VILLAGE OF MASSOU
The village of Massou is located a few kilometers from the center of Macenta in the direction of Guéckédou. We leave the road at the village of Balizia. We then follow the track that goes into the bush through plantations (arabica coffee, oil palms, banana trees...) and some remains of forest. After about 20 minutes, it is the village of Massou. End of the journey by car and beginning of the walk. Here we take the time to greet each other! Don't hesitate to go and meet the elders and the inhabitants of the village. It is also an opportunity to meet the village healer, Sidiki Kourouma. It is said here that he spent a whole year in the forest with only the Devil as his companion. It is during this experience that he acquired knowledge and developed gifts that make him a renowned healer in the region. Some of his patients can be seen in the village undergoing "treatment". An astonishing encounter! But there is no question of visiting his "cabinet" of consultations, surrounded by mysteries.
To go to the bridge of lianas, the best is to ask for a guide on the spot. Certainly you will find young people ready to accompany you for a small tip. It takes only 20 minutes to reach it after a short walk on a track and then on a path that goes into the forest. At first you can see it in the distance, blending in with the branches of the trees. Normal, it is itself made of lianas taken in the surrounding bush. Then, after a short descent towards the edge of the river, you are there!
About thirty meters long, this bridge in the middle of a still quite dense vegetation spans the Massény River, a tributary of the Makona. To cross or not to cross? One thing is certain, crossing a bridge of lianas is always a special moment, "suspended". If the current of the river is strong, the impression is very strange, especially if you look at your feet while walking. Not recommended for people prone to vertigo and especially to look ahead. This bridge, like all the liana bridges, is repaired several times a year (each village on both sides of the river taking care of half of the work) during the rainy season to allow the inhabitants of the neighboring villages to cross the river in order to, among other things, get to the weekly market. It is not uncommon that on these days, several people loaded with their goods and sometimes young children, rush at the same time on the frail work. Very impressive and not very careful... but that's the way life is around here.