Benin

The drive to the Benin boarder was very simple and didn't take very long. Getting our documents stamped was easy, as well as getting the passe vant... They still looked blankly at the carnet.We had decided to head to Cotonou straight away because we wanted to attempt to apply for some (more) visas. We arrived in Cotonou late and there was little in the way of campsites or cheap hotels with rooms! We ended up at Hotel Du Port which was an ok hotel but high up in our budget. Unfortunately (and I won't rant on too much) it was not the best of stays... Having told us they had no basic rooms we paid for a more expensive one to find out when we got there it had not been cleaned. The cleaner then took us to a clean basic room.. they lied to us to get more money out of us. After all this we managed to down grade, settled in, went for a swim in the most amazing pool, and made the most of their wifi. Morning came and we went for another swim, but Charles was told he could not swim in his swimming shorts (I genuinely thought this rule went out long ago!). Unamused we checked out to find we had been charged too much the night before, but when I tried to get a refund the man behind the counter, who was about as useful as a chocolate tea pot, had no recollection of the transaction made in front of his eyes the night before and despite arguing for half hour it was fruitless.. 

Cotonou seems to be one of the most Western capitals we have come to so far, so much so it had an actual supermarket - Super U! It was very strange going into a supermarket and we were shocked by the variety of items as well as the price! I don't think it was much more expensive than the UK however we have been living and shopping cheap for the last few weeks so it probably made the difference more exaggerated. We stocked up on some essentials (wraps, saussison..) and headed off for the camp site we had found on the Internet the previous day!

Chez Rada was a little piece of heaven again along the beach (Route des Pecheurs). It had a swimming pool and was a lot cheaper than the hotel the night before! We talked business with the owner and jumped into the pool! We were joined by some local boys who were very forward and wanted to practise their English! 

Getting up early we went for a drive back into the centre to find the DRC embassy. This was a mission because the map was wrong, and the sat nav wouldn't even register Cotonou (useless!). We asked a lot of people, other embassies and finally a police man who got in his car to escort us there.. Getting to this embassy it turned out to be Congo Brazzaville, not the embassy we wanted, however we managed to get directions. It was completely the other side of the city and for anyone looking for it near the Livingstone hotel! We got there after taking a 3 hour tour of the city and found Andi already there (he had rolled out of his hotel and got there in minutes!). We were called in and the man asked us what we wanted and our route, whether we had an Angolan visa.. We didn't but luckily we told him we were getting it in Abuja, one phone call later he gave us the papers to fill in and told us to come back at 3.30pm. We got back out at 1pm and went to Livingstone for lunch with Andi. It was decided at this point we would come back the next day to watch the rugby. At 3pm we headed back to the embassy to pick up the visa... After waiting, waiting and more waiting (with a Fan-ice) we got our 8 day transit visa for 15000CFA. 

Returning to the camp site we took a went the wrong way to get onto a road and were pulled over by the police. They were very aggressive and asked us for our paper work, kept it and told us to follow them. We were taken to the police chief's hut by the road where he said we would have to go back on Monday to pick up our papers and to be fined. We never disputed we had done wrong however he was so aggrressive. I was struggling to understand him, he couldn't speak English.. But luckily for us a guy who spoke both fluently came to our rescue and spoke to the officer calmly and managed to get our fine down to 10000CFA. He explained to us that he had just been to South Africa so was good with the police - we will get better at staying calm and playing them at their own game I am sure!

We had a lazy Saturday morning, swimming and food, and waited for Andi to join us at the camp site. The camp site was about 8km from the centre so we decided we would get a taxi to the Livingstone so everyone could drink. Getting a taxi was easier said than done.. Firstly the camp site couldn't order us one (not sure why), and they offered us a chauffeur for 12000CFA. This, according to Andi, was a joke, and even after the negotiating we could only get him down to 10000CFA. We decided it was still too much and walked onto the road. We walked about 15 minutes in the heat until a three wheeler came past and we managed to get him to take us to the end of the beach for 2000CFA, leg one sorted. The journey was hilarious, the boys kept having to get out to push it through the sand, it rattled like crazy and we were all squashed together. Locals kept laughing at us and taking photos.. I think 5 white people in a truck is a rare sight around here! 

Getting to the end of the beach we paid another 3 wheeler 1500CFA to take us to the hotel Livingstone! The rugby was good, the boys were drinking beer from a tube that kept it cool and by the end of the evening we were all rather merry! We had the dilemma of getting home.. I made a vow never to take a motor taxi (mainly because I have never been on a motor bike in my life) however after a few glasses of wine and some peer pressure we all got on a motor taxi to get back to the camp site. It was actually fun and the driver was obviously competent! Charles and Andi were having a ball, telling their drivers to go faster! We got back and decided drunk swimming was the best idea so we all jumped in the pool, swigging gin and Sprite from the bottle! Hard core!! I am not sure what time we finally got to bed but it was a cracking night.. Topped off by England winning! 

With 5 days left of our visas were wanted a change of scenery, heading up North we stopped at Grand Popo. Finding somewhere to stay we ended up at the Lion Bar, a Bob Marley inspired Auberge. Again we were camping by the sea however the rubbish on the beach was horrid. Despite being in Africa for this length of time I am still shocked by the amount of rubbish everywhere! The bar was nice, the served good cocktails and the facilities were pretty decent! Walking around the next day we stopped for Foufou - a yam pulp - and fish stew which was lovely. 

