My Visit To Olumo Rock And Some Other Gists…

Happy Weekend people!
How una dey? Hope your weekend’s coming along fine? Out and about or restful and quiet?
I am resting jejely at home oh and I am so sorry, there will be no Frances’s love letter today on love and relationships but I will chronicling my visit to Olumo Rock in Abeokuta.
I did say I will do it didn’t I? And you should know by now that I try very hard to do what I say I will do.hehe (clap for me, lol)

Before going on that mini adventure, I tried to search google for location, entry fee and all but I found only the experience of some persons. Nobody wrote about cash needed so I will include the amount of funds one will need for this rock climbing if you plan to go. Yeah, I should provide a solution to an issue I had issues with ba?

 

Ok.
So I was in Lagos for our conference like you all know and I had this goal from the beginning of the year to visit a place I had never been to before.
I wanted to go to Ghana or Calabar but that didn’t work out, so I planned to go to Ogun State to climb Olumo rock on my birthday but because of some twist of plans, I had to stay at home (you can see the reasons in my birthday wishes post)

So I thought, Abeokuta is close to Lagos, just go there before you return to Delta.
I spoke to a friend but he didn’t want to go.
Ah, when has doing something alone ever stopped me before? After all its my goal nah, isn’t it?
So I set out for Abeokuta on Tuesday December 8th 2014 (See the way I said set out as if it’s far.lol)
You can find buses from Oshodi and you’ll pay 800Naira as transport fare there.
Abeokuta is also about 2hours(or less) from Lagos.
Got there, stopped at Kutor garage and took a bike to the rock for 150bucks.
If you want to climb the rock manually which I did, you will pay 700Naira for entrance and if you prefer to use the elevator, you’ll have to pay 1,500Naira.

So, I was shown the art gallery which had many lovely pieces. Pictures were not allowed to be taken in there.
They had some lovely paintings, necklaces, bracelets made from rocks and some bracelets and necklaces that you could customize your name on.

I had a camera guy who showed me around and pictures go for 200Naira if you want hard copies.

Speaking of which, the guy who snapped me promised to send me my soft copy pictures but never did.
I guess some persons don’t take their words as seriously as I do… oh well…

But still, thank you Olamide for taking me around and snapping me pictures…

Ok, so we started the “journey abi adventure”?

I was showed the shrine where they used to offer humans as sacrifice once a year but now offered cows(or something)

 

Then we went down to the caves area and he showed me where they lived to hide away from their enemies during the war.
One small dark hole like that… and they lived there for years oh, hmm.

 

Then we had to begin the real climb…
Me wey dey form Jackie chan, I was scared oh.
The dude was just scaling it like it was normal. Hah!

 

See some of the pictures below with me smiling?
Hmm, I was breathing real hard, just had to smile for the camera.

 

After all the waka, we finally got to the top of the rock.
I say “finally” like it was one long waka. Lol.
10 abi 15 minutes tops.

 

Anyways, picture freak like I am had to snap lots of pictures.
I had to go back to Lagos, otherwise, I would have just sat still in the quiet place and penned down some thoughts.
It was just quiet, you know..away from the world.
See me dreaming about my ideal writer’s life. Hehe.

 

 

Anyway, it was time to go.
We used the stairs down, didn’t climb back down.
I lazed around for a bit and snapped more pictures.

 

See this place? You can put your coins in there and make a wish.

I had coins I was given as change from Shoprite sha but I didn’t make any wish. Jare.

 

Journey back home was the same way I came.
100Naira to Kutor garage and 800Naira from there to Lagos.
And that was it.
Goal to visit somewhere I have never been to before as a single lady and just chillax… #DONE!

And small love letter flavor chipped in here…
Dear single lady,
Visit places…
Have fun with yourself…
Take yourself out…
Go out of your normal surroundings…
Lord knows, it will almost be a luxury when the kids arrive as they soon will (note to self too) 🙂

 

So, hopefully, this will not be the last of my waka/travels/adventure/places visited…

Till my next personal memoir,
With love,

Frances.