December 24th – Christmas Eve in Calabar
Good day, December 24th. Christmas Eve. With the intention of leaving Calabar tomorrow, on Christmas Day, and making my way to Ekok in Cameroon, this felt like a good day to slow down a bit. The plan is to arrive there early, spend one day, and then join the convoy on Saturday, which I’m told is necessary for security reasons.
Because of that, I decided this would be a good day to walk around Calabar, at least for part of the time.
A Walk Toward Marina Beach
I opted to walk to Marina Beach, which seemed like it might have a few interesting things to see. As it turned out, the most interesting part was the history. The roads were well maintained, and there was a good path the whole way. At times, it even felt like I was walking through a park.
When I arrived at Marina Beach—although there really isn’t a beach at all, just water—I paid 500 naira to enter the grounds. Inside, there was a video game place, though I didn’t look into whether that required another fee since I wasn’t interested.
The Slavery Museum
There was also a slavery museum, which required another 4,000 naira. It felt like the right thing to do. As it turned out, I wasn’t the only visitor.
There were four kids there, American-born with Nigerian parents. They live in Las Vegas and go to school there, and at the moment they’re staying with their mom in Nigeria for a couple of months. It was an interesting encounter.
We went through the exhibit together with a guide, who talked constantly. I didn’t understand everything she said, but I picked up plenty of important details. One thing that really stood out was learning how, even after slavery was officially abolished, some local tribes continued to use slavery as a way to get labor. They would battle other tribes to capture people and force them to work.
When you really dig into that history, it’s mind-blowing. I’m grateful that it’s no longer an open part of the world—at least not in the obvious sense, though some traces may still exist.
Lights, Music, and the Walk Back
After that, I wandered into a large city park that had been fully dressed up for an evening event. By dressed up, I mean endless lights, loud sound systems, and a tower that constantly changed colors.
I didn’t dig too deeply into what the event was about, but I took it in long enough to snap a few photos. All of this, of course, took place after dark.
That meant walking back in the dark, which was entirely my choice. There were plenty of transportation options—small blue-and-white buses and vans constantly roaming the city—but I opted not to deal with that and just kept walking.
Rain, Food, and Calling It a Day
I eventually made it back to my place, but I still wanted to eat something small. I hadn’t used the hotel restaurant yet, aside from the breakfast served in the room, so I went down just as a few drops of rain started falling.
Once I was inside, it turned into a full-on downpour. I ordered a funga, which was listed under soups. I had no idea what I was going to get, but I just wanted something light.
These things take time to prepare, and in the meantime, the place revealed itself to be more of a bar—very loud music, two DJs, and even a pool table. My ears didn’t love it, but I stayed.
The funga turned out to be more like a vegetable dish with some meat in it. No rice, just vegetables—exactly what I wanted, something to fill me up without overdoing it.
By the time the rain stopped, I was already where I needed to be. No problem getting back to the room.
These things just happen. Life happens if you let it. Thanks for being along on this.
