Share Your Best Traveling Experience @ Steem Infinity Zone by @goodspeed22 10% Post Pay to SIZ

Hello friends of Steem Infinity Zone, good morning all. How was our nights? Sure we slept fine. I am very happy to join this community and take part in this contest. I am going to tell you My Best Traveling Experience. Join me as I narrate this wonderful and enjoying journey from Lagos to my home town, Amaekpu in Ohafia Local Government, in Abia state, Eastern part of Nigeria.

I have not traveled for some time before this date due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So, I have been home-sick. I also been longing to especially see and spend sometime with my sister, although my parents are late. The journey began on the 28th of December, 2021 at about 4.00am, along with other fam,ily members.

The journey was to take us between 10 to 13 hours as we are traveling to the far Eastern part of Nigeria. But guess what happened, we reached out destination at about 1.00am, the following day. This was as a result of traffic jams and road blocks/checking points along the express way.

The express road from Lagos to the Eastern part of the country was do busy that, when we got to Asaba , Delta State capital, the road leading to River Niger, was filled up with travelers in their different vehicles. We spent 3 hours just to cross the River Niger bridge. This is one of the shots I took.

Although the journey to my home town was very hectic, but t at the same time, I enjoyed the trip. On seeing my sister, the whole stress we passed through vanished. My relatives, friends and neighbors that I haven't seen for some time, gladens my heart.

In the morning, that's on the 29th December, 2021, I quickly prepared my self and enjoyed one of best delicacies that my sister had prepared - Okazi soup with swallow made from millet and guinea corn flour.

Then the village was set for their awaited ceremony - age grade new entrants. Every four to five years, in my town Ohafia, all the 26 villages that make up the town, have their own year of the graduation of a particular age group. The Ohafians held age grade matters so high. In fact, it is one of their strongest cultures. Both man and women are involved in this age grade affairs.

Thus, this last month of December 2021, saw another age grade graduation ceremony in my Home town, Amaekpu Ohafia. After the graduation, follows the ushering in of another age group. These ceremony follows each other, that is on 3 consecutive days. But, this is not the reason why I traveled.

As you can see from the images below, these are the age group that was ushered in to take care or oversee some of the village activities in the next 3 to 5 years.

The village was filled up with indigens who resides in different parts of the county and from oversees, that returned spend the holidays with aged parents and families. There was a lot of marriage ceremonies.

I witnessed the marriage ceremony not one of my cousins. Although it was a white wedding, it was done according to the tradition of the Ohafians. His age group constructed a small house with cloths that morning. The cloth is plain George material with different colours. From here, they perform one of the marriage rites, during the reception, they filled a big jug of palm wine, the bottom part and give to him. He must finished the wine. They use this a sa test to acertain if he is man enough to get married. You can see the cloth house, although I did not capture the couple.

This building also captured my attention. It was built in 1942 and renovated in 2004. It is called Obu Ikoro - Ikoro House. Women are not allowed inside this small house. This Ikoro is a talking drump. It is usually sounded to praise warriors. Any man from the village that went to war and killed someone, will get to the Ikoro first and receives showers of praise as a warrior. It is located at the village square, where all the traditional ceremonies are done.

In fact, my two-week travel brought joy to me. I rested and felt refreshed, waking up late in the morning sometimes 8.00am to 8.00am. We visited some places including my mother's village, Ebem Ohafia, we met our cousin and she happily gave us some crops from her garden. I took a shot of this image from their village square. This image is seen in the Logo of Ohafia. It is still being carried about during traditional ceremonies, like the age grade celebration, etc.

I also enjoyed our local foods African salad prepared with local leaf, garden egg fruits, shred boiled cassava, red oil, onions, fresh pepper, and other ingredients. Also three leaves yam and fired African black beans. The weather was so nice and cool, no mosquito bite.

Time will fail me if I continued to narrate a lot of interesting moments I had during my holidays and I know you are convinced my fellow steemians, that it was truly my best travel so far.

Thanks for allowing me to share my travel experience here.

My best wishes to @suboohi and to the Admin.

cc: @suboohi