Ok, well...yesterday we were on our way further up the coast to laze on fine sand beaches, under gently swaying coconut palms, pinacolada in hand, but no.....So much for plans. But thinking about it, despite my 'Princess tendencies' as someone once accused me of, the idea seems a lot jucier than actually lazing itself. Spent 3 hrs on the beach a couple of days ago and was reduced to counting grains of sand ... was saved by the weather.

So, things change and in fact this rather abrupt change of mind came about thanks to the continued general unfriendliness. I mean, it gets wearing man! Anyway, we packed our bags and instead of heading further down the coast we are on our way to Niger, via Kumasi and Burkina.

This evening we are in Kumasi and its amazing the difference three hours of road can make. People come across as friendlier and more open and the whole place seems a lot more relaxed....and the area more under developed than the coastal areas. In fact it doesnt look substantially different to Liberia except less bushy (not tough), there are more people around and - the most significant difference - it has some mean tarmac-ed roads! WOW!!!

The little tro-tro mini bus positively flew along them. Ok, maybe thats an exaggeration but it moved at over 25kmxhr, didnt break down and didnt get stuck in any mudholes. Amazing. Incredible. How boring. At least a little breakdown....pleeeaase! But Im sure they are coming and in the meantime it was a pleasure to speed along, wind in the hair...but I took Jean Robert's advice and kept away from the windows... When people are car-sick here out the window they lean and if youre squidged in behind them there is no escape! Nasty!

Tomorrow we cross into la francophonie - HEEEELLLP! It means im going to have to speak more than two words of pigeon-french to swiss colleagues...although Ive been reassured that W.African French are not as exacting in pronunciation as the original version. Im telling you, it no' easy-o! What were the Anglophones thinking! They could have pushed that little bit further no? The Empire of Greater Liberia, anyone? But then I guess the bread wouldnt be as good!


Bon, voila qu'on a change d'avis, et oui... ca arrive. Bon, le plan etait de partir un peu plus loin sur la cote du Ghana afin d'en voir un peu plus, se poser un peu plus longtemps sur une plage de sable fin, et faire les faineants... Mais, comme tout le monde le sait, etre faineant n'est pas trop dans nos cordes, donc hier soir nous avons decide de changer legerement l'itineraire. En effet, le pays ne nous impressione pas vraiment, les gens ne sont pas aussi gentils qu'au Liberia, et Ghana lui ressemble sur enormement d'aspects.
Bon, et puis il faut dire qu'a force de lire le guide du Niger, on est un peu trop impatient de se retrouver dans ce taxi brousse, foncant sur les piste de sable, plein a craque, nous conduisant a la frontiere du Tchad, NGuigmi (bordant le lac Tchad).

Donc du coup, nous voila a Kumasi. C'est une assez importante ville du centre du Ghana, assez facile d'acces, nous avons pris un trotro ce matin sur le coup des midis et nous sommes arrives trois heures plus tard. Nous avons trouve notre endroit pour la nuit, une "guest House" et avons repere la gare routiere en direction de Ouagadougou. Et oui, du coup, marre du Ghana, nous partons directement sur le Burkina. Une longue route nous attend demain (Depart a 8 Heure) avant d'arrivee dans la capitale Burkinabe. Passage dans l'Afrique francophone...
Par la suite, nous allons partir sur le Niger, certainement un ou deux jours plus tard. Puis nous allons prendre notre temps pour organiser notre tour du Niger.