Oshogbo temple Oson state

My wife and I decided to travel to see the Oshogbo temple in Soon state so we left on the Ibadan expressway early sat morning travelling on a very busy road in bad condition it takes about three hours to get to the temple so we decided to stay overnight in Ibadan Africa’s largest flat city

We found a local hotel that was reasonably priced and had air conditioning very important in west Africa that evening there was a party on at the hotel so we ended up around the swimming pool with our driver having a couple of beers and enjoying the evening the pool area had a few plastic palm trees and many pool noodles in the pool. After an early start the next morning we were on our way to the temple

The temple was built by a Brazilian woman an artist who created a fertility temple that was actively used by woman every Friday. it was situated in the local forest and I was very keen to visit the area

After about another hours drive we arrived at the forest and on the way to the entrance I noticed low mud walls with faces and figures carved into them there was the odd figure also looking at us from the trees  We paid the nominal entry fee at a small hut to the side of the entrance which was a huge vagina which you could walk through we decided to take the other route into the forest and started our exploring The ground had a funny look to it shining and sparkling with minerals which I think was feldspar Everywhere you looked there were giants statues of figures and many smaller ones in the walls even down by the river there were specific statues alongside the banks

We came to the actual temple which was still being used and the local priest asked us if we wanted to be blessed so we agreed and went through the ritual in the temple took about half an hour all in all. Afterwards we were interviewed by a local press crew that showed up photos were taken and lots of fun was had by everyone

 

Benin West Africa

The home of voodoo that is what I saw in the Benin embassy in Lagos

I was trying to get a visa for myself and a friend as we were planning a road trip to Benin from Lagos

He was on a British passport so he got a visa very fast I was on an SA passport so was told I would get my visa at the border. the night before we left we were having a few drinks at the yacht club and when the bartenders found out we were going to Benin they offered to kill a white and a black chicken for us we would be given a parcel to put in the boot of our car we were interested but never took them up on the offer instead we offered them a chicken and chips meal on our return.

It was early sat morning when we set with a French chef as our guide after about two hours of Lagos roads and traffic we arrived at the Benin border a tin house on the side of the road with a lot of people standing around there were lots of pieces of string and tree branches across the road each one a roadblock and each one wanting money after about four hours at the border and one or two issues with passports we crossed the border into Benin our first impressions on crossing was a huge informal market with people selling everything and changing money airtime rice you name it.

It is often cheaper to buy food in Benin and bring it back across the border so the border area is very active. We get past the border and travel up to the capital continue the streets are clean and there are separate lanes for motorcycles everyone drives properly and the local French police are everywhere nobody talks English only French so most of the time you are not sure what is happening we visit a local village to meet our drivers family and he is very proud to show us his family house and the other cottages he is renting out. We then go to his uncle’s hotel for a local beer after a round or two we notice the hotel has a lot of small rooms and there are a lot of woman around so it does not take long to work out where we are.

We had booked into a coastal apartment room on the beach very close to the Togo border so close that in five minutes you could cross into Togo. On the way the countryside becomes more rural jungle overgrown and then we are at the coastal village clear blue oceans and two or three small hotels.my friends and I settle into our new room and we send the drivers off to visit yet another uncle. We went for a walk on the beach in the pouring rain and met with some locals who were fishing finally we ended up in a hut chatting to a chap who was selling herbs for a living. Him and his two children in a hut on the beach.

We got back pretty late and my friend was tired so he went to bed while I sat on the veranda watching the ocean we had ordered chicken to eat and to my amazement two plates of raw chicken with rice was delivered to us we sent it back and went to sleep I could hear that our drivers had returned and they were sitting outside our front door chatting the next morning was raining but crisp not the normal heat that we were used to after a breakfast of French bread and fried eggs we set back to the Benin border.

The amazing thing about Benin is you can buy French bread along the road the bread is not sweet it is fresh and great to eat in Lagos you get agaga bread which is very sweet almost like cake cellphone costs airtime is very expensive but food is cheap.

We crossed the border back into Lagos and the roads were very blocked they were also searching vehicles coming back from Benin so we decided to take a longer route back which was less congested.

