8/18/08 - Kano, Zaria, Kaduna & Abuja, Nigeria; Atlanta & Albuquerque, USA  (Shutterfly photo album - Nigeria-Kano, Zaria, Abuja)

We experience a Muslim prayer service of grand proportions and make our way back to Western-style living at the Abuja Sheraton, before flying home

We would have like to stay another day and hire the same guide again, but in the morning (Friday), we decided to quickly visit the Mosque in Kano and drive on, in the hopes of making it to Zaria in time for the weekly Friday prayer service (like Sunday for Catholics).  First, we found the Emir's Palace (with more of the same "WHEYA IZ IT?!!!," from Gausil), which we weren't allowed to go into since we had no appointment.  It seemed to be bustling with visitors (we're doubting they all had appointments) and plenty of goats out front - which were everywhere in Kano, including being transported on okadas.  Then it was off to the Mosque.  Again, we were only allowed in the courtyard and not inside the Mosque due to our apparently obviously non-Muslim status.  We did get approached by a group of angry men telling us we were not allowed to be in the courtyard either, but Gausil yelled at them, telling them he was Muslim and we could be there if we wanted.  He claimed we wouldn't have been able to get as close as we did had we not been wearing our African clothes - another great reason for the Nigerian threads!

By the time we hit Zaria, about 90 minutes south of Kano, it was almost 2pm and time for Friday prayers at the Mosque & Emir's Palace compound.  Supposedly a "village," there are about 1 million people living in Zaria, and a good percentage of the men were also heading toward (more text & photos)

8/14/08 - Kano, Nigeria  (Shutterfly photo album - Nigeria-Kano, Zaria, Abuja)

Touring the ancient, walled, trade-route city of Kano

On Thursday after breakfast, we checked out of our hotel, Gausil came to collect us in the Toyota and we set off excitedly for Kano.  Based upon our Lonely Planet research, we had high hopes for what we would see in Kano, due to its status as a largely Muslim, very old walled city that was a major stop on the sub-Saharan trade route across Africa that is a bit of a tourist destination, if there is one in Nigeria.  After a pleasant 2-hour ride, we arrived in town and Gausil easily located our hotel, after a bit of asking around.  A friend of John's had kindly made us a reservation at the Prince Hotel, which also came highly recommended by our Lonely Planet guidebook.  John had written down the room category and the rate of 15,000 Naira on a sheet of paper for us.  They had the reservation for us but they were unwilling to honor the rate given over the phone, saying that the person who made our reservation for us must have made a mistake and wrote down the wrong amount - classic Nigeria (and Mexico, too, for that matter).  Now the the rate  (more text & photos)

8/13/08 - Abuja & Jos, Nigeria  (Shutterfly photo album - Nigeria-Lagos, Abuja, Jos)

We breakfast with the family and leave Abuja solo, Jos-bound

This morning, Wednesday (week one - check!), we had one last breakfast with Trevor, Maria, and her (their) family.  We had a good conversation that morning, where we discovered that Caroline dances like an African (perhaps this explains her spraying wins), and that Maria and Quincy thought Scott was an Arab the first time they saw him (and thus might not stand out too much in the Muslim cities we were heading to).  Quincy marveled over the idea that we wanted to travel around and ‘see’ Nigeria and, upon seeing Scott consulting our Lonely Planet West Africa we had brought with us, the family all were very intrigued that a guidebook –  complete with maps – had been written about their country.  We also discussed some of the racism in Africa, how lighter-skinned Africans are seen as superior (and thus fetch bigger dowries) than dark-skinned Africans – explaining the advertisements for skin-lightening soaps and creams that we had seen.  This, while white people across America are applying sunless tanning lotions and/or subjecting themselves to harmful UV rays… apparently we all want to be the same, olive-y complexioned peoples. 

