All About Lagos... FINALLY!

Yes, I finally found the energy to write this post. Who knows if it will be as long or as detailed as I'd like, because it was one of those trips where I sporadically remember things I want to share with people.

What a whirlwind trip! 2 weeks of constant activity, and time that wasn't spent moving was spent in traffic or sitting fanning myself into a coma.
Yes... it was HOT. Who knew Nigeria would be hot, right? Duh. I'm relatively accustomed to it, because Indonesia is equally hot... but I haven't been to Indonesia in about 10 years. Result? Anywhere between 1-3 nosebleeds a day. No, it's okay. I get nosebleeds chronically. Too bad none of my hosts were fully aware of this. There was a lot of freaking out over the blood gushing from my face. I wasn't panicked by it... only annoyed by it.

I only had 2 main complaints about the trip:
1.) Lagos traffic - I thought New York, DC rush hour, Los Angeles, and Jakarta were bad. Not even close. At one point, Femi and I spent 1.5 hours in traffic only to travel 3-5 blocks. Holy cow.
2.) Getting sick - I woke up one morning with a terrible cough, and it led to a pretty debilitating illness for 3 days. I missed a few parties, and recuperation took some time... But I guess it was my own fault.

Best things about Lagos:
1.) There's always a party going on - You wouldn't think a minor party-er like myself would like this, but it's nice to always have options. My body, however, is not built for that much activity. I am ashamed to say I couldn't really keep up.
2.) Every day brings a new story - Whether it's about getting pulled over by cops or dealing with okada drivers, the latest party or the new Akon album you bought, unless you didn't leave the house all day, there is no such thing as a boring day in Lagos.
3.) You can buy anything on the street - Have you ever seen the skit on Chappelle's Show, where he shows "if the internet were a place?" Well that's what the streets of Lagos are like. Yeah, you're sitting in ridiculous traffic, but while you're sitting there, you can buy ANYTHING. And I mean, ANYTHING. In one 15 minute period, you can be offered CDs, DVDs, socks, towels, paintings, clocks, candy, beverages, fruits, t-shirts, cereal, toy globes, a basketball hoop, cell phone chargers, sunglasses, and cotton swabs... all at a negotiable price. I am fully confident that I could've done all of my Christmas shopping during one drive from point A to point B.
4.) The beach - Once you get away from the city, beaches in the US are incomparable. Even on an overcast day, it's beautiful. We went as a storm was rolling over us, and I found myself frequently mesmerized by the landscape and the sky.
5.) Sodas in glass bottles - A staple in most countries outside of the U.S., I always look forward to having these!

If you're a friend of mine of Facebook, you've likely seen the near 400 pictures I posted of my trip. I hope to go again sometime in the near future, hopefully with a less hectic schedule! Yay Lagos!