Danger on the roads around Parakou

In one village:

The front car of the three-vehicle convoy
(we were travelling at the rear) annihilated a chicken,

and showered the roadside with feathers.

Soon after, the middle car was forced to brake suddenly as another car pulled out in front of it. Our driver instinctively steered his car to the right to avoid an oncoming vehicle, and into a dry corn field. He then had to fight frantically to bring the car back onto the tarmac.

As dusk approached, a large black boar decided to cross the road and, excuse the pun, had his bacon. Our gleaming blue Peugeot now sported a battered wing, and carcass remains streaked down the length of the passenger side. The knock caused a slow puncture, and loosened the light-fitting.

From Parakou, the driver stopped frequently to look under the bonnet, or play with the electrics behind the steering column.

It was dark, and the light
had become very temperamental.

Then he changed the deflated tyre, beside a kerosene lamp, with a worn out excuse for a spare.

Within an hour, another row of tilly lamps flickered at us through the darkness.

While the driver had his puncture fixed, I joined one of the passengers for a glass of Milo and half a baguette with mayonnaise.

Three long tables were set up outside neighbouring houses to cater for the wrong-side-of-midnight traffic.

Travel on trains and buses in Asia, then jump into cars with complete strangers in Australia and New Zealand as Michel introduces you to a collection of characters that bring Nomadic Gatherings to life.

If you can't afford to buy a copy of Nomadic Gatherings, the chapters are slowly being made available online - for free.

You may even decide that it really is worth having a hard copy in your hands; a useful read for those long bus journeys being written about, and for endless waits at ferry ports.

Nomadic Gatherings - Online Chapters.