Under the African Sun

Today was Worker's Day in Nigeria, and as such it was a NAtional holiday.   It is equivalent to Labor Day in the U.S.  We took advantage of this gorgeous day off and went out to the
 beach...

Happiness came with us this time:)

getting ready to leave:)

 I am always amazed at the ride out to the beach...we passed the huge shipyard in Apapa and then it's like you enter a land so quiet and so far back from all the noise and wahala of Lagos that you almost can't believe it. Watching hte sand dredgers and the fishermen continue to do what their ancestors before them have done for hundreds of years is truly awesome.:)  I am almost as amazed as the first time we ever went out to the beach almost three years ago..

Today, Happiness made sure to point out to me the Cassava plant.  This plant is a staple in many Nigerian's diets.  It is harvested by cutting the root and roasting it over fire to dry it out.  Then, the stems (depending on how big the plant is) can be planted again in the soil and will grow a  new plant.  The dried cassava is known as gari.  Gari can be boiled and made into a type of paste (for lack of a better word) and it is eaten with soup.  I am amazed it can grow in this very sandy soil.

large cassava plant



Walking through the village, we saw the mother hen and her chicks...the eggs don't get any fresher than this!!!:)

The rest of the afternoon, we had a great time with our friends!!

The kids love the water, but the water here at this beach is so rough. it's surprising to me how strong the waves are when they come up around our ankles.  They can actually sweep you off your feet in ankle deep water.

 Something else I have learned since moving to Lagos is that the African sun is UNFORGIVING.  Sun block on our skin is a must and I am not too shy to wear a wide brimmed hat.  I didn't realize until moving here that you can actually stay in the sun for just 10 minutes and get a major burn if you aren't careful....



The children from the village came out to play with the kids, and Elizabeth loved acting like the teacher telling them all what to do. I didn';t even realize until I downloaded the pictures from today that I got this pic of her just before she tripped and fell.  She was fine, but she learned not to run so fast!:)

There was even a great breeze to fly kites!!!:)

quick family shot

And, then before we knew it, five hours had passed and it was time to pack up again and head back.  The kids said goodbye to their friends from the village and we boarded the boat.:)

We passed by sand dredgers

and small villages building new boats...

and small fishing communities

And, you know it's been a good day when your baby girl passes out on the window seat at 6 p.m.:)  It was such a great day out at the beach.  I know sometimes I don't always write about the beautiful things there are to see in Lagos, but I have to say that the beach for our family is definitely one of the highlights of living here.