Birthday Safari - Waza National Park

It turns out more than a few PCVs planned to go to Waza National Park for a safari. Since there were a total of fifteen of us, it ended up costing each person less than 10.000CFA ($20US) for the whole trip!

Alim (+237 99 71 73 40) picked us up from our front door step as we hired a car from Maroua to Waza. I shared shotgun seat with Jasmine Junk and Jenny Wang while the rest of the car blasted 80s music from an IPOD. It was good times as when we got closer to the park, monkeys darted right in front of us.

It was a hot day (I’m estimated 95+ degree Farenheit), but well worth it as we saw giraffes, vultures, warthogs (Puumba!), ostriches, antelope, and deer. First safari in Africa: check!

Welcome to Maroua, Cameroon

Maroua, the regional capital of the Extreme North region, is known for its handicrafts and cotton. Here, one can find the best artisan work in the country from paintings to jewelry.

After a nine-hour bus ride from Ngaoundere to Cameroon, we were finally in Maroua. With two trip buddies on a paved road, this was one of the easier travels in Cameroon!

If you're ever traveling in Cameroon and you're hungry, just grab something out the window!

First stop: the Artisan Market (“Artisinat”)! In a period of an hour, I spent about 20.000CFA ($40US) buying gifts and crafts. Luckily, all the merchants there understand that PCVs like to bargain hard and as I spoke the little Fulfulde that I know, I was able to walk away with fair prices on everything from shell earrings (500CFA) to calabash shakers (1.000CFA).

Andrea and I headed to the “Beauty Institute” at Domayo where our friends have a salon. In December, we met Joserne and Esther while taking the train from Ngaoundere to Yaounde and promised them that we would visit when we came to Maroua. It was really great to meet women who own their own successful business in a place where some women need permission to leave their homes. Go Joserne and Esther!

First things first: Esther wants to do my hair! As she’s worked with foreigners in the past, I let her go while Andrea received a pedicure. The salon also offers massages and has a portable sauna. Never thought that I would be at a salon here in Africa!

Joserne in the salon's portable sauna!

Back at the PC house, PCV Martin Case requested a meeting with me. He had just changed sites and wanted to discuss project ideas and city living. It was highly productive as we discussed how to empower youth to how to figure out who has serious projects.

The hightlight (beyond everything earlier that day!) was attending dinner with Joserne and Esther. We went to Restaurant Venice and enjoyed chicken and plantains over good laughter. Naturally, of course, Esther brought along her son in case Andrea was looking for a husband.

Our delicious chicken and plantain dinner with red wine at Venice

Andrea realizing that she's been set up on a date with her (potential) future husband

Oh, Cameroon!

Just Another Faux Pas

My neighbor, Mariamou, is currently hosting a study abroad student from the Students of International Training (SIT) Program. Since Ashley is currently sick in the hospital with malaria, Andrea DeRocco and I came to pay her a visit yesterday. She must be hungry, I thought. I’ll bring her meat on a stick.

Too bad she’s a vegetarian. Fail.

IST in Ngaoundere - Productive!

This past week was crazy busy and productive. After three months of living at site, each training group comes together for a week of intensive technical training.  The In-Service Training (IST) for the Agroforestry and Health PCVs was held at my site of Ngaoundere, thus, this whole week was a blur as it was spent with Peace Corps staff, volunteers, and administration!

Fellow PCV, Harley Hunner, and I collaborated to donate approximately 300 textbooks to the University of Ngaoundere. Apparently, a few hundred textbooks were left as an unfinished project by a former PCV and were just sitting at headquarters! Needless to say, the University was happy to receive them and we attended a small ceremony with the PC Country Director.

At the Book Ceremony with PC Country Director LaHoma Romocki

With the staff of the University de Ngaoundere

The next day, I had a site visit (PC staff member coming to your site) by Gaston to discuss cross-culture and language integration. Since he was in town, I found it a perfect opportunity to have a translator for my presentation on VSLA to the Agroforestry PCVs and their counterparts.

Presenting a year-long project in seventy-five minutes in two languages was no easy task! Luckily, Gaston understood American slang (when I said “The loan section is usually where people get tripped up,” he translated, “The loan section usually gives people problems”) and from feedback, I believe the fifty PCVs and Cameroonians enjoyed it.

The same presentation was given to two sets of Health PCVs to which I had to promise training handbooks to later as the Agroforestry PCVs took them all!

It’s been a good week, but I’m glad IST is done and over with as I’m exhausted! Whew!

Chute de la Vina

After living here for seven months, I decided to go search for the waterfalls that apparently exist in my town. We call my moto driver (No, I don’t have my own chauffeur – he’s just a guy I can trust!) and he says 4.000CFA for two people to Chute de la Vina is just fine. Unfortunately, he has no clue where it is!

After inquiring a few other motos that pass, we find Hanzel, a nice and knowledgeable Anglophone Cameroonian who knows the way. I call my other moto guy, Adamo, who is ridiculously kind as well and accepts only 2.000CFA as he’ll take one person.

So with the eight of us ready, off we go!

The Chute de la Vina is apparently only 15km out from my city; however, Hanzel wasn’t too sure of its whereabouts either. I was convinced that it existed in a fourth dimension until we found some local village boys that led us back to a bridge…the same bridge I had been on when lost trying to find Lac Tison a month earlier! Last time, we had no clue we were sitting on waterfalls, but today, all we need to do is turn a corner and voila! There lies the waterfall!

With my awesome moto drivers

After slipping and sliding down rocks and dirt, we discover an underground cave beneath the waterfalls. With the mist of the falls in front of us, we proceed to do a photoshoot!

Chute de la Vina (Vina Waterfalls) on the way to Meiganga, Adamawa

I ask Adamo if he wants to take me back as I know he’s only receiving 2.000CFA, but he wants to see the volcanic crater lake of Lac Tison too. Allons-y! (For photos of Lac Tison, please see February postings!)

Muslim Wedding Time

I didn't really know what to expect out of a Muslim wedding in a Cameroonian city. In fact, when it comes to many cultural events, you as a Peace Corps Volunteer will usually be very confused. However, the confusion won't make any event any less fun.

The groom was the little brother of my neighbor, Mariamou, who lives right behind my apartment. She is currently hosting an American SIT study abroad student, Ashley. Also invited to the wedding were two of my favorite PCV buddies, Ben and Andrea.

With the whole world at Mariamou's house, we were quickly shuffled out to Mariamou's husband's car to go to the neighborhood of Joli-Soir. There, we entered a house and did what I've quickly become accustomed to in this country: sit and wait.

After an hour or so, drums could be heard outside and we all piled out. The bride and groom stood for photos while the drummers played away. Tradition: Give money to the bride and groom and that allows you to dance!

My buddy Dali, pulled me to dance with her, Mariamou and some other local women. I thought I was done until the best man came up to me and said that I had to dance again with my friends. Next thing you know, the four of us foreigners are center stage doing the "fist-pump" with the groom to the cheers of the Cameroonians!

The night ended with playing the Cameroonian version of "Sorry" with Mariamou's twelve-year-old son crushing everybody else. Good night!

Just Another Cultural Faux Pas

One of the young women I work with called me today and stated (or at least what I heard in French), "J'ai couché un garcon." That translated in my head that her son was sleeping.

I knew that she was at the hospital and as death is too common here in Cameroon, I thought she wanted to tell me that her son had died.

So, I said that I was sorry. Looking back on the conversation, she actually said, "J'ai accouché un garcon (I gave birth to a son). And I responded that I was sorry. Oops!