Surprisingly, I have done a great deal of hiking on the trip. AWESOME! The hiking experiences have made for sore legs and blisters, but great views from the top nevertheless. On top of this mountain, there is actually a church. The first time that my friends and I climbed to the top, there were 2 women up there praying and reading their bibles. As greeting is the epitomy of Yorùbá culture, we walked over and greeted them. Once we began speaking in Yorùbá, they instantly laughed and began asking us questions. Within a matter of minutes, one of the women was telling me to bring her to America. Although not unusual for us òyìnbós (white people) to hear this request, it made me sad to think that the only reason they began talking with us was because our skin color signaled a free ride to a land with more opportunity. Being an òyìnbó in Ile-Ife has definitely had its challenges, but I must remember that sighting an òyìnbó is a rare thing for many Yorùbás to experience in their lifetime. What have they got to lose by asking me to take them back to America? In spite of this, I came away with some great photos, and I had the opportunity to practice speaking the language. It was a great end to a particularly hot and long day.
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