NIGERIA – Country number 9 – NIGERIA
Travel to LAGOS & not pay dash
After an early start I’m in the border town of Krake by 8am and look for breakfast - I nearly settle for my usual fav, a baguette with avocado but the woman has a tad too many flies hovering over her wares with no lids in sight so I keep walking quite a way to find a ‘cafeteria’ – someone making omelettes with bread and tea and coffee. From there it’s only a short walk to the frontier and let the fun begin. No worries getting out of Benin (and neither should there be after my marathon run up to the northern frontier for the entry stamp). Entering Nigeria with my rare and expensive visa, starts a round of pondering, leafing through my passport, questioning my occupation, my whereabouts in Lagos, how long will I stay, where did I get my Nigerian visa and then when all questions are answered quietly and satisfactorily he then signals that we should now cross the road to another building to ‘show my boss’. Over we go and my interrogator disappears into an office to reappear a few minutes later with another chap in uniform who says to me “no problem” – how I love those 2 words from officialdom. Back across the road, I get to fill in more paperwork and as there is no more to hold me up the ‘official’ allows me to pass. But he knows what awaits me and I tell you, it’s a good thing I am actively practising patience now because their system of graft and corruption at this border is appalling. Next the Yellow Fever vaccination check – yes, all is in order just as it has been for all the other West African countries I’ve visited. Then as I walk through another barrier – show me your passport, more pondering, leafing though and vague questioning and then I can pass. Onto the next bloke in a white coat who wants to see my vaccination card – alas he finds all is not in order: “you don’t have the meningitis and cholera, why not?” Now we both know that these are neither compulsory nor required jabs for Nigeria but OK, I point out my meningitis ACDT and tell him that that is a combined meningitis and cholera vaccination (NOT). He doesn’t really buy it but I keep insisting that it’s available in my country; it’s new, its better. OK he’s persuaded (or does he see more lucrative suckers coming up?) and I’m allowed through to the voracious taxi drivers to find a car to Lagos. A few offers of a private taxi, easily dismissed then I find a share taxi “already with two passengers, you sit inside, more people come”. Within a ½ hour we’re on our way but this highway to Lagos is home to interminable road blocks all staging posts of corrupt cops and officials. By the sixth luggage check, our driver is starting to get upset but by the tenth roadblock, we get a particularly bored (and stupid) health official. One look at me and it’s a “show me your yellow card. Step out of the car”. When I question him as to what the problem may be, he doesn’t want to discuss it in front of the other passengers – we have to walk over to his little hut. He reads and rereads my yellow card and wants to know why I am missing the yellow fever vaccination – I turn the card over and show him the notation. OK, next up is “you are missing cholera – why don’t you have cholera”. I try the combined vaccination tack but he is not buying that story (and I mentally make notes to sign that bloody line myself tonight). We go backwards and forwards and I am very patient but when the taxi driver comes over ranting at the bloke about wasting time, he gets sent off with a flea in his ear. Nobody is happy but this ‘official’ is not moving. Soon we are joined by another chap in a uniform of sorts who seems to know a thing or two, especially when I appeal to him with “I don’t understand what the problem is?” He quietly mentions that a donation or a gift would help and I immediately reply “I don’t understand, everything is in order here”. I DO NOT want to have to give in to a bribe or paying dash to these pricks – they must be the bane of all who travel this road between Benin and Lagos. Eventually the uniformed chap indicates to the stupid one he should return my card and as soon as it’s back in my hand I nearly run to the taxi and we’re off again.
Next fun to be had is at my Lagos destination, a lorry park called Mile Two. This place is sprawled across a highway that is under construction. I ask directions and try to understand the instructions given – go across the road (yes, except there are road making equipment going backwards and forwards making the road there), look in front of MTC. Eventually I get through both sides of the highway and try listening to the calls of the touts. Nothing sounds vaguely familiar so I ask around to be told ‘Over there’. Then ask again, go that way. Hmmm. Try to buy water but don’t have small enough change in my new Nigerian Naira. Soon the girl returns to give me 2 sachets, I tell her I still don’t have change – she says that ‘it is a gift” and motions towards another lorry and a couple of men are indicating that they want me to take the water – how kind and thoughtful of them. I cheer up and try some more, get pointed to a lorry ready to leave, and I try clarifying my destination, now asking for Ikoyi, so then get pointed to another lorry nearby. I go for this one, and when we’re moving show the man next to me my map and ask if the van will go to Alowolo Rd – NO. But after much discussion between a few others, they work out a way how I can get there and organise with the driver that I am dropped at the Law Courts. They tell me to get an okada the rest of the way. I ask a couple of drivers but they kindly explain that they can’t go over the bridge (I had previously heard this is an issue) and I ask them if I can walk – yes. So off I go up and over the Faloma Bridge thinking I couldn’t draw any more attention to myself up here, especially with a pack on my back, when all my advice for travelling in Nigeria was to keep as low a profile as possible! lol Anyway, I make it up and over the Bridge only get a high quote from another okada. I ask him which way and start walking that way. I’m still looking for street signs, when I notice an AP petrol station – and my directions were the AP bus station. YES, I’m on the right road, the right corner and the bloke I ask recognises the trefoil on my shirt and asks me am I “looking for the Girl Guides – they are right up the road”. AND they are. I cannot believe I have fluked making my way all the way through Lagos. Gilr Guides Nigeria have a 3 storey building and I walk into the Guide Shop first to be welcomed and kindly accompanied upstairs to the offices by Bimbo. An air con room, cold drinks, lots of introductions and a wonderful Girl Guide welcome. I meet Eno James and am shown to my accommodation – its fab. On the top floor, great views, very comfy with a kitchen and promised cook, lounge room, dining room etc. I am handed a lunch and left to ‘freshen up’. I do look a fright after my haul through town but soon enough I’m presentable and get a tour through the building receiving welcoming hugs from everyone. I visit the Guide Shop again to buy badges, postcards and I weaken and purchase some vibrant cloth produced especially for their upcoming centenary. Back upstairs I meet a few National advisors who have flown in for the meetings over the next few days, which is another reason why I was asked to come today to enable us all to meet here in town. But I do get a contact number from the Calabar commissioner and promise to call her next week when I visit, which I am now pretty decided to do.
I am asked what I would like my program to be for the next few days and I realise they are going to treat me to full board and entertain me while I am here. I feel really embarrassed about this, and try to downplay my stay, but to no avail –I am their guest and they plan this & that and meeting leaders etc. I feel so honoured and lucky to get such a charmed and lucky introduction to Lagos, Nigeria! But the downside will be no freedom to wander and I certainly don’t think I will find anyone here to accompany me to the rocking nightclubs, which I so long to go to. I walk Bimbo to her bus stop on Alowola Rd and tell them I’m going for walk – to buy beer but I don’t tell them that. I find The Jazzhole, a fantastic book/music shop/café. After months of French, the sight of interesting book titles nearly tempts me but for their prices, which are no cheaper than home so not worth carting around. But it is so much fun browsing.
FACT: The funniest sight today would have to be a van that had sideswiped a truck, which has then driven into one of the wooden ‘police posts’. I would have loved to have seen the look on their ‘official police’ faces as they would have had to shift themselves for a reason other than trying to extract cash from their countrymen!
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