Nigeria....... Experience It !
Ahhhhhh Nigeria...........
Visiting Nigeria can be very exciting,stressful and hectic all at the sametime so my advise is to get a local Nigerian to show you around.
Before you leave there are many things you should do and prepare for.
First:Purchase a Nigerian Travel Book the best one I found is titled Nigeria-The Bradt & Travel Guide By Lizzie Willams.Everything I read seemed funny and unreal until I landed on Nigerian soil than everything she wrote about was exactly as she said. I wasn't shocked about certain things,I just kept telling my friend "yeap that was in the book !"
Second:Contact your Government for their Travel Health Clinics,get the vaccinations they recommend and take the Malaria Medications they prescribe.I suggest the weekly pill,much easier and I personally had no side effects.
Third:Pack summer clothing.Long pants/jeans are fine.Short sleeve shirts and take a light jacket.
Forth:Take any cosmetics/bath items you desire.(Soaps,lotions,hair products,deoderants,tooth pastes,etc)and take a bath towel to dry off with.They seem rare in the hotels.
Fifth:Travel documents(passport,visa stamps,hotel papers,emergency contact sheet...carry with you at all times)Keep these items out of reach & out of site.Its not that there was any theft that occured but be safe.
If your in a public place and need to get out money,go to the restroom to sort it,keep it private if possible.
Sixth:Buying items can and probably will be double the price for visitors,so try to get your local friend/host to buy it for you later.For some reason Nigerian vendors think visitors have tons of money to waste. For example: I wanted to buy a Nigerian State Map from a road seller and he said 800 naria when I asked,My local friend said no 100 naria....the vendor refused to sell it,but 2 minutes later the vendor ran to the side of the car and shouted 500 naria,again I said no 100 naria,than he said ok 200 naria.Fine ! Sold....I really wanted the colored map,they are rare to find and its a great souvenir ! So barganing is very common there and don't be afraid to say NO a few times,if they want to sell it they will reapproach you !
Same for food..ask the price before you eat or they will guess a price after you eat and it will be too much.I would say 300 naria for local dishes was a good price.
Fast Food resturants: Mr Biggs about 700 naria for one person (my favorite place!)Chicken,Fish,,Meat pies,Rice,Macaroni Salads !
Tantalizers,they are also very good but expensive,about 900 naria for one person.
Beer & Soda,Water:100 naria for a bottle,but ASK if its cold first,or you may get a warm soda or beer! Always drink bottled water and check the cap to make sure its not been just recapped for quick resale.
Traveling from different Nigerian states:Stressful,hot and long.But it was also a great experience.Drivers,well first of all there are NO driving laws !They drive as fast as they want & where-ever they want and if the north lane is backed up with traffic,Hell jump into the south lane and keep heading North,its very common ! Ride with someone that knows the roads cause street signs are rare and driving can be hostal.Mostly paved roads but some BIG pot holes too !
I laughted everytime a opposite driver yelled or shook his fists at our driver,it was funny because neither driver was right it what he was doing,but I am from America where we have traffic laws,so I was ammussed at the impatients with each driver.
The one thing that was told to me before I left America was,and I quote this from a friend " You will either love Nigeria or hate it,there is no in between"......Well friend I agree,I came back from Nigeria with a great love and respect for it. The hustling and stressful surroundings is a way of life,and I actually got a huge rush from it. My second trip is already planned and I am organized to see everything I didnt have time for the first trip!
I meet some wonderful people from all areas and each one treated me as a movie star and made extra sure I was comfortable.........But I was warned the Nigerian people are very accomodating to guests/visitors.And that was no lie......I had everything I wanted and even more.
I did miss a few things: Hair dryer (voltage was different),hot showers in the morning...but in the evening I welcomed the cold water.Microwaves for the left over foods to reheat, the refrigerator for extra snacks late at night,A washer and dryer for clothing,even though my friend hand washed everything,I still missed the softening of jeans by those lovely static dryer sheets(Ha Ha)....Public bathrooms,hum very rare but I managed until I was at the beach,I paid 130 naria to pee in a porta poty with NO poty,you were to just squat & pee on the floor (okay my shoes got wet,but I am glad I didnt have to go #2!) But I will add the other bathrooms I found during my trip were clean and working just fine.
I promised those lovely & wonderful people that feed/housed me that I would come back and write about my experiences to help change the minds of some non visitors,That Nigeria is not as bad as people say it is.Actually everyone I seen wanted to smile and talk with me,even the police at road blocks were friendly,(oh there was a scary time once or twice but it was among drivers and police not me as a visitor) Nigeria has wonderful people and wonderful cultures,If you haven't experienced Nigeria at least one time in your life...you are really missing out.
I guess my only problem I had was: Nigerians complained about the economy and they say the Government doesnt help clean up their country,Some I can understand....Jobs are hard to find and pay very little(average between $90-365.00 US dollars a month)So yes the economy is hurting and the only solution I can see,Is for the Nigerians to be able to leave the country more easily to make money to send back to their Nigerian families.If the Nigerian Citizens have money to spend on goods at the Markets than they will spend it and the Markets will prosper.Which in return makes good business for everyone.
But leaving Nigeria isnt so easy, Which Government is holding them back .......? HUM..I WONDER !!??
See the therory I have is: If Nigerians were able to come and go easily than they would not desire to immigrate to other countries,Nigerians DO love their Motherland,but fear they can never leave it to prosper or attend college in other countries,so they can return to help Nigerian Economy Change,so once they do get a chance to leave,they take it........Will they return for good? Probably not,because of the mentioned difficulty.So they return for long visits and bring supplies/money back with them.
Now as far as cleaning up the enviroment: Hum,I taught my friend a thing or two....well at least I put a thought is his head. See Nigeria does have alot of people and a lot of trash EVERYWHERE,but what I seen was aweful.I mean people in cars would just throw their trash out the windows and that was it. I told my friend WOW..19 million people throw one plastic bottle out on the street each day,Hum 19,000,000 X 365 =6,935,000,000.....NOW thats alot of bottles ! How is Nigeria ever going to clean up if someone doesn't stop this BAD habit ! No wonder I didn't see any wild life,Hell they(the animals) packed their belongings and left for other parts of Africa.......So from that lecture I gave him and I am sure he passed it along to his friends & family,the seed is planted,STOP throwing trash out,dispose of it properly and a change may happen......But that is going to take the people of Nigeria to do it,NOT just the Government alone.
Power Supply,yeap thats funny ! If you don't have a generator wired to your house,Well you'll be in the dark for along while,even days at times....
SOOOOO NEPA ,Could you leave the lights on ?!!..
(National Eletric Power Authority)Offical Name
(Never Expect Power Always) Nigerian Nick Name!
So with everything in mind here are some helpful websites,and I hope you too DISCOVER Nigeria !
As most Nigerian's told me.... That's Nigeria For You !!!!
More Inside Nigerian Info:www.motherlandnigeria.com
Money Converter:www.awoof.net
International Calls to Nigeria: www.tele3advantage.com
Airline Flights:www.bt-store.com
Passports:www.abriggs.com
US Traveler: www.state.gov Go to Travel & Business
Government Info: www.abuja.usembassy.gov and www.uscis.gov
Accomodations:www.ip4hotels.com
Report Scammers:www.efccnigeria.com
So Thank you very much to my host family in Lagos & Asasba,Your hospitality was so gracious !
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