Aruba Ariba!
Ihave been in Aruba, aka The Happy Island, having fun for almost an entire week. When we went through immigration at the airport the day we arrived, the officer greeted us with “Welcome to freedom.” I looked at my sister-in-law who was on my flight and asked her what she thought was meant by that. “What freedom?” We thought she might have been referring to freedom from COVID restrictions and lockdowns. Everyone flying in has to have a negative COVID test and even though shops and churches require masks, nobody really bothers to enforce it. However, I have come to understand that the promised freedom has little to do with the pandemic. Every day of my stay on the island provides me with new lessons on what exactly that freedom is. And dear friends, it is sweet. It is dushi. It is exhilarating.
Early morning walks along the beach, sunshine, bus tours and a Catamaran sailing cruise. Long, lazy lunches with the best mango mousse I have ever had and cocktails I never even heard of before. What’s not to like? Last night, just before midnight, we took a 20 -25-minute walk from our hotel to a club where our friends were gathering. We were not worried about being abducted, being robbed or being harassed. It was absolutely freeing to be able to roam about with no worries. A Google search would reveal that Aruba isn’t crime safe (where is?) but it is the safest of all the Caribbean Islands, and I haven’t once felt unsafe. In any case, I am sure there are pockets of cops hanging around as we are in a heavily touristic part of town, but I haven’t noticed them yet. The only thing I have been scared of is the mangy-looking street dogs that I have bumped into on my morning walks. Nothing scares me like stray dogs.
However, mangy, free-ranging urban dogs notwithstanding, I am having such a marvelous time that I can feel me glowing. I have caught myself wishing that I could experience this level of freedom in Nigeria, and it makes me sad to know that I can’t (at least not without some trepidation). I have also caught myself wishing that Nigeria were a tourist friendly countrywe have the potential to be with Obudu Ranch, and Gurara Falls and Ogbunike Cave and Yankari Game Reserve etc, etc — but our security wahala won’t allow us to be great. I would imagine that any company organising bus tours, for instance, would have to ensure that an entire posse of gun carrying security personnel accompanies the bus. Who wants to be travelling around with intimidating looking cops as guards while sight-seeing? How are you going to relax? Getting tourists to even consider Nigeria is difficult at this time when many foreign governments are warning their citizens to keep away, due to the security situation and the risk of kidnapping among other crimes.
A Google search would reveal that Aruba isn’t crime safe ... but it is the safest of all the Caribbean Islands, and I haven’t once felt unsafe. In any case, I am sure there are pockets of cops hanging around as we are in a heavily touristic part of town, but I haven’t noticed them yet
And that risk, sadly, is real. I am old enough to remember when the kidnappers we feared were those we were told turned you into goats and yams, and so you were warned not to fall prey by picking money off the ground. Now, everyone is prey and kidnappers are getting bolder in the ransom they ask. Even private citizens move around with cops these days. It’s so common that a friend often jokes that there are more armed policemen guarding the wealthy elite than there are protecting regular Naija citizens. It’s a joke but it is one with a lot of truth to it. I know of a woman in Enugu who would not even go to the salon to have her hair done without at least two MOPOLS, guns drawn, waiting on her. And this in a country where folks who’ve been robbed say they can’t get a cop to come to their aid. How many people have been told to provide fuel or pen or whatever else for cops to even take down statements of crimes committed against them, never mind even going after the criminals? I don’t blame those who can afford to do so for getting private security because in Naija, like we say, it’s every man for himself. Who wants themself or their loved ones kidnapped by some low life looking to make easy money? I know of people who have sent their children abroad to go to school just so that those children can have a relatively regular childhood: using public transport and taking walks without being followed by guntoting MOPOLS to keep them safe.
This is me burying my head in the sand for my sanity but while I am on my vacation, I am very consciously keeping away from social media (except Insta for the photos) and from world news because I want to gift myself an entire week of blissful ignorance. I am almost afraid of flying back into the real world where I’d have to catch up with emails and tweets on what news I might have missed. Anyway, I won’t think about that now. Today is for dancing and eating and enjoying a life free of stress and worry. Maybe I should order another glass of Aruba Ariba! Biko, I can’t come and kee myself.