Love Lagos

July 6, 2012- July 9, 2012
Imagine a place where the beaches are scattered with pristine white sand with drastic stunning cliffs set in the backdrop. Wine is cheaper than water, seafood is abundant, and the nightlife is just the right amount of crazy. Lagos is a picture of perfection. Set atop a clustering of bluffs, it is an old town that has refused to abandon its charm for sake of tourism.
The highlights of our stay include a sampling of the following activities: beachside massage, sunbathing in the sand, sampling great seafood at Linda's beach bar right along the water, dinner at our villa and late night club adventures.


Thanks to Andrew's stellar googling skills, we find a remarkable place to stay. Dom Pedro, encased in orange stucco, encloses a gorgeous pool overlooking the sea and a beautiful private deck overlooking the city. We quickly become friends with the front desk staff who, i think, attempt to kill us on our first night there by offering a "shot" of a Portuguese liquor. We find out later that this devil's juice is commonly used to kill a cough and when you have too much, you can hallucinate. That night, they have quite a laugh at our expense, it takes until the next morning for Andrew and I to find the humor in it.


My final day in Lagos, I bundle up in 7mm wetsuit for 2 scuba dives in the icy cold Atlantic waters. The Dives are decent: cold waters harbor less colorful reefs than what i am used to, but i manage to find an octopus, trigger fish, scorpion fish, a scattering of unique starfish of teals and oranges, and a ship wreck housing all sorts of fun creatures. It is a very fun day on the boat, only fueling my anticipation as I prepare to submerge myself in the warmer mediterranean waters later this summer.

Love

My last night in Lagos is a good laugh. We hit up Shakers, our new favorite spot, to request songs, drink with our new bartender friends and ignite a much needed dance party. One drink turns into many, and a low key night leads to a street parade ending at "Grand Café" night club, where I turn into a happy footed penguin.

Cat condos near the beach

Clock strikes 4 and we return to the hotel where pack for my 6am departure by train. Missing my travel buddy already (Andrew stays in Lagos one more day for shark fishing), I embark solo on a 16 hour day of traveling to catch up with Laura and Maria in Pamplona, Spain for the "San Fermín" festival: running with the bulls. Madness begins.