Why Nigeria?
Nigeria was our third and final stop on an 11-day adventure to three countries; Latvia, Holland and Nigeria. My brother and I were filming three episodes of our video travel blog called The Globe on Call. As physicians by day and travel junkies by night, The Globe on Call is our attempt to marry the worlds of travel and medicine. Our first episode in Latvia examined alternative Latvian medicine ranging from traditional Latvian sauna therapy to the cutting edge rapid alcohol and heroin detox industry using implanted medications that is drawing people from the world over. In Holland we documented the changing Dutch perception of sex and sex workers and we even had a chance to interview the world famous Folken twins. Our last stop was Nigeria where we investigated the high rate of twinning and had the opportunity to visit the twin capitol of the world, the village of Igbo-Ora.
Nigeria, Twins, the Slave Trade and a Witch Doctor-Part 1: Getting There
A whirlwind 24-hours in Amsterdam was capped off with an early morning wakeup call, and by early we are talking 4AM early! A combination of jet leg, adrenaline and watching election coverage most of the night meant that I was actually already wide awake when the alarm clock went off. After a quick shower and shuttle bus ride to Schipol airport, we were checked in for Lufthansa flight LH1003, the 07:30 departure to Frankfurt Main airport.
Bags checked and security cleared, a short walk had us at gate B17 waiting to board….
D-AIPM, a 1990 built Airbus A320-200 that would fly the 227 miles between AMS and FRA in just 39 minutes. Boarding started on-time and we were soon aboard the 26 1/2 year old Airbus getting settled in for the short hop to Germany.
If AirFleets.net hadn’t spilled this bird’s secret, I wouldn’t have guessed her advanced age. The cabin was clean and well maintained though it was outfitted with those dreadful slimline seats that save the company’s bottomline while wrecking your bottom hind! Ba dum dum! Okay, I won’t quit my day job! Before take-off mom was already dancing with the sandman while Jamil and I mugged for the camera.
We pushed off of gate B17 right on-time and after a short taxi the two CFM engines came to life propelling us into the skies above a sleepy Holland. It’s a beautiful mornin’ ahhhh, I think I’ll go outside a while, an just smile that’s the song that reverberates in my mind anytime I catch the start of a new day from up above. Is it just me? Probably.
Sitting in the emergency exit row meant that we had unlimited leg room and of course one of those topsy turvy windows with the shade that closes up instead of down. The in-flight service on this short hop consisted of only light beverages and I don’t even have to tell you what Dr. I went for. You got it, I had water. Always have to stay hydrated when flying, especially long distances.
Soon we were leveled off and within minutes the engines throttled back as we started our descent into Frankfurt Main airport. As we passed through the final layer of clouds, the chimes indicated our final approach. 39 minutes after lifting off at Schipol, we were touching down in Lufty-land, joining the scores of other planes with cranes on their tails, as we made our way to the gate.
With a three hour layover in Frankfurt, we decided to chill in theLufthansa Senator lounge stuffing our faces with free food and taking advantage of free wifi.
Faces fed and internet surfed, it was time to head to gate B25 where our Airbus A330-300 was waiting to take us to Lagos, Nigeria…..
with continuing service to Malabo, the capitol of Equatorial Guinea. The boarding area for flight LH568 was pretty crowded so in true American fashion I steaked out a spot near the boarding door hoping to beat the inevitable rush when boarding was called. I know, I know, gate lice! Guilty as charged.
D-AIKD, a 2004 built Airbus A330-300 would be doing the honors today of flying the 3,021 miles between Frankfurt and Lagos and she would do it in just under 6 hours (5 hours and 57 minutes to be exact). I spied one of United’s Queen of the Skies in the background preparing to make the long journey back to San-Francisco.
