My Lagos Experience

I got into Lagos at 2:50pm. As expected, I started seeing yellow buses. I heave a sigh of relief like "finally, we are here". This is not my first time in Lagos but technically, it is. Okay, don't be confused. This is my third time in Lagos but this is the first time I had the typical "Lagos experience". Are we good now? Okay!

So my first time in Lagos was in 2015. I came during "Id el Kabir". It didn't feel like the Lagos I read about on my Twitter timeline. Most of my followers on Twitter are Lagosians, sometimes it feels like I'm one. They made me think Lagos was stressful (even though they will never agree), hustle and bustle, people are always on the move etc. so I expected that, as soon as I got in but it wasn't so.
I arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International airport and it wasn't too busy. There was Josiah (Cab man) waiting to take me to my host. The road was free, we passed through the famous Third Mainland Bridge (3MB), it was a good sight. There wasn't so much traffic, no crowd walking up and down as I envisaged.

We stopped to pick my host, IB. I was hungry so we stopped at Mega Chicken to get something. We went home afterwards. I went to the mall the next day, saw a movie with my friends, it was fun. The following day, we went out again to have Pizza and ice cream at cold stone and dominos. We went from there to a place called "Mama Put" in Lekki, had a few bottles of wine and went back home to rest. It was fun. There was no stress, I didn't encounter any traffic.

I left the following day. As usual Josiah was there to take me to the airport. I didn't have the Lagos Experience. The typical one my friends told me about.

After passing out from NYSC I visited again. But this time it was just for a night. I went from a nearby city to Lagos because I needed to go through the airport to Uyo. When I got to Lagos, my friend came to get me from where I stopped, to her house. I had a nice time. The reception was good. I didn't even have to carry my luggage into the house myself. No stress. The next morning I left for the airport. My friend had left earlier to work so I found a cab. It was ridiculously expensive but what can one do? I thought.

I picked my friend Titi on the way to the airport and we went together. She was a good "road host". I left Lagos again without the typical experience. The one I read about on Chydee's blog "Lagos and my polytene bag". I said to myself "Baby girl, you have not been to Lagos".

Few months later, I had to come to Lagos again. This time, for my induction into the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered). I was about to be called a Professional Manager (shines teeth). And I wanted to see my friends again. This was the "ghen ghen" moment. Unlike the other times, I came by road. "Allawee" stopped coming in April, baby girl is now broke, no job, nothing nothing. I jejely booked God is good motors the day before (yes, they have gone online) and of course I had to wake up early.

The morning when I was to leave, the heavens began to cry. The rain was so heavy, I thought I was going to miss the bus. Thank God I didn't. The difference between God is good motors and a your favorite airline is that, the former is moving on the ground while the later is flying. Relax let me explain. I booked my bus online, I was sent a confirmation email and text messages. I was told to be at the park 30 minutes before the time, I was told plenty things, for a second I thought the message was from one of the airlines. Driver sef is called captain and he gave us safety tips on board before taking off.

We took off at exactly 6:40am.

To be continued...

Thanks for reading 💋

@mstariah