The sat phone is not getting much use lately, except to check for messages to us. Thank you to those who are keeping in touch both by email and texts.
Th OK Inn was a good place to stay for 1 night as it was free parking, but it was very noisy: outside music playing continuously (not our choice of easy listening), trucks coming and going constantly, planes taking off and landing close by and finally the chorus of muezzin which started around 4am and grew to a crescendo by 5.30. The place would have been almost impossible to find without the lat/long co-ordinates as trucks were parked 2 deep blocking the entrance and we were pleased it was still daylight. It did mean that this morning we were up early and ready to leave to search out the Ghana Embassy and a bank with an ATM around 7. The roads were already swarming with 2-wheel traffic including several driving towards us at speed down the wrong side of the dual carriageway. The cars were fortunately all going the same way as they had no hesitation double overtaking into oncoming traffic.
We arrived at the embassy 30mins before opening time at 8am so had time to find our way around the main part of town and get some more cash (CFAs). We were the first into the embassy to fill out our visa application forms in quadruple plus 4 photos and a hand written explanation why we had not applied in the UK. We were then interviewed by the First Secretary who was very polite but a little stern. He told us that if he agreed to grant us a visa it would not be ready until Monday which was what we expected. However, the receptionist received a phone call to affirm that we can collect them tomorrow at 11.30am. Hurray!! We had planned to then go to the Benin Embassy. There is a Visa d'Entente which covers 5 counties: BK, Benin, Togo, Niger and Ivory Coast but most people had led us to believe we stood little chance of getting this. We decided to give it a go as we had the address of the Police office and just as we were stopping to park we saw the Italian lady with the Austrian husband (from Zebra & Camel). She had just applied and was told to come back Monday. We had a lovely smiling officer who was very happy to practice his English and filled in the forms for us. He is doing his best, to have our 5 visa pass ready by tomorrow afternoon, so by 11.30am we had applied to visit 6 countries!
We remained in the quiet back street and had our cereal, orange juice and coffee and studied the Lonely Planet for another place to stay. This place close to the centre of town sounded good. It is set in a very attractive courtyard under thatched shelters and bougainvillea. They are fully booked for parking space - we found our friends were already here - but we have parked outside the gates and had lunch here (very tender lamb chops with mixed salad) and used the free (open) wifi in the shade with cooling fans. It is up to 35C in the Enterprise but we can bear that overnight with our side windows open, shields up and Artois purring to us.
On Friday mornings there is a 7am ceremony at the Moro Naba's palace (the traitional Mossi tribal chief) so we hope to be able to go and watch this. No cameras allowed as it is a solemn government occasion. If we get all our visas tomorrow we intend to depart for Benin. If not, we will go somewhere else until Monday as it is too hot and noisy in the city and there are a lot of mosquitos here.
Th OK Inn was a good place to stay for 1 night as it was free parking, but it was very noisy: outside music playing continuously (not our choice of easy listening), trucks coming and going constantly, planes taking off and landing close by and finally the chorus of muezzin which started around 4am and grew to a crescendo by 5.30. The place would have been almost impossible to find without the lat/long co-ordinates as trucks were parked 2 deep blocking the entrance and we were pleased it was still daylight. It did mean that this morning we were up early and ready to leave to search out the Ghana Embassy and a bank with an ATM around 7. The roads were already swarming with 2-wheel traffic including several driving towards us at speed down the wrong side of the dual carriageway. The cars were fortunately all going the same way as they had no hesitation double overtaking into oncoming traffic.
We arrived at the embassy 30mins before opening time at 8am so had time to find our way around the main part of town and get some more cash (CFAs). We were the first into the embassy to fill out our visa application forms in quadruple plus 4 photos and a hand written explanation why we had not applied in the UK. We were then interviewed by the First Secretary who was very polite but a little stern. He told us that if he agreed to grant us a visa it would not be ready until Monday which was what we expected. However, the receptionist received a phone call to affirm that we can collect them tomorrow at 11.30am. Hurray!! We had planned to then go to the Benin Embassy. There is a Visa d'Entente which covers 5 counties: BK, Benin, Togo, Niger and Ivory Coast but most people had led us to believe we stood little chance of getting this. We decided to give it a go as we had the address of the Police office and just as we were stopping to park we saw the Italian lady with the Austrian husband (from Zebra & Camel). She had just applied and was told to come back Monday. We had a lovely smiling officer who was very happy to practice his English and filled in the forms for us. He is doing his best, to have our 5 visa pass ready by tomorrow afternoon, so by 11.30am we had applied to visit 6 countries!
We remained in the quiet back street and had our cereal, orange juice and coffee and studied the Lonely Planet for another place to stay. This place close to the centre of town sounded good. It is set in a very attractive courtyard under thatched shelters and bougainvillea. They are fully booked for parking space - we found our friends were already here - but we have parked outside the gates and had lunch here (very tender lamb chops with mixed salad) and used the free (open) wifi in the shade with cooling fans. It is up to 35C in the Enterprise but we can bear that overnight with our side windows open, shields up and Artois purring to us.
On Friday mornings there is a 7am ceremony at the Moro Naba's palace (the traitional Mossi tribal chief) so we hope to be able to go and watch this. No cameras allowed as it is a solemn government occasion. If we get all our visas tomorrow we intend to depart for Benin. If not, we will go somewhere else until Monday as it is too hot and noisy in the city and there are a lot of mosquitos here.
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