11°21.069’
Fifty kilometres south of Lambaréné the tarmac ended. We were content however, as the surface was dry and hard. As in the north, the villages we encountered were few often only consisting of a couple of huts and traffic practically non-existant. As we didn’t meet anybody to do the stretch to Angola in convoy, we were even more appreciative for the concern by local travellers who always enquired if we were in trouble or in need of anything. This despite the few means they themselves had.
In the afternoon the forest slowly gave way to a savanna ladscape and more so then when crossing the abstract equator line, we had a sense of achievement to have crossed the rainforest of Central Africa (which we had entered in Ghana two months ago). Our progress was slower than expected and spoilt by good roads for the past few weeks we were bushed by the time we arrived in Ndende, a small town with one place to stay, one petrol station and a few simple road side restaurants.