Moving further up North we found Abomey.. This a small town known for its history. There are lots of palaces and a museum. Stopping for the night, Lena and Olly (who we met in Togo) arrived which was great to see them again - they had had a nightmare day travelling from the North including a hospital stop! Being pounced on by a 'guide' was not their top priority. Guides are normally locals who are sometimes official and sometimes just people trying their luck.. They pounce on you when arrive places and are often very persistent. Annoyingly so! This one wanted to take us to the palaces and museum, with a voodoo ceremony included.. For 15000CFA Per person.. A lot! We told him to come back tomorrow and luckily he went! Next morning we sorted out the cars and in the afternoon walked to the museum. Walking past the palaces we realised they were not traditional fairy tale palaces, mainly mud huts and red walls. The museum itself was good however the guide (paid for in the entrance price) could only speak French, luckily Lena translated (and then another guy on the tour) but it meant it was difficult to ask questions and find out lots about it (I did Wikipedia the place afterwards!). The museum was solely French, even the placards, and we did suggest that even having an English translation may help visitors! The museum showed the different relics from the palaces and different kings.. They told us a story about how one of the princesses created a child with a panther so all of the Kings had panther blood.. We were unsure where these panthers came from.. There are none in Benin now!! All in all it was good, something different, and we didn't need a guide to charge us 15000 per person - it all came to 5000CFA for both of us! 

We are now moving back to the south and the Nigerian boarder which we will cross over into on Monday! I have not enjoyed Benin as much as I had hoped. There are some possibilities why.. There seems less to see here compared to Togo or Burkina, and where there is (Abomey), they are run down and full of people taking advantage.. Take the museum.. It was a UNESCO site but the signs were rusty, it was only French friendly and you always had to be on your guard for 'guides' hassling you. It seems that in touristy areas people are only there to take advantage.. This goes for food prices as well.. We bought some drinks one day and paid one price, the next day they tried to charge us more! The hassle from locals has been more here as well, we cleaned out our car in Abomey and had some things we didn't want so we gave them to one of the workers there who subsequently came back 3 times asking for more! It was unreal! Perhaps it was our fault to begin with but still saddening. 

Perhaps we took the wrong route throug Benin, Lena and Olly came down from the north where they said it was beautiful, the parks and wildlife stunning - however again they said the hassle was just unreal. Perhaps if we had spent some time up there we would have seen landscapes other than beach and city. It could also be because we knew we had to cross into Nigeria on 15th so we could not explore without time limits, meaning we are always worrying about how far from the East side we travel. It could be many factors leading my to my conclusions, however I am definitely ready to move on! 

#africa #overlanding #travelling #thisisafrica #benin #songhai

Southern Burkina and Togo

After our change of plan we decided to travel to Nazinga national park in the hope to see elephants. Driving there took a long time, mainly, as I wrote in the last blog, due to police checks. They were fine every time they stopped us, chatting about what had happened in Ouagadougou and where we should drive etc, but it was just time consuming stopping and being written into the tourist book! Coming off the main roads we spent about 3 hours travelling on piste (red dirt roads, bumps and lots of dust). Arriving near to the camp site we saw two elephants in the bush. This was my first time having ever seen an elephant(s) andThe  it was breath taking, they were about 10m away and were not worried about us being there, and carried on eating the leaves. I managed to get some good photos on the camera. 

Arriving at Nazinga Ranch we were told we couldn't camp but the rooms were 10000CFA, this was fine, and after paying the bill, the park entrance (and the camera fee) we were shown our rooms. The room was basic, however there was a shower and space! The thing I miss most is space to wonder around.. Mainly after a shower, and privacy! Walking to the lake we saw some birds and other wildlife.. Suddenly we heard a crashing! On the other side of the lake appeared a herd of about 20 elephants of all ages and sizes! I had gone from never seeing an elephant to seeing a whole herd! The sounds, and watching them interact was awesome! We stopped and watched them but sadly the sun went down quickly (as it tends to do here) and we headed back to camp. 

A great thing about Burkina Faso is the amount of vegetables and salad being sold.. Having come from Mauritania, Mali and Senegal where every road side stall seems to be only selling lemons, oranges or water melons it is a welcome break! At the camp we had salad for dinner. Lettuce, eggs (which you buy boiled!), tomatoes, green beans and cucumber! It was just fantastic and very cheap. Mandy had bought 2500CFA worth of salad and veg which I counted to have lasted us 25 single meals (adding tuna or eggs). Meat is still very expensive and I am not sure whether they are taught to butcher an animal or just to hack as you get given a weighed amount of meat which includes everything! Not great value! 

Waking up at 6am the next day we wandered to the lake and saw the sun rise, along with crocodiles and different birds. Heading out into the park in the cars we slowly drove around, but only saw crocodiles and baboons! Reaching the second accomodation place, Camp Elephant, we were again told there was no camping and we got a room. It was not hugely expensive and it had a pool! I have decided the best thing about having a room is clean feet.. Walking out of a shower and onto a clean floor (and not dust or sand) is a nice feeling! That night whilst making dinner (the hotels allow you to provide your own food), we heard shots in the park, this fuelled the hunting debate, which carried on when we were at the bar with a party of middle aged rich French men who in English told us they were shooting beef however I am not sure that was the direct translation from French!

