SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP and sometimes you do!

There are many ways to buy things in Lagos. I will take you through a few.

BALOGUN MARKET:

Looking to buy fabric? Look no further than Balogun Market. This bustling street is filled with buyers and sellers, hawkers and gawkers, tastes and smells. No, I did not taste anything and yes, occasionally I had to cover my nose whilst walking into small alleyways which I'm sure served as a handy bathroom when needed. Brilliant colored fabrics in traditional designs and patterns line this robust marketplace as well as clothing, shoes, buttons, hats, food and yes, even a few rats. After all, what rat doesn't like a crowded market? The heat was only matched by the shear press of humanity that surrounds you as you make your way up and down the lane.



Side Note: Personal space is NOT a priority here or even a consideration. Bumps are common and bruises are occasional. Everyone is anxious to assist you as you peruse their wares. "I give you good deal!" I like to think of it as persistent customer service.

                   

 LEKKI MARKET: 

Lekki Market is by far my favorite place to go for shopping although getting there can be quite challenging. Lets just say, when it rains, it floods. I remember visiting there on many occasions 27 years ago. I came away with many of my most treasured items that I've collected over the many years of traveling abroad. 

 

The stalls at Lekki Market are covered and the paths are mostly paved and clean. Each nook and cranny is a cornucopia of treasures for the eye. Masks, both ancient and new (my greatest weakness) hang from the ceilings and the walls along side of hand-made jewelry of every color and design. Wood carvings line the shelves and floors along with intricate bronze heads and the famous bronze Benin Royal Leopards, which no one should be without. One can also bargain for old bottles and coins, camel skin boxes, paintings and every sort of unique and interesting trinkets. Bargaining is an art form here. The better you are, the better the deals. Beware of losing control. Set your limits or you may just find yourself with a car full of items you never thought you wanted or needed.

GROCERY STORES:

There are several different local grocery stores in Lagos. You can find pop-ups selling assorted fruits and vegetables along the side of the roads, corner stores, with their owners close at hand ready to assist you, and larger supermarkets with isles full of choices. The problem lies not in the volume of items, but more with the quality or availability of the things you really want. Indeed, some fruits and vegetables here have been weighed and measured and found very much wanting. The sheer price of some items outweighs the risk of finding out if the quality outweighs the cost. Would you spend $12 on a head of cauliflower if it had dark spots creeping in its crevasses? Of course, some people wouldn't even consider the cauliflower, but beggars can't be choosers.

Hit or miss? Sometimes it is hard to tell with fruits and veggies!

The choices in fresh meat are goat or goat?  Hmmm...what to choose? I think none for me today.




Would you pay almost $9 for salad dressing?
Oh yes I would! By the way, the next day, they were all gone! Get them while you can!!







To buy or not to buy? That is the question!

We've got gadgets and bagged chips a plenty. We've got whozits and whatzits galore. Ok, that's a lot of chips!









Some stores are more exclusive than
others and the prices reflect that.

Yes, being healthy can be RUDE! Somehow I always knew that.

Who doesn't love canned hot dogs?










THE LOCAL MALL:

Yes, we have a local mall, much to my surprise and excitement. It has a few eateries (a KFC where the chicken is a bit too spicy), shops and a movie theater. A lot HAS changed in 27 years.

 
There are a lot of selections here at the mall. In it you will find a Shoprite grocery store,  Game, which sells food, electronics and housewares, a Cold Stone (yes, I said Cold Stone, but you pay for it), a pharmacy, phone store, and other electronic and clothing stores. All in all, albeit small by U.S. standards, it is a nice option for an air-conditioned shopping experience.

Christmas time at the mall! Did I mention that they have a small train that kids can ride in? (not pictured here) It goes up and down the mall to the delight of the children and parents. No, I didn't take a ride!

MALL FOOD COURT:

KFC and Cold Stone are the two eateries that many would recognize at the mall. There are a variety of other less tempting places to eat here although Sherman swears by the Shawarma place. I'm not sure I can eat a place called "Charcoal" but I'm sure that some folks really love that lump in your Christmas stocking taste.

Note: KFC is not like your grandma's KFC. The chicken has been given that oh so special extra kick of spiciness that you often find in KFC restaurants abroad. I'll take a pass!




 
 MOVIES!!

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Most people know that I LOVE THE MOVIES! This is the "nice" theater at the Palms Mall. If you look closely at the screen it is actually stretched with rope and tied up on the wall. It's a bit like when your friends put up a sheet on the side of a barn and use a projector to watch movies. Wait, that is kind of romantic. Scratch that! Actually, it wasn't too bad except for the almost 30 minutes of previews and movie shorts; a bewildering montage of Nigerian humor and dehydrated crayfish stew commercials. In the end, they had pretty good popcorn so I really can't complain. Well, maybe just a little.
BTW: We were there early. More people did come in later.

