Benin, part 2 and Togo

Benin, part 2

Day 5 – 21/3/12

For us, it was a hot humid night, we are not used to the humidity at all!

We drove to Cotonou for a bit of look around and to find out about the need for a Togo visa. Garmap had the coordinates for what turned out to be the French Ambassador’s residence, not speaking French, we thought this must be the Embassy. Not much help. We asked a policeman for directions to the French Embassy and he jumped on his motor bike and took us there, and refused any money for essence – wonderful. Turns out there is a separate consulate, so we paid some bloke hanging around to show us the way on his bike – he did want money! The security bloke at the consul directed us to the Ivory Coast consul. We drove there and the wonderful people assisted us to complete the forms and do their absolute best to ensure that we have everything for a 3 month visa e.g. did not insist on a hotel reservation. We can collect our passports on Friday. Fingers crossed.

We have decided to take the Travel guides as being correct and will so anticipate getting a visa at the Togo border, hopefully!! We tried to ring the Australian embassy in Accra many, many, many times to ask about the Togo visa, but it does not seem that answering the phone is part of the job description and is probably not specifically mentioned in their KPIs.

The Ivory Coast embassy in Accra did answer their phones and assured us there was not a Consul in Cotonou. The Ivory Coast consul in Cotonou is not mentioned in any of the guides.

 We stopped off at a charwama joint for lunch. On the way back to Grand Popo, we tried to visit the old slaving port of Ouidah. But, the street to the beach was blocked off; workmen were felling a very large tree in the middle of town watched by a crowd.

So back to Grand Popo (and please do not think there is too much grand about the town) for the night. Having had a large lunch, after a couple of drinks at the Auberge bar, we settle for a light dinner.

 Ray & Avril driving.

Day 6 – 22/3/12

A day of chores – mainly cleaning and washing. We took a long, hot walk into the internet café. Unfortunately after a few minutes the power failed. So, no internet today.

We heard on the wireless, BBC, that there has been a military coup in Mali. Just so every one is sure; we had nothing to do with it! Apparently the new ruling folks have closed the borders and the airport. We had always intended to take the coastal route north, but now we have no option and no escape if the roads prove to be very bad.

Our general plan now will be to pass quickly through Togo and spend some time in Ghana getting a number of visas. Per chance, some friends from Egypt days may be there at the same time, so hopefully we can meet up with them.

From Ghana we will go to Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone and hence to Guinea. There is some suggestion that the best route from Ivory Coast to Liberia is via Guinea, so we need to check this.

The rains will start in the next 4 – 6 weeks. So, aimless though we are, we need to take account of this. Our previous experiences with mud tracks did not leave us yearning for more.

 The days are a bit too hot, but late in the afternoon a sea breeze comes in to drop the temperature – a bit like the Freemantle Doctor. This seems to clear the cloud cover and we get a view of the stars. Before sunrise, the haze has returned. We have not seen a clear blue sky since Ouga.

Day 7 – 23/3/12

We decided to go and look at the capital of Benin; Porto Novo. This involved a transit through Cotonou and the GPS took us right through the middle one of the main markets. It is interesting to see the life in a major market: a bit like Victoria market in Melbourne, but with many, many more people; lots more noise (lots & lots more); taxi’s and motor bike taxis cruising to pick up passengers (this means the driver of our Landcruiser needs to be super alert, as potential passengers will wave to attract the attention of a taxi and shout their destination, then depending on whether there taxi is going that way, the taxi driver may decide to collect the passenger, which means either a sudden stop or a left or right turn – all which will cause disruption to the traffic and then the negotiation on a fare starts. Patience is needed); lots of colour and even from the lofty heights of a Landcruiser you can see there is a great diversity of goods for sale.

Basically the guide book says not to bother with Porto Novo and in this they are 100% right. We did not take any pictures!

We returned to Cotonou for a bite of lunch and to do some internetting. Then we back to the Ivory Coast consul to get our passports. They opened exactly on time and we were back on the road post haste with a 3 month, multi entry visa. Many thanks.

The drive back through Cotonou confirmed that this has some of the worst air pollution we have seen in a long time. It was so bad that it reduced visibility. It seems that Friday is “burning off” day. The smoke from the many fires as we drove back to Grand Popo caused further damage to lungs and sinuses.

Avril driving.

Day 8 – 24/3/12

After a short drive we departed Benin. The customs & immigration formalities were straight forward. No request for a bribe.

Benin Summary

It is fair to say Benin was not one of our favourite countries. The people were not that friendly, in fact they seemed to be a bit sour. We may be tiring of the constant attention, but it seemed that more people in Benin asked for “cadeau” than elsewhere. At the Grand Popo campsite, school kids would come into the camp ground to demand a present. The traffic and vendors in Cotonou were frenetic and the air very polluted.

On the positive side, the roads were basically OK and there were no security issues.

Rough Guide: 5/10 (even though places mentioned have closed). Lonely Planet; 5/10.

IGN map; 7/10. Garmap was very useful.

Togo

Day 1 – 24/3/12

As per the blogs, we got a visa on entry. CFA 10,000 each. No hassle all very efficient. The customs bloke asked for money and Ray said he could have a drink when the Carnet was signed. So, it took 1 minute to get the carnet finished and a can of Diet Coke delivered.

Togo is a very narrow country ~ 56 km. There are some road works on the way to Lome, but otherwise it was a good drive.

We had some humus & Tabouli at a Lebanese place recommended by the Rough Guide. Avril immediately declared Ray’s humus is much better. Great thing taste (& loyalty!). We had a bit of a drive around the city. Much easier and nicer than Cotonou.

We decided to drive north to Kpalime rather than exit directly to Ghana.  As we drove north we got that familiar view of haze caused by heat, fires and dust from the sahel. The road is okish, but with some bad pothole sections. As we approached Kpalime, the outline of Mt Agou appeared. Togo’s highest mountain at ~ 1,000m, through the haze we managed to get a photo . The place we wanted to stay in in Kpalime was full, so we decided to proceed north to Atakpame.

