A Therapeutic (Picture) Journey Out Of Lagos State, Nigeria.
I recently visited Ekiti state in Nigeria with my cousin and an uncle, it was the perfect distraction I needed to get off the brooding and worry about my health situation. I left Lagos state in the wee hours and got to the state just after noon. It was a five-hour, thirty-minute drive, and before going I took the time to go on some regimen, some sort of supplements to actually help me add some weight.
After 4 to 5 days I added some weight, even if I had previously lost a lot of weight, it was still better than when I got my diagnosis and went into this mental spiral. One of the most noticeable things was how good the air was when our chauffeur was leaving Lagos.
Lagos is known to be congested with air pollution and immediately we left the borders, the air felt cleaner and I had never felt so good in a long time. Our chauffeur charged a lot of money though, but being a professional, he knew the road like the back of his hands and he delivered more than we expected.
The car was in good condition, and at one point in time, he had to put on the air conditioner of the car because it was getting extremely hot, and at one point almost everyone found it difficult to breathe.
One good thing about the road to this place was that it felt refreshing to see a different place away from the fumes and lethargy of Lagos state. The sun felt different and not seeing houses clustered everywhere felt good.
We had to stop to buy gas for the car and I was on hand to take some pictures. I cannot say it's some of my finest shots, but pictures are pictures and sometimes, we don't even need them to be perfect to tell a story.
We stopped at a stall to buy drinks, wine and all. Since I'm not a drinker, my cousin, uncle, and the driver took their fill of alcohol and all, I couldn't even take the sugary beverages (I might not take them again for life) I wasn't sad, I just felt lonely in my sadness. It was the same for some of the food I could have eaten, but I couldn't because of my new diagnosis.
We bought some drinks for the people we were going to see, and we headed back to the city area, where I took some pictures.
Of course, I haven't shared pictures of when I got to the place (my cousin has them), and someday, (God willing) I'll share them.
We came back home the same day, approximately spending twelve hours on the road.
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There is this different air you feel when you leave a congested location like Lagos to another place like Ekiti where you went to. I have been to Ekiti for the first time and while on bike with my sis because we went on a vacation to Ikogosi spring, we felt this natural and fresh air, we knew we needed some place like that. I believe you had a nice trip. I even thought you travelled for the festive season but reading you went and returned the same day, guess you just paid them a visit and back to the bustling and hustling city of Lagos.
Those are nice pictures that tell a story.
I didn't explore, it was just a one time visit, it was a chaffeur, because I couldn't take the stress of going in a public transportation and my relatives wanted to return the same day too because of their businesses, but we spent time there and returned to Lagos by midnight. I didn't even know ikogosi was in Ekiti, it's a proof that I didn't really see much.
That's good thing too. Yes, Ikogosi is in Ekiti State. You might want to visit there someday too.
Someday, God willing.
Good to see you’re getting yourself busy, man. This looks like fun.
I feel like I get the part where you talked about the air feeling cleaner as you left your city. I might’ve experienced something like that too when I went to Accra - which is actually surprising cos you’d expect the opposite, given that Accra has more factories, industries and cars than my small city in the North.
I was about to say “isn’t Princess Busayo from Ekiti?”. But seeing her reply, I guess that would’ve been wrong.
Well the air in Lagos is just about congested as you know. The fumes and the factory, the nose and all the pollution. To be very honest it feels terrible. But leaving the city, it felt refreshing. One thing helped, I took a chaffeur and because of this I was able to really relax while checking the views. I'm back to Lagos again and it feels terrible. Anyways I thought the village was supposed to smell cleaner than the cities?
As for Busayo, I think she says she visits often
Lol how you all cope with this your Lagos baffles me till now, I came in a few days for a visit and I had to automatically become 10 times smarter and agile😂😂😂 Likeeee how do you all do it?
I’m glad you had to take a day off this busy place. Happy New Year Jose❤️
Thank you. Well, I'm lived here all my life, if I had a choice I'd change everything, but unfortunately it's what it is. I feel like Lagos contributed to my frail health.
Happy new year as well, thank you.
The journey looks exciting and it is the perfect distraction you need. I am very happy you are exploring and you spending time with your family
They're extended family, but it was good they accompanied me on that journey. I'm back to Lagos now, worrying and being stressed about my health and how to go
I have never visited any of the African countries. I am motivated to do it right now.
Well we have our nice places here, but it's not a place where you can afford to have health complications. But, generally places like where I visited was nice.
I don't think I've ever been to a place so far away that I have to return the same day, here the roads are dangerous and it is not recommended to travel at night, it would have been great to stay one more day enjoying the clean and fresh air.
It's about 12 hours by car to and fro. So we spent 12 hours on the road, it's not quite dangerous, just hectic and challenging.
It is good to know that you have added weight within a few days
I think leaving your environment worked better for you
You can do more of that till you’re settled
Yes it was different, thank you
I think the movement out of Lagos and experiencing a different environment is great and well refreshing. The journey looks nice and fun.
I can relate a bit to congestion and air pollution of Lagos city whenever I visit the capital city. Sometimes, it makes me dizzy and I find it hard to breathe properly.
The journey was fun I can tell you. It was refreshing for me, I had to leave the City and leaving that means leaving my worry behind for a minute. It was suffocating me and it became really hard for me.
It gladdens my heart to see you go in this journey, it shows that you are healing and knowing for a fact that you add weight gave me joy too. Happy new year, Jose
It's not like I'm healing, I took that because I was necessary, and that was why my extended family came with me, but then it was the perfect thing I needed for my anxiety and state.
Can't wait to see the pictures of the lake itself! It does suck that you can't drink the old sugary stuff, I avoid it too. Too much straight sugar raises inflammation in my body and one of my joints starts to hurt. Good old COVID vaccine, the gift that keeps on giving. It's nice to get out of the house and get your mind on other things than your health. Sometimes I don't feel like going out as much because I just don't have the energy I used too anymore.
How are you feeling today?
Yeah, although, I manage to take them Maybe once in a month or maybe twice in four months, but nothing more, avoiding salt and so many other things too.
I'm sorry, I also do not have that much energy, but I needed to go to this one. It was why I got a private car, because I couldn't afford to do all the stress of a public transportation. Hopefully you'll get the energy from time to time. It's not easy
It definitely feels different outside of a city. I am also glad that you are feeling better and I think the change was a nice thing to have. I have been in the city alot and I really should go out traveling outside in nature some more.
I cannot completely say I'm feeling better, this is a lifelong health condition, managing the complications can come in handy and can be very difficult too. But I'm not the same as I was mentally, some weeks back.