 ROAD SNACKS:

Ever been stuck in traffic and had your ol' tummy rumbling with hunger? Well, you don't have to go anywhere because here in Lagos, food service comes to you. Whether you just need some "delicious" snacks to tide you over or a bottle of your favorite beverage, just drop down that window and order away. Traffic moving too fast? No problem! We've got you covered! These ambitious young men will run along side the car until your transaction is complete. This service gives a whole new meaning to the phrase,"Drive-through."

 

Feeling Parched? Your refreshing bottle of water is ready when you are!











No matter how you slice it, Nigeria has many options for shopping. My favorite place here will forever be Lekki Market. Thanks for the memories old and new!

Final thoughts:
Never have I ever wanted a McDonald's hamburger so much! Walmart, I promise to always appreciate you! SAMS, you had me at the words, "Now Open."

Arrival in Lagos

 View from the airplane: Well, it's about what I expected. Happy to finally be landing, but not so certain about returning to Lagos. It's been 27 years since I last arrived in Nigeria and apprehension is taking over. Ready or not, here we go!

THE AIRPORT: I have been through many airports before, but there is nothing quite like arriving in Lagos, Nigeria. Stepping off of the airplane, you feel it, that wave of heat and humidity that hits your body like a smack down in the WWE. The air feels thick and heavy and you try to avoid the urge to start gasping for air. You feel the sweat begin to trickle from your brow and other places you don't care to mention. "Oh yeah, this is Nigeria. I remember this."

As you make your way into the terminal, the masses of people start shuffling in behind you, in front of you and all around you. Personal space is not an issue here. While the passengers head to Customs, those in uniforms of several types start to move closer ushering people here and there, shouting and intimidating those who seek to make it through the line. Luckily for us we had an expediter. Beverly was a kind and no nonsense kind of woman. She was short, with a sturdy build and by the way she moved, you knew you didn't want to mess with her. She met us before we arrived in Customs, grabbed our passports and our forms and proceeded to plow through the masses. We quickly followed her knowing that she would be our guardian angel getting us through the process as unscathed as possible. She knew most of the people at the airport. She waved and smiled with a purpose. You could tell she had spent years building up relationships to make her job easier. We had no plans to leave her side. When we got to the Customs areas, she quickly completed our necessary paperwork and, with passports in hand, approached the desk. Not quite knowing what to do, we stood to the side about four feet from where she stood. A tall African man in a beige uniform approached us shouting, "Why are you standing here? What are you doing here?" We pointed at Beverly and told him, "We are with her." He turned around to see her and then began shouting at other people. Thank goodness for Beverly! Once through Immigration, we went to gather our luggage.

 The Airport: Nice looking from a distance; inside is a step into another world. Watch your purse, watch your bags, watch yourself and in general, just watch out!







BAGS ANYONE: Finding bags in chaos! I didn't know this at the time, but don't always expect your bags to be on the carousel. Sometimes they are taken off and moved into other areas. We were left forging through a thick tangle of bags smashed together only occasionally broken up by passengers squeezing through trying to find and rescue their precious possessions. Thank goodness we had a little help from Beverly otherwise we might still be searching.

 ON THE ROAD: Here we go. Shanty towns dot the roads as we travel in a bullet-proof vehicle (no vehicle is truly bullet-proof) towards Lagos. It is a long drive made worse by the traffic and pot-hole filled roads. Even with the air conditioner on, you can feel the temperature of your body rising. The heat seems to permeate everywhere. Of course, it may have been the fact that the car was packed with luggage and people, but it was another reminder that we had officially arrived in Africa. I guess they do serve sardines here after-all. :-) PS: I was going to take a picture with my phone, but was mentally exhausted from the flight and was afraid someone might bulldoze me down and steal it away. Irrational? Maybe!

 POLLUTION: Pollution is a problem in Lagos, but along the route from the airport, there are whole villages that are engulfed in what looked like smoke. Our driver said they were burning garbage and plastic. It's a safe bet to assume that nobody is wearing any kind of face masks there. Not a place you would want to be. So sad :-(

HOME AT LAST: We made it! I won't show a picture of the outside of our apartment, but I will show the view of the night sky as we arrived. I'm so glad to be "home" and look forward to our time here. After all, life is what you make of it. Let the adventure begin!