(Photo of the national park day two)

To get to the boarder we had to take the road that went to the outskirts of Ouagadougou, the capital. As you may have read already there was an awful attack on a hotel there last week resulting in many deaths and injuries. Having spent time in this beautiful country my heart and thoughts go out not only to those involved, but the country itself which is so welcoming and warm. It is a country surrounded by some difficult boarders leading to issues within. It is a shame because what it needs is people to come, visit, spend money, meet the locals and surrounding landscapes.. Not negative news because of some fanatic from a neighbouring country! Anyway.. I digress! Driving there was not a long route however it was long.. Again because of the number of police checks which increased and got more thorough as we got closer to the capital. There are different forces and each had their different check points. The national police in their beige, smartly pressed uniforms who are generally older gentlemen, the local police in their green all in ones, generally younger and carrying AK47's, and the military who wear a rather groovy orange and green camouflage all in one and stand intimidatingly arms crossed, legs wide and AK47 in their hands (apparently there is a low crime rate due to proactive policing.. Shoot first!). However every police and military official we spoke to was lovely, they wanted our passé vant, passports, drivers licences and then to look in the car.. There was never an issue.. However me trying to describe our awening out of the side of the car, in French, was amusing.. My French book did not have a direct translation...(NB since meeting Sammy and Richard they told me it is an'au vent' which makes a lot of sense!). We have come to the conclusion that the reaction you get from officials is entirely down to how you are with them... Always say 'bonjour, ca va?' With a smile, have the documents ready to had straight over and they are fine with you! We did get to our intended stopping site about 100km from the boarder! 

All was fine as we parked up, chatted to the sucurity man and set up for the night. During our rowdy game of uno in the dark a group of men walked towards us. It was not until they got into the torch light we realised it was 5 police officers.. 4 wearing bullet vests and carring AK47s. A slightly scary sight! I managed to mumble 'c'est bon rester ici' and the reply was 'non!'. Right we thought! After that my French skills went the window, they said they were there for security reasons so I said 'passports?'. They checked them, asked some questions, took a fiche and wrote down other details. Having done this they went away and chatted.. Came back and asked to look in the cars.. After a fairly comprehensive look they decided it was ok. Smiles all around and they were happy we were not a threat. When they left the security guy said it was because of the attacks that had happened and it was for all our safety.. It was fair enough! I think the guns often make us British who are not used to them feel a bit uneasy! The rest of the night was rather dull in comparison!

Waking up early we headed to the boarder which took about 5 hours. Getting there it was all rather confusing as it serves at the boarder for 2 countries, Ghana and Togo. Getting to the customs took a while but once we found it we were ushered in! We had a slight hiccup because the official was convinced that our visas for Burkina Faso were wrong.. On the visa is the passport validity as well as the start date of the visa (06.01.16) and then 90 days. He was convinced that our visa datas were the passport validity dates and could not comprehend it was 90 days from 6th Jan.. After he talked with various other people he found it ok and guided us onto customs to have our names written in another book. Leaving we had to pay 2000CFA car tax and made our way to the Togo customs. Getting a visa was fine, 10000CFA for 7 days and could be extended in Lome for free! Bonus! Customs on the Togo side was a mission. As in other countries they had never seen a Carnet before so we needed to buy a passe vant again which was fine, this was 5000CFA. Having done this we were free to leave!

Togo was similar looking to Burkina however the houses had become more house like.. More western looking but still made out of yellow stone. We drove to Depong the first town after the border and camped in a hotel which had wifi! It was a quick scramble to put up the tents and have a beer and a chat to the parents! It was nice to catch up with the gossip and what was going on! Next morning after another tent escapade we set off for the Grotes de Nagou. Arriving there the scenery was amazing.

We were approached by a man who would sell us tickets (2000CFA and I did get a receipt) and told us we had to use him as a guide. I did ask if it was necessary and he said yes (funnily enough). After being stung at the Cascades in Burkina we decided an upfront price for the guide of 4000CFA which was ok for both parties. Going through the doors we climbed down metal ladders until we hit a ledge. After a 10m walk we saw Windows and little houses in the rocks! It was very impressive! The guide told suit was used in the war (I am unsure which one) and all the nearby village stayed there if they were attacked.. 300 people for around 2-4 months at any one time! They made arrows to defend themselves, and had maize stores as well as a running spring for water. Just amazing! Was definitely  worth the money we paid. We are finally getting more savvy when it comes to guides; the guide today spoke French and I could pretty much understand him so when he started talking about how his solar panel at home had broken and that he did not have enough money to fix it I replied with sorry I don't understand. It is very difficult because these people have nothing however we cannot help everybody.

Our next stop was Mango. Turning up we found an Auberge which was only 4000CFA per room. We could not see them because they were being cleaned but we thought we would take the risk and go with one! Driving back out into the village we found some street food as it was 3pm and we were chomping at the bit for food! We chose well, pasta, noodles, couscous, meat and a sauce all for 1000CFA. Was a bargain, whilst we stood eating some of the local children came and chatted to us.. They were so lovely! Smilely and talking about school! We headed to a bar for some beer.. 2 beers later  and desperate for the loo we headed back to see what our rooms looked like! Surprisingly they were really nice, basic but comfortable! Walking back to the bar we stopped off at a rather groovy disco place for another beer before we headed to our old faithful from the afternoon! 5 beers in and I was man down.. The walk home was a little blurry and apparently I had a altercation with a storm drain much to everyone's amusement. 

Getting to the room we realised there was no blanket so poor charles was sent to fetch it from the tent! He is a good one! Waking up in the morning slightly fragile was headed off towards Lome. We had planned to do this in 2 goes due to the distance and ended up in another town to stop for the night. Again it was a hotel room because they were so cheap and good quality. The town come alive at night with lots going on, the smells of meat cooking and the music blaring from speakers makes great watching! 

From here we headed straight to Lome, we needed to extend our visa and as the weekend as fast approaching we needed to get a move on! We arrived and found the visa services. We had just missed the opening hours by 10 minutes but the man told us to come back tomorrow (Saturday) at 7am. Very  early but it needed to be done! We stayed the night at Chez Alice which sadly was not great, we were in a hot and dusty car park, right next to the road. However it was cheap for food and we met Sammy and Richard whom I have been talking to along the way for advice and tips! It was great to finally meet them and they told us of another camp site where lots of people were staying. After a very sticky night we woke up early to head to the visa services.. We got to be told 'oh no we don't open today.. Come back Monday at 7am'..  We were not best pleased! Making our way to Coco Beach (about 1km down from Chez Alice) we stopped off for breakfast and a coffee! Coco beach was a lovely camp site, right on the beach with decent facilities! As promised by Sammy, there was lots of others. 2 other couples and a group of bikers who were stranded in Togo because they had not got their Nigerian visas in Bamako and they were not issuing here.. Later on they finalised shipping to Gabon but I think it was a difficult process! Staying here was a lot cooler and you could dip in the sea!

