Labyrinths of Lahrah

Last Month, a friend and I traveled down to Ilesha to chase the Olumirin waterfall popularly known as the Erin Ijesha waterfall. This waterfall has been on my travel bucket list since like forever and now finally ticked off.

We left Lagos on Friday July 22, and boarded a Sienna from the Ojota New Garage to Ilesha for the sum of 2000 Naira each. I made hotel reservation on Jumia Travel formerly known as Jovago. This is my first time personally making reservation via the site.

We arrived Ilesha some minutes past 1, the journey took about 3 hours. It wasn't difficult locating our hotel. We lodged at the Gold City Hotel, the hotel was recommended by a friend who had visited the fall earlier this year with Truppr. We got major discount booking via Jumia Travel, we saved about 2000 Naira per night...Ijebu blood runs in me, and any form of savings in this Buhari economy is welcome.

I ate the worst buka food for breakfast in Ilesha before we headed to the fall the next morning...this one is gist for another day. We chartered a rickety cab for 3500Naira even though the guy refused to give me back my 500 Naira change. Initially we told him we wanted him to drop us at the fall and we will find our way back but dude insisted that we would not be able to get transportation back to town and cajoled us into staying. Thank God we listened to him, we would have walked back to the hotel.

We paid the entrance fee of 500Naira, and we were on our way to climb the mountain on which resides the falls. I remember reading that Tour guides were usually provided and price was bargained but we were already on our way to the first waterfall when I remembered and I was too lazy to go back to the gate to find out about the tour guide.

We climbed our way to the first fall without any problem and I must say the sight was breath taking.

At the first fall, we met a couple and a group of people who had come there to celebrate someone's birthday party.

We made our way up to the second fall, we missed it and found it when we saw some people coming up from there. We decided to check it out on our way back. The plan for me was to get the third floor max, I wasn't interested in seeing all seven falls.

The concrete steps ended just after the second fall after which all we had were rocky paths which we had to carefully manoeuvre in order not to fall or find ourselves faced down. We joined a group of University of Ilorin students who were on their way to find the third fall. At this point, the path gets rougher. We kept going and never found the other falls, there was not sign to signify where we were and the climb just went on and on. At some point, we decided to go back after so many wrong turns. We met a guy who claimed to know the route and was climbing the mountain for the third time. I was skeptical about following but I didn't want to be left alone, that was how we all followed him back up and after a few meters bobo confessed that he could not remember the route.

We decided to find our way back to the second fall after over 45 mins of directionless climb. The crazy thing was people kept showing up and going up the rock only to come back to tell us that they never found the third fall or the fourth fall or the fifth fall.

I still wonder why there were no tour guides, a guide would have saved us the unnecessary climb and gotten us to the falls. Alternative to that should be proper signs and direction which would guide tourists up the climb. The Government also needs to do a lot more, the concrete steps should be increased. A guy fell and he came crashing down, lucky for him nothing was broken, just scratches and body pain which I am sure he woke up to the next day.

I plan to visit the waterfall again sometime this year or next year and hope to find the other falls.

Have you been to Olumirin Waterfall? What was your experience like?

I am off to Ghana for the Chale Wote Street Art Festival.
♥Lara

I must say I have read way more books this year than I have in the last 2 years and this is just the first half of the year.

The first book I read this year was Black Boy by Richard Wright. The first time I read the book was my final year back in Undergrad. I read it then to pass my exam just like all the numerous books I read back in those years.

I picked up Half of a yellow Sun and dropped it, I still don't have a reason for this. Maybe because I have seen the movie adaptation before picking up the book which is a first. I hope I will get back and finish the book someday.

The most intriguing book read so far is Odufa: A Lover’s Tale by Othuke Ominiabohs. This is not your typical love story. I questioned the love, I can't even call it love. The violence was shocking, the love was obsessive and was doomed right from the start and I was not surprised the way the book panned out. I must commend the author for writing a refreshing story line (trust me I am tired of all the abroad returnee/African American stories). I was mad at Anthony when I read the part where he hits Odufa for smashing his phone. I was shocked when Odufa requested he takes her for an abortion when he refused to listen to her plea.

The love was just too toxic and I must say I got tired of reading at some point. Anthony's expectations of Odufa was weird and Odufa persona was just worrisome. Two mad people jam together and Odufa's madness did not even have part 2.

