Lagos- Tranquility at its Best!

I arrived in Lagos in the afternoon and was unable to find a taxi anywhere. A local saw me and walked me to the door of my hostel. she was so kind. I spent a week in Lagos. I absolutely loved it. It is amazingly beautiful and so peaceful here. I came perfect time of year. During the summer Lagos is crazy with tourists. In October it was filled with locals and festivals. I went the culture fest and watched dancers from Africa, Brazil, Portugal, and other countries. It was great! I especially liked the Olive Tree Band. The get their inspiration from visiting India and meditation with their guru. They were very artistic and very intersting to talk to.
I met Tilan. She greeted me in my dorm room. We were the only ones to share this 8 person room for the week. It was great! She has been traveling for seven years. I was shocked. I love traveling, but I also need to be grounded with roots. I cannot imagine traveling for seven years. It can be exhausting. She said she had spent most of her time traveling through Africa. She was leaving for South Africa when I left to go to Barcelona to fly to Morocco. I warned her about South Africa. She said she had been told many horror stories and was traveling on a backpackers bus. Its a good idea to go on a tour in South Africa. We spent a lot of time hanging out and cooking dinners together. She had lived in Dallas, Texas for a while and had loved the States. She is originally from the UK.
One night at dinner we were speaking with a couple of guys from Finland. They were going on and on about how Americans never travel outside the US. I have spent so much time while traveling defending Americans. The rest of the world does not realize how little vacation time we have. Most of Europe receives 4-8 weeks vacation a year. I explained that most Americans only receive two weeks vacation ,and most Americans do not take vacation in fear of losing their jobs. ( I also explained that Americans usually plan on traveling to other countries once they are retired). Europeans have contracts for their job positions and do not have to worry about being fired. I also explained flying to and from Europe eats two to three days of our vacation time. Tilan explained that the States are so big and there is so much to see there, you really do not need to see Europe. They were not pleased with her answer. I appreciated her opinion. There is a youtube video showing Americans who cannot locate other countries a blank map. ( Tilan had a brillant answer for this.. She said if you ask Americans to name and locate the 50 States on the map, they can. She then asked if they could name and locate the different states on the map. They said no. ) So many people bring this youtube video up in conversation. I'm always quick to point out there are both intelligent and less intelligent people everywhere. I'm sure this video was edited.
I defend us Americans, but really we do need to get out of the States. There is so much to see and discover in other countries. Different Cultures are very valuable to see and experience. They will change your life. I encourage you not to take all inclusive tours. Get out and plan your vacation. Explore! Travel using public transportation. You will meet so many kind and generous people. You will get a real taste of the country first hand. You cannot do this on an airconditioned bus with other toursists. Be a traveler not a tourist!
I loved Lagos. I had "me time" and it was wonderful! I'm off to Lisbon, and then a night in Barcelona before heading to Morocco.

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