adjusting
After 3 planes, 1 bus, and 2 taxis, Lance and I arrived in Belo 2 days ago. Our long journey here went quite smoothly despite a few unpleasant variables. On our flight from Seattle to Newark, for example, the woman next to me spent about an hour and a half with her bare toes coiled around the lid of my water bottle, rolling the bottle back and forth between her foot and the floor in front of my seat.
Even more trying than this was the all-night bus ride from the airport in Cameroon to the village (Belo) in which miniature cockroaches continually scurried across my ankles, arms, head, and neck. Seriously. For 7 hours. How do they know to crawl on the neck?
Otherwise, our journey went quite well, and we've spent the last 2 days recovering from jet-lag, swollen ankles, and soar throats. As we've begun to adjust and regain our strength, we're beginning to organize and plan our work with BERUDEP for the next few weeks. With that, I'm faced with the usual combination of excitement and anxiety/internal conflict on the brink of this adventure. More to come as this experience unfolds...
Even more trying than this was the all-night bus ride from the airport in Cameroon to the village (Belo) in which miniature cockroaches continually scurried across my ankles, arms, head, and neck. Seriously. For 7 hours. How do they know to crawl on the neck?
Otherwise, our journey went quite well, and we've spent the last 2 days recovering from jet-lag, swollen ankles, and soar throats. As we've begun to adjust and regain our strength, we're beginning to organize and plan our work with BERUDEP for the next few weeks. With that, I'm faced with the usual combination of excitement and anxiety/internal conflict on the brink of this adventure. More to come as this experience unfolds...
I am cringing FOR you!!! Roaches scurrying and a stranger's toes on your water bottle?! These are things written just for you, Laurie. Ick.
ReplyDelete. . . meaning that I think these things are pretty specific to the things that gross you out!
ReplyDeleteThe roaches didn't bite, but are just small enough for their presence to be unsure of -- until the attack! Thankfully the bus was completely dark, bombing through the night markets and thick darkness only found in Africa.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the great writing Mrs. C!
I like that you wrote of a "soar" throat--from the soaring airplane--a coincidence?
ReplyDelete