The morning drizzle that greeted us on arrival in Frankfurt continued as the ground crew prepared Siegen for her African journey. Boarding was called right on time and we were soon joining the line of folks headed to Lagos and Malabo. Using our Star Gold status to board early meant that we were some of the first people on the plane, even beating the majority of the Business Class passengers. Unfortunately we were not flying in J today nor…….
were we even flying in Premium Economy. Alas…
our fate today was plain old Y-class but no complaints here. Even in Y-class, being able to travel the world is a blessing that most people don’t experience so I was happy to be there! We were traveling in the last row of the two row mini-Economy cabin, which meant that we got to smell the upgraded Y+ meals and see them stretch out enjoying their extra legroom. But I digress, like I said, plain old Y meals and standard Y seats were good enough for me. Next stop, Nigeria!
The light rain continued as the last of the passengers boarded.
At 11:30AM on the dot, D-AIKD pushed off of the gate as the safety video began. As we slowly made our way to the active runway, I spied the retro livery Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i that was parked next to the SFO bound United 747-400. I love when airlines do these nods to the past.
Lufthansa has one of my favorite flight trackers, I really like following my aircraft in real time as it taxis around the airfield.
After a brief taxi, we lined up on the active runway and the two Rolls Royce Trent’s came to life hurdling us into the soupy skies above Frankfurt.
We slowly climbed over the cloud covered countryside and after a few minutes finally broke through the last layer into a beautiful, clear blue German sky.
As we got leveled off at our initial cruising altitude…
the cabin crew started the beverage service. I know what you’re thinking, really doc, a Coke? Weren’t you just advocating, no preaching the benefits of hydrating with water on long flights and now you’re drinking soda? Okay, just give me a minute to explain. Yes, I had a Coke but in my defense I did have water on the flight from Amsterdam and again in the Senator’s lounge and I had a bottle of water in my carry-on to boot so I’m not a total hypocrite. No, I’m just a man who loves a good Coke. Well, really I’m more of a Pepsi man, but you get the point.
There are so many moments during life at 35,000 feet that just make my day and one of those is just simply gazing out at a beautiful blue sky that seems to stretch endlessly.
Within 90 minutes of take-off, the lunch service started. Okay, here is one of my airplane life hacks. If you put your butter, which 99% of the time is straight out of the refrigerator and hard as rock, on top of your warm entree, by the time you are ready to eat, the butter is soft and easy to spread on your bread. Word of warning, as easy as this hack sounds, there is a fine line between perfection and liquid butter so be careful. Today, I was lucky enough to hit that butter sweet spot, yes!! For my main I opted for the mushroom stuffed ravioli which was pretty solid for an Economy class meal.
After lunch I kicked my shoes off, reclined my seat and alternated between watching a movie and just enjoying the beautiful sites unfolding outside of my window as the gray skies of continental Europe quickly gave way to…
deepening hues of brown and then red. As we cruised along over northern Africa, I managed to get my camera out in time to catch a shot of this aircraft heading northbound. No matter how much I magnify this picture, my 40 year old eyes just can’t figure out the carrier. Any ideas?
The combination of a semi-dark cabin and jet lag conspired against me and I slept for a couple of hours only awakening when the cabin crew started the pre-landing snack service which consisted of a piece of pizza and beverages. And yes, I had water!!! Soon the crew were making their final cabin preparations as we approached Lagos…
flying into an ominous looking cloud that jostled us around a little bit.
The turbulence were short lived though as the skies quickly cleared. With over 2,000 mosques registered in Lagos alone, the blue and white mosque in the distance was the first of many that we would see during our five days exploring the Nigeria. I really started to get excited as we were on short finals. There was the normal excitement that any wanderlust sufferer has reaching a new destination but there was also the excitement of actually being in Nigeria.
My brother and I had recently done a commercial for Ancestry.com and as part of that process we learned that the largest percent of our genetic makeup (30%) actually comes from Nigeria.
Knowing that increased the significance of coming here ten-fold and in a strange way it felt like we were coming home, just after a 200 year hiatus. And just like that, we were in Nigeria!
The sun began to set as we slowly made our way to the terminal where we approached a familiar sight from the other side of the Atlantic. The widget of a Delta Boeing 767-300 recently arrived from Atlanta.
And Lufty made three as we joined this Emirates Boeing 777-300 at the terminal making it’s final preparations to return to Dubai.
