Trip to Cotonou, Benin Replublic

My annual leave of July/August 2012 took me to Cotonou. The trip wasn't as tiring as that of Calabar but the experience was just alarming! I went in company of three of my girlfriends and we started off from Lagos where I was spending part of my vacation.

We boarded a cab from Mile 12 which took us straight to Idi Iroko which is the border and boarded another vehicle to Seme border. So far, no drama until we got to Seme border and had to change our currency to Cefa (Benin Republic Currency). We were warned of money disappearing after it had changed hands, thieves, fraudsters, etc. At last we trusted our instincts and changed it from a yoruba woman and we were favoured. I made sure I didnt travel with much money (Ijebu syndrome).

The border crossing was another drama entirely. I even had verbal altercation with one of the "okada" riders. (be warned if an okada rider at the Seme border asks you to let him keep your naira currencies because of Customs...It's a con!) The custom officers stylishly asked for "egunje" while the okada riders connived with them...SMH.

At last we got to Cotonou and meeen! the road was smooth, well tarred and clean! I loved the the country. There was electricity throughout. I saw countless movies. I had fun despite the language barrier...thank God I had french classes if not I would have been behaving like a deaf and dumb girl (looolz). It was a different thing for my friends because they couldn't understant or speak french to save their lives (he he he he ).

We went to the trade fair whilst there and bought stuffs. I got myself a set of bangles and candies!

My bash

As I woke up this morning I thought I should share some of the pictures taken during my surprise birthday party organised and planned by my friends. It was in April 2012 and I will never forget that day. It meant a lot to me because my friends felt I deserved it and that made me feel so special and loved.

How did it happen? It was a normal Tuesday morning and I had to go to work. Apparently my "besto"Tolu had been planning weeks before with my colleagues at work as well as my close friends about this surprise bash but I didn't know! I got to work and everyone was asking how I will celebrate my birthday this year and all I said was I am doing nothing since that day was just like every other day to me.

I should have realised something was cooking when everyone kept asking me about today!

Anyways, I went about my daily activities at work...even my boss knew about it. One of my friends already promised to take me out for dinner that day to celebrate so I started planning on what to wear. I had bought a new shirt a few days before so I wore that to work hoping to go home and change into something nicer for my dinner date.

My friend started calling and pinging around 3pm that day to ask when I can get off work so we can hang out and I had to think on how to ask my boss for permission to close early cos it was my birthday and by  5pm I went to ask for that permission and to my surprise, I was asked to leave which was even weirder cos I know how demanding my job is.

Long story short... my friend came to pick me up to hang out at a bar/restaurant close to my office and I noticed he came with another friend of mine and both were coding on the phones. I later insisted on going home to change into something dressier for the dinner we had planned and on getting home I noticed a lot of cars parked. My heart started racing and by the time I entered through the gate I just couldn't walk properly because I knew something was up! My legs turned to rubber and as I was about to bail everyone came at me and shouted "Surprise! Happy Birthday...it was a party! A D.J was hired. My mum came and the rest of the evening was like a dream.

Happy New Month!!!October 2012 is gone. Never going to see it again except you can swing time travel. I would like to experience time travel so bad so I can change some things, wouldn't you just love that... Many things happened in October 2012.  Many challenges, decisions made, trips made, stories to tell another day, etc

I welcome you November 2012...bring with you all good stuff for me o...

Trip to 3 Waterfalls in two days!

My pastor is one funny man. He does not like us "singles"to be idle and tries his best to make us mingle and explore. He knows I am a very reserved person and do not like to go out despite my being " adventurous".
I love adventures...yes I do! I have visited the Obudu Mountain Resort, and Tinapa in Cross Rivers. I enjoyed the scenery and would love to go there again soon. I have recently gone to Ikogosi, Erin Jesa and Arinta waterfalls.

Sallah break of 27th-29th Oct 2012 was spent exploring ErinJesa water fall, Ikogosi and another waterfall hidden in the forest not far from Ikogosi. It was a wonderful experience. I climbed the rocks like a monkey (looooooolz). I kept telling myself I am being chased and should struggle to climb to the top. That was my motivation and drive.

