12 October - Gagnoa, Cote d’Ivoire to Abidjan

We departed around 9:00am for Abidjan. It was beautiful day with very nice roads. As we approached Abidjan on nice divided highways, we passed through a couple toll plazas, each 500 Francs or about $0.75 USD.

Getting into the city was easy and our hotel was on the north side. Traffic was not too bad and we made it to the place by early afternoon. We arrived and pulled in through the gate to park the bikes in a covered area. Our hotel (Villa Abakao) was a nice 6 bedroom bed and breakfast on a quiet street. It was a very nice place with nice sitting areas inside and out. In the back there was a nicely landscaped area with a pool and bar. The hosts were lovely and they cooked excellent food.

In the evening we started to complete our Ghana visa application online. It is required to complete ahead of time, schedule an appointment time, and arrive with paper copies of everything. This was a slightly confusing process because you must complete the form as if you were a Côte d’Ivoire resident. This was not immediately apparent, but after speaking with some others who had done it this was the recommended method. The reason is because there are two different forms: one on the Ghana embassy-USA website and one on the Ghana embassy-Cote d’Ivoire website. Each form is intended to be delivered to that specific embassy by local residents only. This process is intended for air travel to Côte d’Ivoire. So what should land travelers do? As mentioned, we had to improvise a little. We filled out the forms and saved copies of everything that we would print the next morning.
 

13 October - Ghana Embassy and Rest Day in Abidjan

We gathered our documents and emailed them to the hotel manager. He was very helpful to print everything out for us.

After breakfast by the pool we gathered our things and scheduled a taxi to take us out. I used an app called Yango (equivalent to Uber) so that we could get around. This way you get a nicer car with consistent pricing much lower than local taxis may charge. The embassy was only about 1.5 miles away, so it was a quick journey. We showed up at our scheduled time, handed in our papers, and paid the expedite fee to return in 24 hours. The nice man at the counter did double check everything, and he called my listed phone number just to check if it was correct. I appreciate them being thorough. Additionally, we were informed that we needed an ‘exit authorization’ from the Ministry of the Interior here in Côte d’Ivoire.

We walked down the street to the grocery store to pick up some supplies and then down the street to a photo shop where Mark and Ranee needed to get more visa photos made.

We decided that it would be best to go to the Ministry of the Interior and request our exit authorization, so we got a taxi and headed that way. The process was easy, and we were issued the letters while we waited. However we were told later that it takes several days for the authorization to be communicated to the border post. So we plan to wait a few more days here in Côte d’Ivoire.
 

14 October - Rest day in Abidjan

We woke up to rain and enjoyed the view from the covered back porch. I had planned to go get my oil changed at the local Yamaha dealer, so I waited about an hour for the rain to decrease and then I departed.

The ride to the Yamaha shop was a 30 minute trip to the south side of the city. It was a nice place, very clean, with a proper workshop in the back. Initially the manager warned he would need to order parts for me, but I emphasized that I only needed oil change, no filter. He showed me the oil they have, and it was standard Yamalube so I was happy. They did the job within an hour and they washed the bike when they were done! They only sell 125cc bikes, so I think it’s rare to see a bike like mine in the shop. They were very helpful and I got a couple pictures. Even the manager wanted a picture of me with my bike.

The rest of the day was laid back. We returned to the Ghana embassy to retrieve our visas at 3:00pm. As expected, they were ready and they handed our passports back to us. We returned to the hotel, I went for a swim in the pool at the hotel and we went out for dinner. It was Mark’s birthday so we went to a Thai restaurant around the corner. They had karaoke with bad pop music so we left before it picked up!

15 October - Abidjan to Grand-Bassam

While we must wait a few more days for our exit authorization from Côte d’Ivoire, we chose to travel down to the town of Grand-Bassam on the coast and visit “The Elephant’s Nest”. It’s a hostel run by Chloe, the manager and founder of the Facebook group West Africa Travelers. This group has been an indispensable resource for planning our journey and I continue to use it daily. It felt like we were going to “the source” (like the oracle in The Matrix!).

