Abuja

The first few days was all about form filling and general admin, trying to open bank accounts and opening the magical brown envelope which in London we were told under no circumstances-except -on-pain-of death should we open., to which the Nigerian vso office’s reply was “yeah yeah, it is fine to open, you can open it”.

I remained in Abuja for the whole week, but I have been staying between Crystal palace hotel (“the Buckingham palace of Abuja”) and the VSO flat, which doesn’t have internet (hence no updates). Crystal palace is quite nice and has free internet, aircon and flushing toilets.

The big event was going to see a Nigeria match in the u17 world cup which is being held in Abuja at the moment, they were playing Honduras. It was everything expect from a African football match, loud music, loud enthusiastic support and a sweaty close heat which resulted in my glasses steaming up anytime i became at all excited. There were some familiar points, queues for toilets and dodgy unidentifiable meat products which would have made cut my own throat dibbler proud. In the toilets most of the queue was caused by people trying to use the hand wash area as a free rare chance to bathe in running water. As for the food, I thought I had a sausage roll, made from the pinky look of it, as if it was either pork or the kind of beef which makes up new York “Kosher” hotdogs, it turned out it was made of fish... yuk.

I have been to the British council offices (no spies seen as yet) and the British village. The main reason to go to the British council offices (apart from free email access) is the rooftop cafe, where we can spend 3 days pay on a beer and a pizza. Abuja is actually very low rise in the most part, so you need to sit a couple of floors up to see most of the city. From the breezy rooftop you could almost be anywhere in the world (which has palm trees). Luckily we were with David’s (my current volunteer guide) friends who work at the Irish embassy and they insisted on paying for our shwarma and giving us half their pizza (made with real cheese). I’m sure in a couple of months this act of kindness would bring tears to my eyes.

The British village is little oasis of tranquillity where the embassy staff live. Luckily it is open to vso’s to use the pool and bar. After the obligatory quick dip in the longest pool I have swam in for years (~25m), we mainly used the visit to play monopoly and eat pizza (1800N - £7 - 2 days pay). A bunch of penniless volunteers in the most expensive surroundings in town, playing a quintessential British board game was brilliant (plus I won, although I think people now realise I am slightly prone to bouts of competitiveness).

The British village is only a short walk on from the British council building, as such only a 20min walk from the Vso flat. Sunscreen would have been a great idea, even a hat would have sufficed, I used neither, I was quite red. Comfortingly every volunteer has a story of being really burnt, even the ones who have been here for years and should know better.

Also after a strict diet of pizza and top end shwarma my insides have resumed normal service. This may be due a switch away from the Crystal palace omni-buffet* or all the bacteria in my gut have regrouped and developed a resistance to doxycycline.

*omni-buffet – a buffet which serves the same food all day, every day, “hey that’s the same bit of goat meat I didn’t want at lunch” mmmm healthy.