We took a daytrip from Enugu to the Ibite Awhum Waterfall, or simply Awhum. “Just another waterfall,” I thought, “nothing impressive, especially since we had already seen the waterfall on the border with Cameroon. I was sorely mistaken; Awhum turned out to be a natural wonder.
We left the bus at the entrance to the Catholic monastery and set off on foot along a rain-washed road. The group waded across small streams and slipped on a muddy jungle path until we reached the gorge trailhead. We left our belongings there, covering them with something waterproof because from that point on, there was water everywhere. It cascaded down the gorge walls, and spray drenched us from all sides; getting wet was unavoidable.
The gorge was so narrow that we could touch with our hands the opposing walls, and so high that the sky was invisible. We had to make our way along the bed of a shallow stream, stepping cautiously and feeling for the bottom with our feet. The water sometimes reached our knees, but on the whole, it was shallow. The hike in one direction took an hour and a half. At the end of the gorge lay a small, round pool fed by the Awhum Waterfall. It is not particularly tall, just 30 meters, but extraordinarily beautiful. Naturally, a queue formed of people wanting to take photos. Then we headed back.
The waterfall and its surroundings are managed by the monastery. The water is believed to have healing properties and the power to drive away evil spirits. The monks turned the waterfall into a pilgrimage site. On our way back, we encountered a large group of young people carrying containers; they were walking barefoot and singing. We chose not to drink the water from the waterfall. Whether or not we harbored evil spirits was an open question, but we certainly didn’t need any intestinal infections.
My apologies for not posting here photos of the waterfall itself. I left my phone at the trailhead together with my other belongings. However, there are plenty of waterfall pictures available online if anyone wishes to see how it looks like.
Smeared with clay and soaked to the bone, yet happy after seeing such breathtaking beauty, we returned to the monastery, where we were able to wash our muddy feet and dry off a bit in the sun. We got back to Enugu late. What was meant to be lunch turned into dinner. The next morning, we were scheduled to fly to Abuja.
The group didn’t always manage to get a proper lunch during the day, so the night before, we would stock up on snacks at a supermarket to munch on while on the bus. We would buy peanuts from children along the roadside and somehow make it through to the evening. If we had a hearty lunch, we would skip dinner. Experience taught us that a meal at the hotel restaurant took at least two hours. It seemed as though there was only one chef in every hotel, preparing each dish one by one. The plates would arrive at fifteen-minute intervals. By the time the first people finished eating, others were still sitting there waiting for their orders. The lucky ones who already had their meals would immediately say goodnight and head off to bed.