togo is...

dusty streets, potholes, no drains, birds so hot they sit with their legs stuck out, beautiful yellow sandy beaches, aqua coloured gulf of guinea, small scale agriculture on the roadsides, motorbikes and vespas, baguettes, voodoo shrines, calls to prayer, fake rolex for sale, loud shirts, men in matching shirt and pant combos, palm trees, unmade roads.

---

when in lome

monkey skulls in lome voodoo fetish market

Things we're not eating

Antelope, monkey, grasscutter (a huge rat), giant snails (as big as your fist), anteaters, salad.

---

Things we're eating

Whole fried snapper, red red (bean stew in chilli oil) (with and without fish head), fried plantains (bananas), fried yam, fries, yam fries, cassava fries, cacao seeds fresh from the tree, palm oil, palm wine, palm liqueur called "kill me quick", beef stew (in chilli oil), chicken kebabs, jollof rice (spicy west african paella), fried rice, charcoal-grilled chicken, chicken in chilli oil, pizza, club sandwiches, mandarins, pineapple, local beers - Star, Club, Gulder, Smirnoff Ice (no so icy).

---

a lap around ghana

1- hold on baby one of kumasi markets youngest 2- sunset at elmina 3- fish market at elmina

accra pics

pic 1 -view of jamestown from top of lighthouse pic 2 - the fishing boats going out pic 3 - mantha and her lunch of red red

50 ways to lose your cedi

The Togo embassy didnt match Benin in terms of football knowledge but was miles above when it came to milking plenty out of us. That might explain the more opulant surroundings. After filling out three forms we were told that we would need to pay in cfa, the togo currency. On asking the gate guard where the nearest forex was we were told that conveniently he had the required amount in his pocket. He was a little to quick to convert for my liking and the price looked as convincing as a tab sportsbet fixed odds market but what can you do. We took the unders and now have a Togo visa. Leave Accra tomorrow so we won't be in touch for a few days. By the way i managed to get on Boundless in the Caulfield Cup thanks to Betfair mobile. Togolese gate guards, kiwi mares, overpriced t shirts from persistent street touts, there's a thousand ways to do your dough in this town.

by the way benin embassy rocks. We got a visa in 3 hours and my good friend behind the counter even had time to chat about the socceroos. He was very concerned about Viduka's heel and wanted to know how harry was doing at galatasaray. Had we not been both dripping with sweat there is no doubt we would have exchanged opinions on pim's use of two holding midfielders. Will let you know how togo fares in comparison.

our first ghanaian meal

mantha and the mountain of fried rice

Night one

 
Scene: The Stanley Hotel Nairobi, stop over after 3 flights with one still to go.
 
Brendan: What's your favourite part of Africa so far?
 
Samantha: Flying over the coast of Somalia. That was cool. what about you?
 
Brendan: The hotel shower

---

At last

Good news! We have our passports back, ready to depart in 12 hours. The Ethiopian consulate may just be the best ever. We went there this morning for visas which were processed on the spot, in under half an hour. Take note, France!

It's not much of a Cheese Shop then, is it??

Dealing with the French consulate has proved to be stressful, illogical and ultimately pointless. It's like being trapped in a Monty Python sketch - think Cheese Shop. Except I don't even get to yell at anyone because I can't ring the visa section. They don't have a phone number. Right. Good. Thank god for Dayana, poor woman in the press office, who has been forced to answer my calls after my dubious introduction name dropping ABC Radio. Well, I'm getting desperate. Better cross your fingers folks because at this point our passports wont be back till Monday (even then, sans Togo visas) and yes, we leave on Monday. SHUT THAT BLOODY BOUZOUKI UP!! My head hurts. I'm going to bed.

Ever closer

Well, we are less than a week away from departure, and things are getting frantic and exciting all at the same time. Frantic because of our bon amies at the French Embassy who have stuffed us around. Passports will hopefully arrive back Friday with Togo visa in toe (we should have asked for it 'to go') and then it's off to the Ethiopian and Tanzanian consulates. Hopefully it all comes together in time, but with a bit of help from Rosemary, we should be all fine. Will save our feelings on our French freres for another time but needless to say 'Libertie, Egalitie and Fraternite' do not apply to the visa department. Samantha, god bless her, consoled herself by getting all French herself with some creative work with the guillotine this arvo. Hell hath no fury as a sleep-deprived radio producer with sharp stationary at hand. For those who have been asking, we will have a daily itinerary up shortly, hopefully over the weekend.