To get from Lope NP to our next destination, Makokou, there are two routes. The more reliable involves driving back in the wrong direction for about 150km before meeting the main road which leads to Makokou. The shorter way involves driving about 120km through minor roads, no better than wheel tracks, through forest to reach a ferry crossing of the Ogoué River. Once across the river the same main road is then quickly reached thus saving a long and time consuming journey. Note that "main road" is a relative term ...
Unfortunately there is no guarantee that the minor road will be passable and also no guarantee that the ferry will be operational. There are tales of another birding party having to back-track the three hours from the ferry back to Lope and then set off on the long way round. We were more fortunate. The road was only blocked by a couple of fairly modest tree branches which we could hack away and the ferry was working. It was kind of surreal to suddenly drop down a steep slope on the forest track and emerge without warning on the bank of a huge river. A quick mobile phone call brought the workers scurrying down from the village to crew the ferry. I think we were their first customers for several days.