660 Steps Later ….

660 steep steps; strenuous, challenging, tiring, but it was worth it when we got to the top. The tour to Idanre Hills was a hit and I felt a a tinge of sadness when it was time to leave.

The trip was slated for the 23rd and all 14 unravellers met up at The National Stadium ready to begin the journey to Ondo State. We introduced ourselves, played games, snacked, slept and by 2.30 we finally made it to Idanre town. We parked our bus in the middle of the road to take pictures and then carried on to Rock Valley Hotel which was our home for the night. Everyone was already excited and it wasn’t even the day of the climb; besides it had been a long journey and we were happy to get off the bus.

Rooms were assigned, lunch was served then we went for a leisurely stroll around Idanre town. That day everyone knew there were people from Lagos around. Strolling around Idanre town was delightful and refreshing. How often does one get to leisurely stroll around the busy city of Lagos?

We started at the golf course which is still being worked on. Idanre Hills serves as the picturesque backdrop for the golf course and I can’t wait to see what it’s like when it’s finally completed. I foresee lots of picnics also taking place there. We had a mini photo shoot because the view was just too amazing to pass up. After the golf course we went in search of palaces but weren’t too impressed and then ended up at a mama putt called Mama Chikodiri (make sure you stop by whenever you make it to Idanre town). Some of us had dinner there while we bought suya for those who weren’t interested. We also got some palm wine to wash everything down. On the bus ride around town we quickly realized we had a choristers as everyone was belting out different notes to songs being played.

We got back to the hotel, headed back to the terrace with our goodies and bonded some more. The bonding session ended up turning into a mini party and even our security guard was spotted busting a few moves to our music.

We called it a night and by 6 am the next day, everyone started getting ready for the hike up Idanre Hills. When we got to Idanre Hills, energy drinks and water were handed out for the climb, entry fees were paid, were assigned our tour guide and we were off to explore. Some of us almost gave up but we all kept encouraging ourselves till we made it to the top. Thank God for the 5 resting stops along the way, they came in very handy. It was worth all the pain and sweat.

We saw Idanre town from the top of the hill and it was glorious.. The people of Idanre used to live on the hill before they moved down. We saw the old palace, the first primary school, a prison yard and the Arun River said to have magical powers. We were also shown a house at the top of the hill where a man still lives in till today and never comes down. All this took about 2 hours and then we started the climb back down. We thought it would be easier but it wasn’t. However everyone was cheerful, singing and it was fun all around.

We headed back to the hotel, showered, packed and then it was time to head back to Lagos. We made a quick stop at mama Chikodiri’s place again and said goodbye to Idanre town at 12pm. On the trip back we mostly slept and listened to music.

We got into Lagos at 5pm and it was a bitter sweet feeling saying goodbye to everyone as we had formed new friendships. However we were all excited and looked forward to the next trip that would come up.

Unravelling Nigeria would like to say a big thank you to everyone who came out as it wouldn’t have been a success without all of you. We look forward to seeing you on our future trips.

Below are comments by some of the Idanre unravellers. Their names were taken out for privacy purposes and all suggestions have been taken on board. You can also read here for a detailed account of one of our unravellers.