The hotel air conditioning cut out in all rooms at 4 a.m. A humid, stifling heat was still drifting in from outside. There was no point in opening the window, and I didn’t want to let malaria-carrying mosquitoes in, either. I managed to drift back to sleep somehow. Breakfast at the Comfort Inn turned out to be lackluster – 2 eggs and 2 slices of toast. We got spoiled by the excellent breakfasts at all previous hotels where buffets had something for every taste plus strong coffee.
After the meal, we set off to see the ancient Bakor monoliths near Ikom. It is a site with stones carved from basalt and limestone, adorned with various designs and inscriptions. Local people created them to honor their ancestors. This tradition is believed to have originated between 200 and 500 AD and thrived until the 19th century. No two stones are alike; each one is unique and serves a specific purpose. I have already noted how much Nigerians value their cultural heritage and history, and how they can talk about them for hours.
The tour began with our guide addressing the ancestral spirits in his native language, asking for permission to show us the monoliths. The guide led the group to each monolith in turn and gave us a detailed explanation of them. Some are to be consulted on the right course of action, though I didn’t grasp the form in which the stone delivers its answer. Others help a traveler to return home safely, a woman to conceive children, and so on. People also gather there to conduct rituals and hold trials. Europe and the United States took advantage of the situation during the Nigerian Civil War, and some of the monoliths were taken from the country. Nigeria is trying to get them back.
From Ikom, we headed back to Enugu. Our next leg involved flying to Abuja, once again with the wonderful Air Peace, and the airport is located in Enugu.
On the way, we stopped at a shopping mall to grab a bite. Traditional Nigerian cafeteria food consists of rice in every conceivable form: boiled, fried, or served with various vegetable, bits of fish or meat. Another option is pasta. In any case, it is all heavily seasoned with an incredible amount of spices. Asking for something mild is pointless. To Nigerians, “not spicy” still means there will be pepper in it, just not enough to make you gasping for air. That’s why the group was delighted when we found pizza and hamburgers at the mall. Back home, I don’t eat either, but here I was willing to have a hamburger just to avoid eating the rice I was so tired of.