It was a short 1.5 hour ride down the main highway to the coast. On the way we had to stop to change some leftover Guinea Francs at the airport, which turned out to be a terrible exchange rate (50%). It was the only place I could find, but luckily it was not a lot of money.

We arrived in Grand-Bassam, and I messaged Chloe. Her place is an unmarked house on a side street, and I wasn’t sure which gate to enter. Her 10 year old son came out and opened the gate for us to let us in. It’s a great place with a few air-conditioned rooms plus some dormitories and non-AC rooms. There is common space and shared bathrooms. No hot water, but it didn’t seem to be an issue because the water comes out almost warm already.

Chloe is a wealth of information and it was really nice to meet her and hear her story. She’s an Irish native who’s traveled the world both as a tourist, and for business in many leadership roles within the airline industry. She has many contacts throughout west Africa, and while we were there we got some additional information about options to cross the border from Nigeria to Cameroon. There is only one poor quality road available, but we connected with a couple bikers that recently took a ferry.

We walked down to the lagoon nearby for a late lunch and ordered some fish from the food stalls. We sat near the waterfront at the covered community tables. It was a very busy place with great service. One lady passed by with napkins and then a guy passed by with beer for sale. The food was delicious.
 

16 October - Rest day in Grand-Bassam

It was Sunday and we wanted to do a little touring of the area. Chloe recommended a historical tour of the old Colonial town area and then we could all go swimming at a hotel near the beach. We set off in a taxi to the old town with her son Patrick as our tour guide. The taxi dropped us off at the east end of town and we walked nearly a mile through town looking at old colonial era buildings from the turn of the 20th century and visited a couple artisan galleries.

We eventually arrived (by foot) at Capriccio Hotel on the beach which includes a pool and restaurant. We sat around the pool and ordered some food, then played in the pool for a while with Patrick. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and I did some laundry back at the house.
 

17 October - Rest day in Grand-Bassam

We went out to get some breakfast and visit the pharmacy. We decided we wanted to get a Malaria test kit and treatment pills for good measure, as they are also inexpensive. Chloe had directed us to go down to the Pharmacie du Marche near the market and ask for Dr. Daniel at the counter. We took a taxi down there and found it. We were in and out in a few short minutes. We were done for the morning so we took a taxi back to the house.

For lunch we took a walk down the street to a cafe that Chloe had recommended. It was located down an unmarked alleyway which led us behind some buildings to a patio overlooking the lagoon. It was authentic local food. We were having trouble ordering, so a nice guy came over and helped translate for us. Ranee and Mark ordered chicken and rice and I ordered "anything vegetarian" with rice. Several minutes later they brought out a seafood pot full of prawns, shrimp, crab, and snails. We laughed because this was nothing like what we ordered despite the translation we provided. We apologetically returned the food and clarified what we wanted. It was no problem, and they fixed us some delicious chicken with rice and sauce. 
 

18 October - Ghana Border Crossing

The next day we said our goodbyes to Chloe and her son Patrick, then got on the road around 9:00am. Our mileage was a solid 160 miles with the border crossing into Ghana. We were not anticipating any issues.

We arrived at the border post after 80 miles and got stamped out of Côte d’Ivoire. We were concerned that this would not be approved due to the waiting period we were advised about. Note this was the third business day from our application for exit authorization and we were stamped through successfully without any issues. The Côte d’Ivoire officials at the border post were nice and professional. The only gripe we had was the redundant questioning. We were asked the same questions by 3 different officers within the building. Don’t these guys share information?!

In the Côte d’Ivoire border building there was also a group of 4 people on two KTM adventure bikes. They were headed back to Togo where they live. The wife of the guy owns a hotel in Lome which was recommended to us. Just down the road, we would go through the rest of the immigration process on the Ghana side together with them.

