Gael Warnings in West Africa.

30 euros for a servoectomy? Result! The perfect start to a Scotsman's day! how are the mossies BTW?

Glad you got it sorted Simon. Seems like the guy knew his stuff. Now you have a more reliable bike as there is less to go wrong. Good luck with the visa.

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Thanks all! Mozzies don't seem to be much of a problem for me here - there isn't a mosquito net in my room but the fan seems to dispel them.

And some KTM porn from the workshop (I have to say it looked way too big and heavy!)


Encouraged by my success in the morning, and after chatting to the French expats at the hotel restaurant, I paid a visit to the lCustoms to see if it were possible to leave my bike here once I have done my Ghana and Nigeria jaunts.

A few injudicious reference to previous employment for me in to see the chef de Douane in his grand office, to see if if overstaying my laisser passer would be a problem.

No sooner had I been admitted to the Grand sanctum than he got a phone call so had to put his shoes on and head off! I sat in his office for 40 minutes, idly wondering if he would miss any of the Grand rubber stamps arrayed there, and then made my excuses and left (I wanted to get to the Nationals Museum before it closed). Madame in his office suggested I should ‘patienter’ a little longer but that was not appealing.

So I hopped on the bike, started it and started to edge it backwards out of the parking reserves for motos.

A chap came up to me and said the Chef has returned and wanted to see me!

So I took off the helmet (unusual for W Africa they are mandatory here for riders) and went back in. To cut a long story short, le Chef gave me his card, took a copy of the V5, and granted me the right to leave the bike in Togo until the autumn if I wanted!.

Crucially, that's when the rainy season ends and could be a good time to resume my Agrican journey if I wish to.

Or of course if another GSer really wants to have a now totally sorted r1150GS in West Africa, send me a PM!


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The day continues with a visit to the museum which while small is Interesting.

The gendarme who brings me to the entrance once I have parked the moto decides he will accompany me on my tour of the 2 rooms. He encouraged me to take photos so here goes!


Fertility god


And of course some classy drums

Now after a generous bottle if Flag beer in a little shebeen down the sandy lane, it's time to start packing and thinking which border crossing to attempt into Ghana, given I don't have a carnet de passage which they reportedly demand.





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simondippenhall said:

And some KTM porn from the workshop (I have to say it looked way too big and heavy!)

Click to expand...

I've registered here to follow your report as suggested, Simon. Disappointed to find you're already on the KTM attack! They're actually very light.

Only joking.

Have really been enjoying your report and looking forward to the next instalment.

Dave

Hi Dave! It just looked very big and composing...Would prefer my 690 enduro if I didn't have the GS here.


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simondippenhall said:

Hi Dave! It just looked very big and composing...Would prefer my 690 enduro if I didn't have the GS here.

Click to expand...

Well the GS seems to be taking it all in its stride.

great RR as ever Simon - you've really kept me going over the winter.

I'm off to morocco at Easter then we're into the summer so if you get back to Africa next autumn that'll be great - thanks

So today was the day I was planning to go to Ghana.

I had a leisurely but early breakfast in Lomé and packed my bags. I was intercepted by my elderly French neighbor Christine who asked me to call her next hotel as ‘she couldn’t understand what they said’ even though it was French as was she whilst I was a mere Irishman. I suppose I was flattered (as I was yesterday when the French mechanic Didier asked me if I was Quebecois because of my accent )

Then I set off to the main frontier. The Swiss owner of the hotel said it would be horrible and he had never dared to cross there with a vehicle.

In reality it was very organised and straightforward albeit with lots of wannabe helpers which always makes it worse.

Exit from togouwas straightforward as was immigration to Ghana. And then I went to Customs....

The very friendly Samuel listened to me as I explained my motorcycle was old and of low value which is why it had no carnet de passage. All was well and he said I just had to pay a 50 cedi (£8?) fee for a passavant. Result! Much better than splashing out 3-3,000 euros for a carnet!

And then he asked for my insurance! He was not sure about the well worn Senegalese insurance that Jim and I bought in Mauritania so we went across to his boss, a Steen Madame in the long room. She was having none if it so Samuel suggested I go back to Togo to buy insurance .

We settled in using a fixed to cross over (I did not fancy multiple crossings of the borders especially as my Ghana visa was single entry.

