Friday, January 31, 2025

NIGERIA - ASABA DAY274 249km

CRAZIEST HIGHWAY  COMMUTE TO DATE.   31- 1 - 25.

Today's commute was all on a highway to hell. Never ridden oon such a crazy highway where you have vehicles coming at you in a few sections. Very busy road with trucks, must have been ten overturned crashed trucks and numerous trucks broken down on the highway. Then the road conditions were laughable, where the asphalt is gone and huge craters in the road where you need to almost stop to navigate through the dirt and rocky surfaces.
Police checkpoints probably three every twenty kilometers but have never stopped us, actually they cheer us on and are very friendly. 
Arrived at 2pm to the Spring Hill Hotel ($38) which is decent.

   1000 Naira for litre of fuel = $0.64

NIGERIA - LJEBU ODE DAY 273 235km

BENIN 🇧🇯  TO  NIGERIA 🇳🇬     30-1-25

Hotel du Lac was a real treat, left afyer the buffet breakfast and headed for Nigeria.
The Benin Immigration was five minutes, stamped out and qick photo of me and done.
Nigeria took awhile with having to show Yellow fever card and took your temperature, then had to meet the big boss who was very friendly and then I  got stamped in, then questioned by the CIA Nigeria of my movements in Nigeria, then the drug czar questioned me and filled out my details but was more interested in my trip, everybody was friendly and professional and no bribes or gifts requested and no extra charges or issues. Did use my CDP.


    BENIN IMMIGRATION

    Should have waited cause fuel in Nigeria is  $0.64 a litre and Benin is $1.03.

    Nigeria checking covid paperwork and taking my temperature 🌡.

    Nigerian CIA taking down my particulars.

   190 000 Niara = $200


Wednesday, January 29, 2025

BENIN DAY 272 160km 29 -1- 25

TOGO 🇹🇬 TO BENIN 🇧🇯   
Exactly 16 000kms from Maroc to Benin border. Odo 156 055 kms.

Got going at 6:20am and missed all the traffic and was at the border at 8am. Togo and Benin are in the same room so it was quick and easy. 
With a South African passport you don't need a visa for Benin and no paperwork for the bike so was done in minutes.

Went to the Nigerian Embassy for my visa and took ten minutes, did not need anything, no invitation letter or photo. The easiest visa so far which was meant to be the most difficult to get.
Visa $190.
Then I went to Cameroon 🇨🇲 Embassy and same thing, no photos, bank statement or anything for a whopping €250 !
All done by noon and then went to Hotel du Lac where I met Swiss Chris again and we are going to enter Nigeria🇳🇬 tomorrow.

    Hotel du Lac


Tuesday, January 28, 2025

TOGO E- VISA ARRIVES DAY 232 187km 28-1-25

GHANA🇬🇭  TO  TOGO🇹🇬 

After another few phone calls to the Embassy my visa was finally issued. 
Had copies made and packed and left. The border is a kilometer away and Ghana wanted to know where their visa was in my passport and had to explain South Africans don't need a visa, it's just a stamp in. Well he had to check with the boss and all was good. Then the customs were confused to my paperwork which was invalid and wanted the copy that came with what I showed them. I explained that the police took it  and then they said " Why did you let the police take it ? "  "Hey like I can stop them "  
I left the last time when I entered Ghana and was supposed to come back and pick up my entry permit for the bike, but left after hours waiting. Anyhow when they ran it in the computer nothing showed up and then they told me to go. A lucky escape on that paperwork, they just gave up thankfully. Finally was out of Ghana.

    Had to get a picture of this beautiful lady that came by the hotel just befor I left.

   The first Togolese lady I met at the border where they turned me away.

Togo was five minutes, stamped in with visa on hand then customs asked for my CDP but told him I didn't have one and then I could leave, no fees or Passavant required. Finally was in Togo🇹🇬. 


   Ghana Immigration

    Ghana Customs confused.

   Togo customs immigration office.

    Togo customs officer looking at my bike registration.

    Mango stop for lunch.
The road down to Lomè was excellent and they don't know about speedbumps thankfully so was a pleasant ride down.
Found the Gallion Hotel which is okay at $19.  
Got a taxi to Fetish Market and then had a good salad dinner for a change.

LEH. 23 TO 27th August 2025

Have been held up here due to the rain and snow in the mountains and passes. So have just hung out in the room most the time and ventured ou...