The Lagos Experience Pt. 1: Giddy in Las Gidi

Lagos at last! would have been a befitting title for this post but well…I thought to convince you to follow my #globetrotting aspirations. So cheers to being convinced! 😂

Before I begin… happy new year. I spent the whole of 2021 in school hence my silence. I’ve missed you and I hope you’ve missed me too.

Now…Let Agenda, Agend

It’s my first time in the “Largest City in Africa” and boy! I had sauce -pan -eyes from the airport until I got to my dear friend’s home on the island.  The Lagos island.

As at the time of writing this post, I had spent exactly 26 days in Lagos, enough time to have ditched a habit or picked one.  But I won’t bore you with life-changing talks today.

We are going to take a trip down the winding brick roads of Lagos, through market alleys that have more people than goods, and we’ll  try  not to break our necks gazing at skyscrapers whose top scratch the heavens.

Be street-smart with me  to avoid phone-snatching Agberos,  lower your gazes from almost-stark-naked “Ajebutters” (Lord have mercy) and of course,  cook up love stories by the shores of the Atlantic Ocean!!!  You guys! I saw the Atlantic but I’m getting ahead of myself.

How It Started

I’ve lived in Northern Nigeria all my life and the farthest I’ve ever ventured away from the core North is Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital City.  I’m a proper “Aboki.”

My friend, Precious (please she shall be called “Panda” 🐼 going forward) huffed and puffed, threatened and pampered before I finally agreed to get on the flight that brought me straight to Las Gidi.

At first, Lagos did  not appeal to me but when I thought about the opportunities for internship, I started to like the idea. All I had to do was donate myself to this enjoyment plan…tearsss. Let’s give Panda a standing ovation.

Trust Nigerian airlines, our flight was delayed for about an hour, thirty minutes and so by the time we got to Lagos, it was pretty late but considering the fact that Lagos doesn’t sleep, I think we were early. This was where the madness and sweetness began.

Lagos 101: 2 Things to Not Take With You to Lagos

December to March  is the time temperatures drop to sometimes 10°c in the North due to Harmattan so despite my friend’s repeated warnings to pack light, your homegirl folded her favourite jeans, “enough” clothes,  a WOOL SWEATER and headed for Lagos.

“You don’t need that much clothes. You especially don’t need a sweater in Lagos,” my friend warned.

But… yours truly did not disappoint.👇

Pretty sure Lagos was waiting for me like 👇

Lagos Heat: Fresh from the Fire

I had left Abuja looking like a “spec’s” spec but by the time we got to Lagos, I was looking like I trekked from Abuja to Lagos.  My hoodlum travel partner, however was as unruffled as a duck on a lake’s surface.

As soon as we got off the plane, I knew I had made a mistake. The heat wave first travelled to the centre of my brain and announced itself before my skin began to weep sweat.

Imagine expecting Canada -standard cold because the Atlantic Ocean is our swimming pool  only to be greeted by a pro max version of a desert heat. Lagos is Dubai without the Burj.

The heat got me confessing👇

My friend in turn said 👇

Me 👇

I didn’t know whether to cry or complain. My jean trouser stuck to my skin like melted plastic and soon, I got itchy. I even started breathing through my mouth because of the humidity in the atmosphere. So I learnt the hard way to:

1. Never bring a sweater to Lagos.

2. Never pack clothing that does not allow fresh breeze to reach the skin.

I was a bit disappointed by the look of the airport. Roads were bad and the noise! My God! Everywhere, “Lekki!” “Aunty where you dey go?”

Soon, I started to feel nauseated and had to find a place to sit while we waited for our Bolt Ride to arrive. Fifteen minutes in the town and  I was ready to run back to the harmattan in the north.  But alas! Lagos had more in store for me.

Ẹkọ òní bajẹ ọ!

Pt. 2 of this story is where the real Lagos waka begins.