Reiz Continental Hotel Abuja

... could manage a decent speed until Chris avoided a large pothole on the road and we hit a tree branch. Usually this wouldn't be much of a problem except this time the branch ripped part of the roof rack clean off, although we broke the tree branch off Chris and Gary spent some time removing 3/4 of the original rack and dumped it on the side of the road.<br><br><br><br>Tree = 2 points<br><br>Truck = 1 point<br><br><br><br>Drove through a town hitting rush hour traffic ...

... on the grounds, and even bett** we w**e able to use the hotel facilities, including show**s in the squash courts, and the swimming pool. Who said ov**landning west africa was tough???<br><br>We arrived on Thursday 4 June, knowing that we had missed the Wednesday opportunity to apply for our extremely hard to get Angolan visas, but hopeful we could get them in on the Friday. Sadly, we w**e denied this chance and had to wait until the next Monday to ...

... a bad intentioned broth** into a friendly fellow. Some of these hoodlums who could have easily strip me naked of my belongings in a diff**ent occasion, ended up giving me money for the journey, getting me a cheap** ticket for my bus to Abuja, feeding me and telling me about their country, their diff**ences, their struggles. 6 hours aft** my arrival, I was on a night bus to Abuja to go see my embassy and ask them for assistance to sort out visas for the following countries. I will ...

... that would beckon up feelings of homesickness I've no idea but it did and I didn't like it cause I know how far away it is. Things are bett** today than they w**e yest**day, possibly because we are on the road and I am not stuck in that god forsaken Sh**aton hotel complex. Still it is only 2:00 and it feels like we have been driving for an age. Ha just as I type this we drive past eucalyptus trees... enough said. With both Archos's dead it was ...

... pretty nothing city and one that you can't walk around as it is still, what can only be described as, partly finished. They designed massive blocks but have only put one building own each block. Yeah go figure. Maybe in anoth** 10 years it will be all filled in. SA Mike met a fellow Saff** called Pet** who was, and had been, staying at the Sh**aton for quite a while as he was the Sh**aton head of engine**ing for Abuja and through ...

... t, as that is *nly s*ld in Zambia). As it is a circular place, they just keep *n walking r*unds. Th**ef*re, when the same p**s*n asks if I want t* buy leath** sh*es f*r the third time, I was tempted t* ask him if he was retarded *r s*mething, but I kept it t* myself. Walking ar*und we stumbled int* a p**s*n selling s*me nuts. I asked Act*r and he explained that it was k*la nuts. I have heard ab*ut it, and it is the *****ian equivalent *f the espress*. Supp*sedly, *ne nut ...

... and my family are not as exited as me, but then again I know what I am going to and Kelvin has arranged to take good care of me, and I am sleeping at campus, even if that is not as safe as it sounds, as *****ia's univ**sities are ridden with gangs and clashes. But I'll stay out of trouble. The ***** Delta is actually one of few places in the world the Foreign affairs recommend not going to, togeth** with Iraq, Colombia, South**n Afghanistan and Darfur, but as long as I stay ...

... it turned out they had Sunday mass on the lawn just below my room (max 15 met**s from my room). Am not I the lucky one! They even had a synthesiz** and a set of drums, and of course LAAAARGE speak**s. Th**efore, even if I go to great lengths to avoid going, they come to me, which is funny in a twisted way. Th**efore, I got my share of 'Jesus loves this and Jesus hates that' and at least a 100 hallelujahs. Next weekend I think I will have to go out of town in ord** to church ...

... least would be a B if I handed it in tomorrow, so that is nice. Now I have send it to the Director, my sup**visor and my form** sup**visor for feedback, and I'm hoping to get loads of them. Sunday aft**noon I went to see Egghead, who lives outside Abuja in the rural areas. I took a taxi with a friend of him and got th**e around five. The electricity in rural areas is gen**ally absent, and as it was around 45 degrees, it was hott** than hell. Egghead only had ...

I can't rememb** what I did on Thursday, which probably means that I didn't do anything int**esting. I went for lunch with T**fa and Ngosi, who I share an office with. They showed me some good places to eat, and learned me how much to pay for dinn**, and the Chinese place was too expensive; hence it is probably a reason that th**e nev** are any people th**e. Nev**theless, walking around in 40 degrees is pretty hot, especially in jeans and shirt, but they showed no m**cy, and ...