VISA UPON ARRIVAL AT KOTOKO AIRPORT (Accra)

GHANA VISA UPON ARRIVAL AT KOTOKO

On March 27th while I was reading about Salvador de Bahia (I was heading there on March 31st) I had a great idea to go to Accra on April 26th. At that point the last thing on my mind was that I needed a visa, I was just so happy with the price I bought the tickets for on Kenyan Airways. 

Getting a visa at the embassy was never going to be an option. The month of April was a busy month for me and I was going to be out of the country for most of the most of the month. I remember a big announcement made in July 2016 that Residents of African Union member countries can now get a visa upon arrival at Kotoko Airport. The internet provided very little detail on what the requirements were. I called the consulate in Pretoria and the response was "I don't know anything about it, ask them about it when you arrive. Take USD150." 

On April 26th, $150 dollars in hand, I took the first leg of my flight to Nairobi. At check-in they asked me if I had a visa. I panicked of course. Told them that I would apply for one upon arrival. She agreed and let me check in. I had a long stop in Nairobi and also panicked that I'd be asked the same question when I depart for Accra. Luckily I wasn't. 

The purpose of this post is to help anyone going to Accra soon on how to be ready for the visa application process. I wished I knew this when I left. So here goes. 

I don't need to remind you that you need to have a black pen with you and that when you get off the plane/bus you need to try and go to the front as quick as possible. You also need a valid passport (I doubt you'd even board the first plane without this) and a yellow fever vaccination card. 

There's an office before passport control called "visa upon arrival". That's the office that you need to go to for the application. 

1. Take USD150. 

They don't take credit cards nor do they take any other foreign currency. They do take GHS but there are no ATMs before passport control. Don't try this. 

2. Bring confirmation of your return ticket and accommodation while in Ghana. 

3. You need two forms for your application and entry : 

• The first form is an A4 sheet printed in green. Make sure that you fill in both sides.
• The second form is an entry/departure card that's the size of a postcard. 
• You need to go to the first window to request the A4. The other one is available in the office. 
• Once you've filled in the form , accuracy is important, go to any window with people that are holding the A4 forms. **At this point I need to mention that this office is chaotic and no one (applicants) knows what they are doing so don't just stand and hope for the best. ** 
• Have your documents and $150 ready. You will get nothing after this. Don't panic. Take a seat and enjoy your music and refreshments *pack refreshments* 
• Each time they call people up you need to jump up to see if your name is called. 
• Try remain calm throughout the process. 

India: Jetting off

I've been battling with blog content lately and this is because I delay my posts and it's harder to recall all the details. I've decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to write diary posts instead.

It's  Thursday 2 July 2015 just after 3 am. I am probably flying over Zambia heading to Nairobi for to connect to Mumbai. Our flight  was slightly delayed but we managed to have our wheels up by 02:10. I am slightly worried that I will miss my flight to Mumbai. It wouldn't be a bad idea if I did.

The past couple of days I have been missing East Africa. I'd be happiest in Kampala but Nairobi, Dar and anywhere in the Swahili coast will do right now. I even played around the idea of not taking the Nairobi to Joburg leg of the trip and head to Zanzibar instead. My planned return is on 16 July and Eid is likely on the 17th. I've always fantasised about  Eid celebrations at Forodhani Gardens. Friday evenings after prayers are already so beautiful. Imagine how Eid would be.

Back to the flight. I really wouldn't mind missing the flight and getting  on the next flight to Mumbai later today. I would then spend the day in Nairobi. I actually wouldn't mind just walking around the city and have all this food I've been craving. I'd be especially happy with chips mayai  (a dish made of eggs and potato chips) or nyama choma and the nyama must certainly be nyama yambuzi. If u make it to the flight I won't be mad. I will just have Fanta Orange and kenyan chevda, my favourite Kenyan snack.

Earlier today I had dinner with mates of mine. It was really nice to have such a beautiful send off  (I have hijacked it and I am deciding to believe that this was not a catch up session but more a send off. It's strange that as a lone (almost) frequent traveler I still like to have someone send me off.