Customs and Immigration was chaotic to say the least but with a little patience and about 10 pounds lost in sweat alone, we made it through the gauntlet and officially entered Nigeria.
Here is our proof of life pic as we waited for our guide Confidence to bring the car around. After 12 hours and 3,300 miles we had left the cold of northern Europe behind for the sweltering heat of sub-Saharan Africa.
Thankfully the ride into the city and the Four Points by Sheraton hotel was quick. After a long journey my two favorite things are a nice, hot shower and a comfy bed. Get your minds out of the gutter folks, there will be no shower pics here! Just take my word for it, a shower was definitely had before I sank into a deep sleep.
DAY 1-CHECKING OUT LAGOS:
If you want to read the complete part 2 including all pics and vids from Lagos, Badagry, the Point of No Return and Igbo-Ora, click here:
Nigeria-Twinning and the Slave Trade (Part 2-Exploring Nigeria) - TwinDoctorsTV.com
If the highlights are good enough, keep on scrolling...
The next morning we were up and out nice and early and the day 1 agenda was simply to explore Lagos. I thought that this sign was a bit ironic if not timely given the subject matter of the movie Birth of a Nation and the fact that we were in Nigeria where according to Ancestry.com, the majority of our slave ancestors originated.
Our first stop was the Mekki market a huge open air market a short drive from the center of Lagos.
The Mekki market is frequented by locals and visitors alike and apparently had everything from fresh food and produce to to clothing, sculptures and handicrafts. True confession, my brother is a bit of a sculpture, painting and antiques junkie. This meant that his was in hog heaven as he made multiple purchases that would unfortunately never make it home (more on that later).
While Jamil indulged in a little bit retail therapy, I decided to explore the neighborhood surrounding the market. After more than an hour of shopping for Jamil and exploring for me, we rendezvoused at the car.
It’s funny how people’s reality can truly feel like they are a world away when you learn about them from the comfort of your armchair. This sign was a stark reminder that the recent Ebola epidemic wasn’t a world away for a whole lot of people.
Our next stop was at a huge art store, whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment. Apparently it was quitting time as huge groups of people poured out of the nearby businesses to board buses to the center of the city.
The artwork in the store was absolutely phenomenal but the prices were a bit out of my range, I a feeling we were given the “rich” Americans price. Oh well, at least I can admire my pictures of the artwork and that costs me nothing.
After my brother indulged in a bit more retail therapy, we decided to call it a day and head back to the Four Points. After hours of walking, most of it in the hot sun, it was time for the gym, a shower and an early bedtime. Tomorrow we were heading out for a three day road trip so a little rest was a must.
BABCOCK UNIVERSITY AND THE BADAGRY SLAVE VILLAGE:
If you want to read the complete part 2 including all pics and vids from Lagos, Badagry, the Point of No Return and Igbo-Ora, click here:
Nigeria-Twinning and the Slave Trade (Part 2-Exploring Nigeria) - TwinDoctorsTV.com
If the highlights are good enough, keep on scrolling...
The next morning again started bright and early when Confidence and his brother came in a black Ford Explorer to pick us up. The road trip was officially on and our first stop was Ikenne, Nigeria and Babcock University and specifically the Benjamin S Carson school of medicine. Yes, that Benjamin S. Carson. We went to the medical school to interview three high risk OB/GYN specialists about the phenomenon of twinning in Nigeria and specifically why Nigeria has such a high rate of twins.
Until recently Nigeria wore the crown for the country with the highest rate of twins. I say until recently because a few years ago Benin took that crown but Nigeria is still a solid
#2 with a rate that is more twice that of the US.
You can check out our episode of The Globe on Call here that include our discussion with the good doctors.
After our interview with the good doctors, we took a tour of the medical school and the hospital. The medical school and campus facilities were nice but I couldn’t help but to notice the huge disparity between healthcare in the so called developed and developing worlds.
The clinics were understandably packed given the volume of patients they see. All of the high risk patients from the smaller towns and villages come to Babcock university for their higher level of care.
