Leeds Castle sits on a 3000 acre estate in the rolling hills of Maidstone, Kent and is known as “the most beautiful castle in the world”. This castle is still surrounded by a moat and dates from 1119. It has passed from queens and kings until it went into private ownership in the 16th century. The last private owner, Lady Baillie, left quite a mark on the castle as she did a complete refurbishment in the 20th century. She used the finest French architects and designers to create an elegant country estate filled with her personal arts and antiques from her travels. There are 24 bedrooms most with a bath. The castle is ideal for picnicking and walking the gardens and maze.
Leads Castle – a great view from our picnic spot
Castle front entrance
Fireplace in the Henry VIII banquet hall.
Armour
The chapel was commissioned by King Edward I in memery of his wife Eleanor of Castile. It is consecrated as a Chapel Royal and services are still held here.
The ruins of the Barbicon an essential part of the castle’s fortification.
One of the carpeted gardens.
Black swans are the symbol of the castle – first introduced to the UK after being imported from Australia in the 1920’s.
A visit this summer to London has afforded me the opportunity to visit and stay in an oast house. An oast is a kiln that was designed for the drying of hops as part of the brewing process. Oasts are generally seen in southern England in the Kent (also known as the garden of England) and the Sussex area. Oast consist of 2 or 3 stories on which the hops were spread out to dry from the hot air from a wood-fired kiln below. The drying floors were thin and perforated to allow the heat to pass through and then escape in a cowl on the roof which turned with the wind. Once the hops were dry they were raked up, bagged and taken to the local brewery. Hops today are dried industrially and many oast have been converted into dwellings. This oast house has two oast from the 19th century in the distinct circular form with conical roof topped by the wind driven cowl. Each oast is 3 stories tall connected to a 2 story rectangle building and situated in a valley next to a creek surrounded by rolling hills, fields of grain and flower gardens.
Each year the GOBA route features a different part of Ohio traveling through peaceful countryside and stopping at exciting tourist destinations. This is the 24th year for the GOBA and my brother-in-law, AJ has ridden every year! The highlights of the 2012 tour include 5 days of cycling 45-55 miles from town to town and 2 optional days of loops. The terrain is considered “rolling with some hills” and primitive tent camping at fairgrounds, schools and parks. This year I am joining the adventure with Pam & AJ. Granted living in Nigeria there are more stationary bikes than the kind you ride out doors but I did train both inside (mostly) and out (a bit – the cobblestones of Banana Island are wearing) from May 1st onwards.
I arrived at my sis’s a few days early to test the bike out and to take a few short rides. We rode the wonderfully paved bike trails in the area….what pleasure and smoothness!
The GOBA adventure began at 5am on Sunday morning (as we elected not to camp Saturday night but instead drive straight to the start line) with a drive to Hillsboro for registration, drop the luggage and start biking. Well it was killer hills right out of the gate but then smoothly rolling hills for the first 13 miles when the rains started. It rained slowly but continued to gain on us till we came upon a beautiful old covered bridge. Once under the bridge the rains stormed so about 200 of us cyclers took refuge in the bridge for 10 minutes or so…before heading back to the rain and hills. After 3 hours the rain stopped and the roads turned into bicycle trails. We were cruising along with my goal to be in the park for the day by 1pm when sis noted a flat tire. Pam & I had tubes but no pump, however a gentleman came along fixed the tire for us which is quite nice when it is just 2 girls out for a ride! We made it to a beautiful riverside park in the center of Chillicothe about half past one. We discovered our tent was up thanks to AJ, and headed to the shower trucks for hot water to revive us. Afterwards, we found the closest bar for beer and nachos! Then it was time for a stroll around town, some coffee, read the local paper, do a little shopping and check out the local sights.
Leaving the covered bridge after the rain. This is a one lane bridge built in the 1800’s.
Monday was a rest day…or loop day. We elected to bike to a local sight, the historic Adena Mansion & Gardens, and take a tour. According to the town folk it was a 2 mile walk away…..somehow it took us on a 10 mile bike ride to get there….but it was a nice downhill ride 2 miles back to town & camp. Later that evening we caught the GOBA Grand Prix races through the center of town.
Tents, tents and more tents every where you look!
Thus our daily routine was up at dawn, pack and take the tent down, load luggage into the trucks and on the road at 6-ish. The temperature was predicted to by 93-95 degrees the rest of the week. It sounded better to ride early versus in the heat of the day. We rode paved county and township roads 90% of the time with very little or no traffic. The scenery was stunning…..fields of corn, soybean or wheat with rolling hills of green and silos and windmills in the sky. There were generally 3 stops: breakfast, lunch and pm snack. Those stops were in parks, in schools and in fire stations with a variety of hot and cold food and drinks. However, it is difficult to each lunch at 930am so that became a water stop instead. Beer and nachos are a great pick-me-up after riding.