This road is green on the Michelin map. The drive was very pleasant, through mostly tropical vegetation. The road passed along a small mountain range, but due to the haze we could only get a general impression. The road it absolutely awful. Avril thinks as bad as Angola, but Ray is not sure. We stayed the night at the hotel L’Amitie with cold beer and a nice view of the mountains.

Ray driving. ~ 300km N  07⁰ 31’ 18.7’’ E 001⁰ 08’ 57.1’’

Day 2 – 25/3/12

We had a pleasant evening chatting to 2 Swiss sisters who were backpacking (yep, we have finally met some backpackers).

The road to Badou on the border was incorrectly marked on the IGS map and on Garmap, but after chatting to the local folks we managed to found the way. The route is over the mountains with hairpin turns and some great views of the plain below. Even through the haze we had some fine viewing. The road is awful, badly broken up and potholed.

At one point we stopped to get a picture and a bloke on a motor bike stopped and asked where we were going. We said Badou and Ghana. It seemed he was going the same way and so we teamed up. A couple of times the battery fell out of his motor bike, but with some twine from our spare parts kit we managed to secure it. The second time is fell out another bike stopped to assist (3 blokes on one small bike) so we had a “chat”, handed over water & food and a pen and continued.
When we got to Badou the chap on the motorbike stopped to pick up another chap, who could speak English. Turns out the motorbike dude was not going to Ghana, he was just showing us the way – not that we needed that. We paid for his petrol and gave him a tip for his kindness.

We completed customs formalities in Badou (not at the border) and proceeded to the Frontier, along a very, very bad road. We had bad memories of our Angola ~ Congo crossing!!! Then, the motor bike fell and there was blood, scratches and torn clothes. After patching up the assistants, the motor bike chap stayed behind and the other chap clutched to the side of the car and took us to the border.

The border formalities were completed with a minimum of fuss and no request for a bribe.

Togo Summary

It is hard to pass any realistic comment after 2 days. There is no shortage of churches. The roads are OK near the coast, but very bad once you leave the coastal region. We had no security issues and the lack of road blocks is always nice.

The people seemed to be a friendly, always with a wave and a smile.

IGS map & garmap were both poor with roads marked incorrectly etc. We cannot really comment on the guides.

Burkina Faso 3 & Benin 1

Burkina Faso, part 3

Day 6 – 16/3/12

OKInn had a quiet night which was great compared to last time, so we managed to get a sleep in. Then we did some chores and had a quick swim before heading off to collect some further passport photos and arriving at the Ghana embassy 30 min before the appointed time. Unfortunately the bloke who had to sign the visa was out, so we took the opportunity to change some money, buy fruit and refuel the car.

As promised by the fantastic Michael at the embassy, our visa was issued; ~ 24 hours, not the 3 days normally required. We tried to give Michael a tip, but he refused. Thanks.

Then we decided to drive as far as possible towards the Benin border. We got to Pama just before dark and camped at the Bonazza Campment under some ginormous mango trees. The camp has cold beer!!!!

We drove the through sahel/transition/savannah and flat terrain all the way – Pama does seem to be built around a kopje. The road was very good tar all the way.

The weather remains super hot, we listened to a John Le Carre novel on the way and this provided the excuse to wind up the windows (noise) and use the a/c.

We forgot to mention another act of kindness yesterday – Avril chatted up another customer at the Ghana embassy. When we needed to get passport photos, he guided us to a suitable shop on his motor bike and stayed around to make sure we were not over charged and were looked after. Again, not prompted, he offered and just did it!

Observant readers will note we crossed Greenwich again.

Avril driving. 4 hours. 323 km. N 11⁰ 14’ 40.6’’ E 000⁰ 42’ 53.3’’

Day 7 – 17/3/12

We sweltered through a very hot night. After some early repairs to the electrical system, we were on our way. The atmosphere had closed in and visibility was very limited.

It was a short drive to the border and the customs and immigration formalities were completed quickly. No suggestion of a bribe.

A big coincidence – the missionary school from Niamey was on their way to Benin for the final year trip. Tim & Barbies daughter Beth was on the bus. How about that!

Burkina Faso Summary

As per most of Africa, Burkina Faso is a very poor country, however folks are welcoming. Importantly they take no for an answer and do not keep pestering. The people who collect the road tolls always wanted to chat and make sure we were happy etc.

Our accommodation was fine and we never felt threatened or thought there were any security issues.

In general it was easy to get around and except where mentioned the roads were ok. We were not hassled at all but police or road blocks.

The biggest negative is the lack of “big name” attractions.

We used the IGN Burkina Map and in general it was OK = 6/10. Garmap has the main cities, but seems to miss the roads??

Lonely planet = 4/10. Rough Guide really needs to get serious about the advice it gives. Rather than concentrate on theoretical back packers  (we do not think we have seen one of these mythical 1970's people on the journey, yet) trying to travel at minimum cost, gender issues, sexuality etc it should think about the people actually using the guide; people on organised trips, overlanders and local travellers.

Benin, part 1

Day 1 – 17/3/12

Benin customs and immigration were completed quickly. No suggestion of a bribe.

We drove directly to Pendjari National Park. The park is generally regarded as the best in West Africa.

To get to the park you need to drive through a hunting concession. We saw no game in the concession and the road was quite bad.

When we got to the park proper, we started to see some game. On the way we saw: Cob d’Buffon/Puku, Reed Buck, Bush Buck, warthog, buffalo, grey duiker, elephants, hippopotamus, Patas monkeys and baboons.

We were not allowed to camp at the park hotel, so camped at a designated spot by a small lake.

Ray driving. 214 km. N 11⁰ 21’ 56.7’’ E 001⁰ 21’ 31.4’’ 

Day 2 – 18/3/12

It was good to get a night sleep with out the cacophony of village sounds; donkeys, chickens, dogs, very loud music, villagers talking loudly etc. All we had was grunting hippos.

We drove out of the Pendjari park to Batia gate. Along the way we saw a similar collection of animals to yesterday plus waterbuck, crocodiles at a water hole and a flock (?) of vultures descend onto and devour a cob. Once you get away from the river area, there is basically no game to be seen at this time of year. The roads were OK, but there are not a lot of loops to get to the river etc. Overall we thought park was a nice sojourn. However, we did not think it was that much better than Park W in Niger. Also, there were a number of grass fires (including 2 on the far bank of the lake we camped at) which made the place smell a bit.

