WHEN THE ROCK FELL AT KAJURU

No, I am not talking about the falling of any rock that you know. Olumo Rock at Abeokuta has not fallen. It’s an unknown rock at Kajuru Town ìn Kaduna State Nigeria that I am referring to. In May 2018, I visited the Kajuru Castle in Kaduna with IRINAJO – a leading tour group. (If you are a Tourist visiting Nigeria, I highly recommend them. You may DM for further details). As part of the tour package, we went mountain hiking and totally had fun.

@bussyj_ @garba @aijayc hiking at Kajuru.

Garba our hiking guide was in front, followed by my other travel colleagues with Damola the CEO of IRINAJO_NG and I at the end of the trail. I made Damola stay with me at the rear because I was busy taking pictures and since I needed a human element in some of the pictures , he became my emergency model.

Damola- THE CEO OF @Irinajo_ng

However, what I didn’t tell him was that since I couldn’t climb as fast as the others, (Pls don’t let Damola know this) I was actually using the pictures as an excuse to catch my breath. (Winks) At the end of the hike, we noticed other mountains around so a decision was quickly reached to hike these mountains the next day.

Very early next morning I was up but my colleagues couldn’t join me because of other things that came up. So Garba and I had to do the hiking alone. Off we went chit chatting, with him telling me about his life, family, Kajuru town, just random stuff.

Garba, our Kajuru guide.

I was shown farms, different types of rocks, the mango plantation etc and as we came out of the plantation, there stood on the dusty/untarred road this huge rock . I asked him “why is this rock here in the middle of the road”? He answered “one night, we just heard a loud noise between 1and 2 am and every one was wondering what could have caused such loud earth shaking crash. Since there was no immediate outcry in the neighborhood so we left it at that till it was morning. This was when what happened was confirmed to all. That noise was caused by this huge rock you are seeing now” “But why hasn’t it been removed” I asked ? “It will be removed but for now, this is how it has been.

Garba standing in front of the fallen rock.

Suddenly he stopped and said, “see that”. (Pointing his finger). I asked “what”? “Can’t you see it” he repeated. “What I can see is rocks and some people coming from their farms” I replied. “Look well, there is a monkey on the rocks”. With his expert guidance I finally saw it. But before I could aim my camera, the Monkey scurried off into a cave .

” How did you spot it so easily” I asked him curiously. He told me “I grew up here. These rocks and stones were the only playground we had. Here you have to see what is around you before it sees you ….. I know the terrain Iike the back of my hand so if anything new shows up I will immediately recognise it” . He concluded.

“I grew here…..I know the terrain like the back of my hands”.

Well let’s get back to our story. “No one was injured when the rock fell. But we had a problem in the morning. This rock was blocking the road such that those who went to their farms found it difficult to return and those who wanted to go couldn’t get to their farms. The space to my right is where we now pass. We all chipped in using shovels, pickaxes etc to create pathway you now see cars and people passing”.

“The space to my right is where we now pass”.

I was touched by his story as it showed me how people in a community can come together and solve problems. We moved on from there and he showed me a cave just around the place the monkey had scurried off and entered into it beckoning to me to follow him. I told him I wasn’t entering the cave because I was tired/ had seen enough. The truth was I was scared we may encounter that monkey and I didn’t want to face it inside the cave or any other thing in there. He assured me it was safe and besides it was just a little monkey. I refused so we left the cave and he showed me other places of interest. I had great fun alone out there with him, taking shot after shot with my Nikon.

Then suddenly I realise my handkerchief was missing. “Ahmed, I must have dropped my hankie somewhere and I need to get it back” I reported to him. “We will find it if you can remember when or where you used it last”. I responded “in the Mango plantation but how can one find anything in that place”. He smiled. I understood him immediately.

Mango Plantation at Kajuru.

He knows the place like the back of his hands so anything new will be easily spotted. He was right as soon as we re-entered the plantation. Whilst I was busy looking round, Garba calmly pointed out the white hankie lying on the sea of brown leaves. You may wonder why the hankie was important to me. It’s because this hankie has been faithful to me in my journeys. Why should I abandon it now when it has served me well.

That’s it folks . So you know the rock I am referring to now.

Ahmed, if you ever get to read this, next time I am in Kajuru, wẹ will go into that cave. ( Should have entered it. My curiosity is still gnawing away at my heart. Should have, could have thoughts still bombard my mind every now and then).

To read another travel story, click on this link HOW I ALMOST DIED AT IYAKE LAKE

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