₦airaland Forum

Arry110:
Their Jollof is mid, the veggies are not chopped and put as whole or in large chunks, the rice is always half done.

I’ve been to Ghana several times and theirs is way way better

Indeed, the Jollof rice recipe which is originally of the Jolof ethnic group of Senegambia (Senegal and Gambia) is usually served in very wide trays and a lot of people (both males and females) eat communally together from the same wide trays. They usually don't eat their ubiquitous Jollof rice alone as that's NOT their culture. Just to add, "Wolof" is the name of the language spoken by the "Jolof" ethnic group of Senegambia. The "Benachim" (the Wolof name of their Jollof rice) usually contains cabbages, garden eggs and/or aubergines, carrots, lemons, bay leaf, crabs and other seafoods, and it can be quite tasty. Nothing beats my favorite slightly peppery, aromatic and slightly burned at the bottom of the pot "Smokey Party Jollof rice" recipe which evolved many decades ago from the weekly party scenes (Owanbe parties) of folks from the West of Nigeria.

Even in Nigeria, there are up to 5 different recipes of Jollof rice which I'm aware of and there could be more based off of regional Nigerian cuisine differences... so Jollof rice isn't a monolithic recipe.

Arry110:
Landed Abidjan, I have a 17 hour layover so I’d be leaving the airport
Immigration was the smoothest I’ve ever experienced in an African country, it’s even smoother than leaving Nigeria.

Got a taxi and headed to my apartment

This brings back memories for me. I first visited the very neat, beautiful and well-planned city of Abidjan in 1988 via a Nigeria Airways Airbus A310 from MMIA, Lagos, enroute the Kotoka Airport in Accra, Ghana before we landec in the nearby Abidjan. I stayed at the prestigious Hotel Ivoire in the serene Cocody District of Abidjan. The Felix Houphoet Boigny International Airport had not yet been reconstructed but the wide boulevards leading from the international airport were amazing. Over 3 million Nigerians especially from the Yoruba-speaking Western and Middle Belt parts of Nigeria (especially Osun and Oyo States and Middle Belt Kwara State) have lived in Cote D'Ivoire for over 100 years doing long-distance trading or international business and working there (some even acquired Ivorian citizenships) while shuttling between nearby Ghana which shares cultural and linguistic associations with the Baole (Eastern Ivorians) who are also an Akan group like the rest of the Akans in Ghana. This is why the word "akwaba" is also used for greetings in Abidjan just like in Ghana.

Abidjan and indeed Cote D'Ivoire (despite undergoing two Civil Wars in the past) are places that any tourist would want to visit again and again. Care MUST be taken though by new visitors as foreign jihadist and terrorist kidnappings for ransom and robberies have taken place in the North of Cote D'Ivoire.

AlphaTaikun:
This brings back memories for me. I first visited the very neat, beautiful and well-planned city of Abidjan in 1988 by a Nigeria Airways Airbus A310 from MMIA, Lagos, enroute the Kotoka Airport in Accra, Ghana before landing in Abidjan. I stayed at the then Hotel I'voire in the serene Cocody District. The Felix Houphoet Boigny International Airport had not yet been reconstructed but the wide boulevards leading from the international airport were amazing. Over 3 million Nigerians especially from the Yoruba-speaking Western and Middle Belt parts of Nigeria (especially Osun and Oyo States and Middle Belt Kwara State) have lived in Cote D'Ivoire for over 100 years doing long-distance trading or international business and working there (some even acquired Ivorian citizenships) while shuttling between nearby Ghana which shares cultural and linguistic associations with the Baole (Eastern Ivorians) who are also an Akan group. This is why the word "akwaba" is also used for greetings in Abidjan just like in Ghana.

Abidjan and indeed Cote D'Ivoire are places that any tourist would want to visit again and again. Care MUST be taken though by new visitors as foreign jihadist and terrorist kidnappings for ransom and robberies have taken place in the North of Cote D'Ivoire.

that’s really nice, time flies

[quote author=AlphaTaikun post=140456877]This brings back memories for me. I first visited the very neat, beautiful and well-planned city of Abidjan in 1988 by a Nigeria Airways Airbus A310 from MMIA, Lagos, enroute the Kotoka Airport in Accra, Ghana before landing in Abidjan. I stayed at the then Hotel I'voire in the serene Cocody District. The Felix Houphoet Boigny International Airport had not yet been reconstructed but the wide boulevards leading from the international airport were amazing. Over 3 million Nigerians especially from the Yoruba-speaking Western and Middle Belt parts of Nigeria (especially Osun and Oyo States and Middle Belt Kwara State) have lived in Cote D'Ivoire for over 100 years doing long-distance trading or international business and working there (some even acquired Ivorian citizenships) while shuttling between nearby Ghana which shares cultural and linguistic associations with the Baole (Eastern Ivorians) who are also an Akan group. This is why the word "akwaba" is also used for greetings in Abidjan just like in Ghana.