Follow that orange sign to breakfast. Towns closed streets as they opened their hospitality – today it is a firehouse!
The local libraries were generous with computer usage for email checks and most towns had bargains or discounts on meals or shopping. All of the towns threw traditional street parties with loads of food and bands playing. We saw the view that inspired the Great Seal of Ohio and the famous 7 bullet holes in the Washington Courthouse courthouse door. We visited a bar in Ashville so overwhelmed by 2000+ cyclers that the locals stepped up to tend bar while the bartender became the cook, but boy was the food good! We pedaled through a tunnel of trees on our way to Wilmington and ate Buffalo Wild Wings with AJ’s friend. On the last day we visited a Lavender farm which was developing an earthen home out of the mud and recyclable products including tires, bottles and cans.
Julie (Rider 1062)
By the time we returned to Hillsboro, I was getting used to pedaling the hills. At the finish we were greeted by an arch of bicycle parts and whistles and cheers. The highlight was finishing the ride (for me ~ 280 miles) and never getting sagged. Of course, screaming down a long hill at 31.2 miles per hour was definitely a heart racing milestone and a bit scary! I am so looking forward to next year!
GOBAville also known as the information tent.
GOBAville the worlds largest moving town is complete with its own mayor.
Main street GOBAville is complete with GOBA souveniers and multiple bike repair and supply shops!
We had a long holiday weekend over Easter so we decided to explore Botswana. Some of our friends had been to Botswana, and so we decided to learn more about this little-known country. The top three reasons commonly noted to go to Botswana are the Okavango Delta, big game and birding. Botswana is roughly the size of France or Texas with 18% of its area reserved for conservation. Botswana’s population is small, two million people. The Moremi Game Reserve is the first such reserve in southern Africa created by an African community on tribal lands. It is a major tourist draw and it has been very successful. The animals are thriving and reproducing. To get there, we flew from Johannesburg, South Africa to Maun Botswana, and then took a 6-seat plane for a 45-minute flight to an area almost inaccessible by road. All of our travel destinations within Botswana will have us fly either a large airbus 330-600 with South African air, a small BAe146 on Botswana Airlines or on a small Cessna, (both the red tail 8 seat and the blue belly 6 seat). The Moremi Game Reserve on the Okavanga Delta would be our first stop. We stayed at Camp Moremi on banks of the river’s main channel. The delta is formed by the Okavango River which descends from the Angolan highlands and fans out over western Botswana. The delta is an intricate network of channels and lagoons in a land locked country dependent on the rains and water of Angola covering 5,791 square miles. It is actually the world’s largest “bird-foot” delta that never reaches the sea, as the waters eventually descend into and under the Kalahari Desert.
Great Egret
Camp Moremi is on the Xakanaxa lagoon in the heart of the Okavango delta and the Moremi Game Reserve. The reserve in his area is covered by Mopene forest, open grasslands, seasonal floodplains and Riverine habitats. The Moremi tree lodge is elevated amongst shady ebony trees and overlooks the lagoon. The camp only accommodates 22 people in safari tents on raised, teak decks.
Rocky & Julie
On arrival we were treated to a late lunch and the news that tea would be in 30 minutes followed by a game drive. Because it is winter (as of April 1st) the water has begun to flow at an increased rate into the delta from Angola. The entry drive into the camp itself is already covered in water 12-20 inches deep. We headed out to where a lion was last seen fairly close to the camp. Of course the lion did not know we were coming and had moved on. So we began tracking him deep into the grasses by following his footprints along sandy trails and roads, but never did find him. We did see impala, lechwe, roan and sable antelopes, warthogs, elephants and lots of birds! We found a hippo skull and heard about two hippos that recently fought nearby until one was fatally injured and died in camp. Of course, the staff could not leave a rotting hippo carcass in camp and had to use two land rovers to pull the multi-ton hippo away from the camp.
Lion
Eventually we heard from another passing guide that the lion were had been tracking was 20 feet from where we last tracked him and off we went to check. Sure enough, this lion was enjoying a lazy afternoon and barely gave us the time of day. We observed him from 15ft for awhile, and then left him snoozing and went to neutral ground for sundowners (G&T’s and local beef jerky). Upon return, dinner was by candlelight on the lodge deck overlooking the camp’s grounds and dock, followed by a nearby campfire. The staff joined us and the conversation was lively.
Implala
At 6am we heard the wakeup call, had a quick breakfast and went out on a morning game drive. We tracked lions, hippos and found an assortment of animals: baboons playing around elephants, impala, mongoose, monkey, hippo, waterbuck, crocodile and an eagle. We stopped for tea and biscuits out in the grassland but continued the drive until it was time for brunch. Brunch was just that breakfast and lunch…. too much food! Next decision: is it time for a siesta or a boat ride out on the delta? The delta won our ‘fancy’ and we took off to wander the delta via water by boat. The reeds and papyrus were higher than the boat, but the breeze was beautiful and we found hiding crocodiles, opening water lilies, growing water chestnuts and an elephant that traversed the delta’s channels to occupy a small island. There are 80 species of fish, along with crocodiles and otters co-existing in the waters of the delta.
