My adventure to Nembe and Brass Islands in Bayelsa state

As you'll most likely know (if you have read my previous posts) I am currently running my compulsory one year NYSC scheme in Bayelsa state as a Mathematics teacher in a community school, Elebele. Well, towards the end of the month of July, the school rounded up for the session we (both teachers and students) were given a two months holiday. Though, I spent the majority of the days in those two months in my lodge, I managed to summon enough courage to withdraw all my allowee for the month of August and go for a daring adventure across rivers and sea to Nembe and Brass Islands in Bayelsa state.

So in this essay of mine, I am only going to focus on the 10 days out of the two months that I spent on this adventure. I am not going to bore you with lots of words but with pictures.

DAY 1

It was a Sunday, after service I took the life jacket I had borrowed for the adventure and a small bag containing a trouser, 2 undershirts, shirts, phone chargers for my 2 phones, two combs, over 10 batteries and my Samsung S630 point-and-shoot camera, and headed for the dock. I took a speedboat to Ogbolomabiri, Nembe Island. The journey was one hour across a very mighty river, during the journey we had to move from one speedboat to another right in the middle of the river! I slept over at the corpers lodge.

DAY 2

I had arrived at Ogbolomabiri in Nembe a day before (Day 1), so in the morning I headed for Bassambiri, Nembe. I slept over at the corpers lodge there.

DAY 3

In the morning I headed for Twon-Brass in Brass, I decided to rest and prepare for the next day. So I didn't snap much pictures.

DAY 4

I stayed indoors chatting with fellow corpers and watching movies

DAY 5

I attended their community development service (CDS) programme for the week. Then, I went to the much talked about AGIP terminal where Corpers are given free daily meals morning, afternoon and evening.

DAY 6

I went to the fishing community in Imbikiri town. I was told if I come back in October, I will eat lots of fish to the extent that I will loathe fish. And I was amazed to see a white garment church where the sermon is conducted in Yoruba language. Most of the fishermen are from Ilaje, Ondo state.

DAY 7

I went to the popular Okpoama, the hometown of the current Bayelsa state governor (Timipre Silva). It is also popular because it has a very wide beach where parties hold every Sunday night. I slept over at the corpers lodge in the police barrack (the lodge is actually one of the blocks in the police barrack).

DAY 8

I went for church service at St. Paul Anglican Church, Okpoama. After service, I went to see the beach club, it was been cleaned and decorated for the party that will happen that night. Later in the evening, I went back to Twon Brass. I also made up my mind to go back to Elebele (where I am serving and my lodge is) in order to stop living on the fellow corpers like me who don't even earn up to me ('cos I do a lot of small businesses and private teaching) but are feeding me heavily.

DAY 9

I had a tough time convincing my hosts that I had to travel the next day.

DAY 10

I finally prevailed over them to let me go back to Elebele. They all followed me out of the lodge, we snapped pictures on the way and also at the dock.

It was actually my first time across water on a boat and I ended up spending about 3 hours aggregate onboard the speedboat. I also experienced the sea waves splashing against the boat as we journeyed to and fro Brass Island.