We visited the Tanougou water falls on the way to our nights rest. The falls have a large ~ 35 m drop at the upper level and 2 smaller, but wider drops below that. The drops were classic falls and quite beautiful and it was good to soak our feet in the water pools. We took a compulsory guide. However, Avril, ever the princess, needed 2 guides to assist her over the difficult spots.

The road from Batia to the road intersection at Tanguieta is very average gravel. From Tanguieta to Natitingou is good tar.

The visibility was very poor again. The road follows the Atakora mountain/hills and then crosses the range just after Tanguieta. We could just make out the ghostly outline of the mountain/hills. After waiting for a change from the flat plains we have travelled for so long, we were really looking forward to the hills. We theorised that maybe the dust would sort of drop out of the air when it hit the mountain/hills. But this did not happen, in fact if it was possible, the visibility was worse after the hills.

As we entered Natitingou we were pulled over by the police. They wanted to see the car documents, no worries. Out came the carnet. That was fine. What about insurance? Out came the Vicroads receipt. This had been satisfactory since Namibia. But, this cop was a bit smarter than the ones we have spoken to thus far – and very charming. So the discussion went back and forward. Ray: we are happy to get the Insurance, but it has not been asked for before and was not mentioned at the frontier. Policeman: but you have broken the law. So we must go to the police station, have the car impounded and pay a very large fine (we are not sure how we would get to accommodation then as all our stuff is in the car). But there is an alternative; we could make a small present and go to our accommodation and get the insurance tomorrow. Ray; how much of a present? Policeman: what ever is in your heart (smooth talker). So, Ray starts very low and we work our way up to an OK amount for both policemen. Then Ray asks the policeman how to get to the hotel, the policeman stops a motorbike taxi going past and instructs him to take us to the hotel and pays (yes from his pocket) for the taxi to take us there. Rest assured we topped up the amount when we got to our destination.

We asked about camping at the Bellevue hotel, but it is not possible. So we went through a negotiation to get a room with a/c = CFA 12,500 = A$ 25. When we got to the room there is no water. There is an issue with the town water distribution and as the hotel is on a hill, it runs short. Mmmm, maybe the manager could have told us that initially?? Anyway, we had bucket baths and a fine dinner with cold beer. The staff and particularly the owner (+ 15 stone, but with an eye for detail, desire to look after the guests and a wicked sense of humour). A big plus, the rooms were very clean and there was a seat on the dunny.

Avril driving. 221 km. N 10⁰ 18’ 22.4’’ E 001⁰ 23’ 09.6’’

Day 3 – 19/3/12

The dust from the Sahara was even worse in the morning, so we decided to flee to the south to try and get some better air rather than follow the mountains and associated scenery.

The friendly hotel manager took Ray to the Insurance office to get the ECOWAS insurance. Valid for all countries up to/including Senegal. Apparently 6 months cost the same as 4 months, so we took 6 months = ~ CFA 78,000. The manager then took Ray to the MTN office to get a SIM card. MTN is RSAian and holder of the second trip raspberry. And true to form, there we 2 security guards + 2 cleaners but only one office staff to look after the customers & each customer seemed to take 10 min. And there was already 8 people waiting. Ray, still not known for his patience, waited for a bit and then left. We managed to get a card in 30 sec off the street.

We then drove to Abomey, capital of the Dahomey kingdom. The roads were okish tar with some mansized potholes along the way to keep you awake. The visibility was < 100 m to start with. Very close. It did get a bit better much further south, but was still only ~ 200m.

There were some, what looked like, interesting hills with steep/sheer near the road, but with the dust we could not really see them. The road did have some very gradual low rises and falls. So, maybe we are over the flat for a bit.

The change from savannah to agricultural land with lots of green happened a lot faster than you would imagine. Lots of tall trees (not acacia/thorn trees) and a variety of other trees, plants etc. The crop of choice seems to be cassava again.

Similarly the weather changed to humid from dry hot more suddenly than we expected. The guide books suggested mid – high 20s^oC should be expected. Our thermometer said high 30s^oC.

We camped at Chez Monique among large shaded trees and seems to be an artist/craft work shop as well. Note, the entrance for campers is at the rear of the property. Again, there is no running water, fortunately the property has a well, unfortunately they do not store the bucket & rope beside it. So, Ray had to make a tour of near by houses to retrieve the bucket for Avrils shower.

 Ray driving. 425 km. 6 hrs N  07⁰ 11’ 52.5’’ E 001⁰ 58’ 48.4’’

 Day 4 – 20/3/12

Being un-acclimatised to the humidity, we had a restless nights sleep. The noise of what seemed to be a domestic argument in the next house going late into the night and restarting in the morning did not assist. Nor did the radio turned upto distortion level that was turned on at ~ 03:30. Pretty sure village life is not for us.

We made a tour of the Voodoo & fetish areas of Abomey and well as the remaining palaces and the museum. We met the main voodoo priest and had the whole voodoo religion and fetish items explained. The priest has a bowl of rotten animals (he made the concoction up + 20 years ago) and it is topped up with owls blood and chicken blood on a regular basis. The priest dipped his finger in 3 times and licked it each time. Avril whispered urgently to Ray, I am not eating or drinking anything!! Then after spraying water from his mouth over the fetish idols, he did the same with a ouzo style liquor. We were offered a drink of the ouzo and Ray had a nip – 09:00 hrs.

Then we visited a further number of alters and went to the place where ceremonies are carried out. We both had a ceremony and made wishes for prosperity and good health. We were given a fetish to carry to prevent accidents.

All in all a very interesting experience. Not all the hygienic!! The priest is 75 years old, had 31 wives and 75 kids. He had a naughty smile and was quite pleasant – we left a good tip.
we went to the fetish market which seemed to sell lots od dead animals; owls & other birds, snakes, different buck, bats, etc etc, etc. The smell was not that great. Seemed to be a bit of a mega kill of native life happening. Apparently 75% of the folks around Abomey are into this.

