Sick Girl in Africa

So, my technological cold turkey continues. I've had withdrawal symptoms from not being able to access the internet on a daily basis, and to top it all, the last two occasions where I have been able to access this blog, the connection has miraculously disappeared when I'm 5 minutes from the end and all my well written (ahem) prose has disappeared. I'm hoping its third time lucky!

Its been two weeks since I last posted (with success) and in that time I have been to Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State; an absolutely amazing place. Okay, so the ever faithful super bumpy 7 hour drive to get there wasn't much to write home about, but it was absolutely worth every minute when we got there. Obudu is a holiday resort at the top of a mountain (we westerners will call it a hill, its only 6000ft above sea level). Originally founded by an Englishman (could be Welsh or Scottish, but to Nigerians they're all Englishmen!), its been maintained and updated by subsequent state governors to turn it into a world class holiday resort and conference centre and it now boasts having the longest cable car in the world!

I had an amazing time, from views across mountains all the way into Cameroon, stunning waterfalls and a dairy farm with the largest bulls I've ever seen in my life! The only disappointment was that low clouds mean that the photos I took do not in any way show the wonder of the view, but having been there live and in colour, I can’t complain. The place was breathtaking.

There were some scary moments, like the 11km ride up the mountain on very curvy road bends and crazy inclines. There is even one bend known as Devil’s Elbow where one unfortunate family lost their lives last year; no such thing as mountain rescue in Nigeria! There is a cable car ride from the top of the mountain to the bottom takes 15 minutes and is totally worth every minute. Even if you are someone like my mother who will cling on to the seat for fear that any movement will cause the car to go hurtling towards the ground!

I’ve been back in Abuja for a week now and I’m realizing that not having anything to do is very tiring! I get up in the morning, have a bit of a potter round the house, eat breakfast, go out to the market or just around town, come home around 6-ish and feel knackered! I tell ya, taking time off is not easy! (No hate mail please!)

I’m getting ready to leave Nigeria. Its not a moment too soon health wise, since I’ve been here, I’ve lost about 5 pounds; diarrhoea (no surprises there), vomiting (ditto), a cold (yes even in Nigeria), a cough that doesn’t want to leave and a nice helping of mosquito bites have all left me longing for my own climate…..although I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m looking forward to the cold!

Still trying to get my photos uploaded on to Flickr for your viewing pleasure, but that might have to wait till I’m back in the UK. Watch this space! I'll be back in London for 1 week (plus a bit of darting about here and there) to repack my suitcase and gather myself before I to leave for Jamaica on the 28th! Yey!! Negril is calling out my name!

So, Nigeria is winding down…Jamaica is winding up!