Day 51… Monday 22nd May
Got a taxi via ‘Yango’ (operates like Uber) which works like a dream where you pay via the app and involves no negotiation with the taxi driver on the cost. Visited Brown Card Ghana offices about renewing the insurance. They were friendly but could not help at all. Let’s hope no overzealous police officers ask to see the expired brown card. However, we hatched a cunning plan (more on this once we are in Togo). Did a food shop then taxi back to the apartment and sat enjoying the air-con whilst planning our options for Nigeria (route, drive time and accommodation).
Allen’s perspective…
From the gentleman we spoke to within the claims department of Brown Card Ghana it is apparent that within Ghana they do not issue it to foreign nationals. I said that ours was issued by an Allianz Alliance agent at the Senegal border (omitting the fact it was done within a small wooden shack with a tin door). He suggested we visit their office but I politely asked him to phone ahead and enquire as to the feasibility of their issuing our insurance. The result of which was a flat no, with a fresh suggestion of contacting our original seller in Senegal to try and obtain a virtual Brown Card. I knew this to be impossible, plus, would the Police really trust such virtual insurance, I suspect not.
My final attempt to secure the insurance was to make it clear that by leaving the office without it in hand they would be agreeing to us driving in Ghana without insurance, and thus likely to a fine or more if stopped by the Police. This did not seem to faze the man or his colleagues, and minutes later we left the office empty handed.
Since we left so early we didn’t even end up in the nearby Chicken ‘n’ Wine restaurant I wanted to try.