I'm actually excited AND nervous about India. I will reveal more as I go along. I will write again on the Nairobi to Mumbai leg if I make it to that flight. Cabin crew assured me that they will wait for us. There goes my grand plan!

Till later then. Let me try and nap. Okay.. that might not  happen. We have minor  turbulence all of a sudden.

NaiRobMe

Remember I took a cab from the station to the hotel? Well I was also worried that the cabbie might rob me by overcharging me since the hotel was just a hop and a skip away. He didn’t but someone else that was smarter robbed me. My hotel, Hilton Hotel, was in downtown and I thought it is the ideal location. I had a tough time deciding whether I should stay at the Hilton or Sankara in Westlands. Sankara was more expensive by about $35 dollars. I then stuck to the Hilton at $185 per night and good lawd was I robbed. The hotel was nowhere near all the Hilton’s I have been to (remember Hilton Windhoek?). It was aged. It needed renovation. It was comfortable all right but for $185 I felt robbed. They don’t call it Nairobbery for nothing. Funny I spent most of my time in Sankara. But then again there are many other reasons why I chose to stay at the Hilton. Maybe one day I will explain.

Seen in Central Park, Nairobi City Centre

One thing you will know about East Africa is that you end up wanting to speak Swahili as well. Everyone, I mean everyone, in the region knows at least a few phrases in Swahili. The basic phrases were in songs playing in all foyers of resorts and theme nights. The hotels and restaurants greet you with a “Jambo! Karibu sana” and warm smiles that you don’t have a choice but wish to converse in Swahili as well. The worst part is when you hear Europeans speak in fluent Swahili. It kills me. I should know Swahili better than them, it is an African language!

Back to Nairobi. I couldn’t sleep on the train. I think I slept on average three hours a night. Upon arrival I went to my room and took a long shower and thought I would take a to hour nap before heading to the city. I looked outside the window and had the most beautiful view of the city ever. The city was abuzz. The traffic is a mess! I wanted to be with the masses and try out my Swahili. Needless to say, after my shower and brunch I headed to the city. Walking down the streets and avenue of Nairobi felt like a giant African history library. Each street was names after great African liberation struggle heroes.  I am talking Kenyatta, Moi, Nyerere, Mandela, Luthuli etc.

Moi Avenue in Nairobi

I met up with an “old friend” at Tacos , an unofficial gay bar near the hotel which was later closed down. We had a few drinks and he took me deep into town to show me how they chase tail in Nairobi. The place was real dodgy, like most cruise spots all over the world. All eyes were on us as we got to the bar. We joined a small table of obviously gay men in a bar full of what seemed like straight men. Unsure if it would be wise to share what I experienced in the bathrooms but I can share with you that I was quite shocked that THAT happened in Nairobi.  One day when I write my tell-all book I will indulge the details. PS: I did nothing at all. PPS: You will totally not believe me.

Nairobi City Centre. Below is a view of the main Matatu Rank in the city.

You know they say Nairobi is a city that never sleeps. They are right. Every evening was a special evening for me. There was a new party/ club to go to. There were new places to dine out , of course this is after sundowners at Sankara. From SkyLux to Pavement to Black Diamond to Gypsy to Hidden Agenda. I found a few gay friendly spots, which I was sworn to secrecy not to reveal them.

Remember I told you about cockroaches in the last post? I also mentioned that they come in all forms and shapes according to the European gentlemen I was on the train ride from Mombasa with. What would Nairobi be without cockroaches? I got bitten by one. One of the evenings when I was out I met a lovely young man who instantly fell in love with me. Yeah, I kinda liked it but I knew this was not genuine. Showered me with the sweetest words and got me blushing the next thing I know his entire crew was around and I was expected to buy drinks for his friends. I was a traveler on a budget and there was no way that I was going to buy drinks for his friends. Of course I ran a mile the first opportunity I got.

