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Welcome to my travel log! You will find here a lot more than in the travel reports, stripped from political correctness. Enjoy! 
Apr 28, 2006 02:00 PM Zakopane (Poland) - It has been even longer
I could not remember when it was the last time that I went to Zakopane. It must have been in 1992 or earlier. I could only remember a few things about Poland's winter capital, and it was in times, when the economy had only started to embark on the transformation from socialism to capitalism.
Now, I could see how Krupowki street changed. It had more rustic-style places open for business, be it a cafe, bar, or a restaurant grilling all kinds of highlanders' treats, including lamb, which I wanted so much.
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Apr 27, 2006 02:00 PM Krakow (Poland) - It has been a long time
I came to Krakow to meet with my friends, who took their child for a sightseeing trip in Southern Poland. The plan covered a few high profile places in the Tatra Mountains, like Zakopane, but also Pieniny and a few castles on the way.
Krakow wept, so it was not very convenient to walk about. But it is a glorious city on any weather, so we hiked a little and saw the most prominent monuments of Poland's former capital, including the Royal Castle on the Wawel Hill, the Main Square and a few picturesque little streets in the old town.
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Apr 10, 2006 02:00 PM Accra - the forts and a lighthouse
Accra, a very busy metropolis, shows on its map three forts. Yet until recently all of them had been off limits for tourists. Two of them, Fort Ussher and Fort St. James, had been prisons. The third one, Fort Christiansbourg or Osu Castle, is an official residence of the Ghanaian president. The Osu Castle, like the Cape Coast and Elmina castles, was one of the main strongholds along the Ghanaian coast.
Since it is an official seat of the president, the authorities strictly forbade photography from any angle. I found it strange, because in many countries, presidential buildings can be photographed. In Africa, though, I realised that this was often not the case.
Fort St. James was still a prison, when I visited so photos were strictly forbidden. The fort was ugly and the prison’s glass-less windows revealed congestion of the prisoners there, almost like slaves. I did not regret the fact that I could not take a picture at all. It would be an ugly picture.
Almost opposite the prison, there was an attractive lighthouse. I took its picture.
Fort Ussher, at the other hand was a nice one. It was no longer a prison. I asked the caretaker if I could take a photograph and it was OK. I heard that the authorities were planning to turn it to a museum.
For some reason, I wanted to visit the flamboyant Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. Why exactly, I really do not know. Well, I did and yes, it was fine, but it did not throw me on my knees. It had grand fountains and a very tall monumental mausoleum, but the rest of it was just a vast, open park. Kwame Nkrumah was Ghana’s first president and he did great things not only for Ghana but for the whole Africa. He was the promoter of Africa’s liberation from colonialism. In fact, many African capital cities have streets named after him.
The park was adjacent to the Artisans’ Village, where poor tourists were usually dragged to do artistic shopping, or rather get stripped from their cash for seriously doubtful art. I had to go there, since I promised someone to get something - small brass faces, which looked like masks. I bargained very hard to a great surprise of my driver and the vendor. My driver knew that Ghana was my twenty-third country I visited in Africa, but the vendor did not.
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Apr 09, 2006 02:00 PM Elmina - the last football match
A football match in Elmina is a great event. From the early morning the villagers walk around excited shouting and singing the name of their favourite team.
The great number of supporters meant only that the team had a fantastic response but financially it did not mean anything to them. The games played at the sandy football pad were free and there were no tickets sold. Well, I was a little disappointed but not surprised. The crowd was poor and there was no way they could financially support their celebrities. That was a pity, of course.
Although Panya FC were the champions in Elmina, they had no sponsor. I heard that one of the other clubs in town (I think Panathiakos) were supported by a local bank. So, although I should not, I thought I could send my boys some gear, which was totally overpriced in Ghana.
For example, they had to pay even four hundred thousand (400,000) cedis for a football, which translated at that time to twenty six pounds sterling. Therefore the club could afford only one football. That was awful, because in England, one can get a reasonably good football for ten pounds and I saw discounted balls sold for two pounds!
Also, the club did not have enough jerseys. This meant that the lads did not have permanent numbers (and I originally thought they did, so called some of the guys by their numbers as I could not remember their names straight away), and had to share jerseys all the time.
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Apr 08, 2006 02:00 PM Elmina - welcome back, Mr Krys
I was again involved in the entire ritual associated with preparation to the football match. It was again very exiting and overwhelming. The boys were very happy to see me and took me out in many of Elmina's local bars.
During the day, I went to see the castle again. There was a section of the fort that was accessible without buying a ticket. It was my favourite spot. I could just hang out there watching the waves undisturbed by anyone.
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Apr 07, 2006 02:00 PM Way back from Benin to Ghana via Togo
It took me an entire day to travel a short distance from Porto-Novo to Accra. I had to use one shared taxi from Porto-Novo to Cotonou and then change taxis there for Lome. The car was obviously travelling through the border with Togo, so it was exciting to see how the process worked. Well, it was not too bad, apart from one guy, who was smuggling mobile phones, and delayed my journey. Fortunately I got to Lome relatively quickly, but the lier driver was supposed to take me to the border but refused. I had to hike several miles in the full sun with all my bags along the notoriously unsafe ocean front. Anyway, I was so glad to be back in Ghana, where my driver was waiting for me. I switched on the aircon and was happy on my way to see my footballers in Elmina.