The palaces were less interesting than the fetish stuff. Except for the museum they are quite run down. There is an entrance building with bas reliefs of the kings’ symbol and a few run down buildings inside.

The museum is basic but interesting. It concentrates on the personal side of things and does not explain the history of the Dahomey kingdom. They probably miss a trick in not doing this.

Following the previous nights experience, we decided to go to Grand Popo and chill on the beach. The drive down was now though tropical vegetation with small rolling hills. The road was/used to be tar. There are a few badly deteriorated and potholed sections. There now seems to be village after village and a constant stream of people.

The weather; well at the beach the sea breeze has kept the temperature down. There seemed to be a lot of dust around still, but visibility was now at maybe 600 – 700 m. at one point we debated whether there were rain clouds of dust, but came down on the side of dust.

We camped at the Auberge Grand Popo. A nice location just off the beach. The beach is golden sand, but lots of (plastic) litter.

Ray driving. 149 km. 3 hrs N  06⁰ 16’ 45.7’’ E 001⁰ 49’ 52.6’’

Burkina Faso, parts 1 & 2 and Mali

Burkina Faso, part 1

Day 1 – 7/3/12

Our original plan was to drive from Niger to Mali. However, we have made the detour via Burkina Faso because of the bad people in north Mali.

The BF Immigration & Customs is ~ 20 km before/after the border. Immigration was completed smoothly, professional, no hint of a bribe. Customs was also competed quickly and professionally etc. But, the crossing was chaotic. There were a huge number of trucks waiting to exit BF and they occupied all the available space, including the road we needed to take. After a bit of manoeuvring we managed to get out an on our way to Ouagadougou. Everyone says Ouaga as in Wagga as in Wagga Wagga. So, that is how we will refer to it in future.

The road to Ouaga is mainly good tar, with a couple of very small rough patches.

Immediate observations; charcoal rather than wood for sale at the side of the road, much thicker and greener vegetation, including some enormous mango trees, women without hair covering, no begging (yet), lots of bicycles and motor bikes, towns appear to be a little more layback, not the frenetic activity we have seen elsewhere.

We camped under eucalyptus trees at the OKInn in Ouaga, where most overlanders tend to stay. There is a pool and internet (which did not work whilst we were there, hence the late posting of the Niger blog!!) all gratis. The quid pro quo is that you must eat in the restaurant.

The observant reader will note that we crossed the Greenwich meridian today. This bought back wonderful memories of Blighty, Greenwich museum, picnics and beer (both hot & cold).

Ray driving. 7.5 hours. 512 km. N 12⁰ 20’ 06.6’’ W 001⁰ 30’ 49.8’’ 

Day 2 – 8/3/12

There is a large truck depot just in front of the hotel and it seems like the hotel is very near the airport. With tucks leaving all night and the roar of an occasional jet plane plus some inane repetitive music being played over a loud speaker, we did not have a great sleep. Fortunately there were only about 4 mosques nearby.

With good road signs and T4A (for some reason garmap could not plot routes) we made it to the Mali border without any hassle. The road to Ouahigouya is tar and then some reasonable gravel that deteriorates towards the border.

The vegetation started off thick and green, but dried out and thinned out towards the border. Still no hills.

The BF police & customs are well turned out and efficient. No hint of bribes. All formalities are completed with a minimum of fuss.

Mali

Day 1 – 8/3/12

The road from the BF border is OKish gravel to Koro and then improves to good gravel.

Immigration, gendarmes & customs are completed with out fuss, but all through a window. In almost all other crossings we have gone into the relevant official’s office. Also, for the 1^st time, Avril had to leave the car and present herself.

We drove through to Bandiagara, the HQ of the Dogon country. Along the way we drove up onto the Falaise de Bandiagara or the Dogon Plateau. Finally something to break the flatness. The plateau rises straight off the sandy plain and is quite spectacular. Despite the heat haze (we beat the average march temperature of 39^oC today).

We went straight to the Togona Campsite and set up camp. Rather relax and do some chores than walk around town in the heat.

Our guide (contact arranged courtesy of Jean at Zakouma), Mohamed came around and we discussed the arrangements for our trek etc.

 Avril driving. 7 hours. 375 km. N 14⁰ 21’ 28.0’’ W 003⁰ 38’ 35.7’’.

 Day 2 – 9/3/12

We got up early to prepare our packs for the trek then we went to a local hotel that had internet and finally managed to post the Niger blog and then drove the 45 km, 2 hours on a very rough track to Sangha to start of our trek.

We parked the vehicle at a local auberge and negotiated to run their generator a few hours a day to keep out batteries charged. Our guide had organised for 2 porters. We did not have a lot of luggage but had decided to take 12 x 1.5l bottles of water, as the average March temperature is 39^oC. The porters turned out to be brothers and the elder brother always ensured that the younger brother carried the heaviest load! Ray commented nothing like my family where the eldest brother always did ALL the heavy work! We suspect that the elder brother was really the Dogon guide for the region.

The wind had been blowing most of the night; this is both a blessing and a curse as with the wind the temperature is kept down however it also raises the dust and hence visibility is restricted.

We walked into a long valley with sheer walls ~ 60 – 70 m high. We had lunch at the village of Damo and overnighted at an auberge in Yandouma.

Those readers who are really interested can look up the Dogon history etc on the net. Apparently a very small race, known as the Tellem occupied the cliffs from the 6^th/7^th century until the Dogon, who were escaping forced conversion to Islam in Guinea, forced them out in the 16^th/17^th century.

The Tellem houses, granaries etc are built high on the cliffs and are mostly mud walls covering natural caves in the cliffs. The Dogon villages are built high up, but below the Tellem houses and are based on family compounds which amongst other buildings have 2 graneries; one for the male (to hold hunting weapons and seed for the next season) and one for the female holding the supplies for the current year’s supplies. This seems to be mainly millet and the women spend a lot of time pounding this. There are special places for the blokes, menstruating women etc.

Anyway, the effect is quite stunning.

