It was hard to leave Benin. So much culture and stories. The University of Benin blew our minds the further we went into the lives of its art students especially.
Warri has just been pure cruise
It was hard to leave Benin. So much culture and stories. But Warri was calling, and we had to answer.
Warri has just been pure cruise
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But Warri was calling, and we had to answer.
Before leaving Benin though, we had a quick meeting with the Elders we found sitting still at the entrance of the Edo State House of Assembly.
We had no idea who to show us around in Warri, but someone came through last minute. “Hello, is this Oreva? My name is Fu’ad.”
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Someone gave is the phone numbers of Tare and Collins and promised us they'd make Warri worth every minute.
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When you're coming from Benin, the taxis from Sapele Road drop you off at a roundabout that has Shoprite.
So we headed there. Anything is better than JJCs in a town standing aimlessly at a bus stop.
In no time, Oreva and Collins were with us. And our Warri went live from there.
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First, we crashed a wedding.
Well, not really. But we showed up at one where didn't know the name of the Bride or Groom. We didn't get free Jollof Rice, but we got free drinks.
Thanks to Dupe.
We danced. We danced with traditional dancers.
Then off we went. By now, we were already hungry, but Oreva had the perfect solution.
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The Road to Robinson Plaza.
On the way to Robinson Plaza, I noticed that most of the walls of building looked like the paint had blackened, and even the roofs.
“The effect of the refineries on the environment is too evident,” I said.
“Yes,” Kevwe said. “Even the rain is acidic here.”
Kevwe was our third host who somehow managed to evade all the photos because he was either going to bring his car, or getting us something.
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“Robinson Plaza is like the Computer Village of Warri,” Collins said as we touched down.
But we were not there to fix our phones or buy gear. We were hear for the woman fixing hunger at the back of the market.
We were there for the Starch and Banga.
Banga is a special soup.
For me, the most interesting part of Banga is not the fact that it's made from palm oil. It's in the serving.
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When a serving of Banga is ready, the soup is transferred into a small calabash. The Banga is then warmed inside the calabash.
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Now here's some interesting science. Clay, the material for the calabash, has a very high tendency to retain heat.
So what happens is that while eating, your Banga stays boiling, or very hot. You never have to worry about having cold soup.
Banga bangs from start to finish.
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The Banga went with some Starch.
As soon we were done, we were off again, and this time, we headed for a popular bus stop. The very heart of streets, Enerhe Bus Stop.
It felt like all of Warri’s bustle happened there. There were people selling just about anything, buses going in every direction, and even a small market.
Everywhere we turned, it seemed someone was selling Pork. Clearly, it's a big deal in Warri.
“Will you eat Elede,” Collins asked.
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“No thanks. I’'ll pass.”
I got to try those giant worms.
I won't say I'm super excited about trying it again.
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Then we headed back to the Delta Mall. Roamed around. Had dinner. Laughed. Talked about Warri and dreams. Listened to Oreva laugh some more.
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And we called it a night.
For a week that was as intense as the past one, this was a pretty good day to take that chill pill and relax a little.
Asaba tomorrow.
*All photos were shot on the Samsung Galaxy S8+.
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