For
overlanders travelling through West Africa, getting visas represents
one of the earlier frustrations. Only three countries are represented
in AU of the countries we will be passing through. Ghana, Cameroon
and Nigeria. The first two were quick and simple. For Nigeria we were
after a 7 day transit visa due to the problems being experienced in
the north and also around the delta area. For that we needed to send
them: 6 month bank statements, an itinerary of our route, confirmed
hotel bookings, proof of the cash we would be carrying, a visa for
the country we would be entering on leaving Nigeria, (in our case
Benin who doesn't have representation in AU and is one of the few
countries where you get the visa on the border), and a sponsor in
Nigeria who would vouch for us if we did a runner. All this for a
transit visa. I don't know what we did wrong, but I did stutter on
the phone when the bloke was wanting more details, he then asked to
speak to Joan to see if I was suffering further disabilities apart
from my speech. Must have thought I may be a drain on the corrupt
country's coffers. We didn't get the visa. No sweat, at least we can
go up and around through Chad & Niger as a couple of retired
Australians have just done.
Now
in Pretoria where four more visas have to be obtained:
Congo/Brazzaville, DRC, Gabon and Angola. We started the procuring of
these yesterday where we were one of many standing in the hot sun on
the pavement, pushing, we hope, the necessary papers through the
grilled gate to a little man who had papers of other hopefuls gripped
haphazardly in his sweating hand. Joan might end up with a photo of
some Congolese women attached to her visa form the way he was
dropping things. We pick them up on Monday. Then it's to the Angolan
Embassy where things really become difficult. A five day visa is all
we can expect to get by the sound of things and even that has become
almost impossible for overlanders heading south to obtain. Heading
north it appears there is more chance. We live in hope.
Len
& Ria once more welcomed us into their home on our arrival in
Pretoria. We met them first outside Etosha NP in Namibia some 4 years
ago and they have been our welcoming and farewelling committee in
Pretoria ever since. We hope we have repaid their hospitality in a
small way. As they had family arriving from the UK on the 3rd
day we were here, we decided to head off to the De Rust Caravan
Park, a small grassy park on the edge of the Pienaar River some 30
minutes from Pretoria. The river is at the southern extremity of
range for the African finfoot. A shy reclusive bird that fits
somewhere between a cormorant and African darter in appearance.
Haven't seen one yet but still looking.
28th
March: Shouldn't run the DRC crowd down, they ended up very helpful
and efficient with us having our visas back in less than 24 hours. We
took off for a few days while the Angolan one is issued, headed west
to a beautiful caravan park on the Crocodile River. Called Dries
Berge or 3 mountains we were the only people there. Now in the
Pilanesberg NP. Meant to be the next best thing to Kruger without the
crowds.