Ray driving. N 14⁰ 27’ 48.1’’ W 003⁰ 18’ 16.4’’

Day 3 – 10/3/12

The wind blew most of the night, keeping the temperature down. We were fortunate that it had stopped in the morning for a bit. But at ~ 09:00 it started again and within 15 minutes visibility was severely reduced. We hate to think of the dust we are breathing and the build up in our lungs. There are lots of chest infections and runny noses around.

We passed by or through a number of villages through out the day. In the morning we “climbed” up one of the valley walls to see some villages and hence managed to get above the worst of the dust for a while. One particularly stunning village that caught the eye was Yougana; it is all red and appears to be geometric in layout. We had lunch in Koundou and overnighted in Banani at an auberge owned by one of the porters.

Day 4 – 11/3/12

We started our trekking a bit sore; we have not done any exercise for a long time and Ray had developed a monster blister. But, still we were happy with the journey.

We visited a few more villages then climbed to the top of the escarpment and trekked back to Sangha. We had asked to end a bit early and get back to Bandiagara a bit early. Some folks spend up to 10 days and visit all 43 Dogon villages. We were happy just to have an overall appreciation.

We camped back at the shady and relaxed Campment Togana (very nice and friendly staff). We had left some laundry to be done and asked the staff to do the washing from the trek, immediately; no worries!

All in all we enjoyed the trekking and the villages. As per the guide books we took Kola nuts for the village elders and bonbons for the kids. The guide handed out the Kola nuts and Avril normally had a trail of kids that would have made the pied piper of Hamlin jealous following her with chants of “bonbon”. The guide books rate the trekking in the Dogon country as some of the best in Africa and, based on our limited experience, we can but agree. There is a bit of climbing and rock scrambling and walking through sand, but all in all it is not too hard. There are local auberges with shower and toilet in the evenings and either auberges or restaurants for lunch making the experience very easy. One limitation is the menu choices: macaroni or couscous or rice, legume sauce if you are fortunate and local chicken. No hint of fresh fruit or salad. On the plus side the auberges had beer and soft drinks.

Avril driving.

Day 5 – 12/3/12

After an earlier start than normal, we drove to Djenne on good standard tar. There were some sections of potholes, but nothing too serious. Our guide, Mohamed was riding on the roof rack, so when we came near to a police stop, he had to hop off and squash into the front in the passenger seat.

The topography was generally flat, but there were a few hills and some times we got a view to a long horizon. The vegetation was more sparse than the last few days, but still there were trees and shrubs most of the way.

We did not realise, but there is a ferry just before Djenne, so we had an opportunity to relax for a bit and watch the world go by – the ferry is man powered.

Djenne is known for its mud mosque (the biggest mud building in the world). After a French fashion photographer took pictures of scantily clad models in the interior, non Muslims have not been permitted inside. Fortunately, Mohamed’s mate is the son of the Imam, so for a fee (A$ 20each) we got to go inside. There are 99 mud pillars (as God has 99 names) and 104 windows (take out the 0 and 1 + 4 = 5 i.e. the number of times Muslims pray each day). The mosque is impressive on the outside, but we both thought the Egyptian mosques were more impressive inside,

With the Imam’s son we then did a tour of the city. As you would expect, lots of mud buildings. Monday is market day, so the town was a hive of activity. Lots of stores, live stock market etc and lots of pushing & shoving. Avril had a new winder put on her $3 Singapore watch for $ 0.30. Later in the day, we did some veggie shopping for a one pot spaghetti dinner.

We camped at Chez Baba, which is not as romantic as it sounds.

Avril driving (cause Ray cannot get a shoe on with his blister). 3 hours. 164 km. N 13⁰ 54’ 16.4’’ W 004⁰ 33’ 16.8’’

Day 6 – 13/3/12

The day of TIA bureaucracy! After a very cold night (we had to use the doona for the 1^st time since, not sure when), we managed to buy fresh, hot bread and get an early start. The ferry was on the other side of the Bani river when we got to the crossing and we waited until sufficient cars had arrived to fill the ferry before it deigned to return to “our” side. Time to contemplate life.

We had a reasonably straight forward drive to the border crossing on a good tar road. Still no hills, but we both noticed that the vegetation became more savannah than Sahel. After advice at Djenne & at the vital turn off, the route advice was to take the longer route via Koutiala as the more direct route was a not good. As dad says: “sometimes the longer way around is the quickest way home”. This involved ~ 90 km extra, but given we had already broken one tyre rim, we thought that we should be a bit cautious.

At Koutiala we needed to change some money; this quite simple task took > 30 min. We were given a number when we went into the bank and each transaction, even our simple exchange, took a minimum of 5 min. There was a lot of computer work involved in doing our transaction. Mmm not sure why, the CFA is tied at a fixed rate to the Euro and we wre exchanging Euro’s.

Then to the Mali customs; they were not familiar with the Carnet, so it all took some time to sort out. + 30 min of our lives gone. Then to the Mali Gendarmes, they were just a bit nosey and wanted to look in the drawers etc. Another 30 min gone. Then to Mali police = immigration. They wanted us to fill out exit forms (for the 1^st time in a long time). Another 30 min gone.

Anyway, it all got done and we drove a further ~ 12 km to the border… read on for the rest of the day!

Mali Summary

We were only a few days in Mali, so it is hard to say too much. It is a more tourist savvy country than we have been in recently and with that comes the demands for money and the higher prices. Also, lots of touts looking for a sale or such and kids always wanting bonbons or presents etc. Compensation for the negatives is the better tourist infrastructure,

The Dogon trek was great and Djenne interesting. It is a pity that the “bad people” prevented us going to Timbuktu. We were lucky with the weather with no oppressive temperatures.

Guides: Bradt, Lonely Planet & Rough guide were OK, 7/10. The IGN map is made out of such poor quality paper that it rips when you open it; 5/10. Riese Knowhow  west Africa Sahel map; 5/10.

Burkina Faso, part 2

 Day 3 – 13/3/12

The day of TIA bureaucracy! Contd. Having crossed out of Mali, given our 1^st experience, our expectations were high for BF, we even started to think of getting further than Bobo Dioulasso. Bad mistake. The BF police/immigration went OK to start with, then the boss showed up and we were required to fill out an entrance form (after our passports had been stamped). Ray had to produce a licence to complete the log book for the car. 30 min gone.