Unfortunately Nigeria has not escaped the explosive HIV and AIDS epidemic that continues to cripple much of sub-Saharan African. In fact, Nigeria has the second highest HIV rate in the world with a little more than 3% of 15-49 year olds being infected.
The hospital appeared to be just as busy as the clinics and while the infra-structure was definitely light years ahead of what patients would receive in the more rural areas, there is again a huge disparity between the facilities here and the facilities in places like the US and Europe.
As if on cue, just as our guides told us about some of their challenges including frequent blackouts, a blackout occurred plunging the Emergency Room into near darkness. Most folks didn’t blink an eye or skip a beat.
The hospital wards were not air conditioned and with multiple beds to a room must definitely be tight quarters when full of patients.
Now what type of OB/GYN’s would we be if we didn’t check out the Labor and Delivery ward?
Before we left we had to checkout the operating room or as the British and those with colonial British influence would call it, the operating theatre.
After scrubbing and giving the thumbs up for the camera,…
it was time to explore the operating room. Now this felt more familiar. Having spent many a long day and sleepless night under those sweltering OR lights, place like this quickly feel like home.
Where is Blue Cross/Blue Shield or the NHS when you need them?
Soon we were back in the Nigerian sunshine, taking in the last sights of Babcock University while we waited for Confidence and the Ford Explorer to return.
BADAGRY SLAVE VILLAGE AND THE POINT OF NO RETURN:
If you want to read the complete part 2 including all pics and vids from Lagos, Badagry, the Point of No Return and Igbo-Ora, click here:
Nigeria-Twinning and the Slave Trade (Part 2-Exploring Nigeria) - TwinDoctorsTV.com
If the highlights are good enough, keep on scrolling...
And on that note we hopped in the Explorer and kept heading north towards Badagry and the Badagry Slave Village and Museum.
Badagry was one of the first slave ports in west Africa and many of the slaves that ultimately ended up in the Caribbean and the Americas passed through Badagry. Though Badagry feels like a sleepy little town now I can only imagine the immense suffering that permeated this place for so many years.
Our first stop was the Badagry Slave Museum where…
the local guide showed us the small cells where up to 40 slaves would be housed awaiting transport to the boat dock. Imagine the misery of 40 human beings packed into one 4 foot X 4 foot cell with just a single window in the sweltering heat of sub-Saharan Africa.
The slaves were kept immobile with shackles like these and…
silent with masks like these.
With 40 slaves to a cell, at full capacity this village housed 1,600 slaves in waiting.
When the time for transport came, the slaves would be shackled to one another with neck chains and…
ankle chains.
And so we followed the same path so many of our ancestors were forced to take which started with a slow walk to the water’s edge where a tiny boat waited for us. I’ve already admitted in past trip reports that my list of phobias is probably longer than the list of things that don’t scare me. Well, water and by extension rickety boats on the water, are on that list of things that I just don’t like.
As we approached the water’s edge, I threw caution to the wind and hopped into the boat (and by hopped I mean very, very carefully inched my way into the boat hoping to not feel it move, not even a little bit). Thankfully the seas were fairly calm that day and the journey to the other side…
only took about ten sweaty palmed and slightly nauseaous minutes. We were now on Gberefu island, the last piece of African land that hundreds of thousands of slaves ever set sight upon. The scenery was beautiful but the air as definitely thick and heavy with despair.
As we slowly retraced the steps of so many of our forefathers, the sign said it all.
Halfway along the path is The Attenuation Well. The water in this well was said to have been poisoned with sedatives that would ensure the cooperation of the slaves for the last mile or so of their march to oppression.
And this was it, the Point of No Return. This is where the journey to that unknown destination of tears, pain and for many death truly began.
Walking that path to The Point go No Return.
The physical beauty of this location really served as a stark contrast to it’s vile past.
Because of the sacrifice of our ancestors, we were able to walk back from The Point of No Return.
And yes, even here, there is a tiny souvenir shop. Haha, gotta love the free market!
And I couldn’t help myself, I had to be that selfie taking American tourist. Luckily, no one else was around to see this shameful scene, well, except for the cow and he ain’t talkin’.
