The last five days have been a bit of a whirlwind, spent lounging at a lovely hotel/resort on Bureh Beach, just an hour outside of Freetown, and stressing regarding visas. The mission was simple: secure Liberian and Nigerian visas so we could keep moving forward. And while Liz and Paul did the hard word and made the Liberian visa process seem smooth, the Nigerian visa situation has turned into its own unique adventure. But more on that later.
First, let’s talk about the beach. Bureh Beach was stunning, the kind of place where you can forget about dusty roads and ant-infested camps for a little while. The hotel was so nice (for overlanding standards) that I couldn’t resist upgrading to a room again—sheepishly, yes, but I had an excuse: my bag situation. After several weeks of overland chaos, my bag’s contents were in dire need of sorting—again. The upgrade was worth it. My bags are now organized, and I feel like a more functional human being. I could go into detail, but to be honest in another month I’ll have some new better layout, and the month after that, and that…
I also washed my clothes (in a bucket). I’ve got the process down quite well. Rinse, squeeze the brown water out, rinse, squeeze the brown water out, rinse, squeeze the brown water out. Eventually it becomes almost clear, then wash with soap. The goal isn’t to remove the dirt stains, quite the opposite, the goal is to obtain an overall consistent brown hue to the clothes, regardless of the colour it originally was!
We also went to a chimpanzee rescue sanctuary and got so see the chimps a bit closer than we had a week or so ago. I went in with my new camera and telephoto lens, looking forward to getting some great shots, but halfway through realised what I sort of knew for awhile now. Photography is not a hobby that brings me joy anymore, and hasn’t been for awhile. The amount of effort spent getting those shots I desired was not worth it for the amount of joy I got. And I brought binoculars with me, and they provide just as much magnification as looking through the camera does. So with that, the camera goes into the duffle, and I’ll pull it out only when I know I really want photos of something. Wild shots of animals I guess.
It’s actually a relief discovering this. It’s a lot of gear to carry around if it doesn’t bring you joy. The binoculars are smaller, lighter, and bring more joy.
Today, we’re heading to Tiwai Island for a night away from Nala (who, unfortunately, refuses to swim to the island). With my newly sorted gear, I’ve managed to pack everything I need into a smallish backpack: sleeping bag, air mattress, pillow, change of clothes, batteries, 2 liters of water, binoculars, and my trusty tent strapped to the side. It’s almost like I’m becoming efficient! The amount of space I need for 1 night versus 5 is just a bit more clothing.
Did I mention how insane the currency is in Sierra Leone? The maximum note size is 20 (or 20,000 in old values), which is about $1. This is probably $500 or so. (The really nice rooms were $100 a night, I didn’t go that big).
Now, back to the Nigerian visa saga. After waiting five days in Freetown, we still don’t have the visas. Here’s the thing about Nigeria: it’s one of the most notoriously corrupt countries in the world. Bribes are a way of life, and the system reflects it. Last month, of the 90 applications submitted through proper channels at the Nigerian embassy in Freetown, zero were approved. Zero.
The company we used for the Liberian visas also applied for the Nigerian visas on our behalf—without consulting us—and now we’re stuck waiting for the official rejection. Until we’re rejected, we can’t bypass the process and try in another country.
Our last-ditch option for the Nigerian visa is in Benin, where the system gets a little creative. We can become “residents” of Benin, which apparently makes it much easier to get a Nigerian visa. Of course, with fees, bribes, and other expenses, the total cost will likely be around $450 per visa. Not exactly cheap, but it is the last resort.
For now, though, it’s time to enjoy Tiwai Island. The Nigerian visa drama can wait until tomorrow—or at least until the next border crossing.
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