Monday morning came around and back to the visa service we went.. 1000CFA (not free as the boarder promised!), another form, 2 passport photos and come back tomorrow! Tuesday and all was fine, visa came back with a month and multiple entries! We headed to the Benin embassy who charged us for photocopying our photocopies and told us to come back Friday at 3pm! The longest visa time yet! It was however only 10000CFA for 15 days so not too expensive! The decision was made to hang around at Coco beach till the Friday because our passports were still at the embassy and we didn't want to risk travelling somewhere to find we needed them or were asked for them by the police. We spent the time at the Grand Marche, the central shopping and trading place for Lome. Charles finally bought some new flip flops, parting with his old ones and myself some tops.. 3 tops for 4500CFA, cheaper than Primark! Friday came around quickly and we headed to the Benin embassy.. Getting there we found that everyone who has applied gets their visa at the same time on Friday.. We had to hand in our receipts, were given a number and wait till we were called. An hour and a half later I was called into the waiting room to pick up all 4 passports. Once in there it was a musical chair type game where one person went into the office and you moved up the chair queue.. Very bizarre and very disorganised! This left us with no time to apply for the Congo visa so we headed back to the camp site for pizza and beers with our camp mates, which now included another biker - Andy who's face book page is Wheelie Adventurous. 

(Photo of the 'West Africa Crew')

Having spent a week in Lome waiting for various visas we headto the mountains for the weekend with Ollie and Lina, a German couple who have been on the road for nearly 2 years! The views from the campsite were good, however due to the sand winds from th Sahara everything was very misty! On the Sunday we paid a guide to take us on a 8 km walk around the area, he told us about the local plants, wild life, pigments for painting and also the coffee plants. The coffee industry here is interesting.. It was not until Westerners came to the area that coffee was planted here, it is not a native plant. The guide said people do not drink much of it here, however they export it, it gets made to Nescafé, then reimported to sell.. We could not see the point of this! However we did buy a bag of it to use in our caffitiere! 

We are now headedback to Lome for the Congo visa which took a day and costed 60000CFA. We have heard the DRC visa can be picked up in Benin but there we also concerns they will turn you away at the boarder as you are not a resident of the country of issue.. A risk we may just have to take! Our final day took us to the fetish market, a culture stemming from Benin. It was full of dead animals ready to be ground into fetishes.. The smell was rancid and the variety of dead animals a little disturbing in places. The guide told us that different blends of animals allow for white magic to be produced.. Good travelling, safety in the homes and even one for the boys stamina... All sorts of weird things! Not my cup of tea but worth a visit!  In the evening we had a final farewell fire and stew with all the over landers we have met at coco beach! Great way to end a great stay!

Togo has been another fantastic country. The people again have been very friendly, welcoming and the sights stunning. It has been nice to stop off in one camp site for longer than 2 days, and meet people who speak English well enough to have a conversation about their travels! We definitely hope to meet up with them again along the way! 

Final words.. These Fanices were introduced to us by the Oasis Overland bus! 200CFA and AMAZING .. Ice cream in a bag! 

Out of Mali and into Burkina Faso

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Spending time at the Sleeping Camel had been great, meeting up with the Oasis Overland truck had been good fun. We were able to chat to others about their experiences, and were taken to a little food stall by the road by Jacob and Yuki .. It was such good value, a huge bowl of rice, sauce and meat for 1000CFA (£1.20). Mandy, Rob and Charles even went out to club one evening with them and the UN contracters.. Apparently it was a drunken night, with them rolling back into the campsite in the early hours of the morning! We had even been to the cinema, a real luxury.. Air con, popcorn, reclining seats and in 3D for £12 was a strange experience - we had been told Star Wars was showing in English and we decided we would check it out. We were scanned with metal detectors and had to take our passports in case we were stopped by police, however it was brill - I am a massive Star Wars fan! Finally the most astounding thing was that it rained.. It RAINED .. For most of one evening and into the next day. Even the locals were surprised! My rain Mac has never been so useful If you had told me at the beginning of the trip these events would happen I would definitely not have believed you! 

As one can imagine moving on from the Sleeping Camel was a hard choice, having stayed there 5 nights we managed to gain all the visas we wanted. Leaving places with hot showers, Western comforts, food (especially bacon), beer and English company is always hard! We headed out towards the Burkina Faso boarder which would be a 300km journey for the boys to drive. I was asked at the Sleeping Camel did I ever drive.. My answer was sometimes and then no. It is not that I don't like driving, I do it all the time in the UK, it is because the roads and the people on the roads are mad.. Imagine London rush hour, but added into the mix cars we would send straight to the scrap yard (sometimes those are the ones in the best conditions). People are everywhere and also thousands of mopeds with a death wish. That is the reason I don't like driving.. Too stressful! We have seen 3 accidents in the 11 weeks we have been here, a car flipping over in Morocco, a lorry jack knifing in Mali, then in Bamako a domino effect of mopeds crashing and then nearly being hit by a bus. Luckily no one was seriously injured in any of them, however it is still a bit of a shock to witness!