This cute little boy from the nearby village kept following us around. Too bad we had a language barrier.
We reached the waterside just as another boat arrived with and with that, we were off! Our next stop was Igbo-Ora, aka the Twin Capitol of the World.
DAYS 3 AND 4 IGBO-ORA, THE "TWIN CAPITOL OF THE WORLD":
If you want to read the complete part 2 including all pics and vids from Lagos, Badagry, the Point of No Return and Igbo-Ora, click here:
Nigeria-Twinning and the Slave Trade (Part 2-Exploring Nigeria) - TwinDoctorsTV.com
If the highlights are good enough, keep on scrolling...
The journey to Igbo-Ora took hours as we passed through smaller cities and towns and…
police check points. I think these police check points were as much about bribes as they were security. By the time we got to this check point our driver had reached his limit. As soon as the good officer asked for a bribe our frustrated driver pealed away which prompted the officer to raise and point his gun. At that point I’m pretty sure I pee’ed my pants, just a bit.
We finally arrived Igbo-Ora in the late afternoon and…
went directly to our rooming house. This was unfortunately the only game in town and lets just say the Hilton it was not. One very sleepless night later, it was time to hit the town and start filming.
Our first stop was the clinic of a traditional medicine man who would not share his proprietary herbal blends but…
he was more than willing to tell us about his decades of caring for mothers and new babies including this set of twins he recently helped to deliver. As to why Nigeria has so many twins? He believes it is a combination of cassava and local herbs.
As stark as the contrast was between the facilities that I am used to and those at Babcock University, the contrast between this village birthing center and anything that I ever seen was truly like night and day. Here we had the opportunity to meet another new mom who, you guessed it, had recently given birth to twins!
Igbo-Ora is still blessed that it has birthing centers no matter how rudimentary, but I still could not help but feel guilty about the chasm in medical care that people receive based simply upon where they are born. We were lucky enough to be invited to a traditional baby naming ceremony, so after leaving the village birthing center, our next stop was a small home packed with well wishers lavishing money and blessing upon one of the communities newest additions.
True enough I don’t speak a word of Igbo but taking in the scene, I got the vibe. Check it out for yourself and tell me what you think.
Now, our mission was to figure out why Nigeria has such a high rate of twinning and there was no way that we could leave Igbo-Ora before visiting the local Witch Doctor. Now before you chastise me, I actually had some consternation about using the term Witch Doctor myself, but I was told that this is not considered a slur so yeah, we went to ask the Witch Doctor for his opinion about the cause of Nigeria’s high rate of twinning.
Before giving his answer, the Witch Doctor actually held a quick naming ceremony for us and then he consulted the oracle with the question. His answer was simple, Nigeria has such a high rate of twinning because the oracle deemed it to be. These were the tools that he used to communicate with the oracle.
Now, there was no way that we could leave Igbo-Ora with exploring the town a little bit and of course without getting our grooves on.
Let me tell you, there is no party like a post-naming ceremony party in Igbo-Ora. The dancing went on well after sunset and they didn’t even mind the strange but familiar looking guys from America joining in.
And party we did until our little feet couldn’t party anymore. Soon it was time to turn in for one last night in Igbo-Ora before setting out for Lagos early the next morning.
I have to admit that a small part of me fell in love with Igbo-Ora. I can’t pretend that I could live in a world without wifi and central air conditioning but I can appreciate the beauty of a slower pace and a very community oriented way of life. Family seems to play a huge role in Igbo-Ora life from the cradle to…
the grave. Even in death, loved ones tend to remain with their families.
And even in Igbo-Ora, Sundays are made for housework.
As we left town we stopped to take a picture next to the sign bidding everyone a “Goodbye” from Igbo-Ora, the home of twins when…
an armed Army solider walked over to us and asked to take a picture.
The ride back to Lagos took close to five hours and by the time we arrived the Four Points, I was ready to take a quick shower and fall into bed. Tomorrow we were heading back home to Chicago via Frankfurt.
Flights home continued below due to post picture limit....