System Overload

I saw this heavily laden truck in Akure a couple of days back.

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Nativity scene

This nativity scene in front of the government house in Akure has become a big attraction for tourists. I stopped by to take this photo with my phone.

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Merry Christmas

My family at Christmas.

This is one of the largest Christmas gatherings we've had in my family in years. Almost everyone is around with their kids visiting my parents in the country.

So we decided to pose for this shot which I took with my phone.

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Idanre Hills

This is the town of Idanre from atop the Aghagha Hill. It's a view that takes one's breath away. When it rains, mist covers the hills like a heavenly umbrella shrouding the town.

Holiday makers can find some nice hotels to stay in while they explore the many beautiful features of the hills. The town is also home to a large cocoa growing community. Its restaurants make some of the best pounded yam meals in the country.

According to guides, it takes between four days and a week to fully climb all the hills and see the impressive works of nature.

Idanre is located in Ondo State, about four hours from Lagos by road and 30 minutes by air from the Akure airport.

Goodbye!!!

My final image from Akure is this beautiful wave goobye from a lady I shared a taxi ride with.

Gas attendants

Attendants at a gas service station. It was a Sunday afternoon so they had run out of petroleum was why they could afford to relax on duty.

Ball juggler

Another of the moments that was fun for me in Akure was when this guy juggled the soccer ball in the marketplace and I just clicked away.

Fingernails

It is the little things that take your breath away. This lady spreads her newly done fingernails for me to photograph at the Oja Oba in Akure.

Great pose

Still in Akure, this guy decides to give me the most interesting pose I've ever photographed. That's why I enjoyed taking photos in Akure, there was a certain kind of innocence in everybody I came across.

Gold sellers

In the market place in Akure I found these two men who pawn gold ornaments. They also deal in black market foreign exchange transactions.

Yam market

I was in Akure, Ondo state where I grew up, recently and had the opportunity of experiencing the vibe of the market place. Oja Oba, the king's market is the biggest shopping place in town and it was where I took this photo of women haggling over yam tubers. Pounded yam is a delicacy in many Nigerian homes.

If you're interested in archaelogy, the entry on Akure on Wikipedia should interest you. It says "Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period, have been discovered on the outskirts of Akure, as has the oldest Homo Sapiens fossil to have been found in West Africa thus far, dating back to around 11,000 years ago."

I can tell you that the people are very warm and I was allowed to take photos freely unlike what happens most times in a big city like Lagos.