Getting to Sircasso we pulled up on the side of the road next to a whelder, we asked him whether he could do anything with our bumper, he quickly got his whelding tools out and in half an hour it was complete! The boarder between Mali and Burkina Faso was another easy experience. Getting our passports stamped out was done in no time, and then on the other side the police were very helpful and friendly they didn't stamp our carnets again however a passé vant was only 5000CFA. All done and ready to head on in no time at all! The scenery was beautiful coming in, almost British forest like with red dirt roads. I tried taking photos on the iPad however it doesn't do it much justice (we have yet to find good enough internet to put the photos onto the Internet so they will have to do). The people again were very friendly and the children smiling and gorgeous!   

Stopping off for the night in Sindu we camped next to the mountains. They were amazing, they looked like a child had randomly placed wooden blocks on top of each other with no thought to whether they would topple or not. Wondering around the town was good stopping off for a 'coffee' - another condensed milk affaire! Sadly we awoke in the morning to the police chief telling us we had filled our tourist forms in wrong.. Oops! He was not a happy chappy.. He told us we should have crossed out room and put tent instead of just writing tent, and that we should write our 7's with a line across the middle because that it the French way of doing it and he could not read our English writing.. How he knew it was a 7 in the first place to criticise us I will never know! It ended up with us traipsing down to the local police station to wait around and chat to the police officers whilst they filled in their tourist book. An hour or so later we were on our way having made friends again with the police chief.. It did feel like a waste of time! 

Driving onto Banfora, we had been told to go and see the Cacades de Karfiela and the Domes de Fabedougou. It was well worth a visit, climbing up rock formations in the sweltering heat was rewarded by an amazing water fall. The water provides a life line for the town of Banfora and the farms around it especially during rainy season.. You could see why! Moving further up we were able to swim.. It was so deep! You could jump off a rock into the pool.. What an experience! With sopping wet clothes we walked the 2km to the Domes along a water pipe (health and safety nightmare!). The Domes were spectacular, singular rock formations created by the water years ago which towered above us, they looked a little like termite mounds. Climbing up on was rewarded with spectacular views! Sadly we were left with a slightly sour taste in our mouths when it came to payment, a shame really because the place was so beautiful. After this we headed to The Lonely Planets top eating place in Banfora.. mcDonaldalds. In true tourist style we went for a burger.. It was welcomed and wolfed down..the price was very cheap for 4 beers and 4 burgers with chips, cheese and an egg it came to £15. Driving to a camp site we were told 1000CFA per person.. Bargain! Settling in for the night it was bucket showers  all around and an early night. Morning came along with the bill.. 4000CFA Per car! We are finding more and more that not having someone fluent in French is hard going .. Haggling and questioning is hard in a second language! My French is definitely not good enough! Moving forward we decided to make sure we ask how much it is per person and per car... Fingers crossed it would work!! 

The lonely planet told us about a good site nearer to Lac Tangrela called Farafina. We arrived to meet a man called Solo who told us the upfront price and was not surprised when I asked to pay upfront because of what happened the previous night (I managed to say this in French!). 2000CFA And 2000CFA per person for the Lake and a boat trip which he said was best in the morning.. 6am to be precise! It was going to be an early night for us all! Looking around the place he told us to look over the wall.. In it were 5 crocodiles (see photo) and also in a smaller bucket one which was 1 year old. The camp site doubled up as a protection centre.. He told us that the crocodiles on the lake have suffered from over fishing and people taking them, this place was to protect it for future children and schools so they could learn. I guess the lake is a great source of income from tourists as well! Walking around his site he also had a shop (like most do), we went in intending on buying nothing however came across these Africa shaped bottles openers which we had yet to see! Very cool! 

Going for a wander in the 40 degree heat was a mission.. Lathering on the sun cream (I got burnt badly the previous day for the first time after the sun cream washing off in the water fall). We didn't get very far.. 1.5 miles down the road was a cafe called restaurant Tangrela, incidentally run by a Belgium born Canadien! Very friendly, he had moved here after organising countless school trips to the area, settling down with a local lady and who now volunteered at the school! Intersting man! Lunch was a very messy chicken in a local sauce which was fantastic! Again the bill was very cheap (or cheep if you like dodgey puns!).

Waking up at 5am very tricky, very rarely do we get up in the dark at the moment (sorry all of you in England!). The Stars were still clear in the sky, and the moon a slither. Eating our pre made jam sandwiches we walked the 1.5 miles to the lake. Getting in the boat was a mission, it is called a Perogue - a wooden fishing boat - that had to be drained with water before we got in! Shakily we sat down and set off across the lake as the sun was beginning to rise. Getting up early was worth it, the lake became alive, teaming with birds and fish. The hundreds of white and purple lilies opened up their flowers as we floated past! As we glided to the left side of the lake there was a snorting of breath and a nose broke the surface of the water. Two hippos were about 20m away from us, at this point Charles asked me whether I had seen the video of the hippo chasing a speed boat on YouTube.. Not happy! However the hippos were content with us there and they kept popping up and down taking in air. They were joined by another 2 who kept their heads out for a while sussing us out! A brilliant experience! Coming off the boat our 'driver' made Mandy and me a lily wreath. They were beautiful!

We decided to head for Bobo, a couple of hours drive. Getting there we parked up and walked to the grand marche! It was a bustling place, with ally ways like spiders webs! Mandy and I wanted to buy some African fabric to wear as a skirt. This was an amusing affaire, trying to communicate what we wanted added to Mandy not being sure which fabric she liked best made for a long but very funny conversation! We found a pub and the boys were happy.. £3 for 4 beers.. We were definitely beginning to like this place!