Abidjan and indeed Cote D'Ivoire are places that any tourist would want to visit again and again. Care MUST be taken though by new visitors as foreign jihadist and terrorist kidnappings for ransom and robberies have taken place in the North of Cote D'Ivoire. [/quote
Abaa,fear God, u don go copy paste someone message and add your own. Why some Nigerians like self deception and deceit. What would u gain from all this lies man

Dadzynomolara:
Abaa...

@ Dadzynomolara

I beg your pardon? Are you aware that I'm a responsible, well-traveled older man here and have been a member of this NL discussion forum for 21 years now (since 2005) with 2 older NL account registered in 2005 and 2008? It's because of the erratic spam bot that I started using this current moniker more than the other older monikers. I remember your moniker very well and both of us had a brief and very friendly convo on that Ghana travel thread that hit the NL front page last year and you even commended me for knowing about Ghanaian music and culture. You MUST learn to be less impulsive and accusatory when responding to other people's posts online and guide against FALSE accusations next time on a public discussion forum.

You owe me an instant apology here and now... And please DELETE that false copy-and-paste accusation you made on this thread.

Arry110:
Got road side groundnut, their portions are actually small

Those paper cones are they are for the boiled groundnuts or there's something else in them ?

doggedfighter:
Those paper cones are they are for the boiled groundnuts or there's something else in them ?

the put the groundnuts inside for customers, they don’t use nylons

Arry110:
the put the groundnuts inside for customers, they don’t use nylons

Must be really small.

doggedfighter:
Must be really small.

very very small

Arry110:
very very small

What adventures do you have lined up for today ?

doggedfighter:
What adventures do you have lined up for today ?

I came back yesterday, Ive been trying to upload pictures but I’m getting errors

.

Arry110:
I came back yesterday, Ive been trying to upload pictures but I’m getting errors

Oh
You're back to Naija
Good

Give sometime.

Arry110:
.

OP

Wagwan?

I hope all is wella, u didn't update us about what happened in Senegal?

I guess u re busy with business, but still try talk make we learn

Shalom

Wadoboy:
OP

Wagwan?

I hope all is wella, u didn't update us about what happened in Senegal?

I guess u re busy with business, but still try talk make we learn

Shalom

sorry it skipped my mind totally,it’s been a lot with school and work after I got back, tried rounding this up sef but I was unable to upload pictures.
The situation in Senegal was terrible, I’ve been to over 10 countries in Africa and Senegal immigrantion was hands down the worst experience ever, they tried to extort me and other Nigerians anytime we landed and the worst part was that it was the point I chose for the take off, of my journey. I was in Senegal 3 times that’s August, went to Gambia, Cape Verde and Ivory Coast all directly from Senegal, surprisingly the only place I escaped harrasment was the land borders

1st time I landed Senegal from Cotonou, the immigration man asked me for 50 dollars for stamping, he was so authoritative, even countries that are visa free for Nigerians ask for airport tax sometimes, silly me assumed this was one of those moments, I gave him a 100 dollar bill as I didn’t have change, he told me he didn’t have change that I should go, with annoyance on my face I refused and told him to give me the money back that I had change, that was when I gave him 40 pounds I had, tucked in my passport wallet, even after I passed passport control, at the corridor there - there’s another immigration guy wey de like gym bro, he’s asking everybody for their passport which was unnecessary as we were already cleared immigration, the man will hold your Nigerian passport and ask you to go and retrieve your luggage and come back to his desk near passport control- if I be jjc I go come de fear na, he begged for money and I insisted I didn’t have- they let me go after I stood for like 20 mins, I’m sure that 20mins they expected me to beg and negotiate but I just stood their like a mannequin.
It’s a pity that their airport is ran that way.

Both times I flew into Senegal was one harrasment or humiliation or the other, but fortunately or unfortunately as someone who has travelled for a while I’m used to it, being forced to take tablets at immigration because of my country of origin - I don do am, been singled out and had my hands and mouth swabbed - I don experience am, they even took my urine last time I visited China.
So it’s not a new thing
It’s just a different feeling and disappointing when it’s done by someone that has my skin color and kinky hair, while they’d never do it to white people that visit Africa who would even hid weed in Vaseline jars. It’s well.

Entering Nigeria from Seme I was harassed too, I even did an audio recording with my Apple Watch of the whole encounter, they delayed me for an hour, searched my bags and cloths thoroughly- according to the immigration man he said I was rude, lmao

They started from what I did for a living, they said the tomato paste in my bag was suspicious, even the chocolates I got for my friends (the man sat and googled all the ingredients, he wanted to rope me by all means), said my travel patterns was suspicious too, that I’ve been to high risk areas for drug smugglers (story o), it was a very long situation.

