OFF TO THE NORTH! (part 1)

I had just gone on a much-needed holiday to the (hotter) north, where I experienced freak hail in Jos, got bitten by the tse-tse fly in Yankari and got lost in the city of Kaduna, in the (allegedly) bird flu state. The Yankari National Park is supposed to be the best bet of seeing wildlife in Nigeria, but despite these warning signs every few kilometers, the only wildlife actually crossing the road was a lost-looking guinea fowl, a squirrel, and a few black cows I at first excitedly mistook for some wild beast. But really, I had a grand time. Nigeria is beginning to redeem itself, especially when I saw the blocks of cheese at Park n’ Shop, the pricey grocery store of the Abujan expats. I had planned this trip since March (with a small budget which has more than quadrupled since), though originally I was only set to go to Yankari in Bauchi state. People advised it’s best to go in the dry season when animals would be easily seen along the few water sites. Well I waited till the last weeks (it’s already raining hard in the south) as I wanted to get something done with work first (which I’ll talk about later) and wanted a worry-free vacation. Thing is, as I don’t have signal in the village, everyone else had gone ahead to Yankari without me. So I embark on this 2-week adventure, planning my itinerary in detail, with my Bradt travel guide in tow. The downside to going solo, I think, is that there’s no one to look after your baggage when you want to go somewhere quick, and it’s more challenging to be in your photos. But I’ve always wandered about on my own, and it was great fun discovering the north, which is very different from the south - the landscape, the weather, the wildlife, the (predominantly Muslim) people. It Starts in Jos First I went on a back-breaking 11-hour bus ride to Jos in Plateau state (the bus being a van with chicken-bus seats), but at least the landscape was different - no more rainforest! Don’t get me wrong; I’m not sick of the rainforest yet, it’s just that some variation would be much appreciated from time to time. Anyway, the north was very picturesque with those circular Hausa/Fulani houses and hills of water-weathered rock formations. Thing is, I mostly have to take the photos through a dirty bus window. No, these buses are of course not air-conditioned; you just can’t roll down the windows. The city of Jos itself is very nice. Relatively. Jos is the Baguio of Nigeria; it sits on a plateau so it is cooler than the rest of the country. This is where most other states (such as Cross River) get their tomatoes, cabbages and other fresh produce. They say that in the past, British expats were required to take their vacation here for health reasons. Climate aside, Jos is one of the cleaner cities in the country and you can just walk around and enjoy the scenery. It also has a museum of interesting things (malula ka if you’re interested in pottery), but what I enjoyed most was the zoological garden with the natural landscapes, despite the tiny animal cages. It was the first time I had seen a hyena, even if behind bars. I suppose I enjoyed spending time with this guy the most because he was the only one free to roam about the grounds unchained and uncaged. (more to come...)