Living in West Africa cont

I love living out here, but like all places there are a few things that do annoy me. The most frustrating one is trying to get a job of work done at a fair price. On top of the fact that EVERYONE seems to be trying to make a fast buck its no help that I have two handicapped by the fact that I am obviously not a local and that I do not have a firm grasp of the language.

Bargaining in the market place over a piece of art, even the good natured banter with a border guard or customs office I enjoy - its the guys who are so blatantly out to make a fast buck that really really piss me off.

I think I'm ranting... not only did I have to spend the entire day trying to get the radiator fixed, but the maid had her bag flinched which meant I had to get the locks changed since her bunch of keys went missing too.

My weekend... I'm hoping will be a good one. I'm to leave for Togo on Sunday - apparently a rather adventurous decision on my part according to the almost everyone I've mentioned this to. The road "hasn't been repaired since the 2008 rains" I hear, which should make things interesting. Have given my self two days to make the 1000km trip to Lome with an open decision about which route I'll take on my way back. Worst case scenario I'll swing by Accra, Ghana, and drive North back to Burkina...

From what I've read, the route to Lome is a spectacularly scenic one through a range of mountains. I'm looking forward to it.