While in my meditation mode one early morning during the holidays in my village, I remembered some stories my father told us about our village stream called Iyi-uba when we were young. Among the stories he told us was on the perceived healing powers of the spring water, and how the villagers were saved from harm and danger during the Nigerian – Biafra war by camping at Iyi-uba all through the war.
The thought now came to me to pay a visit to iyi uba and share my experience with you guys.
If you love adventure and nature, then this post and above video is definitely for you.
Our Trip to Iyi-Uba cave and Waterfall Begins
It was a gorgeous morning when we awoke, and it was also a holiday. I opted to go to Iyi-uba cave and waterfalls near my village because I didn't have any other plans for the day. I texted my cousins to see whether they were interested in the unplanned trip; several said yes. We packed our bags shortly after breakfast with filthy laundry that we wanted to wash in the cave's stream. We then proceeded to the waterfall.
The waterfall is located in Obinagu, Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State, and is formed by a big outcrop of granite with water pouring over the top and producing a stream.
We first went through the habitable areas in the village before we got to bushes and forests. On our way, we passed some markets and met some masquerades who were on their way to performing traditional burial rites. The ladies among us had to run for safety for it is a taboo in my place for a woman to be seen by a masquerade, especially if she is wearing trousers or shorts.
We then took a narrow road down a trail that happened to be the only route (that we knew of) that led to the cave/waterfall. As we drove down, I got out my camera to photograph the scenery; everything was magnificent because it was still in its original state. As I strolled towards the cave, I marveled at the natural nature I witnessed with my own eyes and listened to the birds' whistle.
The highlight led me through a large cluster of trees as I hiked down the twisting foot pathways that lead to the cave. I was enthralled by the sights of the surrounding area as I descended, fighting my aching legs from the steep slope and hiding from the frigid gusts of wind that appeared to freeze the trickles of sweat on my neck and forehead.
After about five minutes, we arrived at the valley level, where we were greeted with a lovely forest canopy ornamented with a softly running stream of clear spring waters. We took off our shoes and walked upstream in the water barefoot. The cold sensation at my feet seemed to cure my thirst, but it wasn't enough to quench my profound craving for the rumored Iyi-uba cave.
Others were already there when we came down the slope and reached the waterfall, but they remained outside, despite the fact that some were swimming and playing in the stream of water flowing from the waterfall.
A clear river runs down the woodland floor before gracefully plunging into the guts of a gigantic cave buried beneath Obinagu's forest canopies. Iyi-uba Cave and its lovely waterfall can be found here.
Despite the fact that it is not a high fall like Ngwo's, I was taken aback as I gazed about Iyi-uba. How come I've never been here before? To be honest, none of the photos and videos I'll provide with you here will truly depict the actual grandeur of that cave; you need to be here by yourself to witness this stunning natural wonder.
The stream led into a narrow but lofty entrance with limestone-sculpted walls and a waterfall that descended beautifully from the cave's roof and impacted the floors. We were enveloped by the splash bubbles from the heavy shower of crystal clear waters that formed a shallow pool that finally ran out as a little stream as we made our way deeper into the cave. We spent some time swimming in the waterfall and appreciating all that nature had to give us. It's pure delight!
When we arrived, we found a suitable spot under a tree to store our belongings. Despite the fact that we arrived early, there were already a large number of people enjoying themselves along the stream, with some wading across it.
Despite the fact that it was extremely windy, we decided to sit and just listen to the sound of the waterfall until the stream became less congested. It had a calming and soothing effect on our ears and minds, and we became quiet and joyful as a result.
We lost track of time while at Iyi uba; different people were preoccupied with different activities, which were their reason for visiting Iyi uba; some swam, some washed clothes, some bathed, some played games, some took videos and pictures, and some simply relaxed and watched others do what they were doing.
By the time we were supposed to leave, most of us were fatigued from the fun, play, and tasks we had done at iyi uba.
It was a beautiful day in Iyi-Uba. We had a terrific time splashing around in the water. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that the guests were cluttering the beach with waste materials such as plastic bags and bottles, disposables, and so on.
I learned a lot about appreciating the natural bounties that surround us, and that there are people who are unfortunate because many towns and nations lack caves or waterfalls, and they cannot enjoy such a magnificent sense of being there.
It's wonderful to appreciate the nice things we have and know how to maintain them for future generations, whether from an aesthetic or cultural and tourism standpoint.
We were driving home when we realized there was still a chance of seeing fresh palm wine in our local market, so we made a beeline for it. We met some merchants there, and after much sampling and pricing, we purchased some gallons of palm wine.
As a reward for our efforts, we decided to create a local delicacy to go with palm wine. We came to this conclusion after significant thought.
No, you are mistaken; this is not abacha. It's ighu, ighu, ighu, ighu,
Ighu is comparable to abacha, which is manufactured by processing cassava tuber, however the tuber used to make ighu is different. While abacha is pale in color, ighu is brownish in hue and is carved into thin flat discs.
Preparation differs as well, as Abacha is soaked in warm or hot water, whilst Ighu is immersed in cold water.
In addition, Ighu is not as regularly served at social gatherings as abacha. Ighu is the go-to meal for traditionalists during celebrations; for example, it is served to new initiates of my community's masquerade secret society, with a cocoyam leaf called mpoto ede serving as the service plate.
Comments
Post a Comment