Itchy Boots returns to Africa. Entering NIGERIA 🇳🇬 [S7-E61]

This episode is about my return to AFRICA! I’ve returned to my beloved Honda CRF300RALLY “Alaska” after leaving her for 4 months in Benin and I am crossing the land border into Nigeria. There are tons of roadblocks in Nigeria, and some are more legit than others, and I am generally a bit wary of them because you never know what will happen..

HELMET AUCTION: Enter the auction here: https://www.charitystars.com/product/itchy-boots-arai-helmet?preview

Want to learn how to use drones, GoPros and 360 cameras to film your solo motorcycle adventure? Check out: www.itchyboots.com/academy

Here I teach all my filming techniques including getting drone shots while riding!

Gear & Equipment that I use in this season:
https://www.itchyboots.com/blog/gear-and-equipment-season-7

Follow my journey on: WWW.ITCHYBOOTS.COM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itchybootstravel
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#itchyboots #adventure #crf300rally

No, not this time Cotonou, Benin Season 7 – Epi. 61 Good morning Internet, it is 9:00  in the morning and welcome back to the channel   Welcome back in Africa. I’m back in Cotonou, that is the capital of Benin

I’m standing right next to.. I don’t know a pump or something, so I’m sorry if it’s a little bit noisy But I am a reunited with Alaska! And man okay, first of all I have to say, I should never ever leave my bike again alone for four months

‘Cause that’s in the end, it was four months Um.. that I left her here and of course, it was a bit longer because I broke my hand Otherwise I would have been back a little bit earlier But it’s too long, I feel.. I feel a little bit disconnected uh, to Alaska

But I’m sure that will come back Yesterday, I had to scrub the chain ’cause Cotonou, I’m right here at the coast and it’s killing for any vehicle The rust! My goodness, ’cause I put  a new chain and sprocket in Abidjan in Ivory Coast

So that.. how many kilometers did I do on it? Maybe a few thousand, not a lot And so it wasn’t in my mind to bring a new chain or anything, and so I came back and the chain was completely rusted

And I was thinking, oh no! So with a.. I do have a steel brush with me So um, I cleaned it with a brush and then completely oiled it again So now it looks, I think it looks pretty okay again

Now of course, I left with some good reasons. Uh, so now I came back with my visa for Nigeria already in my passport That was a big one and of course, I wanted to wait out the majority of the rainy season

Now unfortunately, I came back and the locals are like yeah no, the rainy season is still going on It should have stopped like a month ago or something And it’s still going, it’s still raining every two, three days like torrential downpour

Of course, here in the coast it rains more, so if I go a little bit more inland, hopefully it should be better But anyway, first things first, because I left my Africa helmet here in Cotonou But now I came back and I brought a brand new helmet Because the Arai Tour-X5 is out

And as you maybe know, I’ve been an ambassador of Arai for years now And so now they finally.. I don’t know how many years it has been? But now finally the new version is out The X5. This is the one I think it looks awesome

If you compare wait, let me put my old helmet next to it So just to look at the differences, you can see that the peak has a very different design Now it runs like this. The helmet, the new helmet is also, it’s a bit more rounded

So the old one was a bit more pointy  and this one is more rounded, so your vision field has increased a lot And you can see that the ventilation is a lot bigger than compared to the old version Also on the back, this has completely changed design

It used to be two running like this and now it’s just the one So I’m super happy with my new helmet And then I thought what to do with my old helmet, which even has that special Africa design on it

And then I thought let’s do an auction, and see who wants to buy my old helmet and then all the proceeds go to a charity They will go to the charity called, Two Wheels for Life And they support health care programs all over Africa and they do that with motorcycles

So they use motorcycles to reach remote villages. Uh, that otherwise have very difficult access to healthcare So I think that’s a really appropriate charity, I’ve been supporting them for a.. for a little bit now, for a couple of months And so I thought this would be a nice thing to do

So if you are interested in buying my old helmet and your money will go to the charity Then I will put the link in the description of this video, so you can enter the auction So don’t forget to do that, if you are  interested of course

I will now send the helmet back to Europe to Arai from here And then when we have a winner of the auction, how do you call that? The one who has it, then the helmet will be sent to you from there So I am just going to finish like some of the last preparations