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Apr 06, 2006 02:00 PM Porto-Novo & Hozin - snoozing
The local guy came back to see me the next day and he, and his mate, gave me a tour around the more residential area of Porto Novo and their university. In the evening, they took me to their village, about 5 miles out of town.
Their village was small and it definitely did not see any tourists. I could tell from the countless requests from the villages to take pictures of them. Even one barber asked me if I could take a photograph of him in his studio, as he pretends to shave the head of one of my friends. I had no reason not to oblige.
I also made contact with the Reuters journalist. He was glad to take me to the parliament building and show me around. As I walked the corridors, I met the personal assistant to the new president. She was very charming and ... confident.
Later, I met the chief of security, who let me see the actual chamber of the parliament, which was rather small but respectable. Then, I was introduced to the chief of finance.
And finally, to the Speaker of the National Assembly. Mr Speaker was the prince of one the Benin’s kingdoms. We had a quick but pleasant chat about how great it was to see an exemplary democracy like Benin. I thought he was probably the most dignified and remarkable person I have ever met.
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Apr 05, 2006 02:00 PM Porto-Novo - a new president
The next day was crazy. I was seriously astonished that the square was ready. The guys must have worked all night on it.
Wherever I went I was stopped by the police or military and questioned what I was doing in the town with a camera big like mine. Fortunately, some of them remembered me from the quarters the night before. However, I was not allowed to approach anything to do with the ceremonies, as I did not have authorisation.
Then, as the programme was coming to an end, one of the photo reporters for the television station gave me his badge and encouraged me to go out there and take some nice pictures of the dignitaries and the whole event. I took it, and as I was leaving the hotel, I was surrounded and mugged.
The mob created an artificial crowd and gave me free massage. Soon after that, I found myself at the police station again.
Then, when they were cleaning up the square, I met a traveller from France and a local guy, who was giving him an interview. When they found what happened to me, they suggested that I gave an announcement on the local radio that I would reward anyone who brought back my mobile phone to me. I spent 20 US dollars on this announcement, and I did not really believe it was going to be effective.
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Apr 04, 2006 02:00 PM Porto-Novo - a lovely colonial capital of Benin
The capital of Benin appeared very small to me. I restrained myself around the centre of the town, where the majority of places of interest could be found.
I later saw a little more of the residential part of the town and, for an African town, it looked very decent and quite organised.
A major activity at the Place de la Republique, just in the front of my hotel, was taking place when I arrived. I spent some time watching how slowly people could actually be working. I could not stand looking at it too long, so I decided to explore the town in the meantime. I decided to find out about the activity a little later.
My favourite place in the capital was the royal palace of the king of Porto Novo. Porto Novo was a kingdom, whose first king was the brother of the first king of Dahomey. Porto Novo was a reasonably peaceful kingdom and its decline came with the French, who were asked for protection from the evil Kingdom of Dahomey.
The palace in Porto Novo was extensive. It was actually more impressive than the palaces in Abomey. This was probably because many of the Dahomey palaces were burnt down and did not impact my imagination as much. However, the jewel of the museum was the guide. He was superb! He spoke good English and could mime the king's behaviour and the habits of him and his wives, including the way the king walked and the wives danced. He knew a lot about the palace and the kingdom and allowed me to take photographs. Of course, I had tip him appropriately, but I was happy.
My second favourite building was the great mosque, which looked much like a cathedral. It was incredibly colourful. And unbelievably neglected! It had fascinating facades at the front and at the back. I actually did not know which one was which.
The town had fine examples of colonial architecture in many different places. The majority of them were thoroughly weathered but some had been restored to their full glory to house state institutions like the National Assembly (the Parliament), the First Instance Court, and the High Court, for example. If more of the grand building were renovated and the streets cleaned of rubbish, Porto would be a charming place.
I came back to see what was going on at the Square of the Republic. A young man asked me as I was looking at the very slow progress in decorating the square, if I was a journalist. I said that I was a photographer, and he said that he was working at Reuters news agency. Then he asked me if was going to cover the big day, the following day. He had to explain to me what he meant and then I found out about the inauguration of the new president.
Well, he offered me a tour of the Parliament, since he was also working at the National Assembly press office, and he knew a few important people.
It was a big day for Benin. Many heads of state of the African nations were coming, many big fish, ambassadors, diplomats, and all the kings of Benin.
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Apr 04, 2006 02:00 PM Cotonou - busy metropolis
The main business and economic centre, which claims the status of the capital and often confused as such, Cotonou is an ugly place. I only went there to change money and eventually to change bush taxis.
A very large and busy market of Cotonou was the only city’s attraction last time I checked. It might be an interesting place to visit for people who never been to an African market. For me it was an unthinkable reason to stop in Cotonou at all. Many locals disagreed with me saying that Cotonou was a rare example of fine and modern city, and that it was beautiful. It was beautiful only to people who did not live there and looked at it as a source of endless business and money making opportunities.
One thing I want to mention at this stage of this story is that the Africans, apart from carrying almost everything on their heads, mastered an ability to bundle items impossibly well. I saw a young guy with over a hundred of remote controls assembled together to be held in one hand! They were taped together is some mysterious way and looked like a giant plastic wheel, or a roll rather. How he went about to take out the remote controls from the middle of the bundle remains a mystery to me. I should have asked him or simply express an interest on one of the middle ones, so he would show me.
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