The Ghana immigration and customs post was located less than a mile down the road. When we pulled in, it began to rain so we hurriedly grabbed our paperwork from the bikes and ran for cover. The immigration process was a simple form and a couple questions. Our passports were quickly stamped, then we were directed to the customs window. There we handed them our Carnet de Passage document, they completed it with stamp, and then we were on our way.

Right past the border, we sought out a bank so we could get some cash. Ghana uses the Cedi, which is new for us. We must get enough cash for the next few days’ hotel, food, and gas expenses. Conveniently there was one Ecobank ATM available. I also went to the MTN phone stored got a new SIM card for Ghana. It was easy and only cost about $10. There was a dark cloud and a torrential rainstorm while we were in the phone store, so we waited for a few minutes to let it blow over.

We got some gas and hit the road. The border area is very busy with commerce, trucks, and hustlers selling their wares, so we’re happy to get away as soon as possible. I set the GPS for 'Busua Inn' on the coast, about 75 miles away. We buzzed down the nice highway, and then took a right turn down the coast at Agona. The last 10 miles was paved, however it was severely degraded, so it was another exercise in traveling slowly and dodging dangerous potholes. These types of roads are tiring because you must travel slowly on them or risk wheel damage.

We arrived in Busua and found the Inn directly in front of us. We rode the bikes down the boardwalk and into a small parking area under the trees adjacent to the inn. The place is beautiful, and the beach is broad and flat with nice waves. The Inn has a back patio with open views of the ocean. It’s a wonderful place to stay, run by a French lady named Danielle. The food was fantastic; we had a delicious dinner of lobster risotto and breakfast with fruit, yogurt and toast.
 

19 October - Busua to Takoradi and Pastor Annang

We had a very short day planned to Takoradi where we would meet one of our contacts Pastor Abraham Annang. He had served as a reference on our visa application so we wanted to meet him in person. I was texting with him on WhatsApp, and he specified a meeting point where I can find him. The ride was only about 40 or 50 miles, but the road condition was poor with lots of potholes so it was a little slow.

We arrived in Takoradi and met the pastor on the side of the road. From there he led us to his home which was only 5 minutes away. It’s a large place on a walled property with a garden and some trees in the yard. We were able to park our bikes in the yard near the front porch. We met his wife and they showed us our rooms.

It was lunch time, so Abraham’s wife Isabella prepared us a delicious hot meal with rice and a seafood stew which had tomatoes, a green leafy vegetable, crabs and fish. It was delicious but we aren’t used to eating food with so many bones in it! It was a bit tedious to eat.

We had a rest in the afternoon before the kids came home from school. Abraham went out to pick up the kids and brought them home. They’re very nice, two boys and one girl all under 10. The little girl was the youngest and a bit shy around us, but the boys would talk to us a little bit.

We went out to dinner at a local lakefront restaurant. They had large covered dining areas out on the water. We had some spicy meat kebabs and I ordered some peanut soup. It was nice to sit outside and chat with Isabella and the kids, while watching the sun go down.
 

20 October - Takoradi to Accra

We had a nice breakfast of eggs, bread, fruit, and porridge before we packed up to go. The distance to Accra was a modest 140 miles so we were not in a rush to leave. We said our goodbyes to everyone. We were very grateful for the hospitality and sad to leave after only one night. 

The road to Accra was slow, with intermittent poor road quality and speed zones through many villages. As we entered the city, there was a little bit of traffic but not too bad. We made our way to the hotel in good time and checked in by mid afternoon. It was a nice place with private parking.
 

21 October - Togo Embassy in Accra

We gathered our information and got an Uber taxi to the Togo embassy. It was an easy application with a form to fill out and small fee. They had our visas ready by the end of the day. We didn’t want to drive across town at the end of the day in traffic, so we notified them that we would retrieve our passports the next morning. It would be Saturday morning so the visa lady said she would leave the passports at the gate with security.

In the afternoon we met up with Adolf, who was a friend of a friend that would help us find tires for our bikes. We had made the request for tires more than a month ahead of time and they had the tires on hold for us.

