Today we continue to Abuja
As we leave the guest house we realise we need diesel and so turn around a few hundred meters before a road block. After refuelling we get to the road block and the cops are very suspicious of us. Have to convince them we didnt try avoiding them.
They ask what we are doing in Nigeria.
"We're Tourists"
"TERRORISTS!??!?"
"NO, TOURISTS!"
Eventually we get back on the road.
As we leave the guest house we realise we need diesel and so turn around a few hundred meters before a road block. After refuelling we get to the road block and the cops are very suspicious of us. Have to convince them we didnt try avoiding them.
They ask what we are doing in Nigeria.
"We're Tourists"
"TERRORISTS!??!?"
"NO, TOURISTS!"
Eventually we get back on the road.
Stopped many many times by police.
Find the "road safety officers" to be the more corrupt cops. The regular police still ask for bribes but arent nearly as bad.
Some road safety officers stop us and tell us our brake lights arent working. Actually they are. We show him clear as day. He disagrees. Says they arent working. No, they are. They start saying not to worry, I can pay a small fee and just get the lights fixed later. But they are working!
Simone loses her patience with them. Eventually they get bored and we get going again.
Get to a crazy village. Forget the name but it is chaotic. Bit of confusion on the route to Abuja, but a local is helpfully showing us the way. Take a wrong turn and a traffic officer directs us, directing us as we reverse. "go....go...go...lots of space..." BANG. Reversed into a taxi. Take a look, but the taxi is in such a sorry state we cant see what damage is down to us.
He doesnt even care. We get going again.
Find the "road safety officers" to be the more corrupt cops. The regular police still ask for bribes but arent nearly as bad.
Some road safety officers stop us and tell us our brake lights arent working. Actually they are. We show him clear as day. He disagrees. Says they arent working. No, they are. They start saying not to worry, I can pay a small fee and just get the lights fixed later. But they are working!
Simone loses her patience with them. Eventually they get bored and we get going again.
Get to a crazy village. Forget the name but it is chaotic. Bit of confusion on the route to Abuja, but a local is helpfully showing us the way. Take a wrong turn and a traffic officer directs us, directing us as we reverse. "go....go...go...lots of space..." BANG. Reversed into a taxi. Take a look, but the taxi is in such a sorry state we cant see what damage is down to us.
He doesnt even care. We get going again.
Didnt want to drive at night, especially in Nigeria. But we arrive in Abuja after 11pm. Couple of roadblocks, but nothing too bad.
We get to the Sheraton hotel, but the entrance is blocked by army/police. They block the entrance so they can check our documents and demand money. Staff look frustrated, but seem used to it and dont say a word.
Spend the next 4 days here while applying for visas.
We can camp behind the hotel for 500 Naira pppn.
Apply for Cameroon visa. These cost 50 000 WEST CFA [XOF] each. Bear this in mind. We got rid of our West African CFA, as Cameroon uses Central African CFA [XAF], Nigeria Naira. But they insist on WEST CFA. No money changers have the currency, but found one guy and we are charged a crazy rate.
People in the Cameroon embassy are very very rude. They put my visa in my expired passport.
Try for Congo (Brazza) visa and get it in 30mins. Cost = 15000 Naira each. Friendly people. Try to get DRC visa, but are told they dont issue visas for tourists anymore because of huge paperwork requirements.
They say if we want to get a transit visa we must first have an Angola visa. But we dont so they say sorry nothing we can do. We leave and as we are walking down the road they call us back. Actually we can do a visa for you. it will cost 125 000 CFA ea. (!!) & they say they can do it in 30mins.
Decide to try further down the road instead.
Find a SPAR supermarket, so we get to stock up on 2-minute noodles and other fine foods.
Some waypoints
Angola Embassy - N9 02.382 E7 28.534 (Pointless though, they dont issue them here anyway)
Cameroon Embassy - N9 04.284 E7 29.383
Sheraton - N9 03.766 E7 29.103
Spar Supermarket - N9 03.295 E7 29.349 . Or ask your taxi driver for the Ceddi Plaza. Theres an ATM, cinema, etc etc here too
We get to the Sheraton hotel, but the entrance is blocked by army/police. They block the entrance so they can check our documents and demand money. Staff look frustrated, but seem used to it and dont say a word.
Spend the next 4 days here while applying for visas.
We can camp behind the hotel for 500 Naira pppn.
Apply for Cameroon visa. These cost 50 000 WEST CFA [XOF] each. Bear this in mind. We got rid of our West African CFA, as Cameroon uses Central African CFA [XAF], Nigeria Naira. But they insist on WEST CFA. No money changers have the currency, but found one guy and we are charged a crazy rate.
People in the Cameroon embassy are very very rude. They put my visa in my expired passport.
Try for Congo (Brazza) visa and get it in 30mins. Cost = 15000 Naira each. Friendly people. Try to get DRC visa, but are told they dont issue visas for tourists anymore because of huge paperwork requirements.
They say if we want to get a transit visa we must first have an Angola visa. But we dont so they say sorry nothing we can do. We leave and as we are walking down the road they call us back. Actually we can do a visa for you. it will cost 125 000 CFA ea. (!!) & they say they can do it in 30mins.
Decide to try further down the road instead.
Find a SPAR supermarket, so we get to stock up on 2-minute noodles and other fine foods.
Some waypoints
Angola Embassy - N9 02.382 E7 28.534 (Pointless though, they dont issue them here anyway)
Cameroon Embassy - N9 04.284 E7 29.383
Sheraton - N9 03.766 E7 29.103
Spar Supermarket - N9 03.295 E7 29.349 . Or ask your taxi driver for the Ceddi Plaza. Theres an ATM, cinema, etc etc here too