Day 2 in Bobo sitting in a cyber cafe trying to load emails etc (wifi was useless it did not load anything), I had a message from my brother about the Avalanche in Les Deux Alpes where my Dad is currently skiing with some friends. Having not had any communication with any one since Bamako I had not heard anything from parents, and my emails were not loading. Luckily my brother was online to tell me my Dad was ok, however the panic that something could happen to someone and you not know about for a week was hard.. Mandy took my crying in the cyber cafe very well and luckily I had bought some more tissues the day before. It was only later when we walked back past (my iPad was still picking up the wifi) that my emails loaded from my parents (I couldn't not see them but at least I know they were alive!!!!) and a message from Laura who he is skiing with that I was finally happy! It is the small things! Spending the rest of the day walking around was great fun, we had let the boys go off with beer money so we caught up with them and then found some food.. The food was horrid.. Maise jelly, rice and fish stew which is apparently a staple dish. It is not often I turn down food but I had to leave it! Mandy and I also found some more fabric.. So cheap! Each 3m squared price of fabric was £6. I have a feeling we will be buying more along the way, and I am sure my Mum, or Carolyn, will take some off my hands when I get home! We had our first pizza since leaving the UK at the campsite, cooked on a wood fire.. Cheese and different meat was a luxury! 

 

Initially we proposed to leave Bobo on the Friday however we liked it so much we stayed another day! This was a good idea because Gil and Marlane drove through the gates at 10am much to everyone's delight! We thought we had moved on faster than them however they had decided to cross the boarder quicker than intended. We spent some time chatting to them and popped out to buy a SIM card.. It worked for Mandy and Rob however ours was not playing ball and we had to take it to a proper shop to get it verified.. It is still not working properly! You win some you loose some! In the evening after dinner we were told by th Swiss owner of the campsite about the attacks in Ougadougou, the capital. After this our plans were changed but we decided to move on any ways. Driving on the roads the security had tightened. Normally the police and military sit under the tree next to the check points and wave you on however they were mostly all up, identifying people and checking our cars.. One was very interested in our gas cooker! It is all for safety so you just roll with it! We are now heading for Nazinga the national park and then into Togo - we are hoping to buy a visa on the boarder! Fingers crossed! 

Mali

We camped at a hotel for our last night in Senegal, it was called relais de Kedogou in a town about an hour from the boarder. It was a nice place with a pool and another spectacular view of the River Gambia. We got up and left by 7am on the Saturday and were at the boarder by 9am. We got our passports stamped out at Moussala. This was very easy, police stamped passports out and were very friendly and chatty, we then walked over the road to get the carnet papers done. Very easy took half hour. Crossing was easy, police on Mali side were fine and helpful, one offered to buy our car for 1,500,000CFA.. Seem like a lot however converted back it was £1666! They wouldn't stamp the carnet but it is not needed, we had to pay 15000 for a pas savant for a month but got a receipt. Compared to other boarders (Morocco/Mauritania) it was a breeze and no 'bribes' given... we were done by 10.30 and into Mali! 

First stop was coffee.. Or what we thought was coffee.. It was condensed milk with a coffee hint! So sweet.. Our daily hit of calories in one! The decision was made to not go all the way to Bamako however head to Cool Camp in Mandeley. The road was insane, not for the faint hearted, hard going in the cars but we were rewarded with spectacular views.. Again my iPad does not do this place justice! Lots of motor bikes and everyone stopping to welcome us.

A journey that should have taken 2 hours took approximately 9 hours... It was tough going especially when our clutch went in the car. This provided a host of passers by a giggle however Rob, as per usual, managed to get us back on road fairly quickly! Arriving at Cool Camp, a campsite by the river owned by a man originally from Holland, was a welcome feeling! Quick dinner, then into tents to escape the flies and to have a early night before the drive to Bamako.

Driving to Bamako was another 7 hours of corrugated roads peppered with drive itself was ok, until we got into the centre when the clutch went again.. Watching Charles buying and  trying to mime brake fluid to a local car parts seller was a highlight. Crossing rounderbouts was interesting, pulling away with no clutch was not charles idea of fun.. But we got to the Sleeping Camel at about 4, and settled down for beers! 

The Sleeping Camel is an amazing place. In the centre of Bamako it is a Western campsite and a welcome break. Eating burgers (with bacon), we chatted to some guys who worked for the UN about Mali and their views. I did not realise what a presence the UN has here, staying at this campsite alone were many nationalities brought in for their expertise, training local people here in Bamako and in the north. 

Day 2 and it was off to apply for a Nigerian visa.. Having heard they are like gold dust we didn't hold out much hope! We got there, watched A Team in French with the security guard, filled out some forms, gave in our passports, waited a while and were then told to come back the next day at 2. This was a welcome surprise! Getting back to camp it was car clean time.. Cleaning the red dust from the car took hours but the car is now back to normal.. (For a while). Later on in the afternoon the truck Oasis Overland arrived who we had met in St Louis.. The evening got rowdy, lots of drinking, chatting and laughter ensued! Again meeting and chatting to different people, some from the bus, some working for the UN made for a great evening! 

We picked up the visa the next day, expensive but in th passport so all was good. Next day was Burkino Fassa, again another easy visa and same day delivery! 

#africa #overlanding #travelling #thisisafrica #mali 

 

Mali

We camped at a hotel for our last night in Senegal, it was called relais de Kedogou in a town about an hour from the boarder. It was a nice place with a pool and another spectacular view of the River Gambia. We got up and left by 7am on the Saturday and were at the boarder by 9am. We got our passports stamped out at Moussala. This was very easy, police stamped passports out and were very friendly and chatty, we then walked over the road to get the carnet papers done. Very easy took half hour. Crossing was easy, police on Mali side were fine and helpful, one offered to buy our car for 1,500,000CFA.. Seem like a lot however converted back it was £1666! They wouldn't stamp the carnet but it is not needed, we had to pay 15000 for a pas savant for a month but got a receipt. Compared to other boarders (Morocco/Mauritania) it was a breeze and no 'bribes' given... we were done by 10.30 and into Mali! 

