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The Nigerian Field Society |
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Trip to IITA research centre at Ibadan 26th – 27th January 2008 Ibadan is about 130km North of Lagos and I am told a good deal safer as proven by the fact that the phone card sellers feel confident enough to dangle new scratch cards to advertise their presence as opposed to used ones in Lagos. That was re-assuring as we threaded our way through a maze of crowded streets to the museum. The museum is a great place to stop and take lunch and a cold drink or two. The kids were fascinated by the catfish held in an old bath ready for the next life as pepper soup.
The museum is a celebration of tribal culture with artefacts from cookery to Juju. I will say no more other than it is well worth a visit if you have any interest in Nigerian culture. The artefacts are well displayed, visually accessible and fully explained by the guide. Tip 1: leave those with a limited attention span in the playground (or bar perhaps) Tip 2: Why not enlighten your driver and take him in too?
Late afternoon and we headed out to the IITA research centre. The atmosphere and grounds have a college campus feel and the accommodation is basic but adequate. The rooms feel like student dorms and I understand they all have large double beds. I’m not sure if their guests are all couples or optimists but if you are not a kissing couple you might need to consider two rooms. Larger than the average hotel and with an en-suite shower and toilet facility they are more than adequate for all except the most fastidious.
The campus includes a decent swimming pool with springboard which is a sight seldom seen in these safety conscious times. I noticed a playground, golf, tennis courts and there’s no doubt more.
The evening meal was a buffet that was as good as any in an average resort hotel but what really got me excited was the discovery that their top wine, which was perfectly good, was on offer for the amazing steal of N1500. That alone will get me back again.
The main attraction though is not to re-live your college days but to visit the marvellous lake and tropical forest that lies a kilometre or so away from the campus area.
I don’t want to give it all away but here’s a clue: You’d be batty not to take sundowners at the lake. I’m told the spectacle is nightly and for me was a real “David Attenborough” moment if you get my gist.
Sunday morning there is a dawn walk to the lake. Don’t miss it. The sunrise, the tranquility and the beautiful bird life is such a contrast to Lagos it’s well worth setting an alarm for. You can always silence it if you over indulged on the wine.
Later we strolled to the lake and through the forest. The paths are easy to follow and whilst it’s great for kids, if you want to truly experience the forest it’s probably better to go alone and walk or sit quietly observing the bird life.
Sunday we set off home. Any complaints? Not from me. It’s a great place to relax and unwind from the maelstrom of Lagos city. So much so my next trip will be two nights and if there is one down side it is the perennial one of traffic. You can never be sure how long the journey will take. Our driver estimated 1 ½ hours home but 3 was the reality.
Last but not least it would be rude not to give a big thank you to Hans and Maaike for organising the trip and sorting out the details. I know from experience that it detracts from your own relaxation. THANK YOU.
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Lagos Branch
