February 11th, 2022 Niamey, Niger to San Francisco, California

7:30AM I woke and returned the keys and sim card to the door man for AirBNB. I gave away some clothes and sandwiches to the kids that I walked by. I walked half way to the Musée National Boubou Hama before a motorist gave me a ride there.

Breakfast at Niamey

9:30AM I grabbed a taxi to the airport for 1,000 XOF. I then helped a Chinese man get through security and he bought me a latte when he got a latte and a coke himself for 8,500 XOF. I boarded the plane at 12:30PM for San Francisco.

Chicken on Ethiopian Airlines

February 10th, 2022 Bangui, Central African Republic to Niamey, Niger

5:45AM I woke and walked to the Notre Dame of Bangui Cathedral and then to the Boganda National Museum, which was closed. I then picked up my bags and left 21 USD and 2,000 XAF for the restaurant owner. I kept 2,000 XAF for the taxi. Taxi drivers wanted 3,000 XAF to go to the airport. I took a motorbike and asked to go to La Grande Mosquee. I snapped a photo and stayed at the door for 10 seconds because I was getting close to the 1 hour check-in time mark. With just 15 minutes to go, I asked the driver to drive quickly to the airport. I got through without a problem but everyone was asking for money. Even the customs wanted 10 USD and a Chinese guy came to give me 1,000 XAF. We both got through and then boarded at 8:45AM. We stopped at Douala, Cameroon for a 40 minute stop to load new passengers before continuing to Lome, Togo.

At the Chinese Restaurant

11:20AM We arrived at Togo. I waited and boarded the flight for Douala. I don’t think I have ever had 4 separate flights in 1 day. I have had longer flights altogether but usually with much longer layovers. I arrived at Burkina Faso at 10:15AM.

6PM I arrived at Cote Jardin. The garden was nice and so was the lamb.

Cote Jardin

7PM I then walked to the Chamber L’hotes Bellevue where the AirBNB is. It took Charlotte the host 30 minutes to arrive but her employee let me in the room. We went out to get a surge protector for her room and a sim card for me. She paid 1000 XOF and also for my sodas. The sim card took a couple of tries to work but it did work eventually.

12AM I went to bed.

February 9th, 2022 Lagos, Nigeria to Bangui, Central African Republic

8:05AM I left for the airport. The Uber driver took a couple of wrong turns, but I still got there in 15 minutes. I tried to check in and had a scare when a guy went back and said I needed a visa for Central African Republic. There was a new Wikipedia page that I had never seen before which says US passport holders need visas, contrary to the other page that says US citizens are exempt for 180 days. Mr. Stanley who I met told me that I did not need a visa yesterday now says I do. He seemed not to have recognized me and asked if I was the same person from yesterday. The one who went to the back office to check whether I needed a visa wanted to let me through, but Mr. Stanley seemed to have other ideas. I first said I was the one from yesterday and then said no and was finally allowed to obtain my boarding pass.

10:40AM I checked out the Premium Lounge and the Oasis Lounge and decided to go with the latter. I had some chicken sausage and omelet. I then went downstairs for a 20-minute massage with my Priority Pass. The man who checked me in earlier allowed me to pass, then stopped me again to ask me whether I was going to Bangui. I had to show him my boarding pass again and he got on the phone to ask again. I showed him the Wikipedia page which showed I should be visa exempt and he finally let me go.

3PM The flight stopped at DLA for 45 minutes before continuing to Bangui.

5:12PM The plane landed. I had no issues except the man who helped a little bit with the process and pestered me for 20 USD. I refused. They stamped my passport. As expected, and verified by Stephen Bracken from the American Embassy, US citizens may enter Central African Republic, visa free, for 180 days.

6PM I hitched a ride from a Russian man to his hotel, the Oubangui Hotel. They wanted 112 USD so I hitched a motorbike ride to Le Grand Café. I then was directed to a Chinese restaurant just around the corner. I met the owner and she said she could give me the room for 15,000 XOF. I walked to Cafrina, which only took XOF and EUR cash. They looked like they had local food unlike Le Grand Café. I walked to the Chinese restaurant and the owner was happy to lend me 10,000 XOF. I then walked back to Cafrina for dinner. I got the antelope with legume. The legume was fine but a little oily. The game meat was too tough. It was 5,500 XAF. I walked back and gave my old clothes to a man asking for food.

UN vehicle in Central Africa Republic

9PM I came back to the restaurant. The owner did not take my money. I went to bed at around 10PM. There was no internet in the room.

February 8th, 2022 Lagos, Nigeria

11AM I arrived at Lagos Airport. Exiting the airport was fast and I had to walk out of the airport for about 10 minutes to grab an Uber. I had to do that because none of the Uber drivers wanted to pay for parking.

12PM I arrived at Choppers Hotel. I left my luggage there and tried to take another Uber to take a COVID test. My driver was “arrested” and taken to the police station to pay for driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street. I then took a bus to the Ikeje area for the COVID test.

2PM They told me that my testing date is supposed to be 2 days from now. I went to the Yellow Chili restaurant for a stewed fish and snail. I went back to the testing site at 3:30PM. I worked with someone there and she finally modified the arrival date to 2 days ago so I could get tested.

Yellow Chili Restaurant

4:30PM I finally walked back to the train tracks and took 2 buses sequentially to get to the Marina. The Freedom Park seemed very lackluster so I decided not to pay to get in. I got a haircut for 1,000 NIR. I then walked to the Cathedral Church of Christ, which was closed anyway.

Cathedral Church of Christ

6PM I started heading back but the bus was stuck on the Third Mainland Bridge, the longest bridge for an hour and I spent over an hour on the bus before arriving at Oshodi. I fell in a ditch and got a small scrape on my right upper arm.

8PM I got some ice and finished the soft drinks I brought from Turkish Lounge in IAD. I bought a Fanta and started listening to the Regulation Chapter. I went to bed at 1AM.

February 7th, 2022 San Francisco, California to Lagos, Nigeria

5:30AM I woke Paoula up and took an Uber to the airport. I checked in with United Airlines and walked from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 where she was waiting. American Airlines let all the Miami passengers who were close to their departure time to cut in front of her. We finally checked in and ran to Terminal 3 to go to the Centurion Lounge. We spent 10 minutes there and I sent Paoula back to her terminal. We both made our flights leaving around 8:30AM.

5PM I arrived at Dulles Airport. I went to both the Lufthansa and Turkish Lounge. They were both mediocre in quality and I departed for LOS around 7PM.

Turkish Lounge