Leaving for Benin
Good day. December 17th. It was time to head into Benin, a new country once again.
The drive followed the coast, passing through some truly beautiful areas. The border crossing into Benin was a bit unusual—there was a single stop where both exiting one country and entering the next happened in pretty much the same place.
As always, there was some confusion and a bit of extra money involved, but overall it took about one to two hours and then I was on my way.
Settling into Cotonou
From there, it was on to Carl’s Guest House, where I planned to stay for three nights. An earlier accommodation arrangement had to be canceled due to visa requirements, and the dates simply didn’t work out. Still, there’s almost always a solution.
The hotel was pretty basic and didn’t have parking on the premises, but the street felt fine and everything worked out okay.
The Nigerian Embassy
My first real stop was the Nigerian Embassy. Sure enough, it seems visa prices are going up.
This time, the cost was 300,000 CFA for a visa ready the next day. I was told it might even be possible to pick it up the same day, but I said tomorrow morning would be perfect.
They also gave me some helpful hints about the Ekok route, convoys, and what to expect once across the border and moving through Nigeria.
I had originally planned on going to Ibadan, but that plan was already starting to change.
Coffee and a Chance Meeting
After checking in at Carl’s Guest House, I took a walk around the neighborhood. I stopped for a coffee at a nice hotel and found myself appreciating good coffee more and more when I can get it—because that’s not always guaranteed.
Three people were sitting nearby, and as I was about to leave, I asked what they were up to. It turned out to be a Dutch couple, Yumi and Thais, and another traveler, Jim Dalton.
Land Cruisers and Shared Roads
They had white Land Cruisers parked nearby, which I hadn’t even noticed until they mentioned them. Interestingly, they were all traveling in the opposite direction from me.
They had been in contact with each other through WhatsApp many times during their journeys, but this was the first time they had actually met in person. I just happened to drop into that moment.
It’s pretty amazing how life lines things up sometimes.
Stories from the Road
Yumi and Thais had both been dealing with malaria, while Jim was recovering from another health issue. Despite that, they’d been traveling for a long time without many problems until recently.
Both Land Cruisers had been shipped from Australia. Yumi and Thais had gone there first, then decided to take on Africa and shipped a vehicle over. Jim, originally from England, had worked in Australia as an underwater welder and in other underwater construction jobs—work that clearly funded some serious travel.
They all had carnet de passage and appreciated how useful it was, though questions remained about what to do with a left-hand-drive vehicle afterward.
For Jim, that likely meant importing it back to England, but his carnet was expiring at the end of February, which was a concern.
Yumi and Thais had already been on the road for about six months, with more still to come, before eventually settling in the Netherlands for a while.
Reassurance Before Nigeria
It was an amazing and very coincidental encounter—also a reassuring one.
With Nigeria often described as a bit of a loose cannon, hearing firsthand from people who had already come through made the road ahead feel far less intimidating.
We exchanged numbers, said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways.
Thanks for being along.
See you tomorrow.
