Japan never considers time together as time wasted. Rather, it is time invested. - Donald Richie

17 November 2019, Abidjan to Ellibou, 77.7km
No-name Hotel 6,000XOF (R150)

Not a day to write home about. Nothing unpleasant, but nothing wonderful either…
We left the Hotel Seven7 before 07:30, and it was already hot. We had planned a simple route to the highway: left out of the hotel and first right onto the L130. At the T-junction, take a left and follow the N69 south past the zoo to Autoroute du N. Right onto the highway, riding the shoulder and taking care at on- and offramps. The autoroute runs south of Parc National du Banco, then curves northwest out of Abidjan toward Yamoussoukro… On the L130 were many open drains, a potential hazard to distracted cyclists: Stay alert, arrive alive.
We had, during our time in Abidjan, often taxied past patisseries and boulangeries (pastry and bread bakeries) that looked tempting from the outside. We were lured off the N69 and into the L’Epi D’Or. Such a disappointment, the pastry we chose being too horrible to consume and the muffin too dry.
The highway is a mixed bag to ride. The road is in good nick with a wide, safe shoulder. It is well-graded and the traffic on it behaves predictably, there being few places where people hawk or share-taxis stop to pick up or drop off passengers. This makes for a faster ride. But it is also a little dull and dry. It does not run through endless villages where every other person expects to be greeted or vendors hope to sell you a softdrink. On the outskirts of Abidjan, we bought drinks at a Bonjour shop at the Total garage; after that, we saw no garages. We did find softdrinks at a depressingly poor village behind the safety barrier, black with grime, huts roofed with palm. Around 40% of Côte d’Ivoire’s population lives “in poverty”.
The road took us through forested and farmed hills, climbing gently away from the ocean. We saw cattle herded across and overhead bridge, and smelled freshly-cut grass being mowed on the centre-island, and saw at least three motor-bike clubs roaring south in large numbers on their Sunday run.
There is no hotel marked at the Ellibou-Badasso carrefour (intersection), so we were not sure if we would find a bed tonight. Our unnamed hotel is pretty basic, but sports a fan and en suite bucket bath. It is unsignposted, but the locals we asked were happy to direct us here, and we are happy to be here having pushed our bikes between ragged huts through mud to get here.

For today's route see below photos
For overview route, click on ROUTE tab above…