Mark and I set out on our bikes to rendezvous with Adolf, who promptly showed up on a shiny new R1250GS — nice! We followed him on a 10 minute ride through the neighborhood, and down an unimproved access road and into what seemed to be a junkyard. We arrived at a gated yard, honked the horn, and they let us in. Inside was a motorcycle hangout full of big bikes! It was unexpected to find this here.

We met the owner Ali who is Lebanese and they took us inside to the shop. They started showing us the tires they had and they quickly admitted they do not have the sizes that we requested! I was quite perturbed because we had pre-arranged (and double checked) that they would have the tires! He regretfully explained that he recently sold the tires to someone else because he was not sure if we were coming. I rolled my eyes and gave him plenty of grief about it. We had been planning this for months!

Turns out that they did have a rear tire for Mark, and it took them all afternoon to get it mounted. We pressured them to find tires for my bike, but all they could come up with was used tires, and I declined. It’s okay; I have several thousand miles of life left on my tires.

The shop was a cool hangout with several other bikers there getting service done. One guy named Paul is the coordinator for one of the local riding clubs. We chatted and swapped contact information. He offered his assistance for escort out of Accra, or for contacts in other countries (which would come in handy later).

When we were done, Adolf led us back to the hotel. On the way he wanted to stop at a restaurant at the mall to have a beer and chat. We sat for a while, then made our way back to the hotel. For dinner we walked down the street to a dive pizza restaurant. Mark and Ranee got burgers and I got a deep dish pizza.
 

22 October - Rest day in Accra

Adolf wanted to go for a motorcycle ride that morning but cancelled on us last minute, so we convened in the hotel lobby to apply for our Benin visas online. It was an easy to use website, and we were issued our visas within minutes of completing the application. We printed them out for use when we get to the border.

Adolf stopped by around 9:30am to say hello and we chatted for a minute. He took off and then went over to his house later around 12:00. He had invited us over for a meal, but when we arrived there was a large catered party going on. The outdoor space at their property was full, with tents, caterers grilling, and a bar! When we first arrived, he wasn’t there so we were a bit confused. What what going on? Was this for us? Surely not. I spoke with Adolf’s sister, and she explained it’s just a party for no occasion. Every couple months they have a party and invite all their friends and family.

We went into the house around 1:30 and they prepared some African dishes for us to try. We had Foufou, which was pureed cassava and plantain that you eat with your hands. It was a different experience as we’re not used to eating this way. Also we had some fried fish, and a couple types of spicy stews. It was nice, but we didn’t get much attention from our hosts, so it was just the three of us sitting at the table eating by ourselves. It was a little weird.

We hung around the party for while longer before we called an Uber to come pick us up. We also had an invitation to go to Eddie’s brother Daniel’s house later in the evening, so we wanted to get back to the hotel for a rest. We said our goodbyes and took off.

At the hotel, Ranee sent me a message that Mark was running a fever and would not be able to go to Daniel’s house for dinner. So they rested, and I took a taxi to Daniel’s house around 4:00pm.

Daniel is the brother of our friend Eddie back in Portland. When I arrived he welcomed me through the gate and I met his wife and two boys. The boys were interested in our travels, so I explained where we had been as we looked at a globe and pointed to the countries. It was fun. Later we had a video chat with Eddie and their other brother in the UK so I got to meet all the Adjei brothers! It was nice.

During our chat, the boys went outside and set up their school desks in the driveway for a tutoring session. There was a math teacher commanding math problems to them verbally and timing their response! Some of the math was tricky; I couldn't come up with the answer fast enough!

After a short bit, Daniel and I took off in the car to go downtown for some food. He took me to a street-side kitchen for some authentic Ghana food. We ate roasted chicken with sauce, marinated onions, and attieke. Attieke is a type of couscous made from ground cassava root. We sat at an outdoor dining area adjacent to the kitchen. The place was crowded and it was after dark. There was pop music blaring across the street with children dancing. We had a great time watching people and chatting while we ate. Daniel took me back to the hotel after dinner.
 