After dem free me, I reach Lagos, police still harrass me for mile 2 so o

The harrasment at senegal airport even shocked the airline staffs when I told then that the guy at immigration denied my exit when I was leaving to Cape Verde, he claimed my apartment booking was in soft copy and insisted I give him 20 dollars to let me go, I refused and he held unto my passport
The airline staffs were furious abd sympathetic when I told them, the printed my hotel reservation for me from their printer and and told me to not hesitate to tell them if those immigration men harrass me again, they were furious and wanted to get confrontational with the immigration man, I begged them not to say anything ( because I knew I was still coming back to Senegal before I finally leave from there.
After I presented my printed documents at immigration as the officer insisted , he still insisted I must give him 10 dollars (no longer 20) I just obliged because the whole issues chop almost 2 hours from my time already,
During boarding the airline staffs saw me and asked how it went, I told them the man still insisted and I had to pay him, their smile instantly faded, one hissed and said I was foolish for giving him money, they were very disappointed - but them no go understand, no be my country, I no fit chance anybody

Senegal would take the crown for the least favorite place I’ve been to, corrupt immigration, very expensive place, immigration is the first experience you have in a country and constantly having a bad experience has the power to ruin your entire trip and the memory of the country,

I was singled out from the check-in queue and searched in Cotonou too, I didn’t see it as much even though it was annoying, I experience the same in Nigeria too,

It’s unfortunate this country is anti-young people, I used to have a car since uni, sold it for my peace of mind in February and I’ve had little peace since then, I climb buses now, at least police no really de harass me again, I won’t have to call my people randomly on the road that police is harassing me again and that they should speak to them and let me go.
Once they see young person in this country, na yahoo yahoo, yahoo. They’d ask what you do for a living, when you tell them they’d call you liar. It’s messed up. They forget few people come from well-to-do families in some cases.

I’m doing my masters and had a presentation this afternoon, one of the supervisors jokingly asked “if I de press”, the question just weak me, I no know how person go do for this our country

Arry110:
sorry it skipped my mind totally,it’s been a lot with school and work after I got back, tried rounding this up sef but I was unable to upload pictures.
The situation in Senegal was terrible, I’ve been to over 10 countries in Africa and Senegal immigrantion was hands down the worst experience ever, they tried to extort me and other Nigerians anytime we landed and the worst part was that it was the point I chose for the take off, of my journey. I was in Senegal 3 times that’s August, went to Gambia, Cape Verde and Ivory Coast all directly from Senegal, surprisingly the only place I was escaped harrasment was the land borders

1st time I landed Senegal from Cotonou, the immigration man asked me for 50 dollars for stamping, he was so authoritative, even countries that are visa free for Nigerians ask for airport tax sometimes, silly me assumed this was one of those moments, I gave him a 100 dollar bill as I didn’t have change, he told me he didn’t have change that I should go, with annoyance on my face I refused and told him to give me the money back that I had change, that’s when I gave him 40 pounds I had tucked in my passport wallet, even after I passed passport control, at the corridor there - there’s another immigration guy wey de like gym bro, he’s asking everybody for their passport with was unnecessary as we were already cleared immigration, the man will hold your Nigerian passport and ask you to go and retrieve your luggage and come back to his desk near passport control- if I be jjc I go come de fear na, he begged for money and I insisted I didn’t have- they let me go after I stood for like 20 mins, I’m sure that 20mins they expected me to beg and negotiate but I just stood their like a mannequin.
It’s a pity that their airport is ran that way.

Sorry about your ordeal. It's a big shame Senegal is using their airport for frivolities and systematic fraud

I guess other Nigerians will learn a thing or two from your narration


Shalom

Arry110: ....as someone who has travelled for a while I’m used to it, being forced to take tablets at immigration because of my country of origin - I don do am, been singled out and had my hands and mouth swabbed - I don experience am...

This is interesting to me as one who has only travelled within West African land borders. Please if you have some time, share your tablet experience & the country that requested it as well as the hand/mouth swab one, if you're up to it.

There are things we really shouldn't be complaining about if we're honest. Some of us have killed our conscience to understand the psychology these strangers witness when a highly 'specialized' segment of nigerian population relentlessly target their societies for nefarious activities & tarnish their nations global image because they simply want to feed. Gaslighting with talks like 'everybody does crime' or 'we are one africa' or 'we are not the only one' is meaningless & leads us nowhere.

Your approach to travel I think is the best one. Not saying individuals should accept bad treatment, just saying you can't exactly attract reproach yet expect a hero's welcome. Best wishes in your academic program.

VonScott:
This is interesting to me as one who has only travelled within West African land borders. Please if you have some time, share your tablet experience & the country that requested it as well as the hand/mouth swab one, if you're up to it.

There are things we really shouldn't be complaining about if we're honest. Some of us have killed our conscience to understand the psychology these strangers witness when a highly 'specialized' segment of nigerian population relentlessly target their societies for nefarious activities & tarnish their nations global image because they simply want to feed. Gaslighting with talks like 'everybody does crime' or 'we are one africa' or 'we are not the only one' is meaningless & leads us nowhere.

Your approach to travel I think is the best one. Not saying individuals should accept bad treatment, just saying you can't exactly attract reproach yet expect a hero's welcome. Best wishes in your academic program.

Thank you so much
It was Madagascar, 2024
They claimed it was for yellow fever or so, showed my card and dem no gree, gave it to black Africans and handed us disposable cups with water, one by one