24 Hours in Lagos

I have to say that when I first saw Lagos on my roster, I was not disapointed. All the stories I'd heard about police escorts from the airport, not being allowed to leave the hotel and wine bottles thrown at crew during the flight simply added to my intrigue. How exciting!

Our African escort on the bus strictly briefed us on the rules; no opening the curtains, no photos, no engaging the street sellers or beggars. (Apparently another airline bus had been attacked once before and they now get "safe" money to travel there.) With this in mind, I wasn't going to be the one to break the rules; I just looked out over the driver's shoulder, through the windshield.

The traffic and people walking in the street selling things made for chaos on the roads, and the buildings, yes, looked run down and makeshift. But through this wasteland strolled the most magnificent, almost regal, outfits. Tailored full-length dresses of bright colours and bold designs sashayed imperviously past us. With larger-than-life matching hats, these Nigerian women looked dressed for the races. Such style!

The hotel was bit worn, but luckily more of the fabulous African dresses were miling around the lobby to spruce it up a bit. Over drinks by the pool and listening to the live band, I met a man who also worked in aviation and was stationed in Lagos for twelve weeks. Twelve weeks? I remarked, What can you do here for twelve weeks?

'I come here', he said, 'to the bar and the office'.
He said there weren't shopping malls as such, wasn't much to see or do, and it wasn't safe to do so anyhow.
So I wasn't missing anything by not venturing out? 'No', was his adamant reply.

Back on the aircraft, we found that the cleaning staff had eaten our crew sandwiches. One of the cleaners even came up to us to ask what had happened to his sandwiches!

Seeing babies slung tightly to their mothers backs and those lovely African hats again, made the busy flight back worthwhile and coaxed me into reminiscenes of my own African roots.

(Trip from 2008)