Uh, my passport is now actually at the Embassy of the Republic of the Congo Because I also still needed a visa for that That should be ready this afternoon. So I’ll be picking up my passport, I’ll be sending the helmet And then tomorrow morning, I am going to leave Benin and cross the border into Nigeria

I got myself a bigger map in the meantime as well So in the black line, I just drew  in the route so far So now I am here in Benin in Cotonou And I am crossing the border into Nigeria Which is very large country, especially compared to all the small countries I passed

So I’ll be crossing the border somewhere here, and I’ll be making my way to Abuja But that will be.. it will probably take me two or three days to cover this distance The next morning… Alright, good bye! Whooh! So I’m getting used to, Alaska is so tall I can just touch the ground

She’s really a lot taller than uh.. the Enfield And I have new tires On her as well So I actually brought a brand new set of tires with me on the plane Back to Benin because I know it’s difficult to find anything

I was like, you know what, why  not, I can just bring him on the plane with me   And then I actually have the set that I really like And that I know is good So I got the Dunlop 606 at the rear and the Pirelli MT21 again at the front

The same combination that I did almost all the Americas with And something else, it has to be said Alaska started in one go And secretly I am a little bit proud of that Because I mean, she’s been sitting still for 4 months.. in a very hot humid climate

And I still have the original battery Now for 55 700 kilometers Still orginal battery and she started in one go So I was obviously very pleased with that I am not riding very far today Things are probably going to be slow because there will be tons of checkpoints Uh, some may be more legit than others I am not sure Is that a church? Yeah, Protestant church Cite de gras You see that billboard? Vlisco What does it say? Since 1846 And the interesting thing is, it’s actually a Dutch company And they make like these clothes.. that are super popular here

It’s like almost everybody’s wearing them. Like the guy just in front of me there Basically all like the colorful clothing The colorful designs and prints Like this one It’s all Vlisco I really like it, so the men they’re all wearing matching pants and shirts Like this man

And the women usually wear them as dresses and then with a matching headdress The amount of motorbikes right? I mean, well now there’s a  car in front of me but By far the majority of the people are all on motorbikes They’re all like these.. yeah, again little Chinese, Indian The TVS

See, almost everybody is wearing like  these colorful clothes. I really like it Look how lush and green it is I mean months of rain, so it’s going to be extremely green everywhere The last bit to the border The road is not so good As usual Here they’re selling uh..

..Illegal fuel from Nigeria already everywhere here Smuggled in from Nigeria From the bottles Let’s see I think I have to do something in Benin.. this is already Nigeria, so.. Hello Hi, okay Okay, I did my passport but customs is apparently somewhere here Ah here, I think So I still need to do customs Here maybe

Not here Ah here Here Customs? No customs Ah Next door – Yes – Okay, okay Thank you Thank you. Okay Customs Not here Hello! Customs? Customs? Yes! Thank you Open? Okay Anything for me? Anything for you? Can give me something – Anything for me? For me! – For me! – For me!

You can give me something Name? – Name? Noraly – Noraly -Yeah Your name? – Sayja – Sayja Nice to meet you Thank you – See you later man Safe journey Thank you so much Okay – Thank you Okay! Customs is done

So I am finished on the Benin side I’m only going to stop to change my  money Because this is the last country where they have CFA, so I need to change all of that to Nigerian naira Thank you Where is the money changer guy? Madam, welcome What is your rate for CFA?

For CFA? You want to collect Naira? Yeah Okay That’s the best rate you give me? Okay, I have 250,000 – CFA – Yeah So let me calculate. Do you also change dollars or not? Yes – US dollar Okay and for dollar, how much you give? Dollar? – Yeah It’s 530 total This is hundred (100.000)

Very plenty! Oh man Do you want to count it here? – No, no, no I just put few.. Can you hold this one second? Yeah no problem I have a big stack of money A really big stack of money, so let’s see  how far that will get me Now let’s cross into Nigeria

Let’s see how we get on Hi Hi How are you? Fine, how is the journey? It’s okay It’s okay Okay, driving safe? Yeah You stamp your passport over there? Benin, yes Once you park, you go staright to our office Yeah Passport. And my bike.. the customs Also there Okay Thank you!

