Today is a bit better then the previous day, but not much better - we are able to cover 144 km today!!! We have the usual early start and we are on the road just before 8 AM. At 9:30 AM we stop at Sandare, where the cook group does their shopping for the meals. We wander through the town and the markets. We continue on our way just after 10 AM.
We have been seeing quite a few birds and we see quite a few more today. Our sightings include the red-beaked hornbill, the hoopoe, the broad-tailed paradise whydah, and a number of different birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles. Joseph is very helpful in identifying the birds.
We are also introduced to a new type of tree - the Adaneum, a type of boaboa tree that is quite short and small and is covered with flowers. It added much needed color to the landscape.
We stopped by the roadside for lunch and just before we finished the driving at 5 PM for the day we briefly stopped in Nioro. We jumped off and bought some cheap cushions that we could use as pillows at night. They worked very well and were a welcome addition to our belongings while traveling through Africa. We just took it easy for the rest of the day, waiting for dinner to be prepared.
By the way, it is interesting to note how many people on the trip are able to sleep anywhere even with the truck bouncing and lurching over the rough dirt roads, getting themselves comfortable, in some way or other.