@Pricelesspresh contest#3 The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened To Me.

It was the summer of December, 2018. It was a holiday season for some us who are cooperate workers. As usual a yuletide season for christiandom. The city was getting more deserted by the day. I'm not a born traveller, I had already concluded plans to rest up and attend to some pending research works that procrastination has kept in limbo.

On my way back from the market, I chanced on a close friend of mine @Irexman who told me he has no plans of traveling, instead he asked to come over to my place and have some fun on video games.
As we were interacting he took a call, and it was one of our buddy who had already traveled to his hometown couple of days back, he asked us to come to his hometown that he want to flex us nonstop, after some excellent persuasions, we were swayed, then we decided to make a trip the next day.

At exactly 5pm Friday December 29th I and my crony sojourned to Mbaise Ahiazu local government area of Imo State Nigeria. We arrived safely to the joy of everyone that knew us as fun loving folks.

It's was Saturday December 30th, we were docile at home in want of activity. Suddenly, our friends young brother mentioned of a mountain like location in the village area, he had always wanted to visit and no one would agree to take him there.
Personally, I love expeditions and nature, after some vivid description of the huge valley, I understood that during colonial era the whites explored the area, for want of clean water. I was keen to go, though we had some discouraging warnings of isolation and difficulty in getting in and out of the deep valley, I was hellbent on going to see things for myself.

Before you say Jack, i have already dressed up, wearing a pair of short and shirt, then I tapped up all who are keen to go, definitely not a journey for the faint hearted, then all who obliged zoomed off with me.

It took us about 30 minutes trek under some scorching hot sun to get to the much heralded valley, popularly referred to as 'Iyi Okponkume'.

Alas the description fits the sites. I was gobsmacked as we stood over the cliff leading to the valley, from there I could see the streams of water and better still fresh & clean waterfall rushing off the stones,Wow! Indescribable in every sense.

Believe me, I trembled at how we will get in and out, because it is a rigorous task. I am the bravest of them all, I gradually found grip for my foot on some very slippery muddy surfaces, after some serious breathtaking efforts I descended in one piece, my cronies followed my steps carefully, finally we are in.

To me bemusement the scares mobile cellular network in the village settlement was inherent in the valley,I could places and receive calls freely.

The streams was so cold and we see fishes. It was an intensely hot afternoon, then we decided to cool off in the pleasant and refreshing stream. After a while we headed to the main showcase where we saw spring water escaping from big stones. The waterfall is something mere words cannot convey, an astounding glamour.

I was amazed at the site and imagination of what nature has on the offer. I took several pictures of it, though i lost them to a bad memory card. We spent quality time around the valley, the moment we a saw a big snake, immediately it dawned on us that we should go, then we mounted the uphills and slowly we all got out safely, finally we headed home in ecstasy recounting the events. (Find the arrow in the above picture, pointing to the height we ascended).

These cherished memories still resonates like it was yesterday, I love and relish them. Still mesmerized at the thoughts,as it brings back some feelings of nostalgia. Hopefully, I will visit again someday.

For anyone else I think it's going to be the same outcome, the excitement, the experience and memories is sacrosanct. I don't know anyone who will not cherish those memories. I may not have told the tales perfectly,but the experience is in a class of it's own.

Thank you @Pricelesspresh for this contest that affords me this mellow opportunity to tell and document my most cherished memory. A day I will never forget, was the day I explored 'Iyi Okponkume' in Mbaise.