Roan Antelope
Then it was off to tea and our evening game drive. We drove a meandering route seeing elephants, impala, water buck and lechwe. Sundowners with nibbles ‘in-the-bush’ are always a treat. Dinner was guinea fowl and Kobe steaks. We stayed at the campfire for a short while but it was off to pack as we would leave the camp directly from the game drive after breakfast the next morning. Come dawn, we were up and at breakfast, and left our packed bags at camp as they would meet us at the airstrip.
Hunting Leopard
The game drive would be the most interesting, yet, as we headed to an island nearby via water covered roads. We saw an aging bull water buffalo, and impala. Then we found leopard tracks, lots of tracks! Lo and behold there was a leopard ahead in a tree. Under the tree were a group of impala. So this was obviously a hunting leopard. We witnessed the leopard watch the herd and then leave the tree to find a better vantage point by climbing another tree. At this place, there was a lone antelope which was unaware that the leopard was stalking him. It was captivating and tense to watch the leopard as it prepared to strike. She was so patient and still, crouched on the trunk of the tree with every muscle tensed ready to spring when her prey would get just 1 step closer! However, the antelope suddenly became aware of the leopard, leaped backwards and began “barking” to let the leopard and other animals know that the predator was spotted. Having lost her stealthy advantage, the leopard then settled into a comfortable tree branch for a nap and we left headed for the airstrip.
Leopard
At the airstrip we met our pilot, a young lady named Vee from South Africa, and we were flying the blue belly Cessna for 30 minutes to Savute Safari Camp in Chobe National Park.
One hundred kilometers (62 miles) west of Victoria Falls, Zambia is Chobe National park, which is known for its elephants. The Chobe River is the center of this area which includes flood plains, dead lake beds, the pan, sand ridges and forest. At 4,500 square miles it is one of the largest parks in Africa. We are visiting the Savute area, which is dominated by the Kalahari and Mopene trees which the elephants love to eat. We are staying at the Savute safari lodge located upon the banks of the Savute channel. The camp is made up is 12 glass, wood and thatch safari suites overlooking the channel and a large watering hole.
Black-backed Jackel
It is a 20 minute drive from the airstrip to camp. The roads are dry and 8-10 inches deep in sand – the sands of the Kalahari Desert. We spot giraffes, impala and wildebeest. We arrived in time for lunch on the deck in front of the water hole and the Savute channel. Our cabin is spectacular. The entire front wall is glass overlooking the channel and the water hole with massive sliding glass doors. What a view! We are watching elephants and antelope wander in and out of the stage in front of us, not more that 10 meters away. Luckily, the camp has a 12’-thick beam fence supported by electric wires to keep the elephants out, but other animal wander past us freely.
Resting his trunk!
The camp routine is the same as at our previous camp, so at 3pm it is tea time followed by a game drive. We learned that a lion has been seen near a 40 year old elephant that has died a few days ago of natural causes. What we find are 2 lion brothers so sated from their afternoon feeding on the elephant that they are sacked out under the bushes. Given their laziness, we decided to move on; however, we encountered a large male hyena coming to visit the free meal. The hyena was tentative of us at first, but eventually decided to stroll past us on the way to the dead elephant. However, smelling the nearby lions, the hyena then moved off. The terrain here is very different than that of the Okavanga Delta. The area is full of Mopene trees that are stunted or stripped of their leaves due to their popularity with the elephants. The same goes for the Kalahari trees. There is also a large grove of 15 Ginko Biloba trees, each between 1000 and 1500 years old. This type of tree is the lone survivor of an ancient special, and one of the oldest living things on earth. After returning to camp we had dinner beside the water hole watching the elephants wander in and out. We had a night cap at the fire circle and had the chance to see a serval cat that appeared out of the undergrowth to explore the unattended coffee tray.
Spotted Hyena
We woke the next morning to find leopard tracks at the side of our cabin. This explained the rustling and noise we heard during the night. The guide said that the leopard entered the camp hunting the guinea fowl which are plentiful in the area.
Gemsbok or Oryx - with a broken horn
On our game drive that morning, we traversed huge plains of grasses, the local pan, and numerous water holes. However, it was quite hot (90 degrees F) for the beginning of winter…and the animals were scarce. We did see a couple of old elephant skeletons, which when you realize that there are 70,000 elephants in the area is not surprising.
It was Easter Sunday and the lodge had a lovely brunch including Easter eggs!
While the afternoon is free for siesta time…we enjoyed sitting on the deck and watching nature come visit our “private” watering hole….so relaxing.
