My first land border crossing

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I've been an islander all my life, living in an archipelago in Southeast Asia. I've only been to mainland Southeast Asia three times, twice in Bangkok and once in Hanoi. These being on separate trips, I've never experienced an over-land border crossing before.

So, when I approached the Togo-Bénin border in Aného, I was excited. I felt like I was living the life of an adventurer, NatGeo or Lonely Planet, if my memory is allowed to wander. My French is at its most basic and it's my first ever trip to the African continent. 

Anyway, Aného is a town about an hour's drive from Togo's capital, Lomé. Val, who only had to show his national ID to the immigration officers, kindly accompanied me to help me get my passport stamped exiting Togo. The border was like a market place, alive with the hustle and bustle of people moving from one country to the next, carrying (some by foot) their goods to trade. Some had bananas on their heads; some were carrying bread; some were driving with a car full of fruits. The short stretch from the parking lot to the visa office was filled with the sights and scents of grilled meats being sold street side... I felt like I was back in Sta Cruz's town plaza, choosing between isaw and grilled corn to snack on.

After passing through immigration in Aného, in which Val ended up talking with the officer because I couldn't respond fast enough (hello, my listening skills need to get sharpened), it's time to go through the health inspection gate of Grand Popo, the border town of Bénin. There, I had to show my yellow fever vaccination card, a requirement to enter any African country, I reckon. Even Val, a Béninois himself, had to show his card too. Then, we went to the Béninois immigration officers. Again, he did much of the talking because my French needs improvement. My passport got stamped entering Bénin after a few minutes. 

Because my documents were all in order (visas obtained and yellow card in hand), my border crossing was not as exciting nor as tense as what those people in action movies seem to show. The officers were all quite nice, knowing that I don't speak the language. This is perhaps why colleagues don't really talk about their own experiences with crossing borders... it's just like entering and leaving the airport.

Having said that, I'm still looking forward to my next land border crossing.

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