Then to customs. They required CFA 5,000 for the carnet; no we do not need to pay. So, we waited 90 minutes for the post chief to show up. He decides that BF is not specifically mentioned on the form, so we need to pay. Ray shows that no country since Namibia is on the form, but they have all accepted the Carnet PLUS BF accepted the carnet when we entered less than a week ago. The decision needs to go up a level. We got a temporary permit, 4 hours,to drive to Bobo and meet with the regional chief. When we get to Bobo, much later than expected, the customs chief meets with Ray. He is a great bloke and after bit of a chat signed the Carnet.

There were a few hills after the border, but very quickly we were back to the status quo – flat. The road was tar, but with some quite bad pothole sections. The vegetation got taller and greener as we got closer to Bobo. There are quite a few market gardens around Bobo and lots of massive mango trees. Based on previous experience, there will be quite a smell when the mangos ripen and drop. But for now it is great for us, lovely fresh mangos; mmm.

After a frustrating day, we drove to the Cassa Africa hotel to camp. Great people and a small, but shaded courtyard to camp in. Importantly, good ablutions.

                                                                                             
Avril driving. 11 hours. 491 km. N 11⁰ 10’ 09.3’’ W 004⁰ 18’ 42.5’’

Day 4 – 14/3/12

7 months since we left Oz. Today we did a day trip of the sights around Bobo and Banfora in southern BF. We initially drove to Banfora. This road is Green on the Michelin guide. It was a pleasant drive with some good vistas. There is a lot of intensive agriculture on the way and an industrial scale sugar enterprise outside Banfora. Unfortunately the tar road is badly potholed in sections.

The guide book raved about a patisserie in Banfora, but we could not find it, despite it being a very small town. Then we drove to the crags at Sindou, a small set of ~ 30 m high limestone hills which have been eroded into interesting, small peaks. The road in was lined with tall trees, in the French way and would have been nice except that it was very badly corrugated. So it was rough for ~ 50 km in and then back again. The crags are several orders of magnitude below say Victoria Falls in the attractions list. To be blunt, if we had have known the road was so bad; we probably would have given it a miss. The guide book is full of great tips about the local busses and how you can get a lift on a cotton truck if you get stranded at the crags etc. That would be useful for the sort of backpacker who did absolutely no planning, was a bit thick and somehow managed to get stuck in Sindou during the couple of weeks the cotton is harvested. For us, it would have been more helpful to comment on the road condition and the actual low rating of the attraction!

On the way back we dropped in on Lake Tengrela. Now not to put too finer a point on it, my dad has built a lot of dams a lot bigger than this “lake”.

The next stop was the Chutes de Banfora, a set of water falls ~ 15 km on a farm dirt track from the Banfora town. They are in a nice setting (almost rain forest) and offer a great view over the surrounding country side. Being the dry season, there was not a heap of water, but there was enough to give us a good idea of the falls. We had lunch in the car park. Avril tried to join some local tots dancing, but unfortunately one of the younger ones burst out crying! We are not sure whether this was due to Avril’s dance style or if the kids’ parents had warned then not to accept sweets from strange (in this case very strange) people!

We then drove back to Bobo and had a look at the local old mosque. All white with lots of tree branches poking out of the walls, like Djenne & Timbuktu.

We then managed to get to camp early.

 Avril driving. 306 km.

Day 5 – 15/3/12

After a good night’s sleep, we set off to get to Ouga in time to put in a Ghana visa application. The accommodation management was not to be found when we left, so we checked the menu, asked the night guard the cost of camping and made out our own bill. TIA – in the best possible way, lots of trust. The air in Bobo was thick with pollution, probably some of the worst we have seen in Africa; so after Ray had bought a kebab in a baguette with salad & hot sauce for breakfast we were happy to be quickly on our way. We had a good run to Ouga. The road is high standard tar with a couple of diversions where there are road works. As mentioned before there is a lot of agriculture around Bobo but it gets noticeably drier as we get further away from there. Today there are a few very slight rises, not hills but it was not totally flat.

Using a waypoint from another blog, we managed to get to the Ghana embassy. Turns out it takes 3 business days i.e. to Tuesday next week. Avril makes an executive decision, no way are we staying in Ouga for 6 or 7 days. Ray does some relationship building with the consular clerk (Avril refers to this as crawling) and so hopefully the visas will be ready tomorrow.

We then drove around looking for somewhere cool to eat and happened upon a sort of “place to be seen” bar. They had cold beer and nice food. A good result.

When we got back to the OKInn; there were 3 other groups of overlanders here: Romanian couple and their 2 kids. They had just sold their van to a local and are flying back home. A South African in a Landrover – we are so glad we did not buy one of those! And a French chap cycling down Africa. 

The last few days have been very hot: + 40^oC. The OKInn has a pool so we both had a dip.

Ray driving. 5 hours for the 325 Bobo to Ouga. 372 km. Back at the OKInn.  

Niger

Day 1 – 25/2/12

Soon after we entered Niger there was a general security check, in the middle of absolutely nowhere. No let up on dust and lack of visibility!

Immigration and customs are completed at Nguigmi ~ 55km after the border. The formalities were completed with a minimum of fuss. Again, no request for bribes etc. The chap at the customs office was super nice; he changed our CFA into the west African equivalent at the proper exchange rate. Then another chap took us to the PADL compound where we camped (unused NGO place, but secure compound) and refused and money for petrol.

Ngigumi seems like a decent place. It has all the services including electricity, fuel, shops, phone etc. Our initial impressions of Niger are positive.

The more observant readers will note that Avril is driving again; this is because she refuses to learn the GPS navigation, meaning Ray has to concentrate on this.

Avril driving. 10 hours. 266 km. N 14⁰ 15’ 33.0’’ E 013⁰ 07’ 02.1’’ 

Day 2 – 26/2/12

After a relatively late start to the day, we left Nguigmi, unfortunately we did not spot the police stop & road toll station. N worries, they came after us on a motor bike, checked our passports and collected the toll. They then went back to the toll point to get our receipts. All done in the best of spirits.