I hear the book is a trilogy, I would like to read about Odufa's past and the missing story where her love changed to disgust. I would not do justice to this book except you read it.

Helon Habila's Oil on Water was also another favorite read. I think I have enjoyed reading all of Helon's works. Helon is a fantastic writer who never disappoints. Oil on Water tells the story of the Niger Delta and oil politics through the eyes of a young reporter named Rufus.

Rufus is paired on a mission to the depth of the creeks with his mentor, the legendary journalist Zaq in pursuit of what Zaq describes as "almost a perfect story": in search a British woman kidnapped by militants fighting to protect their environment from greedy multinational oil companies. There was a lot of flashbacks to fill us in on the back stories.

I cried while reading the part where Bros T, raped Morayo in the book, Daughters who walked this path by Yejide Kilanko. You read about rape stories and you can't help but shudder but it is worse when this heinous crime is committed by a family member. I was angry at Morayo's mother for been unable to help her daughter deal with the trauma. I love the fact that the author did not sensationalize the issue, she told the story as it is and left us the readers to make our judgement. I for one would have cut all ties with my sister if her son ever does that to my daughter, no amount of family blood can hold such sacrilege.

Chude's " Are we the turning point generation?" is another good read. It is the only non-fiction I have read so far this year. The book is a short collection of engaging essays and speeches of the author. This book got me asking myself questions on my standpoint on the fate of my beloved nation.

Chika Unigwe's Night Dancer talks about the challenges of single motherhood. The story unfolds with Mma who following the death of her mother Ezi has to uncover the past of the mother who she had grown to hate so much. Mma was raised an only child and was told by her mother that she had no father. Reading along with Mma from the letters and memorabilia passed on by her mother, we find out that Ezi did have family and Mma's father is still very much alive. Ezi had abandoned her marital home after she found out her husband had impregnated the housegirl from the village named "Rapu". Disowned by her family following her decision to leave her husband's house, Ezi started life afresh in Enugu as a "kept woman".

Sefi Atta's Swallow, Osisiye Tafa's Sixty percent of a true story and Pepper by Sinmisola Ogunyinka were bland reads for me. Teju Cole's Every day is for the thief is another returnee story which I was just not "wowed" by.

So there goes my list of reads for the 1st quarter of the year. Looking forward to many more reads before the year runs out.

Have you read any of these books? Please share your reviews

Ramadan Kareem to fellow Muslims around the world.

Until my next post.

♥Lara

Hello People,

How are you doing, I hope everyone is doing great.
Blogsville has been awfully quiet lately, what is happening to everyone.
I know it can be so exhausting to remember to post on your individual blogs.
I know that feeling, please please let us try to update once in a while.

So to the post of the day.

April 24th, my friends (Sandra, Chinedu, Tayo and Funmi) and I decided to explore the Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC). LCC founded in 1990 as a biodiversity conservation and environment education centre is one of Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) foremost conservation project site. The centre is located between Chevron bus-stop and Ajah roundabout.

I have read about the canopy walk also called a suspension bridge which happens to be Africa's longest canopy walk on a lot of blogs. The bridge is 22.5 ft high at the highest point and 401m long with seven levels and 6 resting bridges.

You see ehen, I have read about how scary the walk is. Actually I thought the talks were exaggerated, until I got on the bridge. Okay it is not that scary, but if you are scared of height, you just might sit this one out.

Sandra led the gang and was forming gangster. Me, I was jejely following behind, alternating last spot with Chinedu. Tayo only got on each step after Sandra and Funmi got off the bridge and insisted Chinedu join from the end when she is halfway through on the bridge. It was fun to watch everyone's anxiety. We laughed at each other and kept talking about "who send us message" to get on the bridge. Asides the moment when one "elemikemi" girl decided to start dancing and running on the bridge, I was fine. My wrist hurt at the end of the walk but I cannot complain.

The highlight of the tour was the canopy walk, we saw 2 huge fish ponds, and the amazing monkeys, There is this large expanse which is just not properly utilized, like there are so many ideas that can be developed.

Canopy walk ticked off my bucket list, when I visit Ghana I hope I have liver to go on the canopy walk there as well.

Have you been to LCC since the launch of the canopy walkway or any other walkway somewhere in the world? What was your experience like?

Until my next adventure.
♥Lara