Photos from Day 1

University of Buea



On our first full day in Cameroon, we were forced to rearrange some activities since our luggage being a day late forced us to stay in the vicinity of the airport. Our hosts were very accommodating, and we managed to still have a full day of progress despite the delay.



In the morning, we made a site visit to the University of Buea, a very urban campus with a large number of students commuting (mostly by foot).



Del Monte Banana Plantation



Along the drive to and from the airport in Douala (about 1-1/2 hours each way) and to Limbe in the evening, we were first introduced to Cameroon's rich agriculture. Basically, if you are a plant this is the place to be. Coco, Coffee (arabica and robusto), Bananas, Plantains, Mango, Pineapple, Yams, Coconut, Rubber Trees - all these plus more are grown here and sold as exports. Most of the Banana Plantations we saw were owned by Del Monte. A former Governor of one of Cameroon's regions has joined us on our travels, and is teaching us many things about the country. For instance, Cameroon's Department of Agriculture has found a way to grow these crops so that they produce more fruit and are shorter so that they are easier to harvest. Very fascinating.





William presenting to the Rotary Club of Limbe

The Rotary Club of Limbe was gracious to host us a week early and let us present to their group on short notice due to the luggage mishap. It was a great meeting, and we were even able to switch to our Plan B fairly seamlessly when the converter we brought with us turned out to be the wrong one and our technology went down. The  group was clearly interested in the idea of a new university in the country, and asked great questions of our presenters. At the end of the meeting, flags of both clubs were exchanged.



Wayne and Corrie Presenting to Limbe Rotary































Building on the numbers ...

It took us 10 hours to get to the bush.
7 people now in the car.
2 dead chickens on the roof.
1 gorilla heard in the bush making calls and thumping his chest.
2 full days in the bush.
2 buildings staked.
Miles walked - who knows.
1 stream driven through + 1 mud pit.
Number of palaces available for the women to sleep in - 1
Number of beds the women (3 of us) slept in - 1
Number of homes being renovated available for the men to sleep in - 1
1 cultural event, possibly 1 additional dead chicken after that
1 bucket available to bathe in for 1 man
1 shower available for the women
Snails eaten - 4
1 women's forum - 100+ women in attendance from 20+ villages.
1 5' snake along the road. Dead, for sale.
Celebration drinks to be consumed - TBD
Amazing, generous people - countless

3 days left in Africa, lots of work still to do. Having a great time and making progress for African University!

African Trip- By the Numbers

Total Travel Time - Indpls to Buea = 28 Hours
Total Miles Traveled = 11,500 Miles
Number of Loose Chickens in Airport = 1 (that we saw anyway)
Number of Bags that Arrived with Us = 6 out of 14
Dolly Parton/Kenny Roger Songs on the Radio = Too Many
Fantas Consumed by Group = 7
Cow Tail Eaten = 2
Cow Tails Regretted = 1
Phones Working with International Plan = 1.5
Universities Toured (University of Buea) = 1
Hours Anticipated to Reach Rain Forest Today = 8 or more
Number of People per Car = 5 or more
Exchange Rate = 430 CFA's per $1, (official location)
470 CFA's per $1, (guy in airport)
Average Hours Slept per Night = 3.5 or less
Average Temperature so Far = 85F (but now we head to the hot spot)
Number of Trips to the Airport = 3
Number of Snakes per Square Mile = Virtually Unlimited (Wayne has snake proof socks)
Anticipated Days until Another Internet Connection = +/- 4

We made it through airport security and to Atlanta. Only a few bumps. We had our bags searched, bodies patted down, one name changed, and deodorant confiscated.

We each checked two bags and each have two carry on bags. It would be interesting to know our team's weight percentage of the total.

This is the beginning of a long journey. We arrive in Douala tomorrow evening. Keeping you posted ...

All Aboard!

Ready or not, here we go! I just finished packing the majority of my stuff and I feel a lot better. I'm sure I will have forgotten at least one major thing, but what can you do? There are Targets in Cameroon, right?

I will be so relived to get this trip underway. The anticipation has been building for months now and the last week has been particularly hectic. With all the stress of the holidays on top of the stress of preparing for a major trip such as this, just sitting down on the plane will be a relief.

If you had told me a year ago that I'd be going to Cameroon for a project, I would never have believed you. Yet here I am. This project (and this trip) is such an incredible opportunity. Establishing a new university in a place where higher education is a privilege shared by too few, will be a great experience for us all. I am really looking forward to being in a new culture and a new environment. Traveling always seems to give me a clearer sense of perspective. It is easy to get caught up in my day to day life, but traveling reminds me just how big the world really is and that my problems are just a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things.

As a designer, I am really looking forward to being influenced by a new culture and seeing what Cameroon architecture is all about. Just going to soak it all in.

Wish us luck in our travels! 

We are leaving tomorrow afternoon. I am testing this post from my phone.
We have one suitcase packed full of drawings, charrette tools, electrical converters. Right now it weighs 42.8 pounds.
Personally, I have not packed yet. I will be sure to pack a rubber snake since Wayne is fearful that we will run into snakes in the jungle. The area is known for it's snakes and leopards!
I will post tomorrow to share our experience of getting through airport security.

Preparing for the trip

We have been steadily preparing for this trip over the past 3 months and it is now fast approaching. In 2 days, we will be aboard a flight headed to Atlanta - Paris - Douala, Cameroon. What have we been doing to prepare? Good question.

Our packing list includes everything from malaria pills to drawing markers. We have filled one entire suitcase with our supplies (markers, measurement tools, solar chargers, electricity converters, and so on) for the trip. Individually, we are packing clothes for 3 different types of occasions: field work in the jungle, meetings with diplomats, and travel days.

Yesterday, Martin purchased the book "Indianapolis Then and Now" as a gift for our host. Rain gear for our trip was just delivered to the office. We are continually scratching things off our list as they get delivered.

All of us have gotten medical shots. Today, some of us started taking diarrhea pills, and tomorrow all of us will begin taking malaria pills. We have purchased travelers insurance, and have informed our medical insurance that we will be traveling abroad.

I don't think any of us have packed yet. Most likely, we will be crossing the last items off our list on Saturday morning. We fly out at 5 pm.