Maybe I park Huh? This way? Okay Are you done? I’m done! Ah Small, small Thank you! Okay, I am in. I just need a SIM card You stamp? – Yes You stamp? Yeah Where are you going to now? Towards Abuja Abuja – Yeah With bike? Yeah

Do you know, can I buy a SIM  card here? SIM card – Yeah When you go there, you will see a SIM card Some here, okay. Thank you You understand… *inaudible* Huh? You understand… No Alright, you go Okay Let me try for SIM card You sell SIM card? SIM card? Nigerian SIM Chip

Nigerian sim? – Yeah You must have national ID card, Nigerian ID card If you don’t have, you cannot purchase SIM card It’s impossible How do tourists do that then? You can’t get Cannot? He says I need a.. a Nigerian identity card So no SIM card yet

But okay the most important thing is that I am in Nigeria! It actually that whole border crossing went pretty smooth It was very easy on the Benin side And then on the Nigeria side Yeah, I had to go to like five different desks

And they were each time they were writing down information and that sort of thing But my passport is stamped, my Carnet is stamped So I can say it again, welcome to Nigeria! I made it to Nigeria I just continue If nobody stops me I just keep going Just keep going Follow the motorbikes…

There’s another one My goodness Yeah, there are tons of checkpoints They seem to be more focused on cars So that’s good Motorbikes just pass No, not this time Madam, good afternoon – Hi Woman? How are you? – Huh, it’s a woman! I’m a woman, yes I can see I’m fine, how are you?

I go? What? You are from where? From Netherlands Where are you heading to? Towards Abuja You are going to Abuja like this? Not today.. two days I think Two days – It’s far Yeah What is inside these bag? What you have in the bag? My stuff. Spare parts for the bike, tools, clothes

On what mission to Abuja? I’m a tourist Wonderful! Wonderful, thank you What is your nationality? Thank you. Dutch Dutch – Dutch, Netherlands Netherlands – Netherlands – Yeah Netherland. Sorry, sorry I can go? Abuja – Yes Safe trip You carry me! No, no space man! Safe trip Thank you

Okay, that was not bad Here is the next one, it’s literally less  than a kilometer apart There are checkpoints I don’t mind if they stop me every  now and then But if they stop you every time Every kilometer then it’s getting a bit annoying Customs checkpoint Now they’ll probably stop me here

No, I’m lucky Oh No, maybe not It’s like there are spike  strips everywhere See here on the right See those So if they want, they can  immediately block the road With those things I keep my visor down. And it’s also why  I have a a dark visor

I prefer it if they don’t see my face, because.. then they all just want to talk to you And stop you and ask you the same questions And it is so hot That I just want to keep on riding And not stop all the time It’s funny ’cause in Benin helmets are mandatory

But clearly in Nigeria, they’re not Nobody’s wearing a helmet I have to take a left here but the road is closed Road is closed so.. .. Have to find a way around it That’s not very nice Oh man Yuck Alaska was so nice and clean Not any longer Pwoh Good heaven [Dutch]

I just follow where everybody else is going ‘Cause I assume that they are taking the same short cuts It’s crazy! They just.. .. I don’t know they’re working on the main road But there’s no bypass No official one at least See, but if you follow the motorbikes.. oh Somewhere here, there is a hotel

Should be a hotel See if I can find it Inasua Somewhere Ah here There it is Quite nice So this is my room for tonight They put on some uh.. music, as you can hear It’s a little bit dark

I hope you can hear me a little bit, with the nice music in the background Yeah, that was it for today already. I made it to Nigeria It’s very hard to focus with this music I made it to Nigeria Another milestone. First border crossing again I mean being back on Alaska, uh..

It just feels amazing. I’m super looking forward to the coming part of Africa Now Nigeria, I’m going to take.. I’m not going to make too many detours Because of the security situation in Nigeria, which is not so good everywhere So I have to be a little careful in Nigeria

And um.. yeah, be be a bit careful with the routes that I’m taking Um.. but so far so good And yeah, welcome to Nigeria And welcome back to Africa I hope you enjoyed this video, if you did please give me a big thumbs up

Subscribe down below and then I will see you in the next video