23 October - Accra to Lome Togo

We packed up and departed for our 100 mile ride to Togo. At the border we needed to get our Carnet and our passports stamped out of Ghana. We visited Ghana immigration first and got stamped out. The customs building was hard to find, and we had to ask a few people for directions. It was hidden around the corner behind another large building. There was a fixer following us through the process, and despite the fact that I told him I’m not paying him, he stayed along with us. We didn’t need his help but he insisted. “Okay”, I said, “but I’m not paying you”.

We proceed to the exit gate for Ghana and there was a plain clothes guy holding a rope across the road. He wants us to hand him the ticket we received in customs. I refused because he didn’t look official. Also Mark and Ranee refused. We insisted that if we should give him our papers, he should be wearing a uniform! He became angry and we eventually gave our tickets to him, and he was furious. I didn’t feel bad about it because he didn’t look legitimate in any way.

We scooted past and stopped at the Togo border post. They were nice and took our papers and stamped us in. Just a couple hundred feet down the road was customs where we registered our bikes and paid the fee, about $10.

The border post for Togo is essentially on the edge of the capital city of Lome, so we were only a couple miles from our hotel. We drove through town and found our hotel near the beach. It was a nice place with downstairs restaurant and bar, and also they had a rooftop bar. The only problem was that they had advertised private parking but they advised us this was incorrect and they had no parking. We were a bit annoyed, but the man assured us there would be no problem if we parked the bikes right outside the front door on the sidewalk. We were hesitant, but it turned out to be just fine.

That evening we had some food in the hotel and I had a video chat with my best friend Alex and his wife Carol who were working at a hospital in the town of Mango in the far north doing work for Doctors Without Borders. It was nice to catch up with them, as we were actually closer to each other here than we normally are in the United States! We were unable to visit them in Togo due to time constraints and security issues. Mango is very close to the border of Burkina Faso, which is not stable at this time due to a recent coup d’etat.
 

24 October - Togo to Cotonou Benin

It was a quick visit in Togo, and today we were were headed to Cotonou Benin. It was another short ride of around 80 miles. We arrived at the border post, with both Togo and Benin offices in the same building which made it very easy. We presented our e-visa to Benin immigration, and they stamped us in. At customs we paid $9 for our Laissez Passer for the bike.

We continued into Benin along the coastal highway. Benin appears to be rougher in appearance than Togo. A little less clean and possibly poorer. We made our way into the city of Cotonou and immediately noticed the huge quantity of little motorbikes in the traffic. There were more bikes than cars, and they often occupied half the road completely. We found the hotel, and they opened their private garage up for us to park in.

We spent the evening completing our Nigeria visa application. I had made a contact through Paul in Ghana (the guy from the Moto club I met at the repair shop). He connected us with a rider who lives in Nigeria and would be willing to provide a letter of invitation. We received the letter of invitation that evening, so we printed everything for delivery to the Nigeria embassy the next day.
 

25 October - Nigerian Embassy

We got a cab to the Nigerian Embassy around 9:00am during a torrential downpour. It was a little treacherous navigating the streets which flood easily. Our driver had to ford some water nearly 1 foot deep! When we arrived at the gate at the embassy we were immediately turned away and asked to return at 11:30am. We got back in the cab and headed back to the hotel. Along the way I wanted to stop by the Yamaha Moto dealer to inquire about tires. We waited for a moment and exchanged phone numbers. I told him to message me if he finds any tires for us.

We returned to the embassy at 11:30am and were processed in. They were very thorough, checked our bags and confiscated our cell phones prior to entry. Inside we sat down in the office and handed in our pre-completed paperwork. We were assessed an administration fee of 25,000CFA (about $37) and told that they’re currently having a problem with their system, so they cannot issue the visa until Friday (~3 days). This was unexpected, but there's not much we can do about it. She asked if I could provide a map of our trip, so I agreed to come back the next day with it.

We returned to the hotel and relaxed the rest of the day. Now we’re focused on trip planning for the next few weeks of our trip. Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon will be a challenge.