Wow! Dis is my 1st official blog and I hope a lot of u guys like it. I'm also sure dat a lotta critics r sharpenin deir knives now,ready to carve dis write up so... Be my guest.
I would have split dis into Parts 1 and 2 but I usually don't do parts... I'll serve it up whole and u guys can divide into as many parts as u want. Abi naa?
Well,it all started wen I had to dash down to Akure,the Ondo State capital, on d 12th of Nov. I won't bore u wit d population,size of d area,topography n all dose other stuffs (I mean;u have Wikipedia,don't u?). Anyway,d whole drama started after one signpost welcomed me to Ondo State. Ondo State has been termed the 'Sunshine State' but from d moment my bus rode into Akure around 5pm,it was like a mischievous painter decided to grab his brush and paint the sky in a dark color and d sky shed tears in protest... It was raining Cats,Dogs and Calabar men! I got down at d park and managed to heave myself and my baggage into a cab for Ijapo Estate. I settled in and some other semi-wet folks like me rushed into d cab and we were off. The windows of d cab were down and as I tried to wind up cos of the rain,it was I dat got wound up! "Where is d winder naa?" I asked d cab man,he asked me 2 pls b patient cos anoda passenger was using it. I held my breath and waited for 2mins b4 d cab man handed me d winder wen d passenger in front was done 'winding'. I now wondered to myself if dis was how all cabs in akure were but I decided to giv dem d benefit of a doubt... 4 now. So it rained as I was driven 2 my destination. Wen I got dere,I paid d cab man and dashed in to d welcomin arms of my aunt who was just widowed. Dinner was waitin 4 me so I ate and cos I was so tired,I was asleep b4 8pm. 6am d next mornin,I was already up,d poultry attendant refused to show up (Yes my late Uncle has a big poultry) and it was left to me and my aunt to do d poultry work dat day. Woteva becomes of my back; let it be known dat it started dat day (All dat is besides d point). So I had to do d things I came for dat day and called a friend to hook up. He came in arnd 5pm & we chatted;he told me dat unlike in Lag,bars are lively by 10am.he said dat Akure folks r generally lazy and dey drink a lot and gettin to work late is very rampant which is why dey're many cabs in Akure as it's d kind of profession dat suits Akure men. (Won't mention d name of d dude dough,I need him 2 live long enough). Dat day was d day I started seein some signs but I decided to wave dem off. I travelled 2 Ife d next day and came back on Saturday evenin. Sorry if dese all sound borin but stick wit me,I'm going somewhere. I've been in Akure 4 over a week now,I've looked around,commuted around,walked around,worked around,fooled around and I've come up wit somfin of a tourist guide 4 dose of u dat wanna come visit or make Akure, home.
Let me state dis clearly,being observant is not one of my strong points or forte (hell! I don't even remember wot I wear d day b4) so for me to notice dese things,dey must have made a strong impression on me. So here goes:
- In Akure,u'll find more Cabs dan bikes and I shit u not. D ratio of Cabs to Bikes is like 10:1. Dey're everywhere, even in matchboxes (ok,datz an exaggeration)
- Accordin to my friend,Akure is suitable for pensioners. I can't confirm dat but I'm inclined to agree. After all,he gets out more dan I do. And well,who else will stay in a place dis relatively peaceful?
- If u thrive on night life,PLS,don't come to Akure. Steer Clear! Have u seen Will Smith's "I am Legend?" Exactly! Its like dat over here. Its like u get preyed upon if u're outside after Sunset. Dere's an unwritten rule dat u run indoors once it get dark. I'll bet datz why it's called The Sunshine State;do everything u need to do while d Sun is shining. Night Life is totally,and I repeat,TOTALLY non-existent in dis place.
- Maybe it's as a result of the point I made above but you'll find The Highest nos of Hotels in Akure alone dan u'll find in other states in Nigeria. Just like cabs,dey're everywhere. Its a good biz. If u're walkin on d road and d Sun suddenly or mischievously sets on u,u rush to take refuge in d nearest hotel! Yep,I said it! D Hotels r lifesavers in case we lose sunshine and dose 'Sunset Zombies' start prowlin.
- And after giving and taking my 'Benefit of a Doubt',coupled with so many trips and random sampling,I've come to the decision (wit irrefutable proof) dat 4 out of every 5 cabs in Akure have just 1 window winder! Yes,I said it! So if u have to come to Akure and u got no plans to drive,beta come along wit ur own winder! It mite just keep u dry. U can thank me later for dis info.
So that's all dere is to it,Folks. Wonderful place to be. I'll be doing travelling to so many towns around Nigeria in the next coming months so u guys shld make sure you dot ur i's and cross ur t's b4 den. Cos ur town mite just be d next Blog topic. *winks* See y'all in my next Blog! *waving at y'all*
You will be surprised how many cabs in Lagos had only one winder, thanks to Fashola, now they are fewer than they used to be. I still took a bus from Ikeja to Yaba on Saturday that had one winder.
ReplyDeleteSo, you're travelling now? Cool! Looking forward to reading about them.