Lilac-breasted Roller
On this evening, the game drive was characterized by seeing small herds of animals, including wildebeests, impalas, and waterbuck. Again, after dinner we were privileged to see the serval cat which had visited us the night before. This serval cat had a long tale and beautiful colors, and allowed us to get some excellent pictures of him.
Sleep that night was interrupted by the lions calling again and again. There is a pride of five young brothers in the area, and the two which we saw the day before were in search of their ‘brothers’. We awoke for a quick breakfast and then were out the gate where there was numerous paw prints, both lion and leopard. We also saw the tracks of a leopard dragging an impala through the sands. However, despite our best tracking efforts we never did see this leopard. We decided to check out the area of the deceased elephant again, and sure enough, our driver found one of the male lion brothers resting at the side of the road. We stopped to watch him for nearly an hour before he tired of the growing crowd of onlookers and decided to move off into the bush for a daytime nap. On his way, he passed right beside the vehicle so close that we could have patted him on the head! But, he paid us no mind. We then traveled back towards the camp where w saw a line of breeding elephants marching along.
Lion
Our morning was cut short as we headed for the airstrip and the blue belly Cessna for a trip camp Moremi and then on to Maun. Once in Maun we are transported to the Cresti Hotel pool for drinks and relaxation as we await our next flight. At the pool side bar I met 2 young men from Zimbabwe. When they realized I was from the USA they proceeded to tell me about their adventure in Shreveport, Louisiana at the casino there. What a small world.
At 5 pm we boarded our flight to Johannesburg for an overnight stay at the Emperors Palace complex. We had a leisurely stroll and dinner at the huge Mall, and a peaceful night’s sleep. The next morning we returned to J’burg airport, shopped and headed back to Lagos. It was quite a whirlwind adventure, for just a long weekend. However, Botswana was a beautiful jewel snuggled in the middle of the southern continent, and we were glad we had the chance to visit it.
Going to the beach is always an adventure. Today we accompanied some friends to their company provided beachhouse down the intercoastal waterway past our beachouse another 15 minutes by boat and probably an hour or more by foot. The beach is everchanging and in this area the village surrounds the beachouse. The beach front is very narrow and steep as if always walking witha limp. This beach house did have a fresh water pool with a sitting ledge along one side. The gazebo was right up at the beach edge which meant for a fabulous breeze. Despite never having been here before our favorite beach vendors found us!
Pool & GazeboVillage child so proud that she has a bathng suit, however she does not swim.
Headed out to drop the net
Newly caught fish
All the village assists in the fishing.Headed home
This weekend Rocky & I went on an early hike to see the wildlife at the Lekki Conservation Centre. The Lekki Conservation Centre (LCC) is one of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) foremost conservation project sites. It is located on the Lekki Peninsula and covers a land area of 78 hectare. The oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited has been LCC’s sole benefactor from inception till date. The LCC Complex foundation pillar & plaque was unveiled on 18 February 1989 by the President of World Wildlife Foundation, His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The LCC was solely established to serve as a conservation icon of Nigeria’s southwest coastal mangrove resources and an information centre for environmental education. Over 1.5m tourists of more than 100 nations have visited the sited LCC since inception. The land is divided into two sections: LCC Complex and the nature reserve. The nature reserve traverses a mosaic of vegetation types, namely: secondary forest, swamp forest and Savanna grassland A trail boardwalk was constructed in 1992 to the enrich tourists/visitors view of the vast resources of the nature reserve which is encapsulated on a mangrove terrain. The trail stretches a length of 2 Km. some of the side attractions along the trail are swamp outlook, bird hide, rest stops and the tree house. The tree house is one of the most fascinating features one can ever come across in an ecotourism zone. The tree house, stylishly seated on a stout dawadawa tree rises above 25m. A well protected ladder is ruggedly mounted behind the tree to enable nature enthusiasts reach to tree house to savor the panoramic view of the tree canopy.
The time had finally come: the end-of-the-season West Africa International Middle School Football (soccer) Championship Tournament to be held in Dakar, Senegal. Our boys’ team, representing the American International School of Lagos, Nigeria is a collection of eleven 6th and 8th graders, of a range of sizes and abilities that is typical of this age group. These 11 boys will be accompanied by myself (the coach), and AISL school official (Donald), and two 6th grade moms. Our trip starts with a Wednesday overnight flight from Murtala Mohamed International Airport in Lagos to Dakar, Senegal, via a stop in Cotonou, Benin. We are joining a plane already full of 2 boys and 2 girls’ teams from Accura representing Ghana. After arriving in Dakar at 2:30am, and settling the players down on mats on the host school’s gym floor, the players fell asleep by 4am.
The Eagles at the Airport
After a brief breakfast that Thursday morning, we board buses and head to Gorée Island. Dakar is clean and modern, hugging the coastline with resorts, beaches and perfect waves (remember “The Endless Summer”).
