There are no two places more divergent in architecture and economy than the cities of Porto Novo and Cotonou of the Republic of Benin. While I was in Nigeria in May, I went to the Republic of Benin. Why? Because it is so close geographically. It is bordered by Nigeria to the east and a trip from the heart of Lagos into the Seme Border will take you just about two hours by car. Also, my dad wanted to visit a few of his friends so I tagged along for the free ride, free food and ...well, free everything. When we got to the border, I wanted to take pictures but as is typical of many African states, there were fierce looking border patrol people in khaki-like uniforms, that I dared not act the tourist. Truth be told, the best bet in a place like that was to act as inconspicuous as possible and in a grey and black dress with cream-colored cropped cardigan, I blended quite well into the dusty air and grey clouds. Although the border is notoriously known for "unofficial transports&q
So happy, I met (and exceeded) my travel goals for the year 2013. I set the goal for 2 international trips and 5 local (within the U.S) trips. I went on several small trips within the country: New York New Jersey Miami, Florida San Antonio, Texas Houston, Texas And of course, awesome day trips in Rhode Island and Boston. Because, the best fun is always right where you live, the one where you never bother bringing a camera but end up having the most adventurous and fun time. My international trips consisted of Mexico, Jamaica and now....drum roll.... Nigeria. So glad I went on these trips, I met awesome friends in Mexico and went with friends to Jamaica and now hoping to meet with friends and family again in Nigeria. To celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year. Now that I know it is doable, to travel and work and do other things in between, I am planning my 2014 with traveling in mind. To help me with my travel inspirations, I read several
Let me warn you right now, this here is me showing you too many pictures of and gushing about Nigerian Houses. Yeah, I know, of all things to gush about. By the way, if I ever retire and choose to go back to Nigeria, I hope to reside in one of these lovely buildings in Magodo. I have been out of Nigeria for so long that one of the things that caught my interest when I went back were the houses, especially Magodo Estate, a prestigious estate in Lagos state, Nigeria. Aren't these just lovely houses? I tell you, Nigerians don't build houses, they build mini mansions (when they can afford it). As long as you have the money to buy a plot of land (or a few acres), you are at liberty to build on it as you want. In the shape, size, and color that you want. An Art Shop in Magodo In Nigeria, for the most part, people typically buy lands, rather than houses, and so, when thy build houses, it tends to reflect the taste of the owner. So no two houses a
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