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.
Getting onto the flight to Lagos at my transit point of Dubai, 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. The start to the journey was me entering immigration with no orderly line, exhausted and hot. I made fantastic time swiftly through the most unusual experience of immigration and finding my luggage by standing on a crate.
My security team meet me at baggage, and collecting my bag I 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. This was one of my first major projects, and first time in Sub Sahara. I didn't know what to expect, but the travel is certainly different from the days of having a backpack strapped to my back and being more self sufficient.
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 screams 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.
Going over the bridge into Ikoyi there are shacks that are built over the water. 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.
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.
Getting onto the flight to Lagos at my transit point of Dubai, 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. The start to the journey was me entering immigration with no orderly line, exhausted and hot. I made fantastic time swiftly through the most unusual experience of immigration and finding my luggage by standing on a crate.
My security team meet me at baggage, and collecting my bag I 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. This was one of my first major projects, and first time in Sub Sahara. I didn't know what to expect, but the travel is certainly different from the days of having a backpack strapped to my back and being more self sufficient.
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 screams 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.
Going over the bridge into Ikoyi there are shacks that are built over the water. 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.
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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