We take the passenger ferry to Gorée Island where our guide takes us on a tour of the infamous place. The island was originally settled by the Portuguese and later turned into the key transportation hub of the West African slave trade. Slaves captured up and down the West African Coast were brought here to be shipped to the New World. As an island, escape was nearly impossible, since the regular supply of infirmed and deceased captives kept the local waters teeming with sharks. We visited a slave transport house, of which ~15 operated on the island, where the cells for men, women, and children were preserved, and then the players got an opportunity to stand at “the Door of No Return” from which 10’s of 1000’s never set foot on African soil again.
Island mapDoor of no return!AISL Eagles
Door of no return!
After the tour of the water’s edge, we climbed a steep hill to the highest point in the island where we ordered lunch at a restaurant, and while waiting for lunch, visited a set of ~6-inch guns on a turret built into the hilltop (e.g. “The Guns of Naverone”). These were emplaced by the French but were only actually fired once before they were disabled by strategic torching of the barrels. Today, the encampment, tunnels and trenches are home to a vibrant art and crafts community. The boys watched with interest as a sand artist plied his trade with nothing but glue and colored sand. Then we returned to the restaurant for lunch.
AISL EaglesGuns left by the FrenchSand Sculpter
Sand Sculpter
After the ferry ride back to the mainland and buses back to the host school, every player met their host parents and dispersed with them for their home-stays, under instructions to arrive early tomorrow for the start of the tournament. The school administrator and I stayed at the Principal’s tri-level flat, where we were splendidly hosted and delighted in a home-cooked Ziti meal.
School gates
The next morning, Friday, began the Football Tournament at the school where the full-sized field was divided in half, and we played 8-a-side across the field with smaller goals. There were 8 boys’ teams and 4 girls’ teams and every game was 2 x 20-minute halves. Today, we would play 3 bracket games against Dakar’s second team (a 5-0 win), a strong Ghana Team (a 2-0 loss), and Burkina Faso (a 5-1 win), which was enough to advance us as the 2nd place team in the bracket. In the other bracket, Abuja, Nigeria advanced as the 1st place team and Dakar’s 1st team advanced as the bracket runners-up, setting us up for all Nigerian semi-finals on tomorrow.
Pep rally in preparation of the tournament
That night, the adults’ walked to a Teacher’s birthday party, where a local teachers’ Rock Band played live “oldies” and everyone talked, ate pizza and danced.
On Saturday morning, after a morning jog along the oceanfront, I met the Team at school, where the Lagos boys subsequently played an excellent game and beat their Abuja rivals 5-2, while the other semi-final went to penalty kicks, which the host Dakar won. The finals were a tense affair with ~200 spectators and great crowd noise. Our Lagos team scored ~15 minutes in on a penalty kick, for a player fouled in the box and we held that 1-0 lead throughout the half. The host school was strong defensively, and other balls put into their net by the Lagos boys were called back in the second half. However, the 1-0 lead held up and we were crowned “West African Champions”.
The Champions - AISL Eagles!
From the field, the boys went back to their host family’s houses, showered and packed, and returned to the school for a Middle School Dance in the gym. While the kids socialized, Donald and I walked to local Italian restaurant where we ate caprese and spaghetti. We returned to school in time to shut down the party at 10:00pm, organize the boys, and transport them to the airport for a 2:00am flight back to Lagos.
Monument of the African Reaissance - 160 foot tall bronze statue that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and dominates the horizon of Dakar
Unfortunately, our plane was delayed in arriving in Senegal, and we didn’t leave Dakar until after 4:00am. With a stop on Cotonou on the way back, the team arrived back in Lagos at 11:00am, tired, but with their trophy in hand.
Monday, after breakfast, we boarded the buses for a short 20 kilometer trip to Dawakin Tofa, a local pot making village. An “old woman” demonstrated the pot making techniques as she collected clay, water, and sand and kneaded it into a dense ball, and then beat it into a pot shape with a mortar and pestle, using her hands and feet to maintain its shape. She marked the pot with her symbolic design, and it was ready for firing in the ovens. Her 10 year old granddaughter apprentice watched, knowing that she would inherit the responsibility some day. The firing pits are simple enclosures where fire embers and ashes are pilled upon the pots to harden them.
Making the pot with a foot and two handsFinished pot
After observing the local pot making, we traveled to Aleku, a rural village of traditional weavers and cloth makers. There we watched men spin thread by rolling a stick on their legs and weavers working hand looms that were little more than twigs and sticks, creating beautiful cloth runners that are then hand sewed into larger pieces of fabric.
