Location Calabar, Nigeria

Summary

December 24th—Christmas Eve. With plans to leave Calabar on Christmas Day and head toward Ekok in Cameroon for the convoy on Saturday, I decided this was a good day to slow down and walk the city. I headed toward Marina Beach, which isn’t really a beach at all but sits along the water. The walk itself was pleasant, with well-maintained roads and stretches that felt almost like moving through a park.

Once there, I paid a small entrance fee and ended up visiting the slavery museum. It felt like the right thing to do. Inside, I crossed paths with four American kids of Nigerian parents who were visiting family, and we went through the exhibit together with a guide. Some of what I learned was heavy—especially how slavery continued locally even after abolition—but important. It’s mind-blowing to really sit with that history, and I’m grateful it’s no longer an open part of the world.

Later, I wandered into a large city park dressed up for a nighttime event, glowing with lights, music, and a color-changing tower. I didn’t dig too deeply into what was happening, but I took it in long enough to grab a few photos before heading back on foot in the dark. Back near the hotel, a sudden downpour pushed me into the restaurant, which turned out to be more of a loud bar than I expected. I ordered a funga—something I’d never had before—and let the rain and noise pass. It turned out to be a simple vegetable dish with some meat, exactly enough to call it a night.

Nothing dramatic, nothing rushed—just a day of walking, history, light, rain, and food. Life happens if you let it. Thanks for being along for it.