AWAY FROM LIBREVILLE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

After the Nyonié debacle, we were left with considerably less money and a still unsatisfied need to get away. I wanted to forget about my adorable little students for a while (and it's impossible not to meet them all the time when in town) and Jandro also needed some serious relaxing after weeks of hard work. All we longed for was nature, exercise and peace. It turned out easier than we'd imagined: we got what we wanted for 10000 CFA (15 euros), which is the cost of the boat that takes you to Pointe Denis.

Backpacks: 4,5 litres of water each, tent, sleeping bags, inflatable pillows, raincoats, food, first aid kit, Aspivenin (a complex machine which is supposed to save your life in the case of snakebite), bottle of wine (yes, we did!), book, photo camera, swimsuit, towel and toothbrush.

The navette was packed with people. This included several of my students with their families and a lot of subsequent HelloKasias. We got to Maringa, the part of Pointe Denis which is on the very pointe between the bay and the ocean, and were greeted by three of my students who must have arrived the day before. Fellow Librevillians (I feel linguistically creative today, sorry in advance) were already sunbathing and having relaxing beers - the beach day was in full swing. We adjusted our backpacks and walked away quickly.

The route: cross the savannah behind the restaurant, enter the forest, go through Wingombe (or, better still, around it, as you might be stopped by Ecoguards there), through the forest, arrive at Phare de Gombe, continue until you get to an abandoned Ecocamp and one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. On the way animal tracks: gazelle, elephant, buffalo and chimpanzee.

The wooden huts of the camp were not completely abandoned this time, though. Our arrival disturbed a young man, whose main occupation turned out to be sitting on a chair, reading. Upon mutual questioning, he found out we wanted to camp there and we were informed that he was a "turtle technician" from Gabon Environment. When we remarked that it was not turtle season, he stoically replied that c'est pas grave. He let us stay there and even made fire for us, while we wondered if the job of a turtle technician was to fix turtles when they stop working.

Evening: dinner, wine, silence, ocean, a sunset rewarding the long trek, a deserted beach at night, sitting by the fire, quiet conversations... followed by a terribly uncomfortable night in the tent.

The next day we woke up early and went down to the beach for a swim. We read our books and lay on the sand and listened to the ocean. When we got back to Pointe Denis in the afternoon, exhausted but really happy, it was still full of people and beer and my students. I felt as if I had discovered my own secret garden. And it made me understand why the little girl would not let just anybody on her secret.

A happy epilogue: in the afternoon of day two, one of the best showers we've ever had!

Pictures from the weekend here.