Another Visit to Wreck Beach

When we visit the beach, any beach that we go to, the local family helps carry our thing to the beach and the women are amazing. If you have looked at past posts on my blog you will see the families carrying everything, mostly on their heads. This trip I took some pictures of the family and I think they turned out great. After every picture the kids came running up to see themselves in the camera screen. When I return, I will bring them some of the photos that I print.

The Village Family

This visit to Wreck Beach we were prepared! Our shipment had just arrived and in it was boogie boards and fins. I grew up in Southern California but it must admit that I had not been on a boogie board in a long time! Bob and I caught our first wave together - we were right next to each other - and I screamed with excitement about 50% of the time.

I have to say THANKS to my brother Robert for getting us the boogie boards! We had a blast on them and are going back to use them on February 24th!

The Waves

The Nigerian Boogie Boarder

His board is a piece of driftwood.

Bob let him ride his board and he had a great time... and asked Bob to get him one!

Burns Supper - Another Scottish Ball

The Burns Ball is a celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns (1759–1796), Scotland's most famous poet, and writer of "Auld Lang Syne (Days of Long Ago)", a song you were probably humming to this past New Years! Here are a few good sites to tell you more about the song and Robert Burns.

http://www.worldburnsclub.com/newsletter/auld_lang_syne_what_about.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burns

We sampled Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish, which is typically made with the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Haggis somewhat resembles stuffed intestines (pig intestines otherwise known as chitterlings or the kokoretsi of traditional Greek cuisine), sausages and savoury puddings of which it is among the largest types. As the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique puts it, "Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour." (p592) (from Wikipedia).

I know it sounds terrible but it was not bad... as long as I ignored the woman next to me reminding me that I was eating 'entrails'!!

Prior to the event, Bob and I went to the Kingfisher Club, within the British High Commission, for Scottish dance lessons in preparation for the night.

Our Air Shipment has Arrived!

While we were visiting family in the US, we shopped and packed and air shipment with those items we can’t get in Nigeria or items that are either very expensive here or not of the desired quality. We also collected clothing and shoes from family to bring back and give to our cook/steward Daniel and our Driver Niyi to share. We packed our shipment on January 4th (in California) and it was delivered to our flat on January 24th. I was very impressed as I always hear stories of deliveries taken longer than expected; I think the delays refer more to the sea shipments due to the delays in customs. Here are a few pictures of the shipment being delivered. From the truck… to our living room! We are excited to have our shipment as we are going to wreck beach this weekend and our boogie boards and fins will come in handy! I hope the waves are good!

You may notice an American flag in the background of the second picture… please know that there is also a Nigerian flag hanging in front of the window. It is just hard to see.

Very appreciative of all the comments on the blog

Thank you to EVERYONE who has commented on my blog. Your comments keep me posting!

I have tried to write on most of our major experiences here in Nigeria and I feel that our experience has been very positive. I think we are making the most of our time here and we still have a lot of places to see, within in Nigeria and in surrounding countries. This year we hope to travel within Nigeria and to Cameroon and possibly Senegal. Likely next year we will hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, the hightest peak in Africa!

Check back to see what we have been up to!

Thanks!

Bob’s Year end Celebration – Work Party at Eleko Beach

The party took place at a coworkers personal beach house on Eleko Beach, east of Lagos.

The men were very serious playing Draft, a board game similar to checkers.

The kids were very entertained with soccer, swimming in a small pool and horse rides. Most Nigerians do not know how to swim so they never go into the ocean. This day the water was very calm. Bob went for a swim and the Nigerians on the beach were all very concerned about him as he swam farther and farther away from the shore. On one of his swim he had an amazing experience. A pod of dolphins swam by him and around him. He said there were adults and babies jumping and playing as they swam down the coast. I wish I would have been in the water with him!

I got a kick out of the dancing Teletubby. Check out this video. I wish I have taken more video because he was so entertaining… such a great dancer! ; ) Mickey Mouse was also there but he was not in the dancing mood.

IITA in Ibadan

Soon I will publish a post on our trips - three trips since we have been here - to IITA in Ibadan.

The organization - http://www.iita.org/

The hotel - http://www.iita.org/cms/details/hotel_summaryx.aspx?articleid=193&zoneid=275

Recreational facilities - tennis, golf, squash, a pool for relaxing or swimming, a nice lake to walk or bike around with trails through the forest
http://www.iita.org/cms/details/hotel_sports.aspx?articleid=196&zoneid=278