Before entering Nigeria we had a small talk on the "safety factor" of visiting a country where religious divisions provoke bombings and attacks. Just this Christmas there were bombings around Abuja, a city we would visit. The Canadian government currently advises against all non-essential travel to the whole country saying " The security situation in Nigeria is unpredictable and there is a significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks, banditry, and kidnappings." Because of this, some members of the group decided to fly over and skip Nigeria altogether. Others chose to fly in and out only to get visas. Knowing of the dangers in the north we planned to stay south visiting only Abuja, Calabar and the Afie drill ranch. Most of us decided Nigeria would be what it would be...
And what a surprise it was!
Immediately after crossing the border we noticed people shouting at us as we drove through towns that were so laden with trash we were wondering just what we might be in for! The voices were loud and sometimes by the tone alone we couldn't tell if the cries were friendly or not. Very quickly we realized the children were screaming "white, white, white" while jumping up and down and waving. Adults were screaming "You are Welcome, Welcome" Or "white man, you are welcome!" As we continued along, the people of Nigeria made this one of the most amazing places I have ever been. A few examples.... While trying to food shop in Ibidan we got the truck stuck in the chaotic streets and a man on a motor bike helped Nev get the truck turned around and guided us to the market! While this was happening, people in the streets were welcoming us, laughing with us and one man even asked me to take a picture of him and his wife! I was happy about this since she was carrying her loaded basket on her head, african style!
Stuck in traffic in another town, a woman saw us, waved out a huge welcome and then started dancing in the street! We waved her on encouraging her dance and she kept going until we were just out of sight!
At bush camps the children came running to see us and the locals stuck around all night long and were back bright and early in the morning. At one bush camp the village chief came out to shake our hands and welcome us. He said we could stay a month if we wanted and that we would be safe there! ( Photos courtesy of Lisa)
The hospitality of the Nigerian people was heart warming and all encompassing! It didn't matter if we were in a small village or the nation's capital city, the people made us feel safe and welcome. A member of our truck family, has a friend who works for the government here and he arranged for us to meet the minister of tourism in Abuja! As the truck pulled up outside the government offices the cameras and reporters descended upon us as if we were celebrities! The minister gave us a televised welcome to his country and we were interviewed about our trip. He stated that although Nigeria has it's fair share of problems, he hopes tourism can flourish in his country. We were then treated to an amazing meal and a night out at the silver bird entertainment center, the biggest mall in west Africa. We drank real coffee, went to the movies, played video games, and went dancing! This was a great night for all of us and we were all moved by the generosity and genuinely warm welcome!
No comments:
Post a Comment