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8/07/08 - Lagos, Nigeria

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 airport in Lagos (by some accounts one of the five biggest cities in the world) on Wednesday morning, after an 11-1/2-hour overnight flight from Atlanta.  While breezing through immigration and customs, we met up with Trevor’s friends Greg and Geoff from Chicago, who happened to be on our flight.  Upon collecting our luggage, we were met by Maria's father John and Trevor's brother Brandon and eventually found ourselves in one of Maria’s parents’ cars, heading for Victoria Island – one of the islands that makes up Lagos.  We didn’t know it at the time, but driving from and to the airport would be about our best opportunities to see the city of Lagos…we had busy days ahead.

And what an experience driving from and to the airport turned out to be.  In other countries we’d visited, driving includes things like “rules” and “laws”, “speed limits” and “lanes”… all foreign concepts to the Lagos driver.  Most of the time while passengers in any vehicles in Nigeria, we felt like we were in a car chase sequence of a movie, or like we were active participants of a video game.  But with millions of drivers all taking part.

After this exhilarating introduction to Africa jolted the jetlag out of us, we made our way to Maria’s parents’ (John & Quincy’s) house for lunch until our hotel rooms were ready.  Our driver drove through the heavy, metal, security gate into the razor-wired and security-guarded compound and we went inside.  The home was a beehive of activity, and continued along in this bustling manner all six days that we were in Lagos (and probably well before and well after we were there).  After many introductions and a tasty, spicy lunch of goat stew served with pounded yam (eaten with the right hand), we were carted back to the Eko Hotel to check into our four-star accommodations.  Four-star in this case didn’t include amenities like running water or functioning air conditioning at first, but eventually hotel issues were figured out (toilets fixed, faucets replaced, water turned back on) and we found ourselves, along with Greg and Geoff, at the poolside bar for some Star beer and Nigerian Guinness (some call it tasty, some say it tastes like ass).

Day two in Lagos (Thursday): After spending $70 at the hotel breakfast buffet for two (Nigeria ain’t cheap – and it’s either four-star or no-star), Scott and Caroline, with Lonely Planet West Africa guidebook in tow, head down to the lobby to arrange for a little touring.  Ha! Naïve Lagos travelers.  We asked the front desk clerk about hiring a car to head to the main market on the Lagos mainland.  After a bit of confusion (“What in God’s name do you want to go there for?” – not this again...), we were basically told that we weren’t going.  With the heavy rainfall of the night before, driving to the market would take virtually all day.  And the market would be flooded.  And where was our driver/guide and security?  Okay… no market.  How about the National Museum?  Same deal – the woman at the front desk said maybe it would be okay to go on Sunday, when there’s no traffic – talk to your Nigerian host and secure a guide.  It turned out that ‘seeing’ Lagos would be much more difficult than anticipated – apparently unless you’re a Lonely Planet writer.  The one thing we could do would be to hire a car to take us to ShopRite and back – for $50.  We passed.  I also asked about getting to a nearby restaurant (1/2 mile away?) that was recommended by our guidebook, and wondered if it would be possible to walk there.  She just laughed and practically forbid us from attempting such foolishness – ensuring us that even she would never walk there.

It turned out to be okay, since we soon were informed that we had lunch plans once again at Maria’s family’s home.  Before heading over, however, the clothing situation must be discussed.  The prior day, while at John & Quincy’s house, we were each given several Nigerian outfits to wear.  Some were specifically for the various wedding ceremonies we’d be attending over the weekend, and some just for hanging out in Nigeria in.  After breakfast, we changed out of our American-wear and slipped into our new attire.  The fascinating result of this was not just the change in our appearance, but the total transformation of every Nigerian that we spoke with or even passed by.  Heads turned, smiles abounded.  The until now gruff/brusque/confrontational Nigerian exteriors we’d encountered melted away into smiling, friendly faces, telling us how proud they were to see us in African clothes.  Half of the people we walked by made sure to tell us that we looked “beautiful.”  “You look sweet”, they said, or called out “A-fri-caaa!” as we passed by.  It made us feel much better since, as you might gather from the photos, we felt like ridiculous, dorky white people, looking completely out of place, decked out in African-wear.

After another tasty/spicy lunch by our generous hosts, we discovered that there was a plan in store to take us to the local mall.  We got very excited at the thought of being taken on a field trip!  So Maria’s Dad, brother, and friend, along with eight African-clad white people, three security guards and two drivers, all set off for the mall.  If it’s sounding like a spectacle already, I’m sure we’re understating it.  While walking up and down the aisles of the ShopRite market (one of the anchor stores at the mall), the group of 14 of us (including, did I mention, eight white folk tricked out in Nigerian clothes, escorted by uniformed security guards), it dawned on us that this was perhaps the most surreal moment of our lives.  All eyes were on us… We even started to think that we might be celebrities. Produce was checked, fancy coffees were drunk – we put on quite a show.

Then it was back to the hotel for another beer by the pool, and we turned in early to prepare for the big day the next day – the traditional Nigerian engagement ceremony.  Greg and Geoff stayed much later for more beers and ended up having the pizza place at the hotel send them some calzones – which Greg humorously referred to as “$70 hot pockets” (but that was for 2 of them).

We did see a number of cars and trucks in the upside-down position in Nigeria

Typical Lagos street scene