October 30 2025 - A Road of Goats, Holes, and Firsts: Car-Camping in Rural Africa

📍 Location

Koundara → Rural backroads of West Africa (October 30th)

📝 Episode Notes

On October 30th, I left Kundara again—a busy, chaotic place—and hit the road without much of a breakfast. Early on, I finally met someone who made sense when it came to exchanging money. I swapped $200 and ended up with a ridiculous inch-and-a-half stack of bills. That’s just how currency works out here.

The roads were an adventure of their own. Old tarmac full of deep holes, improvised trails running alongside them, and constant slow progress as I sculpted my way forward. Every now and then I crossed a bridge with a stunning river view, a moment that reminded me why I’m doing this trip in the first place.

People appeared almost everywhere along the roadside, even when I couldn’t see a village. Life ...