Any updates on Ally Cat's travel plans?

[jenluckenbach]

ell the one thing I know is that Julie's son was going to the house in Bahrain as a "vacation" I believe at the end of March. This would mean Ally would not have been alone. But with their problem about moving, who knows if this plan really went forward.

[jennielynn1970]

I haven't heard a darn thing either... Cheryl was just asking me the same thing, lol.

I honestly am worried about their safety in Nigeria. It's just not a safe place to be. I think the last time I heard from Julie was 2+ weeks ago!! I wish I knew that they were all ok, and what is happening. I feel so bad for the situation her husband's company has them in. I can't believe that they would send them there, and then close up shop in less than 6 months. Between that, and then the money being stolen, and what wasn't stolen being counterfeited, it just has "DANGER" or "WARNING" written all over it!

[jennielynn1970]

Some info and pics of Lagos... This was a photo journal by a person who traveled there. Makoko is an area outside of Lagos, it's the slum area.

Makoko slums and sawmills. Lagos, Nigeria
Makoko slum is seldom visited by anyone from outside. It is dangerous to go in without guides, and volatile. While I was there, there was a major fight between youths over a canoe. Machetes were drawn, there was a lot of shouting but only one man was slightly hurt, cut on the arm. A few youths were later arrested outside the slum. Police seldom if ever go into the slum, which polices itself, defends itself from outsiders and keeps to itself.


Slums in Makoko
Every house has a canoe. The large ones go out to sea with nets. Smaller ones are used for inshore work. The fish are returned to Makoko where they are smoked


Some scenes of Lagos...




A woman with food in a boat in Makoko


About 25,000 people are thought to live on the water, but no-one really knows. The only real economic activity is fishing and smoking the fish. Some people dig for building sand and process salt.


Evicted houses in Badia West, Lagos, Nigeria

Makoko
Many of the houses and canoes are 40 years old or more. You can tell because they are made of huge planks or whole tree trcnks the size of which you would never get today because all Nigeria's big trees have been cut down. Some people say that there was a colony living on the water at Makoko in the 18th century. But old British government documents do not refer to slum houses in the area.



Makoko
There are no doctors or health clinics. The nearest hospital is 5km away from most people. The vast majority of people use traditional docters. Malaria is very common, and TB.