2022
Recap on Awka Geo Walk 11
With the great initiative of @Osamamajeed from Jordan, the Awka Local Guides joined other local guides from the world to participate in the Worldwide Geo Walk tagged ' Hidden Friendship Gems'
The walk was the best ever. The Awka local guides on 6th October 2018 took a walk to Owerre Ezukala cave and mountain fall. This is one of the less explored places in Anambra State. We departed around 9.30am against our proposed 8am because we had to wait for some local guides to converge before we departed because the distance to the place is about 2 hours. Quite a journey!
When we departed from our meeting point in Fides, we were all filled with hope because it was all our first time experience. In fact we were all expectant that our driver pleaded we should accommodate his pregnant wife in the vehicle because she wanted to also have a taste of the place too.
After our first stop at the petrol station, I shifted to seat at the back seat to allow Onyedika Okoye take the pictures and video. He was just so great in doing that. After we bought the fuel, we knew our journey has just began so Chioma Ndife said a short prayer to commit our journey to God as we urged the driver to take the wheel carefully.
Our journey to Owerre Ezukala was smooth apart from few pot holes on the road and unusual police check points. Am sure every Nigerian would understand the meaning of police check points. Thanks to Chioma Ndife who stopped the police from extorting money from the driver as she told them she was a press lady. They gave us a pass at every check points she intervened.
When we arrived Owerre Ezukala, we decided to pay a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of the community, T.O Ogbonanya. In return, he welcomed us to the community. Thanks to Chioma Ndife and Onyedika Okoye who introduced us properly with well-articulated Igbo language. Chioma went as far as conducting an exclusive interview with the traditional ruler. It was really a smart and intelligent interview. We presented a bottle of wine to the traditional ruler and the sum of xxxxxxxxx to him too. He welcomed us and presented us Oji kolanut which is a traditional way of welcoming visitors. After the presentation of the kolanut, we took group photograph with the traditional ruler and his cabinet members. He really gave us a warm welcome and asked us to wait for some minutes for the arrival of the tour guide, Mr. Evans who would take us round the mountain cave and water fall.
When Mr. Evans arrived, we journey to the mountain cave and falls which was about 10mins from the traditional ruler’s kingdom. On our way, he showed us a junction called ‘Isichi junction’. It is believed that when a traitor or criminal reaches that junction without purifying his sins, he could be cursed or receive punishment that may run through his generations. It is a holy junction. At that same junction, we were showed symbolic stones representing the villages in the community.
On our way to the cave, the road was sloppy and muddy because it was still under construction. On arrival to the cave and water fall, the tour guide led the way. He told is that the cave was the only male cave in Africa and probably in the world. Which means there is also a female cave. We couldn’t comprehend such exaggeration and logic.
When we got to the Obu side of the cave, we could feel the vibration of the water which was about 4 story building flowing out with great force. Nature is really wonderful. We snapped so many pictures at the water fall and our tour guide told us that the cave was over 200 years old probably from the date of discovery. We were so amazed at the beauty of the water fall.
One entering the cave, it was pretty dark, quiet and very rough. The entrance of the cave had a police station which according to the tour guide was to protect the people and watch out for people going in and out. The tour guide told us how the cave was designed by God to portray human activity and existence. He should us the kitchen which had a cupboard where food stuff were preserved and it really looked so. Also, he showed us the workshop room which had a carved spanned and the gun of a head. The room was small and the carvings of the spanner and gun head really looked same in reality. That’s nature!
He showed us another exist of the cave which also had a police stand. It was really beautiful. Inside the cave, he showed is the Obu which is the throne. At the throne which was symbolic, he showed us the throne of the Igwe, down to the Onowu, Ichie and other cabinet members. The Obu side of the cave showed hierarchy. It was amazing and we sat there to take pictures.
Another most amazing thing about the cave was the horizontal and vertical part ways leading to many towns, villages and community. He showed us the road leading to Enugu state and the road leading to Oji River and other path ways.
The most unique part inside the cave was the healing water that dripped from the cave. The water was so clean and I drank it to fullest. He told us that the people alleged that the water is symbolic to healing if they believe in it. We drank the water while some collected bottles of water to share with their friends and family at home. It was really a unique experience indeed.
After we left the cave, we couldn’t resist taking pictures of the wonderful place. At the end, we wrote our names on the cave with stones. We didn’t spend much time in the cave because we needed to leave before the rain drops. One of the most difficult experience we had was network. We couldn’t add the place on the map neither could be upload immediately nor do a live video. The four network providers in Nigeria couldn’t give us a 3G network at the cave and even at the community. It was really quite difficult and embarrassing too. I hope someday volunteers could help add mask and network to these places.
On departing, Awka local guides wished one of our local guides @UchechukwuEnem, a happy birthday. We took our birthday shots and it was really great and fulfilling to me.
When we entered the bus back to Awka, we had difficulty climbing the slope. It wasn’t too easy for us as we had to come down from the bus and kept pushing the bus. The worst came to pass when the rain started dropping, the muddy and sloppy road became too impossible for our vehicle to move. We became trapped. The rain kept falling and we were so stranded in a very lonely and quiet area. All thanks to the community members who escorted us to the place. We then realized that visiting such place is better as a group and not individually. We had no option than to call up our hormones, blood and energy to push the vehicle. This was now the beginning of the fun for our trip. We pushed the first vehicle and when it went through, we garner hope that the second vehicle will also go through if more strength is focused.
On pushing the second vehicle, Onyedika Okoye fell the first time and then I fell the second time while pushing the vehicle. I was teased by my friends and local guides that the birthday celebrant has fallen…. It was fun and laughter filled all the way. We were able to push out the vehicle, wash our muddy feet, body and took off back to Awka.
On returning, we visited the only skyscrapper in Anambra State in Umuchukwu, Orumba North Local Government. The skyscraper is around 15stroy building. Around the building is surrounded by massive structures and buildings single handedly built by an illustrious son of the community, Dr. Godwin Maduka. It was quite annoying that we couldn’t exploit the opportunities we had coming to these places because we couldn’t get any network bar to connect to the internet neither could we add our beautiful cave on the map. There was no call network neither did we get a browsing network.
On arriving Awka, we went to the newly opened restaurant called 'Five star' to have a feel of the place and taste their meal. The meal wasn’t too bad. It was cool. I was able to add the place on the map and make review of the place. The only problem with the restaurant is poor reception to customers probably especially weekends. Check out my review here: https://goo.gl/maps/4eFjXRivJ7T2
This is a link to out photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oDd6P8Xt3JYZjCbS7
And this is a link to our short video:https://youtu.be/y2seIUdkSWc
Fantastic @UchechukwuEnem
Congratulations for another successful Geo walk by you.
And your recap is very nice because you wrote everything in detail.
Thank you so much for share.