I don’t know what it is that draws me to Nairobi so much. It may be because it is so Afropolitan. Or perhaps it may be because of the hot boys that adore me (and want free drinks).  Whatever it is I know that Nairobi has captured my heart and will be seeing more of me in the future.

Safari Njema

Just as Mombasa was beginning to feel like home I had to bid farewell to this lovely beach city. It was only three days ago when I trekked into town to go buy my first class train ticket to Nairobi. You should have seen the shock in my face when I went to the counter to buy my ticket. It looked like a Spaza shop. But hey, it said First Class on the window.

 

The train was scheduled to depart Mombasa Station at 19:00. My oh-so-efficient cab driver mentioned that we needed to leave the hotel at 17:00 because there is going to be a lot of traffic on our way from Reef to Town. There was always traffic in the city no matter what time of day it was but got worse in the evenings. We arrived at the train station at 17:55 as he had predicted and the car was searched for bombs, Kenyan style.  It took a while to understand what was going on until I linked it to the bombings.

I walked around the train station looking for the platform and was greeted by loud African music and happy people. Of course I knew I was in the right place. The excitement to go to the nations capital could not be missed in the locals’ faces.

I really need to stop being paranoid. As I waited for the boarding announcement I needed to go to the train station tuck shop. I wanted to take my bags with me because I was worried that they would be stolen, typical South African. There was a young man that was sitting close to me, he didn’t look like he was going to board the train. I wanted to ask him to watch my bag while I went to the tuckshop. I had ‘profiled’ him and worried that I would come back to no bags. I took a leap of faith and I asked him. Needless to say, I came back and I found him standing there with my bags. A huge sigh of relief.

The Railway Shop

At 18:30 a boarding announcement was made. I still had no idea which coach to get on. I just followed the white people. There was an eclectic mix of people awaiting to board the train. 99% of them looked like tourists from Europe. I spotted a lesbian couple with what seemed like their adopted baby girl and I wanted to go say hi to them. It was obvious that she was adopted, she was black and they were white. Everyone stood on the platform waiting to be told where to go. Turns out that our hand-written tickets had details on which cabin to board.

After minutes of trying to find the right cabin and berth I finally settled in and the train left 30 minutes later. It was going to be a long ride. I was actually very happy that I didn’t have a berth mate for the trip. We all stood by the windows and bid Mombasa farewell. Some even waved white handkerchiefs, just like in the movies.

Moments after we left Mombasa and into the darkness that I believed was Tsavo the dinner bell rang. As first class passengers we were called into the dining room. At this moment I need to mention that this first class berth was nothing like the first class I imagined.  It was beautiful and rustic nonetheless..

There was a bunch of festive European travellers. They came from Belgium, Sweden and Germany. At dinner I met this Swedish gentleman that lives in Nairobi. We had a lot of Tusker beer while in the dining room until we were asked to leave. I had forgotten to get cash for the ride and only had 100 Ksh. My friend bought me so much beer I could never thank him enough.

The best beer in a minute.

The topic of conversation that dominated was black ladies. Coming from Mombasa you will understand that there are many “cockroaches”, prostitutes, and they come in different forms. The gentlemen mentioned that they liked a few black ladies they saw in Mombasa. The ladies liked them back. But they worried that these ladies might not be genuine. They might be long-term prostitutes, seeing them as meal tickets. I couldn’t help but wonder.  Multi-racial couples were a normal sight in Mombasa. What was more distinct was that the white partner would be older. I aint trying to start nothing here, so I ma stop.

We arrived in Nairobi at nine. Two hours late. I am grateful that I took the train. As we were approaching Nairobi I got to see the poor conditions that many Kenyans live under. There was a shantytown next to the railway; I assumed that it was Kibera. Kibera is the largest slum village in the whole of Africa.

Nairobi City Centre

I was so happy to get to Nairobi, I actually wanted to kiss the ground. The city was abuzz. I was really lazy to walk through the traffic and find my way to the hotel so I hailed a cab. The cab looked like it would break down but it didn’t matter, I was in Nairobi.

Nairobi Railway Station