How is a two hour trip NOT a 2hr trip? And a relaxing weekend not such a relaxing weekend?
TIA- This Is Africa!!!!
Destination Grand Popo, Benin.
9am we catch a ride 9 in a van sitting on fold up chairs to the local petrol station/taxi rank.
9:30 waiting waiting- no Taxi’s much- perhaps because the roundabout is so congested they can’t get to us- Why? Cause in Togo the cars on the roundabout must give way to those wanting to enter the roundabout- yep you got it a complete stand still more often than not. Lanes? What are they? 4 cars and trucks wide on a simple roundabout- no problem- except no one is going anywhere!!!
10:00 we get a cab- mmm 11 ppl in one car with luggage too. Some in one anothers laps sitting, the middle row is four adults scewed sideways to fit and the back seat-4 little ppl me included- 3 semi seated and one laying across our laps- ok car loaded.
Encounter the roundabout- a standstill- and who’s beside us but a filthy black smoke blowing truck- mmm fresh air to the max- Did I mention it’s over 40 degrees and 100% humidity? Were dripping wet and haven’t even rounded the first bend on the roundabout.
Freedom- were moving- no were not- the cabbie parks- what???? Oh he needs a ticket to cross the border into Benin- off he goes on a moto taxi. We wait- oh bless the fan milk (ice cream) vendor who walks past in perfect timing...
The beach at Grand Popo- notice the slant of the beach- rip tides galore. Typical of beaches in West Africa.
On the road again- massive congestion throughout the port- the cause – two large trucks parked right across the main highway- no problem- just a little cross country driving through the muddy gardens beside the road.
Out of Lome and the taxi stops- why? Hard to tell with the language barrier- oh He’s doing his grocery shopping at the market throwing the bread into the car with us- Mate were paying you and you might have all day but seriously!!!
Stop again- 4 of us are ordered out of the car- why? Mm anyones guess- ahead was a police check – we figure 11 in a car wasn’t legal- even by African standards. Our 4 fellow travellers follow in another cab- which fails to stop at another police check. Our driver seeks permission to cross the border- an argument follows and he parks the car – leaving 6 Yovo girls on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere while without saying a word he goes off in another car- with the keys to our car....mmm .By this time were praying for a safe outcome. An English speaker comes by and explains the other driver was supposed to stop and as he didn’t we weren’t able to pass either. An hour later our friends in the other car arrive back on moto-taxis with our driver....onward we go.
A tall skinny African man I met on route....This one didnt try and proposition me- ah there is a first :)
At the border things went super smoothly- aside from been asked for one of the girls for a bride nothing to report- aside from arriving at the immunisation check point without our yellow fever cards- since when do you need yellow fever cards in West Africa- doesn’t it all have Yellow fever anyway?? No- problem “You Pay”- yep $1:30 to pay my way out of the check point. I may have felt guilty expect I had had the vaccine so I wasn’t putting anyone at risk....
Finally we come into Grand Popo and give our driver the name of our hotel. He say no he’s not taking us there cause he’s already passed it.....He gets out of the car and says he’s got all day to wait. 1/2hr into the stand-off we pay him half the fare and decide we’ll find our own way (an idea I wasn’t too convinced of. 6 white girls wandering down the road aimlessly in Africa-mmm). He refuses the money but grabs one of the girls bags as we wander off refusing to let go. An argument follows and a couple of guys got out of the car to settle it. Before long some of the villagers gathered- and an argument continues- in ‘Ewe’ this time so no one knew what was going on or understood a word. Finally one guy who spoke broken English told the driver to stop been unfair and to take us (at least that was the gist of it -we think). Thank God for the locals who stood up for us- a few prayers were said along the way.
Our taxi driver chucked a U turn- in much the manner of a spoilt brat who didn’t get his own way. How far away was our hotel? Not more than 300-500 mtrs- we didn’t know that or we’d have walked instead of put up with the drama.
Destination reached- a peaceful oasis with the most delightful African staff and comfy bungalows. The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing by a beautiful beach watching the local fishing villagers go about their days laying and hauling in nets.
Well nothing like ending on a memorable final cross country African adventure- I’ll be on home soil in less than 2wks. I am really looking forward to it!!
Below is Australia- on a World map at our hotel- what have they been teaching me in school- maybe my geography isn't as bad as most of you think. Check out the shape!! Perhaps it's Tassie- afterall isnt that the biggest state in OZ :)
