Rainbolt Travel Diary

This past Sunday one of the parents in Gina’s class invited us to join them on a trip to the beach. Now, who can say “no” to something like that? We left the compound that morning and headed to a marina not far from the AIS compound to take a boat ride up the Niger River. What a trip! What a day! What a great topic for a blog!
The Creeger’s have a daughter in the 4th grade and a daughter in the 2nd grade. The Westeburs, who teach here, and their daughter Bella, age 4 and the Rainbolt clan stuffed ourselves into the Creeger’s boat along with a driver and a guard. We headed off into the lagoon that separates Victoria Island from Ikoyo Island. Despite the signs posted all over to keep Lagos clean, we spent the early part of the trip dodging the trash that has been tossed into the lagoon. You get a very good idea of the discrepancy in wealth here in Nigeria from the water. Some gorgeous homes worthy of a water front view with large yachts anchored in front, then next-door a cinderblock shelter with cows and goats grazing near the water.
Soon we entered the main port of Lagos. Along one side was the Maersk Shipping Terminal stacked with containers just like in Tacoma. Then things change rapidly. Just off the terminal is the rusting hulk of another cargo ship half submerged in the river. On the other side of the river sat five small cargo ships that despite all the rust were still floating. It was like going back in time to the day of the tramp steamers. I kept waiting for the steamboat from the movie African Queen to come around the bend.
After leaving the main port the river turned due west. We passed several dugout canoes paddling upstream, villages on the banks of the river with nets drying out side the ramshackle huts. No sign of electricity, no satellite dish, no generators, just palm trees loaded with coconuts and thick green mangroves. The river runs like this all the way into Benin. Gina and I both finally got a sense of being in Africa; well almost because soon we arrived at the beach hut.
The hut, complete with a palm frond roof, sits on a narrow peninsula. On the east side of the hut is the Atlantic Ocean complete with crabs running up and down the beach. On the west side is the river. I’d like to say that we lugged the coolers of food and baskets of towels and sand toys up to the beach hut, but as soon as we tied up to the dock a group of Nigerians from the village nearby showed up and in traditional style piled things on their heads and they did the work.
It was a bit cloudy and misty still so the kids dug in the sand and we snacked and had a few drinks. Then it was a round of Bocci Ball, which the Westeburs proved to be quite the dominating team. The sun broke through and Todd announced that it was time to water ski. Yes, that is right, we went water skiing up the Niger River on the west coast of Africa. I couldn’t help but think of another movie, for me it was a total Apocalypse Now moment. Check out the picture with the blog and tell me you don’t agree. I skied and so did Gina. Both the kids did the kneeboard and then we headed out to the ocean to play in the surf.

What a day. Nigeria is so incredibly beautiful, but so different. Here we were on a tropical vacation while kids from the village lined the riverbank to watch us. We were playing with toys and of all things water skiing right next a fallen palm tree that their parents had built a fish trap next to for food. We were drinking cold beer and chilled wine probably 20 kilometers from the nearest refrigerator. We would head back to the city where we would shower and wash our clothes. They would do the same thing, but in the river. I saw a family doing just that as we headed back home.