Alison's trip adventures

3 October 2010

When in Rome do as the Romans do.  In Nigeria you build up contacts because you never know when you might need to bypass the normal route. 

That seems to be true when Alison travels.  When she visited us last time we thought she might just be able to find her own way back to South Africa through Lagos and save Nick a trip with her to Lagos, with staying the night over in the hotel before flying back to Abuja. We could organize the usual shuttle service Nick uses over there to pick her up from the one terminal and take her to the other terminus.  As it happen a Nigerian contact of Nick heard of this (the same one who had the colonel as a friend in Port Harcourt) and insisted to organize someone to take care of her at the second terminal where she had to wait about five hours for the flight to SA.  Everything went very smoothly.

Alison arrived at the second terminal to be met by an airforce military man.  She was escorted to the military lounge where she was literally locked up in an ice cold military lounge for the duration of the waiting time. 

When she arrived this time Nick were in Lagos on business and could be at the Lagos airport to welcome her.  On his arrival at the airport he was also met by a military escourt with the name: Friday Coleman. 

After all this Alison decided she had enough of the military confinement and decided she can negotiate her way on her own. However, it turned out special contacts saved the day again, but from another source. 

Below are the cell phone conversations between Nick, Alison and Mr Bayo her shuttle/ taxi service in Lagos to get her from one terminal to the other on her return trip to South Africa.  We still do not know the whole story.

16:46:07 Bayo to Nick: Did ur daughter has a phone nub pis send it 2 me, mr Bayo from lagos, thanks

16:49:52 NC to Bayo: Thanks mr Bayo her plane now leave five thirty

17:57:11 NC to Bayo My daughter is still not on the plane (in Abuja) delayed. Nicholas Coleman

18:44:59 Ali to Nick: On the plane but more chaos cuz there are not enough seats…. Sigh oh well less time in lagos.  Miss you already love me

19:28:28 NC to Bayo: Daughter is on plane but no take off sorry for delay

!9:31:27 NC to Ali: Any progress?

19:32:34 Ali: Um none visibly….will let you know before we take off though

19:35:45 Ali:  Hi about to take off. Chat later. God bless love me

19:39:41 NC to Bayo Plane is now taking off Nicholas Coleman

20:42:32 Ali: Hi :) just landed. Love you:)

20:44:06 Ali: Ok we see saa due to take off 22—45. Love d

20:47:18 NC to Bayo: Daughter landed

21:07:59 Nick to Alison Are you there?

21:15:24 Ali: Hi there, in car next to the minister on the way

21:17:19 Ali: Good good there is a need to hurry to book in

22:09:04 Ali: Hi there, just jumped on plane.  Don’t know what I would have done it I wasn’t with diplomatic party.  We were so late! They sorted everything out for me.  Will shout when home.  Miss you already. Love me.

22:12:45 Nick to Ali  Good well done lotsa love M and D

22:13:58 NC to Bayo Thank you very much daughter on plane

4:40:21 Ali Hi dad, arrived early.  I’m in the car on the way to sun city. :) hope all is well there

07:46:36 NC to Ali: Are you there?

07:48:01  Hi dad:) yup got here now now.  Please tell matusi thank you very much from me!!! Off to go watch golf just now.  Love you

There were a few other conversations in between from anxious parents to other people and people phoning to find out if they could help. 

By sheer luck our minister of foreign affairs was on the same plane (And South African embassy people knew Alison). The minister was actually suppose to fly to London but because of her bad health they changed her route through Lagos to South Africa.

The plane in Abuja was suppose to leave at 5pm and arrive in Lagos just after 6, which would have given her  five hours to kill in Lagos.  Looks like one will have to leave on an even earlier flight in the future with even more hours to kill in Lagos if everything goes smoothly.

Right is a photo of Alison with some Bushmen/San people(what is the correct name for them currently?) taken during at a function to celebrate Botswana day here in Abuja.