I looked up a few books stores to try and find a guide book about this country – and nothing. I must admit though I didn’t check out if there was a section in the Africa books. However country books were mainly for South Africa and Kenya.
Coming from Sydney from my brothers wedding weekend it was my seventh long haul flight in around 6 weeks – I was tired but am getting use to airports and long haul flights and I found myself mouthing the emergency exit demonstration. The flight was not very nice – we seemed to go through a storm – it was pretty spectacular until we hit a huge air pockets and it turned into a carnival ride when people sneak on food and drinks.
Dubai had one thing that every airport I think should have – banana chairs – or permanently reclined chairs. Brilliant idea. I don’t know if I can go back to normal waiting to board chairs – it is going to be tough. Getting onto the flight to Lagos – two things were apparent, the Nigerians travel in numbers and love duty free…The cabins were overflowed with duty free bags, and I was confused as to who knew which bag was whose.
Landing in a new country I find exciting – always. There is always something different to find out about. However I always dread the customs part, there is always some type of lining up waiting for at least half an hour or more, and depending on what country you’re entering in an orderly fashion. The orderly fashion in Lagos was a vague line and push your way to the front, and coming off a 27 hour trip I wasn’t one for patience. Without blowing my own horn I made fantastic time, unfortunately there may have been a few sore feet and body parts when I discovered that swinging my laptop bag around and moving forward speed up the process of getting to the front. One thing to mention we were given a briefing about entering the country and what to do to get through customs without making a bribe payment. One thing I took from the brief was to have good humour, appear pleasant, answer questions politely and if asked for something to wish them happiness and prosperity. I though oh no I’m not happy I do not exude good humour or happiness and the air around me given the sore feet and body parts and sneers was a good representation of that. However there was no question of asking for gifts, which I think had a large effect more on my body odour and attractiveness after having not slept very much in the 27 hour journey.
My security team meet me at baggage, I waited half an hour took my bag and went forth into Nigeria. I felt a little like a diplomat being driven off in a huge van with tinted windows and another truck following me with armed guards. In with me were two bodyguards…and away we went. I turned one of the bodyguards into my personal tour guide for the duration of the trip, asking the usual curiosities when you first step off into a new place. One thing I’ve learnt is common among people – people are proud of their countries and love talking about them.
Lagos is a very interesting place. From the air the first thing you notice is loads of yellow vans. I found out these are used as taxis and hold an impressive number of people given they are filled and some hang out of windows and have doors open to fit a couple more people where they stand on the rim and hold onto the roof as the van fangs down a roadway. There are not many made roads, the large one are main arteries going from airport to towns and sections of the mainland onto various islands of the coast which is where I ended in Ikoyi.
There are the normal slums you see outside of most airports. Going over the bridge into Ikoyi there are shacks that are built over the water – I would assume similar to types in Asia. Loads of people on the roads hanging out, or walking somewhere, selling something from bottles to cards to tyres, food, water handiwork. The people here are very elegant looking. They walk tall and straight. They carry items on their heads without effort. They are beautiful looking people with eyes that look like they a million thoughts behind them.
There have been a few things that have amused me which are to assist in our security.
We have what I’ve nicknamed a barge car. It is a smaller second car that follows us. It is a security concern to be stationed for too long, given robbery is quiet rife a stationed car with a bunch of ex pats is a huge target. So this second car will barge through traffic if it gets too thick and makes a pathway for us. I still get a little confused as to how this doesn’t annoy the local people off to a high degree. The traffic is chaotic but has its orderly fashion. To give you an example we want to turn left (rules are American side driving) so we need to cross over traffic. Our barge car will edge into oncoming traffic and then just stop there so we have a clear path to cross.
The use of insect repellent is required especially at nights when the mosquitoes are out. Malaria is quiet active here, so I look at it like my new perfume. I apply it in the morning and top it up at nights. I have found another use for it as well, to use it like you would smelling salts. It has come in handy at keeping me awake purely from the smell when I hit my walls from jet lag!
