Then at the Benin border the police were soo lovely then we made our way to Tanguieta I was sick eww but we spent new years at Baobab Hotel they had music and stuff so it was okey. Then we made our way to Natitingou by then Maddy left us. We got to Le Vieux Chevalier hotel and dumped our bags then got a zed from the hotel to town in search of a internet cafe we didnt find one so went to have a drink and there were these scary men watching us so we went back up to the hotel then we went back out for dinner. All we had was an omlet each and the son of the owner came out with us for dinner. We were getting strange looks and felt uncomfortable so we got up early then got a car to Boukoumbe, the border going past the Tata Somba villages. Although CG told the taxi driver to stop at the police station he kept on going and said it didn't matter, so from the next taxi station we had to get zeds (motorbike taxis) to the police station 5minutes away. The police stamped us out of Benin and our zed drivers drove us back but the taxi met us half way.
The taxi was extremely full, stacked up with sacks very high, we had to get in the front and I had to sit on the drivers seat and one foot was on the passenger side and one was where the drivers foot was. After a long 10minute drive we got to a checkpoint and the policeman said we couldn't get our passports stamped there but we would have to go down to Kande, and then about 2kms up we arrived in Nadoba and bought some gifts in the market and got another taxi to Kande.
Monday 31 December 2007
Burkina Faso
CG found a lovely driver to Diebougou were we spent the night at 'Le Relais' then we walked a kilometre with our packs on to the bus station to get a bus to Bobo Dioulasso . While we were having breakfast in the street stall, we met two Germans who were on the Ouagadougou bus but heading for Boromo, they were talking to us and while they were talking their bus took off and they went running after it and fortunately they caught it. We got our bus to Bobo but there were no seats, but there was a lovely lady who was the Headmistress of a primary school said that I could sit on her knee.
We got to Bobo Dioulasso we found a restaurant to dump our stuff and took it in turns to go to see the mosque. We got lots of hassle while CG and I were looking at the mosque there was a man following us saying you have to pay me 1,000CFA each for looking and taking photos of the mosque but he wasn't anyone official, but CG went off in Japanese at him and he didn't understand and left us alone!!!
Karfiguela Falls video
Then we got a bus to Banfora and stayed the night at a lovely hotel Hotel de la Comoe with Fatima a little girl of 6 who was the owners daughter. The next day Maddy hired a car with another lovely driver called Ima we went to the domes of Fabedougou they were nice but we didn't want a tour; we went onto the most gorgeous falls, you have ever seen it was so cool, Karfiguela Falls. We had a picnic then we went down to the bottom where I swam and rock climbed at the side of the waterfall. We visited a few villages with Ima and sugar cane plantations. Maddy & I got a dug out canoe to go looking for hippopotamus's but we didn't see any close up.
Kids chasing our taxi near Banfora
The next day we went to Ouagadougou for the night; we went to the bronze market where I bought presents for family then we went to lunch with a lovely guy called Issaka and his family, Issaka is the President of the Burkina Chamber of Commerce and a friend of CG's. In the afternoon we got a bus to Fada N'Gourma and arrived late at 'La Belle Etoile'.
Parade on our first day in Ouagadougou 29-12-07
DVD of Burkina Faso photos - 26th December to 31st December
We got to Bobo Dioulasso we found a restaurant to dump our stuff and took it in turns to go to see the mosque. We got lots of hassle while CG and I were looking at the mosque there was a man following us saying you have to pay me 1,000CFA each for looking and taking photos of the mosque but he wasn't anyone official, but CG went off in Japanese at him and he didn't understand and left us alone!!!
Karfiguela Falls video
Then we got a bus to Banfora and stayed the night at a lovely hotel Hotel de la Comoe with Fatima a little girl of 6 who was the owners daughter. The next day Maddy hired a car with another lovely driver called Ima we went to the domes of Fabedougou they were nice but we didn't want a tour; we went onto the most gorgeous falls, you have ever seen it was so cool, Karfiguela Falls. We had a picnic then we went down to the bottom where I swam and rock climbed at the side of the waterfall. We visited a few villages with Ima and sugar cane plantations. Maddy & I got a dug out canoe to go looking for hippopotamus's but we didn't see any close up.
