Ado - Ekiti

I made my first attempt at travelling last weekend with a friend to his parents house in Ado (Ekiti State). Travelling was amusing, interesting, though I wouldn't say entirely enjoyable.

We caught a couple of buses that are basically like extended panel vans that squeeze about 20 people. There were not designed for somewhat lanky white men like myself, but it was only a couple of hours so it was fine. Only problem was we got caught in a heavy thunderstorm. This brought a couple trees down on the road and a massive accident resulted. So for an hour or so we were stuck in the middle of a standstill while injured people were carried to cars, semi-naked men argued in the rain, and all 18 passengers on my bus (ok everyone but me) yelled at the driver to do something (though plainly he couldn't move forward backward or do anything really).

The conductor also had a fine time compensating for the bus's lack of completeness. There was no window on the sliding door, so when it started raining heavily he was forced to stick his back up to the open space to stop the water saturating the (paying) passengers.

My second bus that evening broke down, however it wasn't far from our destination so we arrived safe and sound. We did nothing all weekend but eat and sleep. Also ate another couple of snails, this time they were bigger than my fist.


My friend is actually a prince. But that doesn't necessary mean a lot because i'm sure he's one of several hundred in his family alone. His grandfather, the former king (Ewi of Ado-Ekiti) had 18 wives and 72 children. Not quite as good as his great-grandfather who had 57 wives. Anyways I read the grandfather's autobiography which was very enlightening on the matter of royal custom and polygamy.

Generally an enjoyable time.