Life in Nigeria is like a wave; it can get you high or it can really bum you out. Smiles and thumbs up are trendy in Lagos. Unfortunately, so are loud horns. Culture and folklore are very rich, and a diverse presence of tribes and traditions introduce new colors to our black and white vision. Local music can also tell you what they are thinking about: money. Mercedes’, BMWs, Jaguars, Maseratis… you name it, they are here. Ironically enough, right next to those cars are people sleeping on the street and begging for money. Art and fashion are exactly like their food: colorful, spicy, tough to digest, and crazy tasty. My favorite is suya, which is a mental spicy piece of chicken or meat cooked on the grill.
Regardless of Nigeria’s ups and downs, Lagos is a vibrant place full of contrast. People have a strong sense of nationalism here. Like most places around the world, traffic can be pretty hectic, so I often hire a boat to get to the beach. A 10- to 15-minute boat ride can take you to Tarkwa Bay, which is the place to be if you want to get barreled. T-Bay is a righthand wedge that is fat, fast, and short. When it’s overhead it can be pretty violent. Right behind T-Bay, on the open ocean side, there is Light House. This spot gets good during the Harmattan season, which brings offshore winds and lots of sand from the Sahara Desert. The wave featured in the film is called Old Papa’s Backyard. This spot is a point break that, with the proper moon, mutates into a left, which is basically the mirror image of J-Bay. The last wave featured in the film is called G-Spot. If you want to know where that is, well, you’ll just have to find it. When all is said and done, put yourself at the right place at the right time in Nigeria and the rewards can be unbelievable.
