Out of Eden - The 34,000km Walk

I remember my post on reactions I get when people learn that I walked across Lagos and each time I tell people "I ain't done nothing yet". This is because there are brave explorers out there doing great and exciting walks. You have the Mark Moxons, the Peter Jenkins, the Ed Staffords, the James Cracknells...and then you have PAUL SALOPEK.

Paul Salopek is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning writer/journalist who is retracing the footsteps of early Man's migrating out of Africa some 50,000-70,000 years ago all the way to South America. The 34,000 kilometre walk started on 10/01/13 and will take Paul 7-years to complete.

I came across the project a few weeks via an article and I've been following the journey on Twitter @outofedenwalk @paulsalopek and on the project's website.

Paul's trek is the orange route on the map below. Hmmmmm...just had a thought, I'll will plan to be at the end-point in 2020.

Belated Happy New Year

Ok this must be really lame, posting about New Year's Eve countdown on the 12th of January...

How could I treat my own blog's first transition into a new year like this? No post on how I spent New Year's Eve transition to the 1st...Well, I've never been one to shy away from doing something late as long as its worthwhile and for my Chronicles...

Ever since I could remember from childhood, crossover to New Year's has always been in a church or at home praying. Much later in life, I experienced my own transition to rational reasoning...so church on New Year's Eve had become the last thing on my mind on New Year's Eve in recent years.

From all the spectacular New Year's countdown images round the world we see on TV year after year, the only I'd ever witnessed were a few countdowns in Central London (at the Eye and its environs). I dream (my bucket list) about going to see New Year's countdown in Sydney, Tokyo, Dubai, Paris and of course New York's Time Square.

So 2012/13, Lagos was hosting its first every official Countdown party. Churches and mosques all across the country do it every year but this was the first ever by a state/city's governing body in the country. And what a countdown it was...open air party next to the beach,  concert with a number of major acts, an official countdown clock, drinks, etc

I attended the event on the invitation of Tolu with the Mrs and my sister. It was mad fun. Mad props to the LASG, the organisers and sponsors that put together a great welcome to 2013.

Less talk, pictures right...got some below. Happy 2013.


JAS

The concert stage

Cross section of the open-air party

L-R Myself with Ronke (wife) and Kemi (sister)

More pictures after the break

#walkacrosslagos - Interview with NTA

On Day 3 of Walk Across Lagos, NTA's News met up with me at the Iganmu area of Lagos for an interview.

The interview was shown on NTA News on Friday 14th Dec and on NTA Network Newsline on Sunday 16th Dec, 2012

JAS

Interview with Dipo Alabede

Dipo was suppose to film me during my walk to make a mini-documentary but at the last minute the arrangement didn't pull through.

So we decided to do an after-the-event interview. Here's the end result...he made use of some clips from the NTA news story, the rest was sheer genius.

JAS

#walkacrosslagos...You Made The Pledge, We Donated - Thank You

Walk Across Lagos was initially supposed to be a personal quest where I endure and test myself to do a long distance trek. But a number of very special people came along the journey with me by making it a walk for charity which made it even more worthwhile.

In this post, I'd like to give a special a Thank You to everyone that made pledges and redeemed which enabled me make a donation to the Red Cross Society Motherless Babies Home in Makoko, Yaba (Lagos). This then became an integral part of #walkacrosslagos.

For #walkacrosslagos, I had requested N5/N10 pledges but a number of folks pledged and redeemed a lot more than that amount which ensured we were able to cross the target of N100,000 to accumulate a total of N115,000 for the Motherless Babies Home.

In no particular order...thank you guys, you are awesome...


1.  Babatunde Maculay
2.  Funmi Aluko
3.  Damola Giwa
4.  Adebayo Abiola
5.  Kola Fajimoun
6.  Fashina Oyewale
7.  Funmi Aborishade
8.  Femi Ogunyemi
9.  Sharon Udoh
10.  Sakenat Bakare
11. Leye Babatunde
12. Emmanuel Okochu
13. Kunle Adekola
14. Biyi Adeyemo
15. Mosh Adetoro
16. Akeem Adesina
17. Omowunmi Olabaju
18. Tope Wilcox
19. Oluchi Ogwuegbu
20. Lanre Giwa
21. Ayoade Kalejaiye
22. Kemi Oyeyinka
23. Derenle Ladejobi
24. Francis Nwoboshi
25. Emuobo Okitiakpe
26. Chioma Okoye
27. Norense Esekhaigbe
28. George Brown
29. Nkechi Uchendu
30. Chiwetalu Obikwelu
31. Jaco Viljoen
32. Gboyega Akeredolu
33. Akhere Oyewole
34. Lanre Osibona
35. Onyebuchi Akaniro
36. Dipo Alabede
37. Dr/Mrs. Victoria Agboola
38. Iyabo Akeem-Onikoyi
39. Tony and Adekanla Jiboye


Got some pictures below of when we went to Makoko to donate the cheque for the Motherless Babies Homes. 