We returned to the hotel for lunch and then split into 2 groups, as the women who wished to visit the Emir of Kano’s wife and Harem went off early, while the rest of the group made their way to the Emir’s palace grounds in Kano. These palace grounds enclose the parade field and the crowd was already beginning to gather along the surrounding roads and along the Palace fences. We entered the grounds and were similarly escorted to the Official Viewing Stands, again sharing the area with officials and dignitaries. In a while, the women showed up from their tour with one of the Emir’s wives. She was his second wife, Hajiyya Abba, a trained teacher who has been married to him for 49 years, with 6 children (3boys and 3 girls) and 27 grandchildren. The Emir of Katsina was actually her nephew and she was raised in the Royal House of Katsina. As such, she was good personal friends with Paulette and her graciousness and hospitality were appreciated by all. As a female member of the Emir’s family, she is not allowed outside the Harem in daylight, unless she is traveling abroad. She bid farewell to her quests as they make their way to the Durbar viewing stand.
The second wive of the Emir of Kano
The Kano Durbar was a more scripted and controlled environment, with more elaborate costumes and decorations, and more formal proceedings. As in Katsina, the different regiments parade in a counter clockwise direction past the viewing area and take up areas on either side of the parade grounds. The crowds pressed into the fences, and every available tree limb, sign or vantage point became quickly occupied to watch the spectacle. In Kano, the newly elected governor with us in the viewing-stands, is well liked by the present Emir, Ado Bayero and the crowds were even larger than usual to support the respectful meeting of these two leaders. After ~2000 horsemen and 5000 men had filed past, the arrival of the Emir is announced by ancient musket fire from the Emir’s guards, and the procession of his family, wives vacant horses, guards, and the Emir himself proceeded down the center. After the usual pleasantries, the ceremonial charging of the horses with swords flashing was re-enacted, before the Emir returned to his Palace, and we traverse the crowd to our buses and returned to the Prince Hotel.
Kano DurbarKano DurbarKano DurbarKano Durbar - Young prince with palace guardsEmir of Kano - under the large umbrella
That night dinner by the pool was a Lebanese BBQ while we shopped with venders from the dye pits and were entertained by native Koroso dancers for nearly 90 minutes. An old woman was there decorating the limbs of all visitors with henna for 500 naira per extremity. The owner of the hotel set up a Karaoke system, and we spent the evening embarrassing ourselves, only to find videos of us would later appear on You-Tube.
Rocky & Julie
Tuesday was started with a bus trip to Kura Village (Kura meaning “hyena”). Here we made a brief stop at the local dye pits, and proceeded to watch the turban makers create the turban cloth. We watched as men hand stitched ½ inch wide strips of cloth into 1 foot wide turban material, and after dying, visited Bata, where the turban cloth is beat to create its shine.
Turban cloth maker stitching strips of cloth for a turbinDye pits and turbin cloth; Our guide Sunday
Pounding the dyed cotton cracks the fiber and makes it shiny.
After departing Kura, we went to the Rock Castle Hotel at Tiga for lunch. This hotel oversees a large dammed reservoir lake (30 kilometer radius) which provides local recreation and irrigation to the residents of the area.
The hotel was originally built in the 1970’s by the fondly remembered Governor Audubako, for a planned visit by Queen Elizabeth to the area. However, a military coup in Nigeria ended the possibility of the visit. The hotel has 28 guest rooms, is 4-5 stories high, and sits on a bluff overlooking the lake. There are 2 Her Majesty suites which are rentable today. In 1992, the State Government put the Hospitality and Tourism Board, NIHOTOU, in charge of the complex. After lunch and the tour, we took a stroll to the lakefront where local tourists and maruchi, suya, and sugar cane venders marketed their treats. Finally we boarded the bus for one last stop before returning to Kano.
Top of Castle Rock looking at the huge reservoir
In the area of Rano, we stopped at one the large, outcropping, granite rocks that populate the landscape. Apparently, picnicking in this area was one of Paulette’s favorite pastimes in former years. At the top of the rock, the surrounding view was spectacular, and at the base we talked and shared greetings with the local cow herders who were watching after 2 small calves that were less than one week old.
That night after returning to the Prince Hotel, 16 of us went out to an Indian curry restaurant where we ate well and drank both bottles of wine and all the Heineken beer that the restaurant had.
On Wednesday morning, it was time to check-out and to travel to the airport for the airplane trip back to Lagos, again via Abuja. The flight was uneventful, and the adventure was over, but it is kept alive by the wonderful memories of the sights we saw and the people we met.
A special thanks by all to Paulette Van Trier for making this possible!
In the northern reaches of Nigeria, near the southern entrance to the great Sahara desert, lies the ancient city of Kano. Kano lies within the state of the same name, and is bordered to the northwest by the state of Katsina. Kano was first settled in the 7th century by the Hausa people, is the oldest city in West Africa, today is the 2nd largest city in Nigeria, (populated by ~7 million people), and is predominantly Islamic.
Kano’s “old city” is surrounded by a massive 11th century mud and brick wall (sarlsi-gujmasu) which still stands tall in many areas, and must be navigated by a series of gates (“kofar”) that are now freely open.