The road immediately after Nguigmi is awful. If fact you drive on a track at the side. Some sections on the way to Diffa are OK, but in the main we drove on the track at the side.

After Diffa the road improves.

After Nguigmi we noticed an increase in agricultural activity, some crops being grown etc. We also noticed an increase in commercial activity, with small road side markets and stores.

The country side could almost be savannah, there was a light, yellow grass ground cover giving an overall impression of fertility, it is only when you inspect closely you can see that the grass is far part and very short. There are lots of thorn trees. Still no hills. The wind was not as bad today, but visibility was still only ~ 300 m.

We stayed the night with Tim, Barbie & their daughter Hannah missionaries in Maine Soroa.

We had a wonderful time chatting and getting some local information. We enjoyed a very nice dinner with them.

Ray driving. 6 hours. 306 km. N 13⁰ 12’ 56.2’’ E 012⁰ 01’ 21.5’’ 

Day 3 – 27/2/12

Unfortunately the poor visibility continued, probably we now probably had an element of heat haze as well as dust. What we saw of the country side was red sand with occasional large sand dunes, a bit like inland Oz. At times the sand covered the road, a clear indication of the ongoing desertification. Vegetation continued to low bushes (like salt bush) with thorn trees and occasional palms. At Goure we finally saw some hills, through the thick haze.

The road was OK until about 100 km west of Zinder and then it deteriorated badly. The tyre management system gave us an alarm. Mmm, unfortunately we had fractured a rear aluminium tyre rim on one of the bumps. Bugger. Still, we changed to the spare and continued. Hopefully we can get a new one in Niamey.

When we reached Zinder we telephoned Kevin Cartwright, a missionary based there to get some info (the guide book said that the camp ground may double as a brothel!). Kevin asked us back to camp in his & Jessica’s back yard. We had a great evening with them & their 3 kids; Christopher, Hope & Sahara. Christopher had been looking at the Romans during his home school lessons, so we ate Roman style – reclining.

Avril driving. 8 hours. 394 km. N 13⁰ 48’ 51.2’’ E 008⁰ 58’ 17.4’’ 

Day 4 – 28/2/12

After a wonderful breakfast of freshly baked scones (thanks Jessica), we refuelled and headed off. After Zinder there were a few kopies and some larger trees. Then, back to a flat sandy vista for the rest of the day.

There was quite an amount of agriculture along the way, plus a village every ~ 3km. The villages have speed humps and reasonably frequently there are police stops. The police, gendarme’s etc are all very polite and almost all try and communicate in English, which is all very nice. Still this slows us down.

The conversation of the day: Avril; “it’s hot today”. Ray; “it’s not too bad”. Avril; no, I think it hot”. Thermometer = 39.6^oC

We stayed at the SIM guest house in Galmi. 

Ray driving. 7.5 hours. 432 km. N 13⁰ 58’ 16.1’’ E 005⁰ 39’ 50.3’’

Day 5 – 29/2/12

A driving day, our aim is to get to Niamey. There were a few hills (yeah) and occasional green parches along the way. We both agreed that it was hot today!

The towns and villages still impress us with the level of commerce & the diversity of goods available. A disagreeable aspect of the villages is the amount of rubbish, mainly plastic bags that surround them.

There are a large number of road blocks, however the officers are invariably polite and make every attempt to speak English. There has not (yet) been a request for a bribe.

After a few potholes east of Galmi, the road was good all the way Niamey.

Avril driving. 7 hours. 487 km. N 13⁰ 30’ 04.5’’ E 002⁰ 06’ 07.5’’ 

Day 6 – 1/3/12

A day of chores. First to the French Embassy to get a visa for Burkina Faso, after some charades and discussion, it turns out that BF now has a consul in Niamey. So, we went off to BF consul to fill out the forms. They said to come back at 16:00, however unfortunately the main man was out all day, so when we returned the visa was not stamped. We need to return on the morrow.

We then went to CFAO to get e new tyre rim. They did not have an aluminium rim but did have a suitable steel rim, so we bought that. Then to the main hotel where they have a hairdresser and Ray got a hair cut.

In the hotel a chap approached us and said he could get our tyres rim and the tyre that was messed up in Rhumsiki repaired. So we gave him the tyre and rim – and hoped!

We decided to change accommodation to the Auberge Dragon, it has internet & a pool (Ray had a swim).

We had dinner at an Italain restaurant with Hazel (South African) and Jennie (American). They are in the SIM organisation.

Auberge Dragon: N 13⁰ 30’ 23.7’’ E 002⁰ 06’ 42.3’’

Day 7 – 2/3/12

As promised our passports were ready at 09:00 and we set off for the Mali Embassy. The Waypoint we had was for the old address, but after a few questions we found the new location. We were shown into the appropriate office and the chap there assisted us in filling out the forms. We collected the visa at 13:00. It is great to deal with African embassies rather than the European!

Avril had her hair “done”. The colour was right, but the experience was traumatic due to the lack of hygiene & professionalism. As promised the damaged aluminium tyre rim had been welded (not sure about the balancing!). After some discussion we decided to put the damaged Michelin tyre with a tube on the new steel rim and the new Bridgestone on the repaired Al rim – can you follow all that?? At least now we will have 3 spares.

We had a look at the national museum and zoo, all in the one complex. The guide books said it was OK. The museum was good at a basic level, but the zoo was distressing. The cages were very, very small and the animals exposed to the sun.

Avril enjoyed the artisans market and bought a few things – including some custom made leather thongs (flip flops for the non aussies) to be collected on Monday. Ray went with the chap who “helping” us to the grand market to exchange some money at a supposedly favourable exchange rate at what could be described as part of the informal economy.

Day 8 – 3/3/12

After breakfast at Anamadine (the local Lebanese café & patisserie), we drove to National Park W (pronounced in the French mode; double V). It was a straight forward drive, with good road signs. The road was tar to Say and then high quality gravel to the park. The ~ 150 km took 2.5 hours.

The folks at the entrance were very happy to see us and after paying the entrance fee (CFA 10,000/pp for the 1^st day and 4,000 for subsequent days, no vehicle entrance fee and no camera fee) we set off into the park.

