Our Cross River State trip.



Forest giant at Drill ranch below the Afie mountain



Wow what an experience! We drove through half Nigeria from the south eastern coastal town of Calabar diagonally across to Abuja, in the middle of Nigeria.  Ok, we did it the tame way by hiring a good four by four tractable vehicle with excellent drivers.  But at least we did it when many of the expats say it is too dangerous or risky.  The main reasons for being seen risky was militants operating in the south, who did occasionally kidnapped and had a preference for white people due to the possible publicity mileage they could get. However that happened mainly in the neighboring Niger delta area. The other danger was the roads itself that were at times horrendous, added to the almost suicidal driving habits of the Nigerians. 

What a beautiful country, even if very over populated.  In the rain season, which is now, it is emerald green.  My overall memory is of palm trees, rainforest, mountains and then the flat green stretch with rice paddies, orange trees, yams, cassava and other agricultural pursuits – still emerald green with no fences anywhere.  Villages dotted most of the way in an almost continuous succession of humanity. Everyday life was displayed like a story along the road, from the usual little stalls selling anything, to hairdressing, welding, coffin making, dress making, cooking going on all the way to small groups just socializing under a canopy.  We started the upward journey on a Sunday and the quaint open churches were full of people. We saw the neatly beautifully dressed people going too and from the churches.  Schools were surrounded by playing children either in bright blue, purple, yellow, or green uniforms. 

The one overall powerful impression that hit us all, from the moment we got off the plane, at the Uyo airport, until we got within an hour or so of Abuja was the neatness and cleanliness.  There was almost no litter in Calabar and the Cross River state and everything was neatly swept, from the smallest village deep in the rain forest to the streets of Calabar.  The markets were a riot of textures and colour, but still hardly anything that you could call real litter.  Market stalls along the way, which were not operating on a Sunday, were litter free and swept, even though the structures were very dilapidated.

The roads, well that’s another story.  Some of it was pretty good but most of the roads made Curry’s Post roads look very tame.  At one stretch I can remember seeing about eight or more cars in front of us, facing just about all the different directions of the compass dodging and swerving, some going in the same directions as us and others towards us – all driving on any side of the road which may enable them to go forward. ……..And that was the main road!



The six days were so packed with experiences that I will have to chop it into several letters.  The basic itinerary was; Flying to Uyo airport, as the Calabar airstrip was closed due to renovations, then driving about two and a half hours to Calabar on the first day.  We spent the next day exploring Calabar and on Sunday went to a fascinating local market next to the river before heading up North to Drill Ranch, a primate rehabilitation center deep into the rain forest below the Afie Mountain. We spent two nights and a most memorable day at Drill Ranch. On Tuesday we headed towards Obudu ranch, climbing a magnificent very steep 1350 meter zig-zag road in the process. We descended the mountain the next day with a four kilometer long cable car before proceeding with the about seven hour drive back to Abuja.



In our party were Nick and myself, Alison and her friend Greg and Maxine Smith, who was brave enough come and visit to us in Nigeria. Maxine described the necessary preparations to be able to visit this country as like a military operation. However, she has travelled extensively around the world described this country as one of the few places that has made a remarkable (and probably unexpected) impression on her.







Spot the parked car on the way





Rice fields







Roadside shop





Cable car at Obudu Ranch