Day 93: Waiting in Abuja

Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Sun 6 Feb 2011 12:30
Day 93: Saturday 5 February 2011. Sheraton Hotel, Abuja. N09 03.745 E007 29.102  Distance driven 0 km
 
It is a bit of an anti-climax now; we have to wait until Monday to submit our applications for the Angola visas and then until Wednesday to collect them.  All we can do is catch up on emails, laundry, maintenance and shopping.  The isn't very much to do or see in Abuja and already the Oasis crew are geting bored.  We spent the day doing a long session on the Internet and then i went for a prowl around the Wusa markets, purchasing beer, water and vegetables.  We finished the day with another braai, this time cooking a delicious pork tenderloin purchased in Accra at the South African supermarket.
 
We are now beginning to realise that we are about to embark on a very tough series of routes through Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, DRC and Angola. There are some rough roads ahead, and it looks as if the rains are coming early this year. On top of that our provisioning and shopping options are likely to be much more limited.  All the overlanders and ourselves, in fact the whole camp, will be pulling out on Wednesday next and this site will be deserted.  We are all consulting together over maps discussing alternative routes, border crossings, ferries etc and picking the brains of those who have done it before.  There is a certain atmosphere of tension among the newcomers as to what lies ahead and a frustration at not being able to get on with it right away.