D tells me this is not how media normally acted back in Canada. I guess the fly on the wall concept has yet to take hold here.
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| Media: front and centre. Where's the kid playing piano? |
Friday, December 28, 2012
Fly on the wall
This week, we had the opportunity of sitting through a four hour piano recital (without an intermission), and one thing that became abundantly clear to us again is that the media here are not as discreet as we were used to in Canada.
D tells me this is not how media normally acted back in Canada. I guess the fly on the wall concept has yet to take hold here.
D tells me this is not how media normally acted back in Canada. I guess the fly on the wall concept has yet to take hold here.
Togo-Benin Border Crossing
If you've read our blog, you know that we have a special dark place reserved for crossing the Ghana border.
It's just not fun. Even when things run smoothly, the guards are unfriendly, abrupt and sometimes just plain mean.
We recently witnessed a Togolese border guard at the Aflao crossing (Ghana) demanding 15,000 CFA ($30) from a traveller because he made an error on the customs immigration form. That's the normal form handed out freely like candy.
But having just crossed the Togo-Benin border with a vehicle we can confidently say it is much easier to cross.
The layout at the border is a lot more straight forward for and follows a relatively straight line!
Show up, park the car under a shady tree, get exit stamped out of Togo, show yellow fever vaccination card, cross border to Benin, fill in Benin paperwork, get entry stamp into Benin, get car paperwork. Hit the road!
Time: approximately 30 minutes.
Not bad, not bad at all.
There were no people insisting they be our guide or trying to be 'helpful' by grabbing our hand bags.
The only place where guides exist is by the Benin car paperwork post, which they will run and fill for you for a small fee (1000 cfa or less). They can sometimes be helpful, as the location of the paperwork post is not always as advertised! (We found the border guard hanging with his buddies in a different shack.)
The only visible sign of corruption was rather benign and also helpful, should you have forgotten your yellow fever vaccination card!
If you forgot your yellow fever card it costs 500 CFA ($1) to pass without it, though the European (Yovo) price may start higher.
We should note that our visas were processed before arrival. If you get your visa at the border, it will take longer! On some days, border officials may run out of visa forms, or simply not want to process them unless a 'gift' is given.
It's just not fun. Even when things run smoothly, the guards are unfriendly, abrupt and sometimes just plain mean.
We recently witnessed a Togolese border guard at the Aflao crossing (Ghana) demanding 15,000 CFA ($30) from a traveller because he made an error on the customs immigration form. That's the normal form handed out freely like candy.
 |
| Lorries waiting to be processed by customs near the Togo-Benin border. |
But having just crossed the Togo-Benin border with a vehicle we can confidently say it is much easier to cross.
The layout at the border is a lot more straight forward for and follows a relatively straight line!
Show up, park the car under a shady tree, get exit stamped out of Togo, show yellow fever vaccination card, cross border to Benin, fill in Benin paperwork, get entry stamp into Benin, get car paperwork. Hit the road!
Time: approximately 30 minutes.
Not bad, not bad at all.
There were no people insisting they be our guide or trying to be 'helpful' by grabbing our hand bags.
The only place where guides exist is by the Benin car paperwork post, which they will run and fill for you for a small fee (1000 cfa or less). They can sometimes be helpful, as the location of the paperwork post is not always as advertised! (We found the border guard hanging with his buddies in a different shack.)
The only visible sign of corruption was rather benign and also helpful, should you have forgotten your yellow fever vaccination card!
If you forgot your yellow fever card it costs 500 CFA ($1) to pass without it, though the European (Yovo) price may start higher.
We should note that our visas were processed before arrival. If you get your visa at the border, it will take longer! On some days, border officials may run out of visa forms, or simply not want to process them unless a 'gift' is given.
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