| |
 |
|
African Adventure - Benin
by Colin | Date >
2004-07-26 | Country : Benin | City : Cotenou
| Area : Africa |
| A group of 14 of us left the U.K in the summer of 1978 on an ill-fated trip overland in an old Bedford, the final destination being Nairobi in Kenya.
This was a privately run adventure, a forerunner of the many overland trips available now. After an eventful run through Europe, North Africa and the Sahara and eventually arriving in Cotenou (Benin). Tired, dirty and all of us having had our turn to contract malaria, some with the added bonus of Dysentery. We were lucky! As one of the guys Pete complained of stomach cramps that turned into a burst intestine (could have happened anywhere) and there was no choice apart from the surgeons knife in a country ruled by a dictator who kept his subjects in abject poverty.
After we all spent a night in jail (suspected terrorists, real reason – being white) I decided to stay with Pete and catch up with them in Nigeria or the Cameroon. Took him to a hell of a hospital, hell being the operative word and took myself off to the only place foreigners are allowed to stay, The “Hotel” Babo sort of like the jail, but with a shower which was priceless in the oppressive heat. I went to visit Pete every day and was pleased to have made friends with a couple from Birmingham staying at the same place who helped out. Well he survived a long operation to remove half his small and large intestine which the uncapped, unmasked and ungloved surgeon proudly showed me in a metal pan (I thought he was going to invite me to a barbecue). This is just about where this story should begin as the “fun” starts here.
I wanted to get him on a plane A.S.A.P, because of gangrene or anything the surgeon might have lost in there, but this was to be a battle as they saw an earner in their midst and demanded about 3000 U.S. Dollars for his release. The days that followed turned into my worst nightmare as I was sent from pillar to post in my efforts to secure his release and he was real sick and wanted badly to go home to the U.K. I was between hospital authorities and the military government when I sought help from the American Embassy, with the absence of British representation. Well the 3rd smallest U.S. Embassy in the world is a casual affair as I just went straight in to the ambassador who was always dressed in golfing garb and we ended up on first name terms. They sent a representative with me and helped with reading material, but could not help with the government as they weren’t too keen too rock the boat. It was left to me and finally I saw a “General” or whatever in the army. I was invited into a small office lined to ceiling height on three walls with local passports and facing me behind a desk was a very important looking military man his chest decorated with 3 rows of medals and golden spaghetti all over, looking a cross between Idi Amin and Michael Jackson. I happened to be carrying football and cartoon badges for the kids on the way and remembered that I had them on me, got one out (Something from Sesame Street) and proceeded to pin it on him next to all the brass. Unsure what his reaction was going to be I was so nervous, but he looked at it then at me and a great big grin lit up his round face followed by the sweetest words I could hear “You and your friend can go, and we will provide an ambulance to Lagos”. If the Embassy coughed up they never did admit it.
After 2 weeks of hell we left the next day and got to the Benin/Nigeria border and changed money at an incredible rate with the roving moneychangers only to lose it all at the airport in bribes to get him on the plane. I wonder if BOAC (On their last legs) were aware of the Nigerian Mafia’s airport services. Anyway it was with incredible relief that I waved Pete goodbye and stayed at the airport to play all night scrabble with a group of Egyptian professors as Lagos is a dangerous place at night.Stayed in Lagos for a couple of days and was introduced to Palm wine which resembles lemonade on acid WOW.
Hitched and bussed through Biafra (Eastern Nigeria) into Cameroon where I finally caught up with my original trip. Needless to say we didn’t make Kenya or anywhere near. Reached what was then the Central African Empire capital of Bangui under Bocassa’s disgusting and evil rule and couldn’t get into Zaire (now Congo). At this point we split up, some trying for Kenya and myself and a few others making it back to Cameroon in the truck eventually flew from Yaonde (Cameroon) to Johannesburg getting stoned and arrested (For taking photos at the airport) in Kinsasha. After 9 months living sparsely I got culture shook from the abundance of it all, simple cafes seemed like an Alladins cave, My cousins house in the Northern suburbs was ultimate opulence then the maid called me Master.
P.S. Pete survived, but Gangrene did set in and by a miracle he did survive.
|
| Copyright Hostels, Budget hotels & Guesthouses © The Backpacker Network |
|
 |
