“… I fell I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am. There is no mystery about why this should be so. Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of our food, your closet full of your clothes – with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That’s not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating.”
Michael Crichton, Travels
The first thing to do upon arrival in Lagos was to exchange money because the agencies at the airport have the best rate. We were warned that later there could no place to exchange money at all. So, better be done with it right away.
Our first visit of the trip was to the Makoko community in a Lagos lagoon that was founded in the 19th Century by fishing communities who have lived in the settlement ever since. Estimates of Makoko’s population vary from 100,000 to 200,000. The state government claims that the settlement is illegal. It tried to bulldozer it off more than once under different pretenses. The Makoko people survived so far.
The houses are built on wooden stilts. The community has churches, schools, markets, and shops. It is ruled by the Baale (king) of Makoko who passes his power to his first-born son. All decisions within the community are made by the king, his word is final. The current Prince of Makoko, Taiwo Shemede, showed us around. Taiwo sounded so passionate about his people and their future.
We said a warm goodbye to Prince Taiwo and his people and drove to Lekki where the longest canopy walkway on the African continent is located. The treetop walk stretches about 1,315 feet long (more than three and a half football fields). It features six towers that rise over 22 feet each. They are connected by a series of suspended and swinging walkways. Only 10 people are allowed on the walkway at a time.
When everyone was safely on the other side of the canopy walkway, we got on our bus and returned to Lagos to see its market and the art galleries.