After discussing our touring plans in more detail, we think that Quincy was finally able to understand the type of travel experience (more text & photos)

8/12/08 - Lagos & Abuja, Nigeria  (Shutterfly photo album - Nigeria-Lagos, Abuja, Jos)

We attend church service with the family, have lunch at the Admiral's in Lagos and travel to the family's home in Abuja

The next day, Sunday, it was up early again, this time to go (back) to church for the usual weekly service.  It was the family's day to do thanksgiving and the remaining Americans (Greg and Geoff left on a morning flight today) participated in the ceremony (are you surprised?), with Scott offering a yam and Caroline a very ripe pineapple.  Post-service, we piled back in the van for a lunch of ram stew and jollof rice (very spicy, of course) at the house.  After a little visiting amongst ourselves, the Americans begged off, in desperate need of a nap after 3 busy days in a row.  We were taken back to the hotel, where we all passed out in our rooms and then enjoyed a pleasantly familiar meal together at the Italian restaurant in the hotel compound.

On Monday, feeling rested after yesterday's wedding recovery day, it was back to action.  First stop was lunch at “The Chairman’s” (aka “The Admiral”, aka “Favorite Uncle”) house.  Trevor needed to thank him for being the Chairman of the wedding.  While lunch was delicious (chicken, shrimp salad, moi moi, jollof & fried rice, Coke, Star beer and some Elvis Presley on the menu), the real treat was the tour of The Admiral’s water-  (more text & photos)

8/09/08 - Lagos, Nigeria  (Shutterfly photo album - Nigeria-Catholic church wedding!)

We attend the Catholic Church wedding ceremony and western-style reception for Trevor & Maria

8/08/08 - Lagos, Nigeria  (Shutterfly photo album - Nigeria-traditional wedding!)

We attend the Traditional Engagement/Wedding ceremony for Trevor & Maria

On Friday morning, we awoke to the sound of rainwater rushing in torrents out of the gutter outside our room at the Eko Hotel.  "Oh, no," we thought, "it's going to be pouring rain on Trevor and Maria's wedding day!"  We looked down the street from above, only to see women, heads loaded with goods, wading through the flooded street up to their knees in water and okadas, the ubiquitous motorcycle taxis of Lagos, driving slowly down the street in water half way up their tires, the drivers with their pants rolled almost to the knee in an attempt to keep them dry.  Despite the rain, we got up and prepared for the day, donning our Nigerian outfits custom-made specifically to be worn today - 2-piece outfits in a beautiful indigo blue color, accented with a light blue star pattern woven into the fabric - as previously instructed by the bride.  With all this rain, Caroline thought to herself that luckily, it didn't matter what her hair looked like, since her head would eventually be covered with her gold gele, or traditional Nigerian headwrap.  Now there's a  (more text & photos)

8/07/08 - Lagos, Nigeria  (Shutterfly photo album - Nigeria-pre-wedding)

Our trip begins, as we travel to Nigeria to attend friend Trevor's wedding and to see what this Nigeria place is all about

“What in God’s name are you doing going to Nigeria?” has been the most common reaction when we’ve told people our plans to head to Nigeria.  So, first off, allow us to explain WIGN our plans are.

Our friend from Michigan, Trevor, aka Dawger, akina (also known in Nigeria as) Tokunbo or simply Toks, found himself a lovely ladyfriend while on a long-term work assignment in the Baltimore area.  For purposes of this website we’ll call her Maria, since that’s her name.  It turned out that this Baltimore beauty was Nigerian, with the majority of her family living back in Lagos, Nigeria.  Next thing you know, they’re engaged (not quite as easy as it sounds when you’re following Nigerian engagement protocol – but I digress), and planning an African wedding.  As you’ve no doubt guessed, we were on the invitation list, and planned ourselves a nearly two week trip to see what we could see of Nigeria.

Now that we’re all up to speed on the reason for the trip, go ahead and kick back, grab a cup of palm wine, get your yellow fever and wild polio vaccines, take your anti-malaria pills, and read on.

Step one, buy expensive plane tickets and fly to Nigeria.  This accomplished, we landed at the Murtala Mohammed International (more text & photos)