Don't exaggerate!
 

It was Isolo. If Ikeja is an armpit Isolo is further south and more central and Olga from the Volga was distinctly unimpressed. I remember it well...

Good old days! Nostalgia really isn't what it used to be.

inner
 

Abuja is as dry as a bone. 40 degrees C regularly as opposed to Lagos`s 28.
Just bull sh**.

l have to admit that Chucks was part of the complement - for Chuks benefit only the word "complement" suggests completeness of unit rather than flattery - and no, warm showers are still out of the question.

Every City has its ups and down first thing lock your Passport and Credit cards in a safe place,your company I.D Card would do just fine anywhere, when you go out hold some loose change no money may spell trouble sometime:} insist in travelling in unmarked cars remove your bars after flights if possible wear a light jacket over your uniform stay away from bars that sell beer at low prices :E that is if you would stand out as a foreigner :D ..if you feel the urge use a well known Pimp solo flight sometimes are not traceable:E

non iron
 

Sorry mate,

I was there last month and for me it was definately what they call humidity. Temp was around 29°.

Perhaps you are one of the guys who stayed there for a while and got used to it.

No worries, mate!
 

Complement, compliment... sounds the same if you say it fast.

The Aero Bar is in Ikeja and we, under my able leadership as self-nominated Head of the Escape Committee, had made our way there from our dwelling in the middle of the pullulating slum that Isolo had become.

One of our number was bidding fair to literally make his escape, which would have got me in trouble, since I really expected to return with the same number of aviators I had left with, plus perhaps the odd companion.

All I could think to do, I provided our little escapee with a slip of paper bearing his name and address, for use on "the morning after," when I expected he would have one of those, "Who am I? Where am I? Who are you?" moments, as often happens in the life of the aviator. Sharp-eyed Olga extracted the slip, read the address, blurted, "Isolo! Werry bad pipples! No class!" abruptly turned on her heel and strode out the back door, slamming it as she went.

Dreams of romance went "Poof!" and I was to blame, with ill will that still lingers, something I shall just have to live with.

non iron,

I must also know you as I was around in those halcyon days, albeit not Lagos based and I've never gone bush; well, not completely anyway. I wonder what Chris C is doing these days ? And Alistair G ?

NEO

Oh bless, l honestly have no idea.

l assume Alistair is long dead, and what Chris is up to is a mystery.
Mind, one of those visiting yanks kept in touch with his wife`s caff.

Standby, l`ll check.

Jim Parkhurst was the name. A good man devoid of B.S.
A twelve year old phone number has to be close to useless, but if you p.m. me l`ll pass it on.

No offence to Chris, your mate Jim or you but it was merely idle curiosity, I'm not that interested !!

Thanks for the bless (I think), whatever that's supposed to mean.

NEO

Me neither!
 

I have never gone bush either! Any of you other guys ever go bush? No? So that's okay then!

But, wait... Who was that man, stood there in the wreckage of a bar, smoking a fag with a certain air of enjoyment as he gazed upon the remnant broken glass, small puddles of blood and groups of Nigerian officialdom still chattering excitedly as they reviewed the Battle Royal that had just taken place between two competing groups of police, one having done his bidding?

I was just an innocent bystander, dragged along by a mad Hungarian colleague on the hunt for drinking vouchers and I could not WAIT to get out of there and back to my nice, safe compound because that bar looked and smelled like trouble and I had made a promise to Mother not to get involved in any riots in Nigeria, especially not one involving the police.

So going bush might be like beauty, in the eye of the beholder but from where I was stood that man might not have gone bush but he was a lot further along in that direction than I was, hmm? Of course, I could have him mixed up with someone else...

So why bother ?