2 Feburary 2009 - 22,082 km
Border of Mali & Burkina Faso to border of Burkina Faso & Ghana
The road from Bankass to the border was long, bumpy, dusty and very tedious but the border itself was a delight! Smiling guards waved us through with minimum questions and a cheery ‘bon voyage’ on both sides of the border! (Mali customs N14,03.556:W03,04.618, Mali police N13,58.248:W03,01.611 – BF police N13,48.724:W02,40.370, BF customs N13,48.694:W02,40.193)
We decided to press on to Ouagadougou as I needed to see a doctor and arrived very tired in the capital after dark to utter chaos! Oz did a sterling job of dodging the millions of scooters and bicycles ridden haphazardly along the streets along with the taxis which tanked along on the wrong side of the road as they didn’t want to cross lanes of traffic! We managed to find a good hotel and abandoned the Mog in the car park to the amazement of the night-watchman who was used to new 4x4s and other ‘luxury’ cars ... not a filthy lorry taking up two parking spaces! We collapsed onto the posh immaculate beds and promptly ordered room service!
The following morning, having showered and put on fresh, clean clothes, we went looking for a doctor. We asked at the front desk and were told that one would be at our room within 10 minutes! She was indeed at our door at the appointed time! After poking and prodding my stomach and trying to understand a mixture of my appalling French, sign language and things we’d translated and written down she prescribed antibiotics (and I’m sure she said I must rest up, order room service and watch a stack of dvds!!!). Oz disappeared with the prescription and our passports as he was going to find the Ghana embassy while he was out and about. Sometime later he reappeared with the medicine and news that he’d managed to put in my application for a Ghanaian visa without needing my signature! (Ghana Embassy in Ouagadougou N12,22.734:W01,30.645).
Several days of lazing about trying to feel better followed but I didn’t seem to be getting much better. Eventually we called a lovely French guy we’d met at the Hand of Fatima who lives in the city with his wife and kids. He arrived to collect us and take us to the French clinic he takes his kids to. I saw a French doctor with excellent English (which meant I didn’t have to do the embarrassing sign-language thing!). Dispatched with a bag of potions and powders and the good news that I "will be feeling better by tomorrow night" we returned to the hotel. It was back to bed for me but Oz disappeared with Laurent for a slap up lunch including a huge plate of fresh strawberries! I did indeed start to feel better very soon and we moved out of the wonderful luxury of the hotel to the car park of the OK Inn.
 |
We met this Dutch Unimog at the OK Inn. They had borrowed it from some friends for a 6 month jaunt. They hope to be back in Africa again to complete a north to south trip. (click on any image to enlarge) |
 |
The entrance to the Inn is through a large lorry park off a busy city by-pass so it was a total opposite to the previous week! Mind you, it was lovely to be back in the Mog as I’d missed it. Later that afternoon Jon and Joe arrived in the Landy and we arranged to move on to Ghana two days later.
The drive to the border was uneventful and we crossed with minimum fuss and maximum smiles! (BF customs N11,00.288:W01,06.941, BF police N11,00.208:W01,06.959 – Ghana police and customs N10,59.783:W01,06.838).
Entering Ghana we headed for the Mole National Park for a bit of safari adventure... although we weren’t expecting lions or cheetahs!