First stop was coffee.. Or what we thought was coffee.. It was condensed milk with a coffee hint! So sweet.. Our daily hit of calories in one! The decision was made to not go all the way to Bamako however head to Cool Camp in Mandeley. The road was insane, not for the faint hearted, hard going in the cars but we were rewarded with spectacular views.. Again my iPad does not do this place justice! Lots of motor bikes and everyone stopping to welcome us.

A journey that should have taken 2 hours took approximately 9 hours... It was tough going especially when our clutch went in the car. This provided a host of passers by a giggle however Rob, as per usual, managed to get us back on road fairly quickly! Arriving at Cool Camp, a campsite by the river owned by a man originally from Holland, was a welcome feeling! Quick dinner, then into tents to escape the flies and to have a early night before the drive to Bamako.

Driving to Bamako was another 7 hours of corrugated roads peppered with drive itself was ok, until we got into the centre when the clutch went again.. Watching Charles buying and  trying to mime brake fluid to a local car parts seller was a highlight. Crossing rounderbouts was interesting, pulling away with no clutch was not charles idea of fun.. But we got to the Sleeping Camel at about 4, and settled down for beers! 

The Sleeping Camel is an amazing place. In the centre of Bamako it is a Western campsite and a welcome break. Eating burgers (with bacon), we chatted to some guys who worked for the UN about Mali and their views. I did not realise what a presence the UN has here, staying at this campsite alone were many nationalities brought in for their expertise, training local people here in Bamako and in the north. 

Day 2 and it was off to apply for a Nigerian visa.. Having heard they are like gold dust we didn't hold out much hope! We got there, watched A Team in French with the security guard, filled out some forms, gave in our passports, waited a while and were then told to come back the next day at 2. This was a welcome surprise! Getting back to camp it was car clean time.. Cleaning the red dust from the car took hours but the car is now back to normal.. (For a while). Later on in the afternoon the truck Oasis Overland arrived who we had met in St Louis.. The evening got rowdy, lots of drinking, chatting and laughter ensued! Again meeting and chatting to different people, some from the bus, some working for the UN made for a great evening! 

We picked up the visa the next day, expensive but in th passport so all was good. Next day was Burkino Fassa, again another easy visa and same day delivery! 

 

Senegal post Christmas!

I hope anyone reading this had a great day where ever in the world that may have been! For us it was a great day, different.. I am used to being with Charles and my family, on top of a mountain covered in snow with a board attached to my feet.. But nonetheless a good one! Rob was up, ready to start the day off with a cooked breakfast, onion and tomato omelettes, Spaghetti and sausages in a tin (from the UK stored in our rations box), beef spam and fried bananas! Sadly no bacon but can't be too fussy! Presents followed ... My mum had given Charles and me a package before we left with strict instructions not to open until Christmas..we got some decorations for our tree which went nicely with the tinsel ..

The rest of the day and morning was spent chatting to family, sitting by the pool, eating chocolate and drinking gin and beer! Chatting to family and friends was great, if not a little tough at times.. Especially seeing all the food!!! A quick game of volley ball was followed by a meal, less extravagant than Christmas Eve dinner but still lovely - the boys were happy to have meat for the second day in a row. A great day .. Sadly Charles and Mandy came down with a sickness bug at 8pm which meant Rob and I were left to finish the beer, and Nutella pancakes.. Tough! Boxing Day was chilled, all of us were shattered either due to being up with the bug or being woken up by others with the bug, however it was decided to move on. Leaving the next day was tough.. Having woken up in the night myself with the bug, day two of little sleep was taking its toll! Luckily I spent most of the car ride to Palmarin asleep! 

Getting to Palmarin was interesting.. My theory about a lot of roads in Senegal is that they are marked on the satnav as being completed before they are even started.. Parts of the road were not there, were being dug, or just being tarmaced.. This mean a lot of diversions, topped off with the GPS coordinates from the campsite website being wrong and us ending 20km away.. A lovely lady in a hotel put that right with some hand gestered directions! We got there and met Marlane and Gil (we had met in the Nouackchott initially, then various places in Senegal), the camping Dijdjack was nice, next to a beautiful beach and shipwreck. The camp ground was a bit of a tip, sometimes camping seems an afterthought for a lot of these places, but the showers were OK, and the breakfasts good value! 

Leaving there we headed towards the National park, stopping off in campement Wassadou . The place was stunning. Right next to the river Gambia, Mandy and I spend the afternoon birdwatching whilst the boys fixed Robs car, we were then joined by them afterwards. For Christmas we splashed out on 2 items, one being a bird book in iBooks, Newmans book of Southern African birds (the other the Adele album but that's for for me!) - I feel myself turning more into my Mum every day.. Sitting for 5 hours bird watching and getting excited when one could be identified! Mandy and I spotted a Fish Eagle, Palm vulture, a giant kingfisher, a pied kingfisher and a few more interesting birds! Once the boys arrived a whole family of baboons sat playing in the trees across the river! Amazing place! Camping was very expensive here, but with dinner included along with the views and wildlife it was worth it for a day! 

My photos do not do this place justice! 

New Year's Eve and we packed up to find out how much the park was.. Find out out we needed a guid as well as the cost we decided to skip it, our reasoning being there would be a lot more chances for game parks further down south. We headed towards Tamboukua in search of a bank, it took us half an hour of queueing before we could draw money but it was good chatting away to the locals. On the way out I smelt and chicken being cooked on the side of the road and went to investigate.. A whole chicken with spices cost £4 .. Bargain! We bought this along with some bread for lunch! Amazing!