Old Mud city gate and wall
Our trip to the Nigerian north is to see the people and land there and to attend the Katsina and Kano Durbars. These multi-day Durbar Festivals date back hundreds of years to a time when the local Emirates (states) defended themselves and their Emir with a fierce military Calvary. The Calvary was made up of regiments from different nobility and local chiefs. During this time, once or twice a year, the many regiments would gather and parade for the Emir, colorfully demonstrating their horsemanship, bravery and loyalty.
Our trip has been organized by Paulette Van Trier, a Belgium National attached professionally and long term in Nigeria, previously in Kano, and now in Lagos. During her stay in the country, she has developed personal contacts in the Kano and Katsina region that allow her to organize this cultural trip for 42 people, as part of the Nigerian Field Society’s annual program.
Today, Durbars have become a festival welcoming dignitaries and heads of state, coinciding with the two great Muslim festivals, Eid-el Fitri and Eid-el Kabir. We are attending the festivals with Eid-el Kabir, which commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim sacrificing a ram instead of his son.
We start our adventure by flying on Friday evening from Lagos to Kano via Abuja on Air Nigeria. The runways at each airport all hold large jumbo jets this time of year: they are prepared to move people for the Hajj, their annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Our travel is smooth, as we are met at the airport by two large coaches and are shuttled a short distance to our base of stay – The Prince Hotel. The hotel is lush and beautiful with excellent service, as we grab a late snack and prepare for Saturday’s sightseeing and cultural tours.
Our Villa/hotel room at night
Our group is a diverse collection of Nigerians and Expats for all across the world. We include not only residents of Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos, but others who have flown in from London and the USA to participate in this trip. We also have a strong collection of industry and embassy staff representing various countries.
Saturday starts with a buffet breakfast poolside before we board our buses and meet our “guides”, Abu and Friday. Friday has been a guide for these groups for over 14 years. We are driven into the old city through one of the 14 gates that allow entrance through the 25 kilometer-long walled circumference. In the “old days” the cities gates were kept closed between 6pm and 8am and people would wait for their opening. However today, all gates are open all the time. It is clear that although Kano is an old city, it is clean and well maintained. The roads are in good shape as we make our way past the local Football Stadium (home of the Caterpillars) to a family “Dye Pit” operation located at the “Kofar Mata”, the “women’s gate”. This particular site has been used to dye cloth in the traditional ways for nearly 800 years. The pits are full of a “dye” which is made from indigo, potassium, ash, and water (~1500 liters water, 100 kilograms indigo, 40 buckets ash and 5 buckets potassium). The mixture is left in the pit for ~4 weeks where it “ferments” and causes the indigo to turn dark blue. The cloth is then hand-dipped in the pit and then held out over the pit to drip dry in the wind before repeating. This process ensures that the dye is adhered to the cloth. The process is repeated hundreds of times over 4-6 hours depending on the darkness of the color desired. In order to create designs on the materials, the cloth is banded, tied, bundled, etc. to create areas where the dye cannot permeate. The dye itself can be used in that pit for nearly 1 year, and then a new batch is needed to be mixed.
Look closely and you will see the cloth tied with string to give the wonderful designs
Once the cloth is dyed and dried, it is taken to the “pounding shed” where it can be made shinny by pounding the cloth between a smooth mahogany paddle and a long, smooth mahogany log. The impact on the material, coupled with the ash from the dye process, creates a beautiful sheen to the fabric.
Our next stop is the Gidan Makama National Museum. It is made up of 9 galleries through which we are guided in groups of 10. Gidan means “house” and this museum was originally the guest house of Makama who became King of the region in 1442, and used it as a temporary palace. The new palace, Gidan Rumfa, was built across the street and was completed in 1478 for King Rumfi and is the site of the Emir’s Palace today. Gidan Makama today operates in 3 sections: The Primary School, the Makama Guest House for the Emir’s guests, and the Museum with its 9 galleries.
Museum
Mohammed Rumfi was King of Kano from 1463-1499. Kano was ruled by Hausa Kings from that point but suffered bloody internecine wars that saw the city finally fall to Fulani raiders during the jihad Othman Dan Fodio in 1803. In 1804, the 1st Emir was emplaced, and the ruling Fulani’s used the Durbar to demonstrate their strength and allegiance. Today, the Hausa or “common people” make up about 60% of the population with the Fulani accounting for the other 40%. In 1903, the British invaded and conquered Kano. The Gidan Makama Museum opened in 1985.
Next on the agenda was to actually visit the wall at one of the city gates. The wall is made of mud brick stacked and mud-plastered over, and is arranged 10-12 feet thick and 20-25 feet high.
From here we returned to the hotel for lunch, and prepare to shop in the afternoon at the five-hundred year-old Kurmi Market.
