Spending the night in Lagos airport

Not as bad as you would think.

After waking up at 5am on October 17 and traveling over ten hours we arrived in Lagos, Nigeria for our 15 hour layover.

Their system for transit passengers is very different and they don't give you much information at first, which makes the whole thing confusing and frustrating. They take your passports and lead you upstairs before they tell you why, and because of the airport's reputation this made me a little panicky. They take you to the waiting room for transit passengers. It's a small room, but has some couches, Internet, and air conditioning. This is where Mel and I spent the night along with two others. We each got our own couch and slept very well for about six hours of the night. Mel, who has slept overnight in airports many times throughout the U.S. and Europe, said this was the best overnight situation she ever had at any airport.

Then some hours before your flight they lead you past security and past long lines of travelers to get you your boarding pass. So what seemed sketchy in the beginning turned into an ideal situation. I was always looked after by an employee and I had air conditioning, Internet, and a place to sleep. And getting my boarding pass was ALMOST painless (I say almost because they were constantly questioning me about my lack of a visa for The Gambia ).

And now I know what to expect for next time. Which is in less than two weeks.