Kano...

Nor & I met Monique & Simon to visit the ancient city of Kano this weekend. Kano is one of the oldest and biggest cities in Nigeria including Kurmi Market which is over 1,000 years old. We visited the market in the early morning before the heat and the people made the narrow streets too claustrophic. Kano is famous for beautiful cloth, beads, calabashes and other crafts. We also visited the ancient dye pits where they create beautiful indigo cloth in the ancient tradition. Kano is full of attractions - the immense Emir's Palace, the city walls (both the crumbling sections and the newly restored bits), the well-organised museum, the camel market and the incredibly beautiful Dala Hill which is a small plateau with amazing views of the whole city.
Kano is a strongly Muslim city with evidence of Islam everywhere - but I think we had one of the warmest receptions I have experienced in Nigeria. The people were welcoming and unintrusive making it a great place to visit.