Accra to Lome
Trip Start
Jun 30, 2004
1
2
18
Trip End
Sep 15, 2004
Lome,
Togo
Monday, July 5, 2004
My first impressions with Africa where not what I accepted, Accra Airport was really easy to get through, no power hungry officials!! No Baggage search, everyone just said "welcome" there was even a red carpet when I got off the plane (might not have been for me though!!)
The next day I jumped on a bus to Aflao, the Border to with Togo, It was good to get out of the city and see some of the country side, although as I was sitting in the front seats there where many moments I just wanted to look away and not know how we didn't crash!! It was all going well until we got to the middle of nowhere about 1 hour from the frontier and then a loud buzzer went off the driver looked alarmed and the bus slowly came to a halt!! He and the mechanic then played around a bit looked concerned and then tinkered a bit more, sleeves where rolled up oil-pipes where massaged and then we tried to restart the engine,,, nope!! At which point one my one a\all the men on the bus (about 20) come up had a look and gave there opinions!! it was quite funny, I couldn't understand a thing as they where speaking a local language, next thing I knew the mechanic was sucking oil out of this hole, someone else was trying to get a pump going someone else was under the bus!!! Eventually after many more attempts they gave in and flagged down another truck...
Then I got to the border...which the guide book described as something out of star wars....I was amazed it was total chaos, kids offering to carry my bag, dust flying everywhere, very colourful clothes, waves crashing down on the beach just next to the border post, people walking everywhere officials sitting back and watching, when I appeared though they jumped up, and started telling me what to do, The funniest was when I asked the Visa official, "how much is the visa?", he replied "How much you want to pay?". Once I'd negotiated that I had to get ripped off by a taxi man, who insisted it was only GBP1.50 to the British School (where I'm staying) should have been about 70p but still I couldn't be arsed to negotiate down to that I was tired and hungry and wanted a shower!!
So I've been here a few days now, I'm starting to get to grips with the prices and the weather and general life here, The British School is in basically an Ex-pat's campus which has Military guards at the edge all the time, its nice in a way as I know I'm safe once I get in, but I do feel a bit like a human shield as the presidents office is apparently about 5 minutes walk away!!)
Talking of the President they tried to close down the road the other day as I was in a taxi coming home, to make way for the a minister or the president, then the most amazing thing happened, we all politely drove off the main road, and then took a sharp left and all the cars drove along a river bed parallel to the road, all these cars and scooters speeding along this river bed!!! And the soldiers at the next junction just looked on!!!
Anyways I start my volunteering on the SOS Village tomorrow!! I'm very excited!!
