PARADISE NEWS' GUIDEBOOK: IVINDO

The trip to the Ivindo National Park was long and exhausting but yes, we managed to reach the Kongou camp in one piece. Accompanied by three guides and a France-based Gabonese tourism student (gladly displaying her bikini to anyone who would look), we arrived at the three little huts the camp consists of. We were excited, embarking on yet another jungle adventure, looking forward to being compensated for the nightmarish journey. Details and tips concerning the trip coming right up!

Transport
A boat from Makokou takes you down the Ivindo river and to the Kangou camp (address: in the middle of nowhere). It takes over three hours to get there, so remember to put on a lot of sunscreen. A raincoat won't be a bad idea, as water enters the boat easily, especially while crossing the wilder parts of the river. The wooden benches are not very comfy but if you're lucky you might see, as we did, a python having a siesta on the river bank, or an elephant feasting on the rich green plants.

Accomodation
Basic but located right next to the waterfalls, so that you can hear their humming at all times. The camp consists of a couple of wooden huts, containing beds and mosquito nets. Clean sheets are also provided. We used a spray which supposedly kills anything that moves on/in your mattress, just in case. No electricity, no running water - instead, romantic oil lamps and a crazy shower in the natural waterfall jacuzzi. You can also view the waterfalls from a wooden terrace overlooking them, and enjoy your meals in the wooden dining-room gazebo, listening to jungle sounds mixing with the splashing river. Food is simple but tasty, abundant in the morning and evening. Lunches are rather monotonous (bread and canned tuna), so it's good to bring some snacks. And the two bottles of wine we'd brought proved to be an excellent idea!

Guides
Finding a good guide in Gabon is never simple. The ones we met in Invindo were average and let me explain why. Of course, they knew the forest and all the plants very well, they could see a python where we saw nothing but branches, and they could hear a monkey from an incredible distance. They would, however, take this knowledge for granted and seemed surprised to know that, apart from seeing the elephants, we wanted to learn about plants, traditions and the like. Getting them to share what they knew proved to be a mission nearly impossible. Morever, they showed little flexibility. No options are offered, as the guides follow the same plan they have been following for years. Finally, they wouldn't eat with us or spend time with us unless specifically asked to. This, however, probably results from the attitudes of most tourists, for which the Gabonese are not to blame. Consequently, you can imagine the surprised gaze of one of the guides when we accompanied him to the river bank to assist him while he cleaned the day's catch of fish!

Trips
We spent two nights in the camp and I think it is the perfect amount. The first morning is entirely taken up by the boat ride and then you go for a short hike in the afternoon. The guides take you through the forest to a spot on the river bank which allows you to see the nearby waterfalls in all their beauty. We got extra-lucky: for half an hour or so we watched an elephant peacefully chewing on the plants by the waterfalls, just to go up them afterwards. A magnificent spectacle!

On the second day, you take a walk through the forest, you cross the river in a little boat and, after another jungle hike, you reach a place right at the top of the huge twin waterfalls called Buya Na Gonde. In Kata, the local language, it means Sun and Moon, and reflects the tradition of giving twins complementary names. Standing on the very edge of the water, just a couple of metres away from the great force of the waterfall, is an unforgettable experience... For a few moments nothing else exists, only you and nature - you can hardly avoid feeling grateful for being one of the few lucky people who get to see it.

After such an eventful morning, we were taken to see the abandoned Chinese camp; you see, a few years ago the Chinese cut through the forest to build a road, all this in preparation to building a dam on Ivindo. Who gave them permission to destroy this place and how much they paid for it remains a mystery to me, but we were relieved to know that the go ahead had been withdrawn before more damage was done. If only Gabon cared more about its natural heritage! If only they bet on tourism instead of ridiculous buisness schemes!

On our third day, another hike through the forest finished our visit of the park. We admired enormous trees and learned something about their role in the traditional medicine. Tired, dirty and extremely happy we got on the boat and went back to Makokou.

Conclusion
Yet again, Gabon managed to stun us with its natural, unspoilt beauty. The whole trip was remarkable and I have hundreds of pictures to prove it. The moment we got on that boat we forgot about the train ordeal and it just got better and better as time passed by. Ivindo is an absolute must for residents in Gabon - it makes you realise what on Earth you are doing so far away from home.

TRAIN TALES

Travelling in Gabon is not easy. Of course, we were perfectly aware of that when planning our trip to Makokou. But we were also very determined to see the Kongou waterfalls, located in the heart of Ivindo National Park. The plan was daunting but simple: seven hours on a train (travelling by night, Libreville - Booué), three hours in the pick-up truck generously provided by a friend based in Makokou (Booué - Makokou), and finally three to four hours by boat (Makokou - Kongou camp). Using three different means of transport implies that a lot things can go wrong. What is more, depending on any other driver than yourself is in general not a very good idea. But here we were, bags packed, Friday night, getting on the train, even though we had promised ourselves that we would never ever repeat the Franceville train experience. Surprises were in stock for us, of course. Nothing is simple in Africa.

Getting on a train in Gabon is a complicated business. Some people (I have yet to discover who and why) must check in their luggage, as at the airport. Then you pass three different control points, where your ID and ticket are carefully scrutinized. Then you are allowed on board. We shared our first-class compartment (six seats) with a big Gabonese lady and a man with VIP airs, holding tight onto his laptop. The train left the Owendo station relatively on time and we put on three sweaters each to fight the air-conditioning. So far so good.

Around 11 pm we reached N'Toum. Falling asleep, I heard a strange noise. The train stopped. Struggling for a comfortable position, I opened my eyes. It must have been a few hours later, the train was suddenly quiet and all the lights were off. Are we moving?, I asked myself and I realised that indeed, we were, very slowly and in the direction of Libreville. Strange, I thought drowsily and closed my eyes again. I was just pulling my shawl over my head when the air-conditioning went off, too. Strange, I thought and sighed with relief. At least I won't freeze my toes off.

I opened my eyes again and pulled the shawl off my face. Everything was perfectly still - the train was definitely not moving, my friends were peacefully asleep... Feeling for my backpack and some water, I realised that the big Gabonese lady was now on the floor, taking up the little space we had, snoring loudly and criticising Setrag (the train company) at the same time (a real mystery to us all). I closed my eyes, hoping that this bizarre picture would be gone when I opened them again.

I dreamed about reaching Booué and was rather disappointed when I woke up at 6 am to find out we were still in N'Toum, fifty kilometres away from Libreville. People on the train were getting restless and started to threaten the train crew. The latter, however, completely unmoved, would only state the obvious: I'm protected and you will go to jail. Go on, stab me in the back. Apparently, there was a problem with the engine and some passengers actually blocked a cargo train that pulled up in N'Toum and demanded its engine to be given up. I do not know how this story ended.

We started moving again around 7 am The air-conditioning was not working, which first made us feel really greatful and then gave me an asthma crisis, as the windows are sealed forever. The gentleman from our compartment spent most of the way to Booué writing a complaint letter to Setrag. When we left him, he was on page four. We reached our destination ten hours late, which obviously must have made the driver waiting for us extremely happy. The pick-up ride was a nightmare, as we were absolutely exhausted and were unable to keep our heads from bumping around as if we had no spine. Finally, around 5 pm we arrived in Makokou. It took us twenty-one hours to get there. Hungry and tired beyond description we found a peaceful heaven at our friend Sophie's. Clutching my cup of tea, I was seriously starting to wonder if those waterfalls were worth it. Were they?, you'll ask. Stay tuned, I'll keep writing.