Kano, Nigeria: Dust, History, and Peanut Butter Everywhere
okay, so i just got back from…kano. nigeria. it’s…a lot. honestly, i’m still processing. the id number for this trip was 64b6b006-3370-4517-ba16-adb88d41877d, just in case anyone needs to track it. i’m not sure why i’m writing this, i’m just…tired. and covered in dust.
first off, the heat. i just checked and it’s 25.16°c there right now, feels like 24.04, pressure’s 1010, humidity is a measly 12%, sea level’s 1010, ground level’s 956. hope you like that kind of thing. it’s dry. really dry. and hot. like, consistently hot. i’m pretty sure my hair is permanently frizzy now.
kano itself…it’s old. seriously old. like, over a thousand years old. apparently, there were stone tools found there. can you imagine? someone was chipping rocks there way back when. it was founded by a blacksmith named Kano (creative, right?) from the Gaya tribe. they built it on Dala Hill. now it’s an underground water reservoir, which is…interesting. it used to be one of those seven medieval Hausa kingdoms. so much history crammed into one place.
and the walls! oh my god, the walls. fourteen kilometers of them. mostly mud and sand, but some are restored. apparently, they’re trying to get them listed as a UNESCO site. i walked along a bit of them. it’s…impressive, in a crumbling, ancient sort of way. you can climb Dala or Goron Dutse hill for a view, someone told me. i didn’t have the energy.
kurmi market is a thing. apparently, it’s been open since the 15th century. a huge trans-Saharan trade hub. i bought some peanuts there. so many peanuts. and dyes. and leather goods. it’s chaotic. in a good way, mostly. it smells like spices and dust and…well, peanuts.
apparently, the Emir’s Palace and Great Mosque are important. someone told me there was a Boko Haram attack at the mosque in 2014. it’s…a lot to process. the city feels safe now, though. people are resilient, i guess. that’s what everyone keeps saying.
food-wise, i didn’t get to try everything, but peanuts are a big deal. and hides and leather. apparently, the regional Hausa cuisine is amazing, with “rich flavors.” i mostly just ate peanuts. and drank a lot of water.
there’s aminou kano, the politician, and ado bayero, the emir. lots of historical figures too, like king gajemasu and sultan yaji i. it’s all very…royal.
most people are hausa and fulani. hausa is the main language. it’s predominantly muslim. sharia law applies, but only to muslims, apparently. i didn’t really get into that.
if you get bored, ungogo and kumbotso are just a short drive away. it’s a northern hub, apparently, with access to seaports. and it’s north of kaduna rail junction.
kano is the “economic nerve center” of northern nigeria. that’s what everyone keeps saying. it’s famous for trans-saharan trade and peanut production. and those walls. seriously, the walls are something else.
look, it’s…intense. it’s not a relaxing vacation. it’s dusty, hot, and chaotic. but it’s also…fascinating. i’m glad i went. i think. i need a shower. and maybe a week of air conditioning.
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