LAKE OUNIANGA SERIR

This small lake differs from its big brother in that its shores are overgrown with reeds and dominated by steep peaks that shimmer in the water. Its waters are also salty. The small village, set on the slope of its southern shore, looks even more desolate and ghostly than its counterpart... No market, no petrol, nothing but a few tents and stone huts, most of them abandoned... However, if you stop off for a while, you'll soon be swamped by an army of small vendors selling flints (they're a dime a dozen in the region), arrowheads and harpoons, and handicrafts. With the recent influx of tourists, prices have shot up, and all goods are sold for 5,000 FCFA... Then it's your turn to talk! Good to know: pens are an excellent bargaining chip in the area, and you can easily swap one for two or three flints... You'll also be offered those gorgeous pink or green heeled shoes, which seem to be all the rage in Ounianga!

From Ounianga Kébir, leave the mosque on the right (whereas the track to Faya leaves the mosque on the left), then skirt the lake to the south, and climb up to the village on the cliff. You pass this village on the right (west), to take the (single) track heading south-east. Another small lake with emerald reflections catches your eye on the left. Ounianga Sérir is 56 km of good road from Ounianga Kébir.