Think back on your most memorable road trip?

A road trip round West Africa

Nineteen seventy five

Setting out from Kano

The place I spent two years.

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I went by public transport

Things like transit vans

Not exactly scheduled

You have to hang around.

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The first lap up to Zinder

A city in Niger

Not sure where to stay there

But had amazing luck

I met a fellow traveller

Who took me to his home.

They treated me so kindly

The neighbours all came round

They all shared their food with me

A thing I can’t forget.

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Then across to Niamey Niger’s capital.

From there to Ouagadougou.

Who else has been there?

I mostly stayed with Peace Corps

US volunteers.

A memorable experience

But there was more to come.

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Down from Upper Volta

As Burkina Faso was back then

To Ghana and to Tamale

A north Ghanaian town.

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From there to Takoradi

Cape Coast and its forts

Beautiful but a history

That’s sadly scandalous.

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We slept in former slave forts

Beautiful but sad

And dined on fresh caught lobster

Prepared and served with rice.

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Then Togo and Dahomey

On along the coast.

A journey through a rain storm

The wipers would not work.

I’m struggling not to sleep

Daren’t distract the driver

Or we’ll be off the road.

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We get back to Nigeria

But the borders are all closed.

It’s goodbye General Gowan

There’d been a military coup.

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There’s a blackboard at the border

I’m scared to photograph

‘All Nigerian Officers

Should collect new badges of rank.’

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I can’t get back to Kano

My French is not too good

So I head off back to Ghana

Extend my stay back there.

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I can eventually go back home

Ibadan, Jos, up North

Six weeks extended travelling

A trip I won’t forget.