Shortly after leaving Onitsha we got in line for gas (black-market again, so not a very long line). A woman had gotten a Volkswagen bug stuck on a high curb so Dean and I helped lift it off then ran around a parking lot trying to push start the car. After we got the car started (the woman gave up and asked Dean to get in and start it) everyone thanked us profusely - even people that had nothing to do with the car - it was a little embarrassing. It was obvious that people weren't used to white people going out of their way to help the locals - it made us feel good though.

Got stopped at a total of about two dozen police, military, or customs checkpoints - each and every one asked us for something, but the friendly attitudes kept up and we still haven't had to dash anyone. At one checkpoint between Onitsha and Aba we got stopped and Dean told the guard that we didn't believe their guns were loaded. The guy laughed and as we drove away fired a round into the air (when we saw a guy with a grenade launcher I told Dean to keep his mouth shut). The only other remarkable event was when one guard demanded we give him a bible?!? Once we got to Calabar we had a couple false starts before we found an acceptable hotel - with A/C even, but no running water. It was getting late and we had no local currency so went to bed hungry.