My weekend trip was all about work, however, like @samsmith1971 says, "Work hard! Play hard" and that was what it felt like.
Again, me telling you I work with a catering company that requires us to travel sometimes. Monday was the swearing in of The new president and governors which meant, parties! That is where we enter the scene.
We first started with a mini-trip that lasted about 20 minutes away from the company. We catered to a wedding held at SYDE RESORT in Kaduna, Nigeria.
The inside of it wasn't really big. We just had to serve about 350 guests. The scenery wasn't really picturesque to me but it was a decent place.
They had a restaurant which I didn't have the privilege of getting into for the sake of work but I did like the span of green grass that covered the area where we worked.
And the non-functional fountain which was sad to be honest. One problem with places like these is they do not invest into their buildings. They feel they have done enough and have no idea what great revenue they can generate from adding new attractions or fixing the old ones. They just let stuff die...
We worked this place for a few hours before heading back to prepare for the 4-hour long trip away to Gusau, Zamfara state.
TAULA ARENA IN GUSAU, ZAMFARA STATE
We left Kaduna at about 5:30pm and arrived in Gusau past 9pm. However, the Hotel was fully booked when we got there and so were the others. The Inauguration of the Governor wasn't child's play at all. Security details everywhere, increase in armed forces placed all over the place.
The check points during our trip was doubled. I have been to Gusau once before and spent the night in Taula hotel. But I never really had the chance to look around. This time, I did.
The Taula arena is nothing like the hotel. I was a bit taken with how small yet functional it was.
The arena is situated just beside the hotel. There is a wall divide making it easy to find should you happen to leave the hotel in search of something fun.
It was really late and so the lights were on. To my eyes, it was a place I could escape to. Just enough people to not be too crowded.
The small huts are really cute! And the colored bulbs made me giddy for some reason.
The gym was my next attraction. I do love a good workout and this place was virtually empty given the time. It was not like the gym I use in Kaduna but it wasn't half bad; they had enough of the right equipment.
The shop was more of a lounge. Beautiful, warm wallpapers and bright lights. Well, maybe it was because it was late. I did feel a little at home in there. The host said they serve popcorn, ice-cream, chips, shawarma, burger, smoothies and fresh juice. I would have gotten something but running on a budget here...
I got a glimpse into the children's park. It was empty and I almost wished I could see what this place was like during the day time.
Just look at that wee one cheering the flower...lol. Some players were still out playing football in the housed field. I was told that they even play tennis, badminton, and volleyball in there.
There was an indoor game spot that I did not get into because it was locked. So, I passed it and ended up at the Cafe. I asked the host of their menu and she said they make Coffee (Espresso, Turkiye, Latte, Caramel, Mocha, etc), Tea (Arabian, Detox, Regular, Ginseng), Noodles and some cupcakes. I wasn't able to go in because they had closed for the day but the drive-thru window was still open.
Saw this on my way back from the Cafe. An usher said it was for really important people. Couldn't access it too.
My walk ended there as we were whisked away to where we could pass the night. It was situated in the G.R.A and you would think because of that, they'd have basic amenities. They didn't. My time in this place made me grateful for what I already have as we had to wake up as early as 5:30am in search of the formidable Water.
In Kaduna, a Gallon of water is sold at about N30($0.065) while at Gusau, it was N200($0.43). I was able to enjoy the fresh air in this place thanks to the abundance of trees.
Here at my place in Kaduna, trees aren't much which is why I always feel like my whole system is being polluted from the toxins the atmosphere releases daily.
We also got to see really pretty houses (which I did not take pictures of thanks to low battery) and it was pure heaven for my colleague who is an architect. He was doing what he did best. Dissecting and analyzing each model and their layouts.
The day ended at the State Secretariat in Gusau where the inauguration held.
The People's Democratic Party (P.D.P) securing this victory in Zamfara state. The decorations were just enough. Nothing too flashy but still good enough to appeal to the senses.
We set up on time and readied ourselves for the night. It was a really eventful one that lasted until 12am. The crowd wasn't easy to serve😅
But despite everything, I enjoyed my trip. I made a new friend too and It was just fun. I had new experiences and saw new faces. My walk was so fun!!!
