Bissau Arrival

We had a few options for accomodation in Bissau. As the minibus dropped us near the Che Guerva roundabout we headed straight for the Guinea Conakry Embassy behind Casa Creola, a small auberge owned & run by a Swiss/Bissau couple.

The whole way south Gianni had been telling me that we wouldn't arrive in time to get to the Embassy and get our visas. I was determined to see if we could get them done that afternoon giving us more time to see things the following day. With no plan in mind we weren't sure what we were going to do but were thinking about going out to the Bijagos Archipaelogo.

We got to the Embassy, I had noticed a guy looking strangely at us ... but continued into the Embassy and chatted to a member of staff there who could see we were tired and asked us to wait on their sofas. Gianni went back outside to find that the guy I'd seen a few minutes before was still outside and asked Gianni if his name was Gianni?!?! It was Douad, a Malian, Gianni met last year; he'd found a job as a bookkeeper in Bissau and was working nearby. He'd seen Gianni and I disappear into the Embassy and couldn't believe that Gianni would turn up in Bissau a year later! Small world!

Whilst they chatted, I got seen by one of the Embassy staff and got them to process both visas. Mine was 15 days double entry for 15,000CFA and Gianni got 30 days multiple entry for 30,000CFA. The staff were incredibly kind and helpful, giving me the name of a consul in Quebo that we could contact if we needed help prior to crossing the border to Guinea.