Cue several hours for the fixer shuttling around Insurance companies none of whom would do short term cover for such a powerful motorcycle

At one point Samuel the Custons man suggested I leave the bike in the Customs pound and take a bus.

I read my book and admired the list if senior officers in the anteroom


After 4 hours I was debating which lodgings in Lone to return to, since I clearly was not going to get into Ghana!

Then about 1.30 my fixer rolled up with the 1 year of insurance I had been forced to buy. It looks legit and covers all west Africa so I will need to return in the autumn to get some use out of It!

Well it worked with Ghana Customs and after another 45 minutes of waiting and then multiple stamps I was admitted. Hurrah!


First order of business was to get some cash from an ATM, fill my personal tank with some bananas, and then the bike's with Shell and the heady heights of 95 octane (I was only finding 91 in Burkina!)

I kept try doing on towards Accra and by 5, feeling tired, I turned off at Tema and a. Bystander suggested the Next Flight hotel - an odd kitsch place but very clean and £10 for a room with a fan


And first full of a Ghana Club beer was excellent




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Brill.

Keep it coming Simon. This is the one thread on ukgser that I keep coming back to.

I feel for you, having to go back to get the value out of your insurance

Thanks Jochen I remember even when we were in primary school together you were always kindhearted .

And Luke I really appreciate the feedback!


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Now I have just arrived at Cape colony West of accra


A few reflections after 24 hours travelling in Ghana. No particular order.

God is everywhere and in every brand - Methodist Pentecostalism Presbyterian evangelical and lots of billboards of prosperous looking clergymen urging the flock to attend

English is the lingua France as befits former British colony

Three pin plugs

Petrol stations everywhere

Lots of police checks....First time ever in my travels I have been asked for my international driver's licence

Emphasis on education with lots of slightly unusual institutions eg MIT was the Mufford institute of Technology rather than its better known Massachusetts version.

Everyone friendly and all amazed someone rode from UK to here.

Traffic around accra is horrific

There are NO road signs! GPS is a lifesaver.

Cape colony was the capital of the British Gold Coast until 1880s. Off to see the castle here which was the major slave trading outlet in Ghana and expect it will be pretty grim even if view to sea isn't



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But first an excellent lunch of RedRed which is fried plantains with beans


Way better than my breakfast in Tema of a small omelette on processed bread, not even a knife or fork with it!


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Si after my lunch and a quick siesta, with the fan fighting a losing battle with the heat, I wandered down to the Castle. It has a good museum of history of slavery.


Next to it is a crowded and buzzing fishing village




And from the castle the views are striking




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Then I headed to a little beach hotel where I had a chilled Guinness and sat watching the remains of the day

You can tell by this Ghana is not a predominantly Muslim country!

The day ends well


As I wander to my nearby lodgings I can hear various choirs and church groups limbering up for next day, Sunday.


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When I get back to the Baobab house the manager says that I must not leave my Moto on the street as wicked people come from the fishing village (about 300 metres away) and had robbed his friend. I had just been walking through said village which seemed pretty chilled, and on closer questioning the manager said his friend had only been robbed of a CD.

Nonetheless for his peace of mind (I tend not to worry and that bike has been parked in the street in all sorts of cities in Syria, Iran and Turkey with out any problem), I shoehorned the GS into their courtyard this getting in the way of the ladies doing laundry and everything else!

I woke early the next morning and got the bike out of their way again - forgot to take a photo of it for you, ensconced in the laundery


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A Sunday morning bimble through Ghana



I was looking forward to a Sunday morning ride north, reasoning that in such a religious country things might be a bit quieter.

I passed sign after sign like this with each village haviua Pentecostalism church, an apostolic one, as well as Presbyterian and often latter day saints


And there are competing African faiths as well



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Gerrr....Just lost a long draft post with photos.

Let's try again

Time for some oil as now at bottom of the sight...0.5 litres in 2,000 miles since Bamako. Tons of petrol stations in Ghana so I soon find a Total stand with 20:50 at £2.50 for a litre



The only lodging on my GPs is the presbyteries rest house which is reportedly well past it (per 10 year old Lonely Planet!) so I head for the Catering Resthouse, oddly named but attractive


I know I am in a classy establishment when I see this clergyman



But the food service is lamentable so I ride into town for a great spread of stir fried vegetables and rice, enough to feed two people!



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