the search continues...

After being bizarrely refused visas to Ghana about 2 days before we were due to fly out, me and Dave have decided to start our trip in Benin. We were seriously disappointed about not being able to go to Ghana, partly because we had some volunteering work lined up there. Also, it's the only really safe English-speaking country in West Africa, and I know bugger-all French.

But I do have a copy of "French in 8 hours with (the slightly creepy) Michel Thomas", which I am 1.5 hours through - so I can now order a glass of white wine and, if necessary, a second glass of white wine, which is bound to be useful as W.Africa is famed for its wine.

If anyone's wondering what the deal is with Benin, well it's the home of voodoo and is still practised by about half of the people there. It also has some disturbing slave-trade landmarks, ok beaches and houses on stilts. In otherwords, just like Queensland.