.. and they never die, spots from the Peugeot kingdom

[pshome]

 

Junkdaughter #2 sez them isn't fish.

Me right there right now. There is grilled fish

 

And there is beach.

 

That's all I need. I don't eat raw cows.

 

[Junkman]

How about grilled cow?

 

Also, someone eating fish and no chips shocker.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

….someone eating fish and no chips shocker.

What looks like upside-down mash potato, though. Could be yams or similar....

[pshome]

How about grilled cow?

 

 

A grilled cow? I can eat much, but not that much.

[pshome]

What looks like upside-down mash potato, though. Could be yams or similar....

Akassa, corn based

https://www.miammiambenin.com/single-post/2017/10/29/Lakassa

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Akassa, corn based

https://www.miammiambenin.com/single-post/2017/10/29/Lakassa

A bit like maize meal?

[pshome]

More neutral taste because less fermented.

[pshome]

You are driving the wrong hire car!

 

 

 

i will be happy to comply as long as you dont expect me to travel Bub style on less than 4 wheels

 

 

or you send me to sixt who seem to have been ill advised on what a suitable local choice of cars would be.

 

[pshome]

Today is Tabaski, which is good news because a holiday, except for these guys,..

sorry folks, no presidential pardon here, you will all be on the barbecue tonight.

 

Some aeroshite

 

504 of the day

 

Driving school is compulsory here, be sure to make the right selection, this one looks like a sensible choice to learn challenging the local traffic habits.

 

now to the "unsuitable car" section, they wont last, trust me.

 

PRV power!

sorry for the bad picture quality, my hands were shaking because from the distance i thought OMG Tagora.

[pshome]

Haven't the Chinese moved in yet?

No, they are smart and first let the locals fail, then take it over for cheap.

[pshome]

Metre gauge is just so colonial French.

 

Depending on what the neighbouring countries use, wouldn't it have been wise to upgrade to standard gauge?

I mean, in essence they have to rebuild the entire line anyway, but it looks like the entire AfricaRail project is on metre gauge.

There is not much left of the railways in Togo and its 1m as well. Nigeria is mostly defunct from what i know and it is 1067 mm.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...Driving school is compulsory here, be sure to make the right selection, this one looks like a sensible choice to learn challenging the local traffic habits.

IMG_7192.jpg

OMG, there are traffic lights...though they don't work.

[Junkman]

i will be happy to comply as long as you dont expect me to travel Bub style on less than 4 wheels

 

IMG_7258.jpg

 

Don't you have access to Akpeteshie?

You sound like you don't have access to Akpeteshie!

You know, the stuff that makes good drivers out of us all.

[pshome]

 

Don't you have access to Akpeteshie?

You sound like you don't have access to Akpeteshie!

You know, the stuff that makes good drivers out of us all.

 

We don't drink the shit from Ghana here, they know nothing about making spirits.

We drink Sodabi, cheaper than fuel and you can both drink and drive it.

[Junkman]

That shit from Ghana sure does make good drivers out of us all, though.

However, where they really do know how to make good moonshine is Uganda.

[pshome]

OMG, there are traffic lights...though they don't work.

 

most do work,

 

there are even fancy ones that count down the time to the next change.

 

 

stoping on red is considered optional though unless a flic is in view.

[pshome]

Have some bus shite. Ford will be around for some time to come

China shite already died.

 

Another contender for the "doesn't fit, won't last" trophy

 

OMG a Rover!

 

Local RAC service is already watching for that business

 

more truck shite

 

404 of the day

 

 

local KwikFit

Dustermania

 

 

 

 

[ChinaTom]

No, they are smart and first let the locals fail, then take it over for cheap.

I think the Chinese still run the cane plantation and mill in Savé? Lonrho had it, we had it and sold it to Complant who are basically the Chinese Government.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Junkman]

No, they are smart and first let the locals fail...

 

Which will inevitably happen?

[Alan_Green]

Congo not Benin, but still...

 

[motorpunk]

20180821_154448.jpg

 

That's Skegness. You've photoshopped the palm trees in. I'm not stupid.

[pshome]

Which will inevitably happen?

 

 

Congo not Benin, but still...

 

 

Folks, it’s not that easy. Africa is a continent, there are many countries and many differences.  

Would you ever compare “Bucharest, not London but still…”? It’s about the same distance!

 

Simplifications as done by that Chinese chap in the video don’t really help, just cements prejudices.

 

I have spent 20 years in these parts of the world on the local side of it, running my own business, not as an "expat" sent by some "organsiation" who gets his fat $$$ wire at the end of the month and lives in his own world. Believe me, it’s much more complex than this, there are no short and easy answers.

 

Will locals inevitably fail to run a big business? No, there is a lot of business going on here, most is quite successful, but bringing a defunct railway back to track is maybe something that needs knowledge that simply is not present here. It’s probably just as difficult as to build an airport for a capital like Berlin, isn’t it?

 

That said, I would appreciate if we can keep the politics out of here.

 

Let’s talk about cars, trucks, planes, the oddities of daily life in these parts of the world and why not about arts, thanks!

 

There is some pretty good stuff here:

 

Voodoo masks 2018 edition

 

 

Polution?

 

lets go to the stadium

 

London Taxi

 

Cotonou Taxi

[Junkman]

Congo not Benin, but still...

 

 

I think that Chinese lad is not in the best of moods.

 

 

Would you ever compare “Bucharest, not London but still…”?

Fortunately nothing else is like that London.

[pshome]

Let's have a look at the bikes.
The times when Vespa's were omnipresent are definitely over, none spotted at all. The "Honda mate" 's are all gone as well, but Honda was able to keep a decent market share with a dream.

 

Everything else is chinese with many names, propably as many different as there are chinese tyre brands.

 

Boxer?

 

 

Sanili

 

 

Star

 

 

Lucky

 

 

Escort

 

 

Silver

 

 

.. and many more.

 

Very popular, the Keweseki's

 

[Junkman]

Cen you gat ma e Keweseki?

[pshome]

600000 colonial francs and a new one is yours.

I buy you one if you drive it home, deal?

[Junkman]

Do not tempt me!

[pshome]

I read this as a yes.

You don't mind me bolting a comfy 504 seat on the back, get some sort of roof installed over the rear and film you suffering for 6000 km?

Do i need a whip or will you behave?

[Junkman]

It's more like 7,500km. We should do this in Winter, when the Alpine passes are more interesting.

[pshome]

Let me first check on winter tyre availability...

 

Actually, the only doable way is up the west coast,8900 km it is then.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/qk42EaHpUjM2