Kids chasing our taxi near Banfora
The next day we went to Ouagadougou for the night; we went to the bronze market where I bought presents for family then we went to lunch with a lovely guy called Issaka and his family, Issaka is the President of the Burkina Chamber of Commerce and a friend of CG's. In the afternoon we got a bus to Fada N'Gourma and arrived late at 'La Belle Etoile'.
Parade on our first day in Ouagadougou 29-12-07
DVD of Burkina Faso photos - 26th December to 31st December
Saturday 22 December 2007
Ghana
GHANA
We arrived in Newtown, wanting to get to Olivier and Danielles www.busuainn.com, so we bought our tickets for the tro-tro (minibus) and we were first to buy so that meant we had to wait another however long it takes to sell 11 tickets. We got so fed up with waiting and the guy could tell so he called a friend to pick us up and he got us a tro-tro to Half Assini then we got another tro-tro which was a disaster beacause we paid for 4 seats and he sold 1 of our tickets twice so there was a big yelling spree and by that time we were half way out of town so the driver drove us all the way back to the station after an hour of waiting the lady who sold us the tickets gave us back the money for one. We made it to Takoradi and caught a taxi to Busua on the way to Busua at 10pm Maddys door flew open and she nearly fell out.
After arriving at the hotel late that night starving so Danielle wipped us up a cheeseburger and fries. The next day was our day to relax without any business beacause the day after that we had to make it all the way up to Tamale but CG ended up going up to town (Takoradi) because she needed a SIM card and to change euros to cedi but Maddy and I stayed on the beach and had a lovely day bodyboarding and sun bathing.
The next day it was time to go north to Mole National Park for Christmas we got a taxi to Takoradi then a tro-tro to Kumasi 5 hours listning to political speeches then we got another tro-tro to Tamale by then it was 9 and we had to find a hotel to stay at we found one close to the station. So me and maddy went to look at the room it was foul we said no and soon found out it was a brothel then we found this nice chinese place with a tv WOW lol!!! In the morning we went shopping and bought some necklaces caught a bus to mole in the afternoon after a long wait. We met two lovely Danes on the bus, Aksel & Marie. A man decided to sit on me for 2 hours CG and I spat the dummuy at him and it hit him in the eye we arrived to a lovely room on christmas eve at Mole Motel but there was a warthog blocking our way to our door!
In the morning we went on a walk at six we didn't see any elephants though but we did see a croc and antelope, warthogs, baboons & monkeys. After the walk a lady saw an elephant (the hotel is on a hill so you get a good view of the main watering hole in the park) so one guide took us all down the elephant was big it was so cool I was 30 metres away from it.
In the morning we got a bus from Larabanga to Wa, there was a witch doctor that got on our bus, who was putting on a show for everyone telling us about his magic rope that stops pregnancy and his rock that helps scorpion - he had a little scorpion crawling around his head! He had everyone cracked up.
We got to Wa where we had lunch in the bus station then a tro-tro to Hamale the border of Burkina Faso. First a guy who seemed quite nice at the tro-tro stop in Hamale showed us to immigration and customs, but then after that he wouldn't leave us alone. He couldn't cross the border so then he got another annoying friend to walk with us 500m to the Burkina Faso immigration. He said that his brother would take us to Diebougou (60km) for 40,000CFA (61euros) but first of all he said he's the only taxi and that CG had to go to his house to negoiate the price. So CG and Maddy said no and asked the Mauritanian owners of the shop where were having a drink where the taxi station was; the Mauritanian told CG to go up the street and while CG was gone the other guy came back and started yelling at the Mauritanian saying why did you tell her to go, they could have got a ride with my brother. After that he drove past on a scooter and yelled 'I'm going to burn your shop down'.
