February 28, 10:38 AM

I’m somewhere off the map now in northern Benin sitting in the only shade could find, which happens to be right next to dozens of bottles of illegal petrol which are making quite a toxic shade location. I’m staring at my broken down bus, which ½ dozen people are trying to fix with pieces of paper, parts of a tree, and a maize sack full of random tools.

I’m returning back to Cotonou on an 8 hour bus ride 3 days earlier than expected. I tried to muscle through a growing infection in my chest and sinuses but they got the best of me. Sadly, I only made it 20KM of the hilly, sandy, Harmaten wind blanketed region of Natitingou and the Somba country. Each kilometer that went by I coughed up something scary looking, and I decided to cut my losses and turn back to heal up before heading to Senegal for the last leg up to Morocco, which I’ve been warned is a doozy.

It’s frustrating and boggling to me right now why I was able to crank through 11 countries in south and east Africa without any illness and here I am now with back to back physical challenges in Togo and now Benin. I’m going to give myself some time not only to heal physically, but to do some writing and meditating to clear my head and get grounded and strong once again.

Looks like they rigged the bus up as it’s running and the driver is honking, gotta run.

Big love and bigger green alien colored boogers from Benin!

Update: 5:21PM, same day

7 hours later we have made it about 150km with a bus that’s spewing out rich black smoke and doing about 10km/hour up any kind of incline—and there are plenty in northern Benin. The heat is still pumping, ventilation limited (my thermometer was over 100 degrees several times on the bus) and my cough is getting worse. I’ll be arriving into Cotonou well after dark and have to find a way to Hugo’s place where I’ll finally get a chance to nurse myself back to health. End gripe session.

Africa is a great place to travel, but when you are not feeling well, it takes all the patience and tolerance you can muster to keep your cool. Right now the greasy guys have spare parts all over the ground and it’s a mystery when we’ll get rolling again. Ahhhh Africa. I’m sure I’ll miss it when it’s gone, but right now I want the BLEEP out!

Saturday 3/1/08, 3:17 PM

Two days later, after some rest in bed back at Hugos, half dozen Divx movies, some more anti-biotics, many liters of water and a nice surf I’m at about 75%. I’ve got some dry coughs but no more alien green lung butters so on the up n up. Bummed to have missed the ride up north but grateful to have friends here in town. All sunned and salted it’s Saturday night in the capital of Benin. Life could be worse ;)

Over n out from Benin!

Jamie