That same day an aircraft crashed into the city of Lagos another plane crashed in Ghana and the roof of my hotel collapsed.

 

Mozambique

What a lovely place, the family and I spent a week close to Inhaca island .we rented a land cruiser and left from SA early in the morning with a full load of food and water The family was very excited to make the long trip by road as we were planning on going through the elephant reserve to get to where we were staying. We had two vehicles with us one a full off-road vehicle and the other one a two by four with a diff lock. My family and their friends are very keen paddlers so on the roof we had two canoes strapped to the top. The trip up to the border post at Komatiepoort went off fairly smoothly with a pit stop of fried eggs and bacon along the route.

Komatiepoort is a great little town with a supermarket banks a few restaurants and nothing much else

The local golf course was great with a view over the valley river and border post we spent the afternoon with a cold bottle of wine taking photos of the surrounding countryside.

We stayed over at a local guest house which had a pool and braai facility a great afternoon was had around the pool and the boys braaied under the carport for supper the next day was an early start for us as we had been told by some of the locals that the border would open very early so at 3 in the morning we set off to cross the border

The border was chaos as most African borders are the endless lines of traffic and people when we reached the border some of the locals tried to scam us out of some money saying that we had to have travel insurance to cross over luckily I spotted the scam and warned some German tourists who were about to be taken of the situation my kids joined the long line of people trying to get their passports stamped after about an hour of getting nowhere I decided to explore and paid a protocol officer to get us through about twenty minutes later we were through the border and into Mozam which by now was pouring with rain.

It was a pretty long drive to the turnoff into the elephant reserve but the roads were in pretty good condition so no real problems getting there. We turned off onto a dirt road and into the forest we went the roads became waterlogged and full of mud with the usual bad road conditions I remember at one stage watching a local vehicle in front of me a small little Toyota bakkie that was skidding from side to side on the road most of the trip he was going sideways eventually I managed to pass him and we carried on to the gate of the reserve.at the entrance to the reserve we stopped and took photos next to a large elephant skull and had a look at the curios in a small office at the gate.

The road conditions got much worse and from here on in I handed the vehicle over to another driver who was far more experienced as the other vehicle kept on breaking down in the mud and narrow roads after about four hours of extreme forest and not a single elephant in site we came to an open plateau and lake which connected to the ocean it was great to see hippo in the water at least about eight or so enjoying the water.

We arrived at our camp just as the sun was setting just as well as travelling through the forest at night was not a great idea the accommodation was spacious with many rooms and a great deck you could walk for about five minutes and you were at the ocean what a great place to stay. We spent the next week exploring the area some of the highlights for me was a Douw trip to one of the other islands we set off by sail up the coastline to a large island which had a market hotel and a main street with markets and small pubs what a day great fun to explore and eat the local food with a cold beer or two the trip back the tide had come in so we had to wade out to the Douw on the way back our small outboard motor had a spark plug problem and as we were going against the current we would not get back without it so we all sat on the Douw and swan in the ocean while our guide swam ashore to find a spark plug eventually we were back on track and into a fierce storm everyone was wet and cold on the journey back and the ocean came up so the swells were fierce we did see dolphins following the boat

We landed at a coastal village and the villagers all swamped the boat to offload the supplies we had picked up at the other island an early night was had by all as we had had a day full of adventure

The next day we explored the local village and some of the beaches it was spectacular the beaches are pristine clear blue water and fantastic rock formations

Some of the hotels and beach homes are superb it is a great place to have a break  that evening the resort had a big fire on the beach and the folks that were staying in the area all came down for sundowners it was old year’s night and we could see the fireworks from Maputo, the town was celebrating  

The trip back was long and dusty we went through a separate border post which was checking every vehicle for pork there was an outbreak of foot and mouth disease so the officials were concerned about people bringing meat back into the country.

What a trip Mozam I would love to go back this the next time I will fly to Maputo and get a ferry across to the island.

