Days 161 to 170
Diary Index
Days 181 to 190
The first job of the day was to sort out car insurance. I said goodbye to Henry and drove back into Lome. I stopped at the first insurance office I saw. They could not do me a policy for just one month, but showed me down the road to a man who could. After waiting for the guy to turn up, he worked out the price. It was more expensive than I expected and so I had to pop down the bank and get more money out. On returning to the office he had finished the documents and I paid him. I drove out of Lome east and onto the border with Benin. It took me around an hour to cross the border, even with the help of one of the guides. But it was all straightforward and there was no problems other than the customs guy was new and had never seen a Carnet before. So it took him quite some time to fill it out. Once in Benin I carried on driving east to Ouidah, where I turned northeast and took a piste, which cut the corner to the main road heading north. The piste was wet and muddy in some places, which made it quite slow going at times. When the piste joined the main road heading north I drove onto Bohicon, where I turned west to Abomey. Abomey was the tribal capital of Benin before the Europeans arrived. Once in town I got my bearings and found my way to a Chez Alice, a nice place to stay at, which was listed in the Lonely Planet. After arranging to camp in there small parking area, I set camp had a shower and made some dinner. By this time it was dark, and I retreated to the roof to read before going to sleep.
After the normal morning routine I left Chez Alice and took the short drive down the road to Musee Historique d’ Abomey, which is the only surviving part of the Abomey Royal Palace. It took an hour to have a look around the builds and the various artefacts from the Abomey Kings, which included the famous thrown which is mounted of four real human skulls. I then drove back to Bohicon and rejoined the main road heading north. I then spent most of the day driving to Save and onto Parakou. Where I took a piste (another short cut) to the border town of Nikki. Along this piste I met a couple of Police who where being real pains in the neck and wanted me to give them something. After going through every document I have and asking lots of stupid questions they finally got the idea that they weren’t going to get anything and let me go on. Once in Nikki, I phoned home to let Mum and Dad know that I was about to cross over into Nigeria. I then drove onto the border, where I had to wait for ages for the Benin customs guy to come back to his office. It was worth the wait as he showed me all the other bits of Carnets he had collected from other people who had crossed at this point. I then drove down a piste quite some way before coming to the Police post and the just a little further on was the Nigerian border offices. All went smoothly and they stamped all the necessary documents with out any problems. For the first time on the trip they also asked to see my yellow fever vaccination certificate and what other jab’s I had had. By this time it was early evening and the light was fading, so I drove out down the piste unitl I was far from the border post and it was totally dark. Then I found a spot up a side tack off the main piste and parked up for the night. I had just a snack for dinner and then went to sleep in the back of the landy.
Woke at 05:00, waited for first light, had a quick breakfast and set off driving along the piste at 06:00. I soon arrived at the junction in the piste and turned east and continued to follow the rough piste to Kamipa. There was many massive water holes and sections of slippery mud to negotiate. Along the way I stopped to stretch my legs and sort out some kit in the back. Unfortunately numb nuts left his dry bag with duvet and pillows in on the roof. Being light and the piste rough I didn’t hear it come off, and it wasn’t until that night did I realise that I had lost it. After many hours I eventually reached the road and the town of Monswa. I had a look around for a bank to change some money at. But the one I found told me in wasn’t possible there and that I would have to go to Bida. So I drove on, but by the time I got there the banks where closed. All the way along I had been stopped by many Police checkpoints. One even tried to tell me that right hand drive vehicles where illegal in Nigeria, in an attempt to get money from me. But after a long discussion and showing all my papers he got nothing. I then tried to find the black market in Bida, but with no luck, so I drove on east out of town. I then found myself a nice place to camp off the side of the road. I made some dinner and when I was satisfied that no one was around I put up the roof tent. I then spent some time reading before dropping off to sleep.
I got up at 06:00 and packed the tent down, and had some breakfast. I was on the road by 07:00 and drove to Abuja. After finding my way to the city centre, which was not esay with the lack of signs and confusing street layout, I stopped at the first bank I saw. I then met the Deputy Chief Commissioner of Police for Abuja, and his henchmen. He led me round to a couple of different banks to try and change money. Not even any of the banks in the capital would change money officially. The Police then lead me to the black market area and helped me change money. In what other country I ask do the Police lead you to the black market! They then showed me the way out of town at which point the Deputy Chief Commissioner asked for money. I figured that his guy could really make some problems for me if I cheesed me off, so I gave him 10 dollars and was no my way. I then headed east to Wamba, where I turned north and drove toward Jos. But before I got there I took a wrong turn and ended up going east into the mountains. So I decided to take the scenic route to Bauchi, where I arrived late afternoon. I stopped at the first hotel I spotted on the way into town (Hotel Benco), and arranged to camp in their compound. On the last stretch of road I had noticed a wining sound coming from somewhere in the transmission. After have a look around underneath the Landy I found that the Transfer box was leaking oil from the front drive shaft connection. I set camp and got some dinner on. After which the owner of the place invited me for a beer and I told him my story so far. It was not long after I went to bed, tried from all the driving.
