Hey guys,

Hope all well. Just passed Diama again, and noticed the amounts they are asking for are getting more and more each time.

Rosso are a bunch of crooks, going through there is a lesson in damage limitation, but Diama has suddenly got alot worse.

1. Passports. Asked to pay 10eur today on both sides. No need to. Wait it out. If there is no receipt you don't need to pay.

2. Insurance: That's all written on company paper (the prices).....depends upon size of your vehicle.

3. Customs. You do not have to pay anything. Both sides asking for 10 EUR. I've always got them to stamp the CDP without paying. But they've gotten in on the scam that if your CDP doesn not have Mauri listed on the back then you need a laissez passez. Not true. I have passed Diama a number of times before and Mauri has never been on the back of my carnet yet theyve always stamped it.

In the end I gave up arguing and got the laissez passez. Asked for 4000 Ougiya for it I ended up paying 1000 Ougiya.....I do not know the official price for a laissez passez? Anybody help? Coming in from Western Sahara near Nouadibou last September they also insisted I get the laissez passez....after 3 hours waiting and arguing they gave it to me for free. So I guess it could be free?

BTW, the official price for Senegalese Laissez Passez is 2,500CFA should you need it.

4. Commune tax: 1000 Ougiya. This is receipted.

5. Last checkpoint: miltary? Asking for 10,000CFA....for what? No need to pay them anything.

6. Crossing the dam: Locals told me it's 4000CFA for a car and I saw some handing that amount over, so presume this is correct. We paid 6000CFA for our 17 ton Merc truck. What's other peoples prices been for Diama?

As for the road....was impassable last september had to turn back. Today was a joy they've been working hard, good graded piste ready for the tar to be laid for much of it. The tricky bit is from the checkpoint for the national park, for approx 30kms until you reach the junction at a police checkpoint where you turn for the new piste to pop out on the tar between NKT and Rosso.

Wish you'd posted this a week ago..

I went through Daimia a couple of days back and ended up paying 40 euro all in. I knew most of it was a scam, but I was keen to get through quickly.

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