 

Omo forest part two

We hit the first obstacle a huge mud pool with a high ridge, the vehicle spinning out of control and crashing into the side of the forest at one stage we were almost only on two wheels. Through to the other side and we all pile out to guide the next vehicle through. With no equipment winches axes or ropes if we got stuck we were going to be there for a long time nobody would come and rescue us we were the only two vehicles in the reserve

Our day consisted of moving logs tress by hand three people lifting trees and a lot of skidding sinking and crashing through trees two obstacles before the bridge which was our final destination the second vehicle was well and truly stuck the wheels had disappeared into the mud and water had got into the engine. Just when we were ready to walk out along comes the mighty tractor with two chaps and a chain

The tractor can go anywhere and the local folks always have one around to pull trucks and vehicles out of the forest so within ten minutes or so we were back on the road we arranged with the tractor crew that they would follow us the entire day and we would pay them when we were back at the camp.

Through all the hurdles hot tired and full of energy we arrived at the bridge a military bridge over a large fast flowing river this was where we would wait for the cyclists as we were the water point and first aid backup under a huge tree we met some locals who were farming and selling plantain we all shared some cold beverages and then decided to go swim in the river. There was lots of fun and laughing as we got into the river the locals all watching us from a large rock on the side of the river.

After the swim the first lot of cyclists started arriving so our little camp was busy handing out water and supplies medical attention as a few of the chaps had dehydrated luckily we had a medic with us. After the last of them were through and we had loaded a few into the bakki we started back to base camp on the way back the road took its toll one vehicle had the front ripped off and the other a tree through the side but we made it back much to everyone’s relief.

There were no bath or shower facilities so we ended up washing in a bucket with water pumped from an underground well. Once everyone was cleaned up we settled down to the serious business of braaing and having sundowners. The forest is a really incredible place tropical with many different types of trees and ferns vines flowers very dense and you can hear the sound of insects all around you elephants have been discovered in the area and there is a small group of people that are trying to count them and look after their wellbeing sadly two elephants were shot last week for eating the local crops

Around the fireside that evening there is a lot of talk about preserving the area and donating to the elephant trust all of the expats contribute to the fund and we are hoping to keep building up the reserve this will be an annual event and this trip was the second challenge with more cyclists taking part. The professor who also holds a gold medal for cycling for Nigeria shows us an elephant tooth from the elephant that had been shot he is very passionate about the forest and what he hopes to achieve in the region. With our tummies full of south African meat that has been brought in we decide it is time to settle down and go to sleep me and a friend decide to sleep on the back of the bakkie under the stars what a bad idea not good in the morning I am covered in mosquito bites my feet are swollen and the ants have been taking chunks out of me.it is a fantastic morning the mist has settled into the trees and the ants are everywhere big ants that are very well organized they have got into our food and anything they could lay their hands on they build bridges to get to where they want to go ant bridges boy these guys are good.

We decide to go explores as everyone is still asleep so into the forest where we come across a natural bamboo section and a running waterfall a fantastic place a slice of heaven

After a can of mielies and a sausage we are back on the road to Lagos after a really memorable weekend

 

Omo forest elephant reserve Ondo state

It was an early start on Saturday morning up at 5.30 when a few of my friends collected me from my hotel A Toyota single cab lots of meat and the odd bottle of brandy in the back of the cab. There was a local braai tied with wire to the roof and huge cooler boxes with plenty of refreshments.

We were off to omo forest elephant reserve a remote part of the country just outside of Lagos on the Ibadan expressway, four big Afrikaans guys squashed into a single can and Joshua our driver. The early morning hamatan was making the sky very overcast and the mist was rolling in as we hit the road.at that time of the morning Lagos was already busy and the Ibadan express is the link that connects Lagos to ondo state so many cars were on the road we needed to refuel as there was no fuel in the forest but as usual every filling station had long lines of vehicles waiting for fuel

We pulled off the road and finally found a filling station that was not too bad everyone pilled out of the vehicle for a smoke break and to hunt for ice blocks the filling station is a social hub of people chatting repairing vehicles and selling water food and anything else that the locals will buy when you stop you have to walk a long way away from the filling station before you can have a cigarette as everyone is worried about the fuel station exploding. So as we all stand around chatting and the locals all shouting at us chatting and laughing I noticed that my one friend has an infection all over his legs a  fungal growth from sitting on a chair this environment can be fairly toxic one so anything can happen out here.