I was up and about early, got some breakfast and checked in my Landy manuals to get the part number of the seal and then to check if I had one in my spares. I did, so I spent the next couple of hours changing the seal over, with the help of one of the guys who looks after the generator at the hotel. We then topped up the oil level, and the job was done. I then packed up and the owner of the place lead me into town and showed me where I could use the internet. It turned out that it was a posh building paid for by the American government and housed the state library and internet facilities. I had a good fast connection and we spent and hour there. He then showed me to a garage where I could fill up on fuel and then took me to the edge of town. Where we said our goodbyes and I drove on out to Yankari Game Reserve. After paying the entrance and camera fee’s at the gates of the park. I gave one of the staff a lift to the camp, down the long rough track to the park headquarters. Once there he pointed me to the office and I arrange to camp there, I was then shown to the campground and down to the warm springs. I didn’t waste any time and jumped straight in, as it looked very inviting with its crystal clear blue waters, ebbing from the rock face. Which was a nice way to wined down after a tough couple of days of jobs and driving. I then went back to the Landy and set camp and cooked dinner in the rain, which didn’t stop for the rest of the night.
I started the day by going down to the warm springs for a swim. Where I stay for around an hour, and got chatting to an English guy who was working to establish a joint Game Reserve on the Nigerian and Cameroon border. He spent a lot of time in Cameroon so I picked his brains of the situation and places to go. I then returned to the Landy, had breakfast and got on with a few odd jobs, before working on website stuff for most of the day. During which a couple of Baboons sunk up to the Landy, jumped in a stole a couple of oranges. I had to case them around with my tyre leaver to get them to leave. At around 15:00 I packed up and went for a game viewing drive with one of the rangers. We unfortunately didn’t see much, in the whole two hours we drove around. We did see signs take elephants had been in the area, but didn’t get to lay eye’s on any. Once back at camp I set my gear up again and made some dinner. I then carried on with website stuff for a couple of hours before retiring to the roof tent to read for a while and go to sleep to the sounds of the bush.
I woke early and was on the road for around 07:00. I drove the long rough track out of the park and along the road back to Bauchi. I then drove onto Jos and not far south the Whining sound in the transmission returned. I stopped and check the rear transfer box drive seal. But it was OK and I eventually worked out the oil was coming from the front diff. I checked the level and it was very low. So I topped the oil up in the front diff and check the level in the rear diff, which was also a little down, and so I topped that up as well. I then continued driving south to Wamba and onto Manchi. Where I had a look around for some where to stay, but not was willing to let me camp in there compounds so I drove on south. Night came and I continued on. I found my way out onto the piste I wanted to take south. In fact the first bit was good tarmac and so I made good time, At around 21:30 I pulled over to the side of the road, had a snack for dinner, and went to sleep in the back of the Landy.
Woke at 06:00, quick breakfast and started to drive. I soon left the tarmac and the road turned into rough, muddy piste. It was slow going but nothing the landy could not handle. Once at Ikom I stopped to see if I could change some money, but couldn’t so carried on to Calabar. It’s a long road down to Calabar, and it seamed to take ages to get there. Once in Calabar I followed the signs to the banks, but again they couldn’t change money. But one of the guards jumped in the Landy and directed me to the black market. After changing money, I drove the guard back to his bank and went and filled up on diesel, as by this point I was running on fumes. While at the station I also got them to grease the prop shafts and check/top up the oil in the front diff. It was still leaking but slowly enough for me to just keep adding oil until I could get it properly fixed. I then drove round to the Cameroon Embassy, but by the time I arrived it was to late to apply for a visa as the consul was closed. I then ran into a guy who said he knew another couple who where overland and helped them find somewhere to stay. So he jumped in the Landy and guided me round a few different places. The place I saw where either horrible or overly expensive. So I went round a guesthouse I had seen the signs for near the Cameroon consul. There I talked with the owner and negotiated to camp in their compound and have access to a shower and toilet. I set camp and went and had a long overdue shower. After which I made dinner. I then spent the evening chatting to the boss and other staff, reading and watching TV, as they had satellite on a big TV in the foyer. Unfortunately the mains power had failed by the time I went to bed, and I then realised I was right next to the generator. But I was so tired it didn’t take me long to fall asleep.
Once up and about I cracked on with some washing. I then walked round to the Cameroon consul. There I filled in all the forms, handed over my documents and photo copies and three passport pictures. I was then told I would have to wait incase they wanted to see me. So I spent the rest of the morning there. I then popped across the road for some lunch, and after return, waiting another hour, I decided to go down the road to the internet. Of course it wa in this one hour that they wanted to see me, and when I returned I found that my application had been refused. The reason way I had put that I was going to go onto Gabon, and they said they wanted to see the Gabon visa in my passport before they would issue me their visa. Frustrated I wait there the rest of the day to see the consul to explain my situation, but they did not come back. So I left resigned to the fact I would have to return the next day. I walked back to Etaval guest house and watched some TV to take my mind of it. After sorting some dinner I chatted to the boss over a beer and then read the rest of the evening, until going to bed.
I started the day a usual, and drove the Landy round to the embassy. I was there for as soon as it opened. I then refilled all the forms, this time stating I would be going onto South Africa. I then sat there all morning and well into the afternoon. All this time I spent reading Lord of the Rings, and I got through a good few chapters. Finally they asked me for the money for the stamp and after another hour the consul came down and gave me my passport back with the visa in. I then returned to the guesthouse and celebrated with a beer, and sat chilling watching some TV. I then set camp and went and bought some dinner, then continued to watch TV until bed.
Days 161 to 170
Diary Index
Days 181 to 190