Nigeria

A tiring day. Morning spent on a visit to Ganvie, the stilt village. Fascinating, the whole street market scene has been moved into pirogues so you have all the fruit sellers and even food stalls afloat. Villagers very much against ‘free’ photography but you got the feeling tourists are really an intrusion. 25,000 people in the village.

Got back to the campsite at 13:30, Mike very anxious to leave despite the suggestion we could go to Abomey and Alan and Paul head for Lagos by bush taxi. Decided to use the border crossing which is slightly inland and apart from interminable delays it was OK and we got through without having to pay. Was 18:30 by the time we were clear and then we hit a succession of checkpoints manned by different departments, police, intelligence, customs and immigration. The last being the worst as wanted to check everything including money. As was 19:15 by this stage paid $20 to keep going. Took a long time to get to Ikeja which we now realise is merely a suburb of Lagos. The roads are chaos with some traffic travelling without lights. Eventually got to the hotel at 22:00, rather late to be travelling in Nigeria.

Scenery is still very drab, especially as two stroke mopeds create an enveloping smog.

Fishermen casting their circular nets. The tourist shop. Goats and cats on little islands. The very elegant women hiding behind their hands at the sight of a camera. The village ‘spoilt’ by corrugated iron shacks. Tiny kids poling along huge pirogues.

Slept late as room has no windows. Slept reasonably but have a stomach upset. When got up found that Alan and Paul had not left and they didn’t get away until 10:30. Rob & Simon oscillate between leaving today and tomorrow but end up with the latter. Mike is getting frantic to leave tomorrow. OK it’s not a great place but Paul may get his passport tomorrow or certainly first thing on Friday so why can’t he wait for once. He wants to get to a rain forest near Calabar but for one day I can’t see the value.

Manage to change travellers cheques at 29N/£ and fill up both vehicles for about £ 15. Engine oil is 110N for 4l which isn’t so good a deal, but it is good quality.

As we weren’t able to celebrate Simon’s birthday yesterday, we all go out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, once we finally locate Mike (asleep in his room). Have a good feed for 200N/person with Rob acting as dustbin.

Lots of Vws.

Another lazy start getting up at 09:30. Rob & Simon have gone. Don’t see the rest until 11:30 except for Kevin who heads for town to return with his CAR visa. Paul is crook with a bad dose of the shits but rings the embassy and is told that the passport isn’t ready but to turn up at 14:30, so he Alan and AC also head for town. Mike forgets about which room he’s supposed to be and doesn’t check out until 15:00 which means we’re charged for an extra night. The Girls also have problems trying to change money.

Is it the pollution that makes Lagos so exhausting?

The longest day. Woke to a power cut so finished packing in the dark and left about 06:45 just as it was getting light. Usual roundabout way out of the city till we got on the expressway. Mike picked up a soldier as a passenger at the first toll gate which was perhaps just as well because the turn off to Benin City was not obvious. Condition of the roads surprisingly bad with many potholes and an alarming number of crashed and burnt out vehicles.

Made such good time that we decide to take the detour to Enuga and look up the cheap 5* hotel. Cheap for a 5* it may be but at £40 for a twin room, it was too much. Found a cheaper hotel in town where we took two suites for 600N (£20). Ate at the local relaxation centre very cheaply once we managed to find where everybody had gone.

They have street lights but they are never on and I’m sure I’m going to walk into one of the open sewers. I decline to share the bed with Alan and Paul but have the right to sleep on the floor of the air conned bedroom. Sleep well.

Managed to leave by 09:00 and got on the expressway South. It’s a dual carriageway but the North bound traffic also uses the fast lane of our carriageway, plus numerous potholes to cope with. Are stopped at one checkpoint which turns out to be drug enforcement. No problems but while we’re there two cars have the nail studded planks under their tyres, one stopped the other kept going. As we leave the police are interrogating the occupants of another car.

Arrive in Calabar at 15:00 in time to listen to the rugby on World Service. Scotland 15 Ireland 3. Check into the Metropole Hotel and go out to Mr Magic’s for dinner. The guy is full of smiles and laughter and his small brother Samson is in the same mould. But it takes over 3 hours to get the food. One round of drinks bought by a mysterious Englishman who does not introduce himself. Paul gets Samson to guess my age and prompts him to over 50, but eventually backfires, Paul is 48 I’m 46.

Maintenance day. It took a while to get it all done, and when I finish there’s no water in the hotel. The rest are reasonably presentable and head off for the golf club. Mike eventually rigs up his water filter. My only interest is to see how well his system lasts compared to mine. With the water back on and the car test run I have a shower and retire to the bar. Wait until about 20:30 for the others to return then head for the restaurant. Very good prawn curry and passable pancake rolls. Paul arrives about 21:30 and the real evening begins. They have met a number of expats at the club and Jim invited them back for dinner. We get in the car and are driven there. Nice house. Jim himself then arrives with an American couple who are running a chimpanzee orphanage. Not long after their two helpers arrive with an 18 month old chimp, who like any child, steals the show especially in his fights with the dog Lucky. Dinner is BBQ and very good, also late enough to be ready for it again. Conversation carries on around the video until about 02:00 by which time Jim is asleep on the floor and Alan is in full argumentative mood.

It’s Monday so it must be visas. Go to the Cameroon consulate (which we spotted last night) to check the price. 1300N/person, almost £45. Go into town to change TCs and are quoted 31N/£, which is good. But to get them we (Mary Lou and I ) spend 2.5 hours discussing the reasons for our trip, African versus European friendship, God, duty and any other diverse topic which came up with the FOREX manager. Eventually escape at 11:30 then spend some time tracking down the others before checking out of the hotel. Collect the visas at 14:00.

From there into town to start the food shop, get the basics of pasta etc. but nothing to make sauces is available. Eventually get back to the hotel at 14:30 and head of for the golf club. We play 5 holes and most of my shots are abysmal. But get a couple of decent hits on the 18th when I relax a bit. Jim invites (coerced) us to spend the night at his place so after a couple of beers we give the bar staff a lift home and arrive at Jim’s at 21:30. Then leave him waiting for a guest and head for Freddy’s restaurant. Excellent pepper fish soup and beef sawarma. The former with lumps of fish in it, the latter shredded beef with a sour cream sauce. Crash out at 12:30 but are later wakened by Paul and Jim who have some more guests and need a group to entertain them. I sleep on.

Took Kev back out to his LR and used the opportunity to change the oil. Left him at about 11:00 and went to the new supermarket in town to meet Mike & The Girls. Mary Lou had tracked down 3rd party insurance at 250N for 3 months so went and bought two lots of that. Then spent the afternoon in shuttle duty as took The Girls back to Kev to find the replacement clutch (2) wouldn’t fit the splines, so a merry-go-round was started to try and find one that fitted. Eventually ended up getting the old one relined. Turned out that the clutch is a Series II or IIA along with the gearbox. Is obvious we will not get away by Thurs.

3,600 km to Kisangani.

Filled everything and then some - 346l (200N).

A more leisurely day spent at Jim’s. Repacked the LR to accommodate an extra 2 X 50l plastic jerry cans. This meant taking out one rear seat which is now on the roof. Also carrying 24l of engine oil, 16l on the roof. Took time to see the monkeys (drills) and the chimps. The cages were smaller than I expected. Finished off a slide film as had the opportunity to get one of the expats (Brendan) to take mail back to the UK.

Finally filled up with diesel, taking on board 346l at a cost of £6.66

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