Downtown Lagos looks like any city USA, at least from a distance
 

But it's frequently a traffic nightmare where during a "go slow"it's a perfect time for peddlers to market there wares to motorists who have nothing better to do than look and buy.
"go slow"

We also went to the Lagos beach where I saw no one half naked as at American beaches.  People it seemed were there more to wade than anything else.

LAGOS BEACH

I did not photograph him, but I met a very interesting young man on the beach named Val Amadi.  He's a Nigerian New Yorker who comes back to Nigeria, he told me twice a year.  He said he's the owner of Pennicle Records that produces Hip-Hop music in New York.  He said he's hoping to mix it with Nigerian music and come up with a new beat.
 
 

He was fascinated by the fact I was pursuing the DNA trial to Nigeria. We sat and looked at the beach and talk. He with has his lady at his side, a cell phone that chirped frequently and parked aways off his Cadillac Escalade.

He said he was happy that I had made the journey to look for my roots.

Here at Lagos used to be one ot he exit pots for slavery back then. It's amazing that we're talking about it right here.  Most African American families probably started their journies right here.

For you it's a journey back home and I know you're going back with a lot of feelings.

Amadi was also concerned with Nigeria's image back in the United States and asked me to help convey a message.

Take the message and let hem know its'not always negative out here.  Africa is not what the colonial masters say. There is poverty, but it's not as bad as they were ssaying int America.  You're on Victoria Island. It's quite like New York over here.

It all went well for us on the beach, until we got ready to go.  Again, there are people who believe they own public areas and they started a yelling match with Kingsley and so Kingsley paid them some money.  He later told me that he didn't have to, but that they might start throwing rocks at the car or something.  I also noticed that Amadi had an argument with the beach wardens about something and I saw him pay them and utter an oath, as he left.