Sandwiches, Boat Tours, and Price Awareness
Good day. December 5th. I had also talked to some people about doing a boat tour through the Laguna, which is kind of a really long, long way.
But then there was the price of a sandwich I had. The sandwich was about 500 CFA, which is less than a dollar. It was a really, really good sandwich with warm meat and everything. The boat ride, on the other hand, would have taken 30,000 CFA, somewhere around $55 or $58 per person.
You really have to pay attention to pricing in this town.
Heading Toward the Border
So anyway, it was time to head for the border. Iceni was way off track, and it would have required extra driving to get there. Still, it was very much worth the experience.
On the way, I picked up a person for a short ride. He was a gentleman on his way to Abidjan to attend university, and he was studying Spanish.
A Conversation About Language and Opportunity
The reason he was studying Spanish wasn’t to go to Spain. He worked as a receptionist at a local hotel and wanted to be prepared for Spanish-speaking tourists.
Given the price ranges I’d already mentioned, I’m sure that kind of preparation matters a lot in his line of work. That’s quite a commitment.
The Border Process Explained
It was a pleasant drive to the border, and even the border itself wasn’t all that awkward. You just have to be very, very patient.
Generally, there are three parts to leaving a country and three parts to entering the next one. First, you become a line item in a big book. Your name, passport, and details get written down along with everyone else in the same situation.
Then you go to another office where they may stamp your passport. After that, you need to find customs—or douane, in French-speaking countries—and get them to sign off on the carnet de passage.
Sometimes there’s another step involved, and nothing is marked. You just have to ask and hope for the best. Fortunately, that worked out fine.
Delays, SIM Cards, and Connectivity
Leaving Abidjan—or Ivory Coast in general—should have taken half the time, maybe even a quarter of the time it actually took. But some people had complicated situations involving passports, residency, and paperwork, which slowed everything down.
Money exchangers are always nearby, and often the same people selling SIM cards.
I’ve been doing without SIM cards and relying on my AT&T plan. It’s more expensive, but I need access to my own phone number.
A Photo That Didn’t Last
On the bridge between the two countries, I briefly stopped to take a photo. I’m usually very hesitant to take photos at borders, and I generally don’t.
But this seemed far enough away from both sides that I thought it would be okay.
Someone noticed. I ended up having to delete the photo. No bad feelings. The person—military or police, wearing a uniform—made sure it was deleted completely. On an iPhone, that means deleting it twice.
He said it was no big deal and to keep going. Sometimes these situations go very differently, so I was fine with that outcome.
Entering Ghana
Time to enter Ghana. Same thing applied—just lots of time.
I had someone volunteer to help guide me through the process, which is usually worth a few bucks to get things done right the first time.
Unusually, I didn’t just get my passport stamped. I also had to fill out a card with much more information than I’m used to.
After that, things were easygoing.
New Currency, New Passengers
I exchanged money into Ghana’s currency—the name escapes me at the moment—but it’s not CFA. It’s about eleven of their units to the dollar.
I enjoyed the ride so much that I eventually stopped to pick up a few passengers.
It turned out there were five late-teenagers who needed a ride. I initially said I could handle two, but somehow we made room. Three people shared the extra chair area, two rode in the front, and off we went.
Slow Roads and Big Plans
They were on their way to Accra to attend a NeoLife conference. NeoLife is a multi-level organization from the US that operates in Ghana as well.
The road was very slow for a large part of the drive. They’re widening it, but the original road was already bad, so getting anywhere takes a long time.
Nightfall and Changing Plans
I had told the kids I didn’t want to drive in the dark and planned to stop around 4:00 p.m. That didn’t happen.
By 6:00 p.m., I stopped at a gas station so they could find another solution. According to my phone, Accra was still five hours away for just over 200 kilometers, and they needed to be there by 10:00 the next morning.
I’ll never know how that story ended.
Finding a Place to Stay
Traffic was very slow, and hotels were far apart. I thought I’d find something by continuing forward.
Two gentlemen noticed me searching and offered help. Sometimes you just have to go for it. They joined me in the car and guided me to several hotels I would never have found on my own.
All three places were full because there was a funeral happening the next day.
A Hidden Hotel Off the Main Road
They had me turn around and head in another direction, just off the main drag. There we found a small hotel with ten rooms and a single sign, well off the beaten track.
That’s where I stayed.
The room was inexpensive, though after dinner and helping the guys out, the total crept up. Still, it was very reasonable.
Wrapping Up the Day
Perpetual was the woman who helped me there. She was very kind and curious about what I was doing.
Dinner for three people came out to about $9. Price-wise, it’s a workable place.
After making sure I wouldn’t need help the next day, I navigated some murky roads—but nothing we couldn’t handle.
Thanks for coming along on this very multifaceted day. See you tomorrow.