Vacation here and there

Obudu Mountain Resort, Calabar, Cross River State of Nigeria.

Day 1: April 2011. This particular vacation involved my pastor and 8 members of my church. We set out in a hired 13-seater  coaster bus at 10am from Ibadan hoping to get to Calabar same day. Little did we know that I was joking (looolz).

At 10am on "Good Friday" (It was Easter period) we left Ibadan facing Ondo state. We got to Owo town in Akure  at exactly 1:46pm. I had purposed in my heart before trip that I was going to document the timing and all. It was the farthest I have ever gone besides Abuja by bus and I was really impatient and nervous. There were so many views along the way. Got to Benin City at 3.10pm and from there we moved on to Sapele and from there Bayelsa state. By this time I was really uncomfortable and fidgetting in the bus. Majorly because I was tired, aching all over (it was a bus for crying out loud!). I kept on picturing myself enjoying myself in Calabar because all I had during this long trip to console me was that I was sha going to arrive at my destination.

We got to Effurun- Sapele in Benin at 3.55pm and discovering how big it was. It was like entering a part in Lagos because it was so busy. One disgusting thing I saw on the road was of an ökada"rider carrying about 10 smoked monkeys tied together! OMG! It was really nauseating and it took awhile for that picture to be erased from my mind (poor dead monkeys). At a point I had to look away from the window so as to avoid such pictures.

One major and scary thing that happened on getting to Benin was that we ran into some touts who called themselves vigilante. I almost ran out of the bus through the window (so funny but I kept up a calm front but deep down I almost peed myself). Those thugs were brandishing guns, cutlasses, juju, etc. They just rushed out from nowhere to stop our bus from the bush and the first thing that came to my mind was...Oh Lord! we will be kidnapped today! Funny because those men looked like kidnappers (I am serious!)

We drove into Yenogoa in Bayelsa state at 6:35pm , didnt see much of the town anyways and continued on towards Port-Harcourt and that was one nice city. It was full of activities. We opted to spend the night there. We partked and stretched our limbs and some of us ate there excluding me. I was still tensed up and food wasnt on my list at that time. Pastor now said we should continue the journey as part of our excursion all through the night. By that time it was getting to 9 pm.

Onward soldiers...we drove on towards Onne nroute Akwa Ibom hoping to get to Calabar before the day breaks. Akwa Ibom state was a clean and beautiful town too. The roundabout was so beautifully sculptured and neat!

Before then the driver had been saying he does not know his way to Calabar. We were so angry and shouted at him. Apparently we had asked the booking office for a bus driver who knows the way but we were given one that doesn't and that wasnt funny at all. We had to ask people at each town to give us directions. Another funny thing was that we got lost after Akwa Ibom. It was already past 11pm and we were on the road. Few cars were on the road at this time and I had no battery left on my blackberry! It got to a point that soldiers had to show us the way to Cslabar. We made sevearl wrong turns but God helped us!

Finally finally we entered Calabar at 1:24a.m! The street lights were up and running, road very neat. It was a quiet town unlike Lagos that does not sleep. We saw a few people on the road as we drove into the streets who gave us directions to a nearby hotel. Meennn! I couldn't wait to lie down and sleep and that I did!

Day 2: We drove into town towards the Marina Resort. It was a slave museum with archived stories on slave trading in Nigeria before it was abolished. That place was ëmotional for me as I saw the chains, masks, and other horrible equipments used to tie slaves in those days. We were told stories, shown pictures and matetial on slave trade.

We left Marina Resort to go to Tinapa centre. That place was cool but we had to rush in order to continue our journey towards Obudu Resort and that alone took us some 6 hours! It was a bumpy ride due to major road construction.

Got to Obudu town at 8.00pm and proceeded to Obudu Mountain Resort. This was another journey because we spend a long time driving up the hill (80km). It turned my eyes at some point and the slopy drive was scary!. At last we got to the TOP! Ultimately we had a wonderful time and will do it again soon God willing.

 Goodbye Obudu...goodbye Calabar ...until next time #winks