On Saturday morning we met for breakfast at 8.00am, we were all excited as this constituted a late start and we were due a very special treat, a morning off to shop and buy presents for everyone back home. Amadu was our guide and driver so this made it even more special. Alex arranged for us to be taken to the only “tourist” area of Jos which is set in a large park and includes 2 museums, the zoo and a few small shops selling souvenirs, African art and trinkets.
Personally I am not a lover of zoos, but in retrospect I am glad that we went there and the girls wanted to see it, so that ended any concerns on my part. We began our morning off with the visit to the zoo, for the most part the animals were well looked after and had large enclosures. The only exception was a beautiful eagle that was housed in a very small pen. The setting was wonderful and there were several small cafes dotted about where we could relax. At one of the cafes there was a camel, a horse and a donkey, all three animals were allowed to roam freely and they had chosen their base well. At the café they were able to steal or intimidate visitors to part with food, the donkey ate the zoo tickets, stealing them from my pocket! This amused everyone and we realised that these three characters worked as a team, rather like pickpockets in Amsterdam. When we left the café so did they and our tour of the rest of the zoo included 3 extra members. As we walked around our four legged friends got cheekier and closer and just as the camel was about to make serious advances towards Kimi, I discovered a new talent. With a firm command and a finger pointing I instructed the camel to back off and much to our amazement, especially mine he did! I told him to move from our side of the path and he did that too. Our collective response to this surreal situation was to collapse laughing and this scared the horse and the donkey too and they decided to abandon us and harass another group of tourists.
Shopping was next on the agenda, we began with the small shops in the park, and Amadu told us haggling was expected so we ventured forth. The girls don’t need any training in shopping, they are experts and it soon became obvious that they were very skilled at bartering the price down. Next we went out of the secure area of the park and to another row of tourist shops. Here there was more choice and a Fair Trade shop, (no bartering allowed) the prices were very reasonable anyway and we were able to get gifts for family, friends and supporters, plus some special gifts for Tim, Margaret, Peter, Alex and Amadu. We really enjoyed our morning off and had a lot of fun.
In the afternoon Tim took advantage of the opportunity to interview Peter, Margaret and the girls. These interviews figure prominently in the film of our trip. It was busy at the Diocesan Centre; there were 4 weddings at the Church. The water supply and the electricity was back on, the first time since our arrival in Jos so we enjoyed the luxury of warm water and the use of hairdryers and the travelling iron saw it’s second appearance. We were grateful for these amenities because we were invited to Alex’s home for dinner and as well as meeting Alex’s wife, Vivienne whose reputation as a splendid cook was well known another very important guest was to join us. His Grace the Archbishop of Jos had returned from the African Bishops’ Conference and we were finally getting to meet him. It was due to the requests he wrote to the Nigerian government that we received our visas, we owed him a lot and his correspondence with our own Bishop Arthur had helped to forge a stronger link between our two Diocese. John Boateng from CAFOD Jos and his wife also joined us. John had been away for most of our visit so we were very lucky to get to meet him and his wife. He is a very fun loving person and had some entertainment lined up for Kimi, Katie, Megan and Isabella.
The girls show their presentation to Archbishop Ignatius
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Suitably turned out we arrived at Alex’s home. It was very interesting to visit, it is a lovely house that Alex and Vivienne have made their own, the welcome we received was so warm and the wonderful aromas indicated that we were in for a treat. It is impossible to tell what the house is like from the outside as it is completely walled with massive 12 foot high gates. Alex explained that the security is necessary and since our return we have learned why. Jos is a volatile place, in the recent troubles in January, Peter Nanle’s home was set on fire and much of it has been destroyed. His family are safe but the traumas of the troubles between Christian and Muslim are a constant source of worry. Jos lies at the interface of the mainly Christian south and the mainly Muslim north
We had the most amazing meal, it was delicious. The conversation was lively and the whole evening was very informal. The Archbishop is very young and he was able to relate to the girls with ease. He was totally engrossed in their presentation and I wish I could have recorded the discussion that followed. We had gifts for his Grace, as well as some of our centenary memorabilia we took a framed photograph of the girls with Bishop Arthur at the Lord Lieutenant’s Garden Party. He tells me that the photo now sits on his desk. We also took a letter from Bishop Arthur and after reading this the Archbishop told us he hoped to visit Leeds in the near future.
Presenting our gifts and Bishop Arthur’s letter
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It was a great evening
and after Archbishop Ignatius and his secretary left, the girls
learned how to play an excellent mathematical game that is very
popular in Nigeria. John Boateng from CAFOD is an expert player so
they had a good teacher. Kimi and Katie almost beat him but he was
just too skilled for them. With practice though they could be
winners. All too soon it was time to leave; one always has to be
mindful of travelling at night time in Nigeria. Fortunately the route
between the Diocesan Centre and Alex’s home is well lit and we
enjoyed a safe and untroubled journey.
Leaving Nigeria - 13 September
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