Woke up this morning in a Lagos hotel. Hopped on a plane to Benin City. Crammed into a van. Drove three hours until we reached a market village called Otuocha. Entertained and intrigued local children through the car glass as we were picking up mosquito nets from a woman who sells them from her house. Joined a police caravan to head over the Ezichi River until the end of the road and continued into the dark unto a bumpy, unpaved dirt road into the forest past mud huts and a group of children that had been awaiting our arrival; a few daring to run barefoot behind our van for ¼ of a mile before falling behind. And then, just as I thought we’d reached the end of civilization, we approach a clearing and a huge two-story mansion where several familiar and unfamiliar faces greeted us and showed us our accommodations. Surreal.

I’m tired already.

1. Flight from Lagos to Benin City 2. Benin City from plane 3. Outside Benin airport 4. Gas station at Benin where a man was selling Nollywood dvds. Entrepreneur. 5. Onitsha "Welcome" ad. 6. Onitsha market 7. Onitsha 8. The house at the end of the road.