I found out during my security briefing when arriving on my first day that Ecuador has the same security risks as a country as Nigeria. I was a bit confused – Ecuador has its own guidebook in stores.
Coming from Sydney from my brothers wedding weekend it was my seventh long haul flight in around 6 weeks – I was tired but am getting use to airports and long haul flights and I found myself mouthing the emergency exit demonstration. The flight was not very nice – we seemed to go through a storm – it was pretty spectacular until we hit a huge air pockets and it turned into a carnival ride when people sneak on food and drinks.
Dubai had one thing that every airport I think should have – banana chairs – or permanently reclined chairs. Brilliant idea. I don’t know if I can go back to normal waiting to board chairs – it is going to be tough. Getting onto the flight to Lagos – two things were apparent, the Nigerians travel in numbers and love duty free…The cabins were overflowed with duty free bags, and I was confused as to who knew which bag was whose.
Landing in a new country I find exciting – always. There is always something different to find out about. However I always dread the customs part, there is always some type of lining up waiting for at least half an hour or more, and depending on what country you’re entering in an orderly fashion. The orderly fashion in Lagos was a vague line and push your way to the front, and coming off a 27 hour trip I wasn’t one for patience. Without blowing my own horn I made fantastic time, unfortunately there may have been a few sore feet and body parts when I discovered that swinging my laptop bag around and moving forward speed up the process of getting to the front. One thing to mention we were given a briefing about entering the country and what to do to get through customs without making a bribe payment. One thing I took from the brief was to have good humour, appear pleasant, answer questions politely and if asked for something to wish them happiness and prosperity. I though oh no I’m not happy I do not exude good humour or happiness and the air around me given the sore feet and body parts and sneers was a good representation of that. However there was no question of asking for gifts, which I think had a large effect more on my body odour and attractiveness after having not slept very much in the 27 hour journey.
My security team meet me at baggage, I waited half an hour took my bag and went forth into Nigeria. I felt a little like a diplomat being driven off in a huge van with tinted windows and another truck following me with armed guards. In with me were two bodyguards…and away we went. I turned one of the bodyguards into my personal tour guide for the duration of the trip, asking the usual curiosities when you first step off into a new place. One thing I’ve learnt is common among people – people are proud of their countries and love talking about them.
Lagos is a very interesting place. From the air the first thing you notice is loads of yellow vans. I found out these are used as taxis and hold an impressive number of people given they are filled and some hang out of windows and have doors open to fit a couple more people where they stand on the rim and hold onto the roof as the van fangs down a roadway. There are not many made roads, the large one are main arteries going from airport to towns and sections of the mainland onto various islands of the coast which is where I ended in Ikoyi.
There are the normal slums you see outside of most airports. Going over the bridge into Ikoyi there are shacks that are built over the water – I would assume similar to types in Asia. Loads of people on the roads hanging out, or walking somewhere, selling something from bottles to cards to tyres, food, water handiwork. The people here are very elegant looking. They walk tall and straight. They carry items on their heads without effort. They are beautiful looking people with eyes that look like they a million thoughts behind them.
There have been a few things that have amused me which are to assist in our security.
We have what I’ve nicknamed a barge car. It is a smaller second car that follows us. It is a security concern to be stationed for too long, given robbery is quiet rife a stationed car with a bunch of ex pats is a huge target. So this second car will barge through traffic if it gets too thick and makes a pathway for us. I still get a little confused as to how this doesn’t annoy the local people off to a high degree. The traffic is chaotic but has its orderly fashion. To give you an example we want to turn left (rules are American side driving) so we need to cross over traffic. Our barge car will edge into oncoming traffic and then just stop there so we have a clear path to cross.
The use of insect repellent is required especially at nights when the mosquitoes are out. Malaria is quiet active here, so I look at it like my new perfume. I apply it in the morning and top it up at nights. I have found another use for it as well, to use it like you would smelling salts. It has come in handy at keeping me awake purely from the smell when I hit my walls from jet lag!
I found out during my security briefing when arriving on my first day that Ecuador has the same security risks as a country as Nigeria. I was a bit confused – Ecuador has its own guidebook in stores.
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