TRAVEL |COAL CITY LOVIN'(Part 1): Driving down

It’s been a week since I got back from my holiday trip to my hometown, spending time with family and folks I hardly ever get to see in years and it was lovely. Hope we all had an AMAZING holiday. Well I did! (Had to keep an open mind before this happened) and now it’s back to reality and wish I could go back….

Travel blogging isn’t really something I do but in order to make the most of my holiday I decided to share my just concluded holiday vacation at my “Home away from home” The Coal City State (ENUGU)

I was quite reluctant to travel back home this year due to the distance, deadly traffic along the Onitsha Bridge and off course the scourging heat that comes with it, oh yes! I also get car sick. But this year was different Shocker! It was so much better than the previous year’s guess that’s what happens when you keep an open mind

But some things never change like the unending police checkpoints, the determined hawkers and the notorious clans always trying to fix something in your car that wasn’t even broken in the first place.

What are Nigerian highways without police checkpoints with their popular sayings “Oga no chop alone oo” or “Oga, anything for the boys” the most annoying ones are those who decide to over check all the credentials of your car pointing at everything because they do not  want to directly make use of their usually sayings. Also the unwavering hawkers of the highways who never fail to shove their goods in your face regardless of which you stop, they all cling like bees but I’m loyal to them for their constant supply of chops that make the trip worthwhile.

One thing I find most fascinating about a road trip is the change in language and culture one minute all I hear is Yoruba then comes Igbo ringing in and the shouts from Okpa sellers like a national anthem reminding you that you are approaching Enugu.

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P E R K S OF THE DRIVE DOWN

• The refurbished/new roads: It was a delight to see the major roads/highways causing traffic and slowing down movement had been done for example the epe road, the Onitsha highway

• The changing variety of food hawkers as you pass through different states, from plantain chips to banana and then okpa (a local food sadly I do not know the English name)

• The opportunity to sightsee other places before getting to your final destination. I got to see Delta airport, as always the Onitsha Bridge, udi hill e.t.c.

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T I P S | if you planning on a road trip in Nigeria anytime soon:

• Set out change (slang for 100/200naira notes) for the unending police check points

• The traffic, depending on what time of the year festive periods is always busy but eyy! You might get lucky I did!

• Beware of the notorious clan of the highways, attempting to fix your car

• If you need help with directions ask questions or better still lookout for luxurious buses/travel transporters they always know the way.

• Heard the new speed limit for highways in Nigeria 80km personally think it’s too slow for a highway 100km would suffice. Funny thing though  who monitors this ?  No one! Ps: Speed kills at the same time don’t be a grandma night time awaits you.

• Lastly try your best not to drive at night, it’s never safe, Remember FASHIONISTAS Safety comes first.

To be continued…

|Thanks for reading|

Till next time, Keep sitting Pretty/Handsome

xx

Nayonde

What do you think of this travel post? Have you ever been on a road trip in Nigeria?

Feel free to leave a comment below ⇓, would love to hear from you.