We are in the shelter of the Archdiocese of Jos. Beautiful structure that reveals the presence of a church already older and richer. What a difference from home the bishop of Kandi. Claudio said that just with us only those who have studied the Old Testament and knew the poverty of the people of Israel can be a bishop in that place. We hit the photos showing him with the pope in Rome in an office that was only because his friendly person makes it so.
Wednesday we left after celebrating Mass at 6.30 am by the nuns who then, in very familiar, have invited us to breakfast. Marked by very nice feel as brothers and sisters even if we do not know. Some words in Italian (almost all had spent some time in Italy for study or training) and then take your luggage. It is eight o'clock when we start and we know we have a day not so long for the miles and for what we found in those 329 km. In fact we started with 140 km of track that has put a strain on our ability to drive. The bishop told us we would find just a little 'sand, but we found only a few kilometers of track normally. The photos will say something even if they do not fully what he meant. Luke has also made a small crash that created a few scratches to his elbow and also some scratches on the bike. Before the border we stopped for a cool drink from the last first priest of the Diocese of Nigeria. Parish priest with a very poor but that it seemed in its simplicity the rest of Israel. Father Jonas brought it all to heart. Call now to say that the bishop had arrived and that the runway had not eaten. Reassures us that the track will end after 25 km, ie, Benin.
After these km of track, there was the surprise of the border with Nigeria. Within a few kilometers we were stopped and searched a dozen times (no one knows whether official or otherwise) to the point that the patience of all was the limit. But things did not end there because after having passed all inspections and have done 70 km toward the goal of the day at a checkpoint told us we had to go back to the border because we had not passed the customs. The distress was so great that one of the customs came with us to the office that we had not even seen. His presence there has prevented other searches. All this has slowed to the point that we could not get to Kontagora and we had to find a hotel. In short we traveled for over an hour in the night praying to find a hotel as soon as possible. The "big hotel" was apparently good but then turned out to be a shack. When you are tired and do not know where to bang my head, anything goes and then we laughed hugging to be able to come and making dinner with some cookies and drinking hot coca-cola, we went to sleep.
began at dawn today. All were afraid of not making it because not being reached Kontagora stretched the path of 100 km. The trip went well and a hole between the usual truck traffic to be scary. We have never seen traffic like that. When we were in Cameroon, we were told that Nigeria was in absolute chaos, but we never imagined it that way. It seems that everyone is getting a little 'over the top. This seems to be a country without law and where the strongest always have the upper hand. So the street is going to overtake and when you meet someone in the middle of the hole. Who does not give it the best. Lunch was some oranges and a bit ' water under a tree along the road. Certainly those who, passing by, saw us have said, "But what they do with these white means so great to be reduced to the roadside to eat?".
When we arrived in Jos we hit the military checkpoints and police around the city. Pere George had forewarned us of the military presence seen tensions in recent periods. If the tension she felt tied to the facts, the situation is quite quiet and we did see George pears that what was said at the international level was a bit 'too much. Dinner this time was a bit 'more substantial than that of Wednesday in more with the bishops of northern Nigeria, happy to brush up a bit 'the Italian learned many years ago because of studies.
now to go to sleep happy. Tomorrow we leave for Maiduguri. Another long section, but the goal is approached. From there we start to feel like home.
hug you all.
Sorry for the lack of captions to photographs, but the post I'm posting (free) from Italy, with the material that our friends have sent me e-mail. Tonight at Jos commessione have a very slow and were unable to access the blog.
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