We headed back to campement Wassadou to be reminded it was New Year's Eve and we could camp as long as we joined in with their party dinner! We decided to and were not let down.. 5 courses of traditional food, drinks and dancing we enjoyed by all. The local community all coming to the communal hut to play drums and whistles, whilst the girls sang and danced. Somehow Mandy and I got roped into dancing, we were sadly no where near as good as the locals! We saw 2016 in with style and managed to stay awake until 2!

Waking up in the morning to slightly sore head, we packed up and headed through the park towards the Mali boarder. Tonight we camp, have an early night, get up early to head across. All of us have our apprehensions about Mali, after recent issues I think that is only normal. We have no choice but to go because we need visas but it may only be a fleeting visit. I think our parents will be looking at the SPOT tracker a little more in the next few days...

Summing up Senegal is hard, we have all fallen in love with it.. We have stayed here 4 weeks, have seen some amazing sights and met some amazing people, we have stayed in various campsites in different places, we have have 2 weeks of hot showers and two weeks of cold showers, have had some highs and some lows but an amazing time. The contrast between Morocco and Mauritania is vast: the people, attitudes, scenery and food. I think it is defiantly a place everyone should go at least once. 

Senegal post Christmas!

I hope anyone reading this had a great day where ever in the world that may have been! For us it was a great day, different.. I am used to being with Charles and my family, on top of a mountain covered in snow with a board attached to my feet.. But nonetheless a good one! Rob was up, ready to start the day off with a cooked breakfast, onion and tomato omelettes, Spaghetti and sausages in a tin (from the UK stored in our rations box), beef spam and fried bananas! Sadly no bacon but can't be too fussy! Presents followed ... My mum had given Charles and me a package before we left with strict instructions not to open until Christmas..we got some decorations for our tree which went nicely with the tinsel ..

The rest of the day and morning was spent chatting to family, sitting by the pool, eating chocolate and drinking gin and beer! Chatting to family and friends was great, if not a little tough at times.. Especially seeing all the food!!! A quick game of volley ball was followed by a meal, less extravagant than Christmas Eve dinner but still lovely - the boys were happy to have meat for the second day in a row. A great day .. Sadly Charles and Mandy came down with a sickness bug at 8pm which meant Rob and I were left to finish the beer, and Nutella pancakes.. Tough! Boxing Day was chilled, all of us were shattered either due to being up with the bug or being woken up by others with the bug, however it was decided to move on. Leaving the next day was tough.. Having woken up in the night myself with the bug, day two of little sleep was taking its toll! Luckily I spent most of the car ride to Palmarin asleep! 

Getting to Palmarin was interesting.. My theory about a lot of roads in Senegal is that they are marked on the satnav as being completed before they are even started.. Parts of the road were not there, were being dug, or just being tarmaced.. This mean a lot of diversions, topped off with the GPS coordinates from the campsite website being wrong and us ending 20km away.. A lovely lady in a hotel put that right with some hand gestered directions! We got there and met Marlane and Gil (we had met in the Nouackchott initially, then various places in Senegal), the camping Dijdjack was nice, next to a beautiful beach and shipwreck. The camp ground was a bit of a tip, sometimes camping seems an afterthought for a lot of these places, but the showers were OK, and the breakfasts good value! 

Leaving there we headed towards the National park, stopping off in campement Wassadou . The place was stunning. Right next to the river Gambia, Mandy and I spend the afternoon birdwatching whilst the boys fixed Robs car, we were then joined by them afterwards. For Christmas we splashed out on 2 items, one being a bird book in iBooks, Newmans book of Southern African birds (the other the Adele album but that's for for me!) - I feel myself turning more into my Mum every day.. Sitting for 5 hours bird watching and getting excited when one could be identified! Mandy and I spotted a Fish Eagle, Palm vulture, a giant kingfisher, a pied kingfisher and a few more interesting birds! Once the boys arrived a whole family of baboons sat playing in the trees across the river! Amazing place! Camping was very expensive here, but with dinner included along with the views and wildlife it was worth it for a day! 

My photos do not do this place justice! 

New Year's Eve and we packed up to find out how much the park was.. Find out out we needed a guid as well as the cost we decided to skip it, our reasoning being there would be a lot more chances for game parks further down south. We headed towards Tamboukua in search of a bank, it took us half an hour of queueing before we could draw money but it was good chatting away to the locals. On the way out I smelt and chicken being cooked on the side of the road and went to investigate.. A whole chicken with spices cost £4 .. Bargain! We bought this along with some bread for lunch! Amazing!

We headed back to campement Wassadou to be reminded it was New Year's Eve and we could camp as long as we joined in with their party dinner! We decided to and were not let down.. 5 courses of traditional food, drinks and dancing we enjoyed by all. The local community all coming to the communal hut to play drums and whistles, whilst the girls sang and danced. Somehow Mandy and I got roped into dancing, we were sadly no where near as good as the locals! We saw 2016 in with style and managed to stay awake until 2!

Waking up in the morning to slightly sore head, we packed up and headed through the park towards the Mali boarder. Tonight we camp, have an early night, get up early to head across. All of us have our apprehensions about Mali, after recent issues I think that is only normal. We have no choice but to go because we need visas but it may only be a fleeting visit. I think our parents will be looking at the SPOT tracker a little more in the next few days...

Summing up Senegal is hard, we have all fallen in love with it.. We have stayed here 4 weeks, have seen some amazing sights and met some amazing people, we have stayed in various campsites in different places, we have have 2 weeks of hot showers and two weeks of cold showers, have had some highs and some lows but an amazing time. The contrast between Morocco and Mauritania is vast: the people, attitudes, scenery and food. I think it is defiantly a place everyone should go at least once.