We arrived in Newtown, wanting to get to Olivier and Danielles www.busuainn.com, so we bought our tickets for the tro-tro (minibus) and we were first to buy so that meant we had to wait another however long it takes to sell 11 tickets. We got so fed up with waiting and the guy could tell so he called a friend to pick us up and he got us a tro-tro to Half Assini then we got another tro-tro which was a disaster beacause we paid for 4 seats and he sold 1 of our tickets twice so there was a big yelling spree and by that time we were half way out of town so the driver drove us all the way back to the station after an hour of waiting the lady who sold us the tickets gave us back the money for one. We made it to Takoradi and caught a taxi to Busua on the way to Busua at 10pm Maddys door flew open and she nearly fell out.
After arriving at the hotel late that night starving so Danielle wipped us up a cheeseburger and fries. The next day was our day to relax without any business beacause the day after that we had to make it all the way up to Tamale but CG ended up going up to town (Takoradi) because she needed a SIM card and to change euros to cedi but Maddy and I stayed on the beach and had a lovely day bodyboarding and sun bathing.
The next day it was time to go north to Mole National Park for Christmas we got a taxi to Takoradi then a tro-tro to Kumasi 5 hours listning to political speeches then we got another tro-tro to Tamale by then it was 9 and we had to find a hotel to stay at we found one close to the station. So me and maddy went to look at the room it was foul we said no and soon found out it was a brothel then we found this nice chinese place with a tv WOW lol!!! In the morning we went shopping and bought some necklaces caught a bus to mole in the afternoon after a long wait. We met two lovely Danes on the bus, Aksel & Marie. A man decided to sit on me for 2 hours CG and I spat the dummuy at him and it hit him in the eye we arrived to a lovely room on christmas eve at Mole Motel but there was a warthog blocking our way to our door!
In the morning we went on a walk at six we didn't see any elephants though but we did see a croc and antelope, warthogs, baboons & monkeys. After the walk a lady saw an elephant (the hotel is on a hill so you get a good view of the main watering hole in the park) so one guide took us all down the elephant was big it was so cool I was 30 metres away from it.
In the morning we got a bus from Larabanga to Wa, there was a witch doctor that got on our bus, who was putting on a show for everyone telling us about his magic rope that stops pregnancy and his rock that helps scorpion - he had a little scorpion crawling around his head! He had everyone cracked up.
We got to Wa where we had lunch in the bus station then a tro-tro to Hamale the border of Burkina Faso. First a guy who seemed quite nice at the tro-tro stop in Hamale showed us to immigration and customs, but then after that he wouldn't leave us alone. He couldn't cross the border so then he got another annoying friend to walk with us 500m to the Burkina Faso immigration. He said that his brother would take us to Diebougou (60km) for 40,000CFA (61euros) but first of all he said he's the only taxi and that CG had to go to his house to negoiate the price. So CG and Maddy said no and asked the Mauritanian owners of the shop where were having a drink where the taxi station was; the Mauritanian told CG to go up the street and while CG was gone the other guy came back and started yelling at the Mauritanian saying why did you tell her to go, they could have got a ride with my brother. After that he drove past on a scooter and yelled 'I'm going to burn your shop down'.
Friday 21 December 2007
Assinie, Cote D'Ivoire
ASSINIE
We got to Assinie late at night hungry after a long bus ride, we were going to JBs place on the beach we stayed at a malaysians holiday home they have forgotten about it, it was lovely, even though the door wouldn't lock, it was very late but we still went down to the village along the beach for something to eat, CG, maddy and JB had a few beers and JB was drunk it was funny.
We walked back along the road thinking it was safer but having to dodge the dropping coconuts soon after an hour on the beach we went to bed beacause the tide was coming in rapidly.
We had a nice sleep on the shore but woke up to find the house was flooded in various parts; we went for a quick swim before we had to catch a taxi to assinie mafia to catch a pinasse (dug out canoe with a motor) to cross the border to Ghana then we caught a taxi for another 4 hours on a terrible road but the view was divine. On the way we had to stop at a check point a police man was drunk on palm wine and he said he was going to keep me Ii was terrified then the car broke down, we got to the real border poast and the police had never seen a passport before it took one hour to get three stamps.
