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Well Hallaluyah - somehting has gone right!!!!! You can forward this
to anyone you want to.
A little summary -- Made it to Atlanta. Made it to Amsterdam -- made it
to Abuja -- thosw were very long flights and I just could not sleep.
At Amsterdam we met the other pair of trainers -- Pam and Pat and all
four of us flew to Abuja. We were supposed to have meetings and
briefings there today but for some reason that did not happen and
instead, we flew to Ibadan (you will have to get a map to make any
sense of all this. Abuja was kind of frightening. Pam had luggage
with 4 laptop computers in it that were donated to her to distribute
to teachers here and it did not come through in luggage so we stood
around and waited for ajavascript:void(0)n hour in an unairconditioned airport with
unspeakable facilities until plans were made for her luggage if and
when it every gets here. 30 people were in the same boat! . My guess
is that since people going to Africa tend to bring with them a lot of
stuff, there was too much stuff for the plane, so they just left some
for the next plane that had room/ The long flight planes were crowded
with narrow aisles -- not possible to walk much at all so I just
pretended I needed to go the bathroom a lot to get up a little.
People had warned me about drivers in Nigeria but nothing could have
compared to the experience. The airport is about 45 minutes from
Abuja and it was night -- and that is only if you drive at about 80
MPH. You cannot see the white dots doen the middle. I give our
driver credit -- he tried to drive slower but cars cut in and out
constantly =-= and they beep as they do it -- bumper to bumper -- a
harrowing experience. At the turn to the hotel the driver bottomed
out his car big time twice -- too much weight. But we made it.
The hotel was primitive. Much mold and dampness and leaks in my room.
The others had supper but I could not stomach a thing so I just sat
and got directions. Plans had changed -- that is the one consistent
thing about this whole trip. Now Linda and I were to leave the next
morning to fly to Ibaden because there is no flight on Saturday to
Ife. So we had not planning meetings. I slept some in my little
sheet thing but I got wrapped up in it and ate granola bars for supper
too -- I did not want to risk the food. The woman guiding us is
married to a Nigerian and has lived here most of her life. It is
struly scary inn many ways, but I am sure I will adjust.
This morning we changed money into dinos -- and it cost me more
because I had small denominations -- wish they had shared that
information in advance. I had an hour to wait and the lady was going
to find a cafe so I asked if I could come along for the ride and see
some of the city, sh\o I came with her and her husband in anotheer
harrowing ride. I actually was the one that found the Internet cafe
for her, but Ijust stayed in the car as she was in a rush and I wanted
to just look. Most people who aremiddle class or better don't drive.
They hire a driver. The moset common taxi is a motorcyclle with
someone on the back -=- they are all over the place weaving in and out
of cars. Horns consteantly -- but a different horn -- higher in tone.
In abuja people wear everything lots of traditional dress and many
younger people in western clothes. Only women carry things on their
heads but they sure do carry a lot -- wood for fire3s.&n! bsp; Linda
says they have a mat on their head that helps insulate from bouncing
and such -- still it is very amazing. There are booths set up under
umbrellas everywhere. In the country there are car parks with markets
behind them.
Anyway today we made it to Ibadan, then by car to Ife and on that
journey there were 8 military checkpoints who were stopping cars and
making riders get out and empty their cars -- since most vehincles had
tons of people in them (one truck had people hanging on all around the
outside of the back and people across the top of the load -- ir was
amazing. So was going through checkpoints.
Here wer were lf\eft and the man told us that plans had changed -=- we
were not teaching college professors but teachers and children in
schools. Monday we observe and then Tuesday thouguh Firday we teach
in some way -- he will tell us more on Sunday at 2. Meanwhile we are
on our own. I will write more but want tos end this before the
electricity goes off again -- it is an adventure
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