The heat is already picking up close to 38 degrees and there is no shade dusty noisy and busy finally it is our turn to fill the vehicle so we all wonder over to monitor the process there’s is a big group around the vehicle everyone chatting and staring at the four white guys trying to get fuel. There is a bit of bargaining and getting change lots of laughing fuel all over the floor and pouring out the back of the cab as nobody is watching the fuel pump but all of us climb back in and off we go.

We get to the sekouto turnoff and now we are about an hour out of the forest the landscape has turned to jungle with small stalls on the side of the road the sand is red dessert sand and the dust is everywhere we go through small villages one after the next and some very large truck stops where trucks are being repaired the drivers are stopping for food and supplies this area of Nigeria has some active lumber yards with everyone making doors and door frames from receiving a log of wood to a fantastic elaborate door the Nigerians produce doors with little or no equipment there is lumber everywhere and small production areas no factories equipment just shelters with people working on wood.

After a two hour journey on roads that are well interesting to say the least potholes broken trucks vehicles on the wrong side of the road collapsed bridges and speeding everyone has one speed fast and furious we arrive at the turnoff to the forest another village on the side of the road. Everyone tumbles out of the vehicle by now you are pretty well shaken up on the bumpy and dusty roads we find ice blocks nobody understands you if you ask for ice but ice blocks everyone know what you are talking about a small group forms around the vehicle everyone shouting and laughing waiting for the ice blocks to arrive. Hers is a lot of discussion around the final price but eventually it is settled and we are on our way the braai at this stage looks like it is going to fall part all the bumping has not been a good thing

We go into the first village on a sand road and there is the normal African boom which has to be lifted before we can pass the village knows we are coming through so no issues with bribes we just go through these are small villages which survive off logging cutting down the forest and loading the huge tress onto Bedford trucks that look as though they were used in the first world war how these trucks keep going is beyond me as there are pieces missing and no part of the vehicle that is not bashed scratched or dented. We go through the second village which I more basic if that is possible and then we are in the forest with only sand roads mud and jungle all around us .as we wind our way through with very bad roads there are footpaths and other roads branching off all around us we are following a piece of red tape that has been tied to trees along the route no signage no directions just guesswork

There is no cellphone reception or gps reception but we are all fairly confident that we won’t get lost. Another hour or so and we find the last turnoff down a narrow path in the forest the vehicle can barely get through once we are on the other side we come into a clearing with a house and about thirty people waiting for us in the clearing.

This will be our home for the weekend the plan is to have a mountain bike race through the forest with us being the support tem following the cyclists on their 45 klm route through the forest. We unload the bakkie and prepare ourselves for the trip socks and sensible shoes slops are not going to work out here

The heat is crazy and being in the forest intensifies the heat it is boiling pot the cyclists are being briefed and everyone looks positive about 16 cyclists mostly expats with four Nigerians the organizers are saying that they must not expect too much support as the roads are so bad the vehicles will not get through they expect we will only get about three klm s into the forest there are broken down trucks fallen trees and mud lots of mud

The cyclist leave and we prepare two bakkies no towropes axes winches or four by four difflocks just beer and lots of it. The first two klms into the forest was not too bad rough roads with huge pools of mud but at the 3k mark things changed a huge truck stuck in the mud the road washed away and trees across the road we had to make a choice do we go on or turn back if we go on we may not be able to turn around as the roads were becoming more overgrown and worse it took about two beers each before the decision was made you cannot tell somebody from south Africa that they cannot take a bakkie down a forest road.

 

The streets

Lagos has a vibe 24 hours around the clock a fantastic city to live in once you get used to it, every corner has something on the go.

Daily life here is busy hot active and full of life.i captured a quick sketch of a scene on the pavement two figures passing by.

Angel

 

Angels come in many different forms when you least expect them,this angel was unexpected.i enjoyed producing this drawing ,I tried to play with the light coming off her head and the telephone cables in the background.

Bright white space with a figure that progressivly gets daker at the base. Some texture and two very vertical shapes to offset the drama.I hope that you enjoy it as much as i did.

Wayneo