We got to Assinie late at night hungry after a long bus ride, we were going to JBs place on the beach we stayed at a malaysians holiday home they have forgotten about it, it was lovely, even though the door wouldn't lock, it was very late but we still went down to the village along the beach for something to eat, CG, maddy and JB had a few beers and JB was drunk it was funny.
We walked back along the road thinking it was safer but having to dodge the dropping coconuts soon after an hour on the beach we went to bed beacause the tide was coming in rapidly.
We had a nice sleep on the shore but woke up to find the house was flooded in various parts; we went for a quick swim before we had to catch a taxi to assinie mafia to catch a pinasse (dug out canoe with a motor) to cross the border to Ghana then we caught a taxi for another 4 hours on a terrible road but the view was divine. On the way we had to stop at a check point a police man was drunk on palm wine and he said he was going to keep me Ii was terrified then the car broke down, we got to the real border poast and the police had never seen a passport before it took one hour to get three stamps.
Thursday 20 December 2007
Wednesday 19 December 2007
Friday 14 December 2007
We are here!
CASABLANCA
Leaving toulouse at -5° very cold waiting to get into the heat, actually leaving 2 hours late with the french foreign legion (the army type people)then arriving in casablanca with 4 hours to kill we quickly went to see the mosque and a quick look through the shops.
I tried mint tea it was actually quiet nice,then on our way back to the airport our taxi driver hit a bicycle and after that every time we stopped at lights he would drive past on his bike and pull the fingers it was really funny.
BASSAM
After ariving in Abidjan 2 and a half hours late thanks Royal Air Maroc, Marvin picked us up from the airport (he had been waiting since 2am when we were supposed to arrive until 4.30am) and we stayed his house the night beacause the hotel was full he had a pool that wrote marvin it was so cool. Then the next day we went to his hotel and he drove us around and showed us Bassam where I tried my first african pineapple it was delicious then the next day we came to Abidjan with JB a lovely guy CG got talking to in france he helped us a lot. We had to go to Abidjan to get our visas for Ghana and the 5 country visa that we needed for burkina,benin,togo and niger even though we didn't actually go to Niger beacause we would run out of time.
We stayed with one of JBs French friends called Nicolas, an awesome surfer and a lovely guy.The following day we met Maddy another travller searching for adventure, she also had to get a visa for Ghana beacause were she lives there is no Ghana embassy but she did have a 5 country visa but we had to spend another day in Abidjan because of Tabaski the muslim sheep festival. They were slitting sheeps throats on the road it was disgusting. The next day we got our visas and we wanted to go straight away but we had to then wait for JB because he was with his dad (his dad was very sick)and as soon as he got back we went straight to the bus station......
P.S. yes dave,there is chocolate in Africa beacause Nicolas is the manager of a cocoa plantation and they are in the harvest season now
Sunday 9 December 2007
AWESOME FIGHT
This weekend is the national telethon weekend france so the canoe and kayak club held a triathlon i done 10km and i was sooooooo tired after then after that we were invited to the savat box world champion francaise it was sooo cool we were VIP's it was awesome heres some pics...
FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
victory for france
Saturday 8 December 2007
Tuesday 4 December 2007
GETTING CLOSE
its really getting close to africa im excited.
this weekend i stayed at lynns on friday night with her french friend i cut her ponys hair its awesome, but lindsay left on sunday it was sad but hopefully he will come back soon
Us at the airport i also got to go up to the tower because CG works up there with the guys and i met the coolest controller steffan well they are all cool anyway this is lindsays plane
and this is the cool planes fire truck
this weekend i stayed at lynns on friday night with her french friend i cut her ponys hair its awesome, but lindsay left on sunday it was sad but hopefully he will come back soon
Us at the airport i also got to go up to the tower because CG works up there with the guys and i met the coolest controller steffan well they are all cool anyway this is lindsays plane
and this is the cool planes fire truck
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