The obligatory guide had to sit on the roof; it is way too hot for Ray. On the drive in we saw some Cob du Buffon/Puku and Water buck. In addition, on our evening drive we say some elephants and warthogs. There does not seem to be a lot of game.

The Nigercar camp ground is on the river and is well appointed with showers and a sit down dunny. The staff collected some wood for us and we had a BBQ for dinner for the 1^st time in a long time.

The park has well maintained roads and good signs. They seem to have Cul de Sacs rather than loops.

Avril driving. N 12⁰ 30’ 01.7’’ E 002⁰ 32’ 52.4’’ 

Day 9 – 4/3/12

In the morning we went for a pirogue trip on the river. Again, not a lot of game; we got a glimpse of a buck and watched some elephants at the water’s edge for a bit. We also went for a bit of a walk through a small village.

The park has quite dense vegetation and long grass, so it is hard to see much except at the water holes.

After the river trip we went and had some lunch at a hide on a dam and passed away a pleasant few hours before heading back to camp in the late afternoon. For our endeavours we saw some buffalo, hartebeest, roan antelope, bushbuck, elephants, crocodiles and reed buck. At one point there were 12 elephants playing in the water, bathing etc in front of us. The haze was such that we did not get any good pics.

BBQ again for dinner.

Day 10 – 5/3/12

More tyre problems; we fixed 2 small punctures prior to leaving the campground. At least this was achieved without taking the tyre off the axel. Then we drove back to Niamey – 150 km.  

We woke up to an unusual haze, we are not sure what it was but it made the sun look a bit eerie and reduced visibility a lot. However, there was an advantage to this of a much lower than normal temperature.

Once back, we quickly organised to get a Benin visa. This was done in a couple of hours but cost CFA 40,000 = A$ 80 each. Our Mr know Niamey aka Amadou showed us the way to the Benin embassy. It is currently under construction and we would never have found it with out him. He later went back to fetch the passports without us needing to go. Great service. Then, Avril picked up her custom made thongs/flip flops.

Whilst Avril dined, Ray went with Amadou to get the damaged tyre fixed properly. It was fascinating to see how the repair was carried out with a minimum of tools. The mechanic stuffed the puncture hole with a rubber mastic, using a pair of scissors. The actual patch was a piece of old tyre tube. Both the tyre and the patch were roughed up with a piece of broken hack saw blade, then glue applied to both surfaces and the patch attached. Then; a piece of hot metal was taken from an open fire and placed on the patch and pressure applied (via an ancient clamp) to mould the rubber. An important element in this was to have a piece of paper between the hot metal and the patch and for a small amount of water to be applied. All this at the side of a city street, no work shop here. Incredible what can be achieved with a little know how and endeavour.

Then we went back to the Auberg Dragon. Unfortunately they let the better rooms go early so we had not such a nice room and the internet was down – again. TIA.

We had sundowners at the Grand hotel, with a great vista over the Niger River. The traffic on the Kennedy bridge was halted, apparently the President was on the move! Avril ordered a hamburger, chicken or beef, but for the 1^st time in any “international” hotel, they had run out of Hamburgers. Unbeknown to us, their custom is for each waiter to make a separate bill. For us this meant 3 bills; drinks, brochettes & dinner. We paid 2, but had to be chased by a waiter to get the money for the 3^rd. Interesting concept!

Avril driving.

Day 11 – 6/3/12

We went for a day trip to Tillaberi. This is marked green on the Michelin map which denotes an area of outstanding natural beauty.  It was a pleasant drive, though the visibility was poor again, ~ 400m. We are not sure why this bit of desert road is more outstanding than the rest? Maybe the Michelin chap who makes the decision on “green” thought it was more deserving than the 10,000s kms of other desert road. At times there is a glimpse of the river, but you do not drive beside it. Anyway, we had a nice time, watched the construction of a large pirogue on the Niger River bank and had a picnic on the levy bank near to Tillaberi.

When we got back to Niamey we did some chores, filled the fuel & water tanks, procured some diet coke (are we getting addicted or just dependent on this stuff??).

Avril driving. 5 hours. 245. Auberg Dragon

Day 12 – 7/3/12

We were on the road by 07:30, but there was some delay… the roads were closed off for an executive convey. Lots of black mercs.

It was a good run on tar road all the way to the border. We completed Immigration, Police & Customs formalities at Makalondi ~ 20 km before the border. All done politely, quickly and no suggestion of a bribe.

The general topography remained as before, flat. However there was an increase in vegetation as we approached the border.

Then, there was a Burkina Faso flag and we knew we had left Niger.

Some Niger observations:

One down side of Niamey is the number of beggars, mainly young boys or people with disabilities. They are quite persistent and the sheer number is disturbing. They use the places where the more affluent go e.g. supermarkets or restaurants as ambush zones and you have to run a small gauntlet to get to your destination. We have not experienced this elsewhere.

On the positive side, we have noticed that the drivers here seem to be a little more polite – particularly outside of Niamey. They do not overload the vehicles to the same extent as other countries and you do not see the large number of people hanging off vehicles, getting a lift.

The level of litter generally in Africa is appalling. However, we have noticed a huge amount of litter in Niger. This seems to extend for miles beyond villages, again mainly plastic in its various forms. It seems that plastic bags can be blown kms!

Niger Summary

It maybe getting a bit boring, but we liked Niger. Apart from the beggars in Niamey, the folks are very polite and helpful. We experienced no security issues even walking around the streets.

The main attraction in Niger is the north and the A’ir mountains. It is very unfortunate that they are out of bounds at the moment. It is a real pity that such a minute number of people can cause such misery for so many. The tourism industry is suffering terribly because of this. Hopefully we will get the opportunity to visit this area one day in the future. Park W has the makings of a good attraction; it probably needs a few more animals. Otherwise, the scenery is not that special.

We rate the Lonely Planet guide = 5/10 and the Rough Guide the same. However they are both very out of date e.g. on Embassies, ATMs etc. The IGN map was OK. T4A continues to assist. Garmap is very useful for Niger; it has full maps.