Not exactly the 'long walk to freedom'...

As I come to the end of this Sunday's uploading of my walking tour interspersed with military intervention (in case we are intending to take over the country) regarding us group of stupid whiteys who dare to take photos of the architecture, all I have left to say is that we should be grateful indeed to have been raised in a country were free speech is a given in my case and having lived for 30 years in a country that has enjoyed something resembling democracy which is now being threatened by a megalomanical 'youth leader'....without trying to sound negative-I have just once again realised that the human species is very flawed in general and I am ashamed to be part of it. War, commerce, the business of religion, hatred, greed and plain stupidity-all the same...and the innocent suffer.
I stop here before I throw up-politics is really not my thing.
But I did do my 10 000 steps today and am achingly pleased to have done something for my fitness. Thank you Lagos.

...nearly there...

...and more...

...and more walking...

..more walking around Lagos Island

Lagos architectural walking tour

Legacy continued

...below you'll see Prof Godwin explaining the walking tour, the amazing art deco horse sculptures, who had to undergo gender change as females were ordered and stallions received, so they just chopped of the ..., I was told they also actually fell down their balconies once after a storm and killed a few people, so they are now strapped to the building) that grace the now defunt racecourse (the governor in state needed a parade ground and the beautiful racecourse was concreted in and is now being used for all sorts of parades)and below that picture a very old colonial house which was believed to have been the home of a government official built in 1900.
And this is where my big fright took place.
We (about 30 participants of all manner of origin-American, German, French and some Nigerians) walked around the corner listening to our guide about this house, everyone with their stupid heavy big cameras with massive telephoto lenses (why do people still schlepp this stuff around?) when we were rushed by about 10 huge guys in military camouflage and AK 47's demanding our cameras among lots of intimidating pushing, shoving and shouting.
I tried to hang back and more or less disappear in the crowd (making myself invisible seemed the best strategy) whilst our guide tried to diffuse the situation to the best of his ability. They wanted none of that! And started wrestling with a brave little American girl who would not let go of her expensive equipment and was technically dragged down the road on her camera strap. She offered them her memory card out of her camera but as one of the Nigerians was saying 'they don't want the photos, they want the camera'...
What a nightmare but I must be careful what I'm saying as it struck me that this country is at any time on the verge of another military junta and the state of this young democracy is fragile to say the least and as an outsider I'm more than likely under surveillance. I kid you not.
Anyway, after about 30 minutes the Colonel arrived and told his army of mentally disabled soldiers (I was told they have to be like that because they are trained to kill) to lay off of us and we eventually continued the walk-shaken but not stirred.
Here are some photos of the architecture of some churches built by missionaries of the various Christian faiths (who's business of selling life after death is very profitable indeed and the only industry, apart from the raping of the country of its oil, is the only thing that is making serious money in Nigeria)) and the amazing Old Secretariats' legal library which houses legal texts from way back and from many countries-sadly all in a terrible state of disrepair.
The Salvation Army has also been there for a long time and the old Brazilian quarter was a sight to behold.

The Legacy and the Tragedy

It's a quiet Sunday morning and I'm about to embark on a walking tour around Lagos Island with the venerated Professor John Godwin, a reknown British architect who has lived and worked here for most of his life.
Through my membership with the Nigerian Field Society I'm now also a member of 'Legacy', headed by Godwin who has made it his life's mission to attempt convincing the government as it were into preserving some of the outstanding architecture of Lagos.
Did I say quiet Sunday morning? Read on ...

Lagos bits and bobs

How that yellow cab got up there through the house wall-I haven't a clue...
Why is it there-no idea...
The next 2 are our local superette, a few of each is the offering. Marvellous!
The guy with the cart is something you see all over Lagos everyday. He's been cutting grass someplace mysterious and is carting horsefeed for the Polo Clubs ponies.
Wanted to become a member but fees so steep I can't afford.But perhaps the occasional game to watch is more in reach at N 500 a game for a spectater ticket...

more Lagos Carnival

And then for the Lagos Carnival

Right, although I mentioned that I am not really fit for being outdoors for a long time in this never ending heat and generally have a problem with crowds, I agreed to visit the Lagos Carnival today.
This is organised by the Brazilians, I'm told, who are the descendants of Nigerian slaves and have come back from Brazil to celebrate their freedom. Unfortunately they omitted to organise the traffic flow whilst organising the Carnival.
We set out with our driver hoping to get to one of the procession points but this turned out unachievable as it seemed that the entire city was trying to do the same. Yes, many roads were blocked off to allow for this procession and needless to say none of these roads were published (no less than 3 different websites were available for this event)nor was any provision made for any visitors wanting to spectate.
So, we abondoned the use of a vehicle and decided to walk instead.
We did get to the gathering point with me nearly fainting in the heat a few times and did get to see some action. There were no typical floats thought just brightly costumed groups of sweating participants seeming to have great fun in their hot gear with the odd truck pumping out deafening unintelligable music.
Eventually I decided it was more than enough for me and I grabbed an Okada (motorbike taxi), for which I will be scolded at work tomorrow if anyone finds out...
It was my first trip on the back of a motorbike and actually felt quite safe. He delivered me back at my compound in no time with my blistered feet.
Great fun was had by all and now for a nice cup of tea and a cucumber sandwich with my feet in a bucket of iceblocks please...oh-and the desert menu would be good

Apapa boat club

I was coerced into going to yet another drinking spot with the expats this time the Apapa boat club. Here members have their deep sea fishing vessels moored, drink themselves into a coma and then take one of the ubiquitous nightriders home.
Mind you the bar and restaurant is quite nice, reminiscent of Durbans Yacht club pub and restaurant, sort of a journey back in time. The couple that run it, Germans, have lived here for 28 years and have become truly strange-SHE can't stop monologueging (?) about all manner of weird stuff but looks great for her mid 70's. Must be something here that keeps them fit-she downed 6 Heinekens in the same time that I had 1 G&T...
One of the members accidentally killed a baby Marlin, see picture, as it was too injured to be put back into the sea. I was told the fisherman was devasted. The biggest Marlin ever caught here was 350 kg's of fighting fish-3 time the length of your average human being.
Not a place to go back to for me, although the Pizza is good.

The dreaded rubbish

So, another Lagos sanitation day has come and gone and we are not allowed to leave the house until 10am. No-one has figured out what actually happens???
One day I will sneak out and have a look around presuming if no-one is out and about no-one will be able to catch me either?The picture attached is a mild one and these open sewers, this one only filled with rubbish usually have raw human waste floating ontop mixed with rubbish, lots of algae which is thriving and a sort of demure bubbling to them. There are no safety grates ontop and I'm horrified to think what happens when a child accidentally trips and falls into this stinking mess. Why does it have to be this way when 20 million people live here, many out of work...why not just pick up the crap and clean up the city? Has anyone here got a braincell to spare?