The afternoon market trip was very much like the typical “markets in Nigeria”. Rows of narrow corridors lined with vendors making and marketing nearly anything that one might think of. Everything is negotiable, but the items of interest to our group were principally fabric, blankets, beads and clothes. It was clear that the locals were also shopping today for the pending great holiday festival.
One if the bead shops
After the market, we relaxed with a Lebanese buffet dinner at the hotel by the pool.
Sunday morning we made an early start to travel by bus to Katsina, a city 170 kilometers to the northwest of Kano which historically served as a crossroads of trade on the trans-Sahara route from Timbuktu. The area around Katsina today is dominated by rolling hills, dry climate but quite a bit of agriculture using simple forms of irrigation. The region exports grains (wheat, sorghum, tomatoes, peppers & cotton) principally to Chad, and to southern Nigeria. The landscape is punctuated by the honored Bilibab tree, with which the locals have a symbiotic relationship. The land is littered by wadi scars and is covered elsewhere by small scrubs, grasses and the occasional tree that reminds one of typical East African landscapes. But, there are no “roaming” animals, and no wildlife is to be seen anywhere. Housing is principally built from the ever-present red clay bricks, and the landscape is dotted by granite boulders hills. Before we arrive in Katsina, we are surprised to see a massive modern ‘Windfarm” under construction, the first of 10 planned in Nigeria! However, we are informed later that the construction has been halted, the engineer is nowhere to be found, and that the engineering parts are disappearing over time. The State hopes to get work back underway in 2012.
The Katsina Durbar is a 3-day Festival where the first day is spent in prayer (Eid Durbar), the second in homage to the Emir (Hawan Daushe Durbar) and the third day as a “picnic” celebration where animals are slaughtered and food is shared (Hawan Nassarawa). We are here for day #2! Our buses make their way through the gates and onto the Palace grounds where we are escorted up to the covered reviewing stands, 2-3 levels high, into front row seats looking out over a large dirt parade field which is surrounded by throngs of people, vendors, and various security forces. Next to us are the Waziri of Katsina and his entourage and delegations from the embassies of Italy and Belgium, as well as the Governor of the State of Katsina.
The current Emir of Katsina is 53 years old and has been in office ~3 years. He has 4 wives and ~25 children. When it comes time to choose a new Emir, the “King Makers”, 4 trusted leaders, meet to choose someone of royal lineage, who is politically acceptable and meets their criteria. The Emir will be the last to enter the Festival procession.
The event begins with the Nigerian National Anthem, and the regiments of horse groups representing noble families and villages circle the grounds counter clockwise, passing to pay respect to the governor and viewing stands.
Katsina Durbar
Once they have shown respect and the sign of “no weapon in my hand”, they proceed to line the sides of the Parade ground, until others join them.
Katsina Durbar - note these gentelmen are of the royal house (Two ears on the turbins)
Groups are strictly only men, young and old, and include traditional drums and flutes, acrobats, and the spectacularly colorful costumes for riders and horses. Even the famous drummer Ettatisay parades in this event.
Katsina Durbar - Drummers
Emir's Guard - notice the ostrich feathers
Finally, after ~ 70 minutes of precession and when ~2000 horsemen are assembled on the parade grounds, the Emir’s procession begins down the middle of the grounds, including his guards, riderless horses for his wives, and his sons. Finally, the Emir himself comes, easily identifiable by the huge umbrella which is pogo-ed, up and down, manually, over him. After he pays respect to the governor and the reviewing stand, the horse regiments sequentially mock-charge to him at a gallop to demonstrate their prowess. Finally, the Emir addresses the crowd who wildly approve. Then the Emir exits into the Palace, the riders disperse, the crowd mills about, and we exit the stands to visit the Emir in his Palace.
Emir of Katsina - note he ishaded by a large white umbrella & he is masked
Initially we enter the palace through a walkway lined with cages of exotic birds. We are allowed to keep our shoes on as we enter a small sitting-welcome room where small-chop and drinks are served. Then, we are guided to one of the Emir’s small palace rooms (in fact, the trophy room) where the Emir, his Waziri and entourage enter. The Waziri welcomes us, as he tells us a little about the proud history of Katsina as a hub in the trans-Sahara trade route. He is clearly a very well educated man, passionate in his love of his city and of his Emir. At the end of his welcome, we are surprised when the Emir personally welcomes each of us with a handshake, before he moves on with his duties.
Emir of Katsina
We exit the palace to our bus, where we transported a short distance to the local Liyafa Hotel to have lunch. After lunch, we enjoy the crystal blue skies and explore the local ground, remarking on the exotic “Calabash” tree, where calabash gourds over 1 foot in diameter hang from the branches like freakish giant tomatoes. Then, it’s back to the bus to make the long trip back to the Prince Hotel in Kano, and dinner at the Palace Chinese Restaurant. Later that evening after a long and busy day, about half of the group played iPod music and danced at the pool while the pool bar kept us supplied. For some, it wasn’t bedtime until after 1am.
