Day 107, 10,301 km, Igana, Nigeria

Racking up my 4^th country in as many days, it wasn’t so much the extra air resistance from the additional flags that exhausted me, but a full day of energy sapping loose gravel and sands! Opting for an unknown route into Nigeria and with woefully inadequate and misleading mapping, I was totally dependent on locals for guidance through a beautiful remote region. Leaving Benin, it quickly became apparent why only the odd motorbike used the route, as I was confronted by a river. Fortunately some locals were at hand to help me wade with Bertha over the rapids! Shortly after, I was given my first protracted interrogation of the day by some civilian clad men with rifles claiming to be from the Nigerian security forces. Having produced various documentary evidence, freestyled a totally fictitious route through Nigeria, clarified that I could be from England, yet be British, and managed to cut short my bag search by producing some well used cycling shorts, I was finally allowed to return to my battle with the sands! My second interrogation of the day, or should I say conversion sermon, came from the fanatical Christians whose patch I’m camping on. Foolishly leaving the tent flap ajar and saying I wasn’t sure of my beliefs so as to fit in, my arrival has been viewed as a message from God, and I was subjected to a one sided tirade on the need to repent of my many sins!

(For a link to photos of Rob's visit to the Re-Cycle partner project at Dodowa, see yesterday's blog.)

Friday, 15 January 2010