Visa no. 14: Cameroon in Lagos

I applied at 11am and collected the visa after 2pm. The visa costs N45000 and they give out only “temporary” visas valid for one month after the stated date of entry. The man at the reception asked for 2 photos and passport photocopy. He also insisted that the only way to cross to Cameroon at […]

Happy Sunday in Lagos

It’s often you hear people wishing you “happy Sunday” in Nigeria. I was told it means they want something from you. At 7am, when I was deep asleep someone knocked at the door of my room. It was a woman with a tray with breakfast. A simple toast and tea. I took it, went back […]

Porto Novo to Lagos

I planned to arrive at the border early in the morning. The sooner I got to Lagos the better. The plan of course didn’t work. I slept too long, the darkness in my room helped. I took a 200cfa moto to what I thought will be some gare du Nigéria but instead we rode for […]

Friday in Freetown: no more rainy days

Morning became a routine already. Out by just before 11am, chatted with the tourism men who are here again. Breakfast a stew green with rice at Jeska Mac, off on a moto to Nigerian Embassy. As I walked in I saw two young men, possibly Nigerians, entering the compound and snapping photos all around. Photos […]

Visa no. 9: Nigeria in Freetown

It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. Monday. The high commission opens for consular affairs at 10am, I’m asked to wait outside. We enter a few minutes past 10, I, a Lebanese man and a German couple. A man comes out to meet us. The Germans are quoted $175 each for the visa paid to […]

Thursday in Freetown: with ambassador in State House

I left the guesthouse around 11am, went to Jeska Mac, had something called boil soup with rice. It was a stew, with both meat (beef I’d say) and fish pieces. Not too bad, 20,000le. I wanted to dress up for the interview: long trousers and shirt. I tried the African patent of not showing sweat […]

Tuesday in Freetown: struggle will be real

There was power in SLARI guesthouse till the morning. I had the fan set up so close to bed that I woke up dry and not too hot. Things are possible. I filled up Nigerian visa form – all six pages of it – got the email from Amyn with the invitation and her passport […]

Monday in Freetown: the two embassies

I woke up all sweaty in my $17 apartment. Not good. Mornings are cool and I should be fresh and crispy and here I am, melting at 6am. At least there were no mosquitoes and in the room there was no mosquito net and the carpeted floor makes burning a coil risky. The plan for […]