The cheque made out to the Nigerian Red Cross Society

Jade and I presenting the cheque to Matron and the kids of the Home

Signing the donation register

Completing my name on the receipt

My sister Kemi with some of the kids

JAS

A Trek For Charity - The Article from The National Mirror

A Trek For Charity By Funmi Johnson

Adeyinka James Shorungbe is not the type of person who treks long distance. But for charity the bank manager did 175 kilometres of trekking in six days.

For the family of Adeyinka James Shorungbe, 3 December through 8 will always be very remarkable. The dates signify when Adeyinka James Shorungbe embarked and completed a six-day journey on foot from one end of Lagos State to the other (Seme boarder in Badagry to Epe, the Ogun State boarder).

Indeed, Adeyinka James Shorungbe can aptly be described as a rare person with even a rarer passion to must have thought of making such a sacrifice in the name of charity.

A bank manager in a reputable bank, Shorungbe is always with the thought of putting smiles on the faces of the inmates of the Red Cross International motherless Children home in Makoko area for the Christmas. While speaking with Saturday Mirror at the Ogun state boarder last week, Shorungbe disclosed that he always engaged in overall fitness sports and it is something he enjoys doing.

More after the break...

After The Walk

The next couple of days after completing the walk, I was treading on my feet with some bit of pain from the blisters. That was about the only reminder telling on my body that I had just completed 175km/6 days walk across Lagos State. Other than that, I was fine.

I have received mad love and support from everyone; colleagues, family, friends, acquaintances, tweeps - unbelievable. My first day back at work, when I walked into the office I received a standing ovation from my colleagues on our floor. It was incredible. I inspire them? Little did they know how their deep support has inspired me.

And there were others…friends and total strangers who came across #walkacrosslagos and simply threw their weight behind the trek morally and by redeeming pledges. Awesome. Sometimes I get introduced as “Do you what this guy did?” Then I get to relay my experience to new friends.

A couple of news articles have been published about #walkacrosslagos. Most notable is Funmi Johnson’s double piece in the National Mirror here and here. I think I’ll C&P the complete article from Saturday National Mirror. #walkacrosslagos also made it to NTA 2 Evening News bulletin on Friday 14^th Dec with an encore on the NTA Network Newsline programme on Sunday 16^th Dec. I’m trying to get the footage reformatted so I post online in a bit.

And lastly the pledges…wow. I’d set out a target of N100,000 to raise for the Red Cross Society Motherless Babies Home in Makoko, Yaba. With pledges of about N182,000 receive, at the end of the day we realized a total redeemed amount of N115,000 – well over the target amount.

I am so pleased and grateful for everyone that donated money for this cause…okay wait, I am going to do a post dedicated to you guys. Without you, we would not have been able to go to the Motherless Babies Home with that cheque topping N100k.

Christmas is here. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ahead.

JAS

#walkacrosslagos Day 6 in Pictures

Pure Fire Miracle Ministries...they even had Saudi Arabia's flag up. 

Ebele on Epe bridge. She joined me for last day's walk

On Epe Bridge

Epe Junction

More pictures after the break...

#walkacrosslagos Day 5 in Pictures

Stork statuettes on a lawn somewhere near Lakowe

Bogije

Neat looking filling station. The finest I've seen all along my trail

Came across 2 herdsmen, Yusuf and Musa. They were actually fighting over who will hold the stick to appear in the picture

Eleko Junction

More pictures after the break...

#walkacrosslagos Day 4 in Pictures

Checkpoint D was home so Jade was happy to me in the morning 

I had to put bandages on my right foot to protect the blister

Restocked my supplies for the next 3 days, the backpack became quite heavy

Relics of what must have a serious accident just by the Chevron/Conservation Toll Plaza

More pictures after the break...