The pipes arrive...

Tuesday June 16, 2009

There was no community work today. However, that didn’t mean a day of rest. We traveled up to Carifu Quarter’s section of the line to inspect their work. Their quarter head hoped we could find an alternate path that avoided many of the rocks they were hitting. No such path existed. So, we told the quarter head to dig as deep as physically possible in that section of the line. I guess that’s the disadvantage of having only manual sources of labor. A storm in the afternoon transformed our street into a small river.

A surprise was waiting for us after dinner. Despite the terrible roads, the pipe and supplies were in the village. It took the villagers a short time to unload the truck. After unloading, the truck got stuck in the mud. A small contingent of villagers pushed and pulled until the truck was free.

Wednesday June 17, 2009

Our first task of the day was to move all the pipes from the soccer field into the school house. Our small group worked quickly and we put the last pipe in the classroom by 8 AM. To celebrate, we headed off to the chairman’s place for a free beer. Only in college and Cameroon is it acceptable to drink beer at 8 AM.

Since we had no other work to be done on the pipeline, we stopped at the storage tanks to assist the carpenter in mixing/placing concrete. Mr. Willie is the carpenter for the tanks. He is a very knowledgeable man when it comes to construction practices in Cameroon. It’s amazing what these men can do without machines. All the concrete ingredients are mixed on the ground. Then, the buckets of fresh concrete were passed via a line of workers up to the top of the tank. Other men placed and finished the concrete. The result was a tank that wouldn’t look much out of place in the US.

We played some more football today. The game came down to penalty kicks after tying in regulation. The goalkeeper made an excellent save on my shot. Mark was the only one of the three whites to score in penalty kicks. In the evening, all of us (including Carine) visited the local “movie theater.” This movie theater is nothing like those in the states. The small room was filled with benches that faced a 19” TV. The place was packed when we arrived. The cost was 50 CFA (about 10 cents) for one movie or 100 CFA for the double feature. (We arrived too late to see the first half)

The movie itself was a Nigerian soap opera. (Cameroon is not yet developed enough to have their own movie production studios) Like all soap operas, Nigerian soaps are overdramatic, terribly acted, and poorly written. In addition, the sound quality is marginal to put it nicely. Doors close with loud bangs and voices go from inaudible to booming in seconds. Overall, I find the films to be hilariously bad.

The plot of this particular film centered on a man who was dating three girls at the same time. The girls happened to be best friends and when they found out the truth, things got nasty. A girl was raped, someone was killed, and people were thrown in jail. But in the end, everything turned out just dandy. The good guy got the girl and the bad guy was put behind bars.

Left: Standing in front of a felled Boma tree near the storage tank

Canoe race and more

Sunday June 14, 2009

Today was the big canoe race at Barombi Lake near Kumba. Julius drove us part of the way. When we reached the road to the lake, we hopped out and hiked the rest of the distance. The hills were enormous leading up to the lake. Only the strongest of vehicles and ocada could make it to the lake. The road was also in pretty poor condition with plenty of potholes and muddy sections. A huge vertical cliff greeted me as I neared the lake.

Barombi Lake is a crater lake that reaches to an unknown depth. When nearby Mount Cameroon has a period of high volcanic activity, the lake gets so warm that fish die and float to the surface. The lake is also the source of Kumba’s water supply. Many Kumba residents also come here on weekends to relax and swim.

The race itself was a huge production. All the local dignitaries showed up. (Some of them quite late, causing a couple hour delay in the start time) The organizers even had a DJ who played the Cameroon national anthem before the races began. It felt like a regatta in the US. Guinness had a small beer tent set up and hundreds of people lined the banks of the lake. Everyone from Barombi Bo (located on the opposite shore of the lake) recognized Mark, Carine, and Julius. They can’t wait for us to visit the village.

The final race of the day was quite exciting. It pitted boats from Limbe, Duoala, Kumba/Barombi, and some other city. Barombi’s boat was far outmatched. While the other teams paddled modern fiberglass vessels, Barombi struggled to keep up in a dug out canoe. On the other hand, Barombi did have the largest cheering section by far. The teams raced two large circuits around the lake. It came down to a sprint to the finish line. Limbe edged Duoala by a half boat length for the win. Barombi finished about twenty minutes later. We were worn out after a long day and decided to head home before the big after party began.

Monday June 15, 2009

We headed back to Boa Bakundu for another two week stay. Somehow, we managed to leave at the time we planned. After reaching the village Carine and Sabine (one of the immersion coordinators) decided to follow us up to the catchment to see how the work was progressing. Some quarters were already done digging for the day by the time we reached the storage tanks. On our way back from the catchment, we helped one quarter move an enormous rock out of the path of the pipeline. The girls were exhausted after walking up and back.

I played a little Frisbee in the afternoon and had two cups of palm wine before heading off to play some soccer. Traveler’s Tip: Don’t drink two cups of palm wine just before playing soccer. I played ok at midfield, but my stomach was in knots. I left the game early and headed home to take some Pepto Bismol and rest. Lesson learned.

In the evening, we introduced Cameroon to the card game “Spoons.” Everyone seemed to enjoy the frantic nature of the game. Our only interruptions were some kids yelling at us from outside and some random drunk person coming in to complain about a fine. After we told him we could do nothing about his fine, he begged us for food. Hopefully, these types of visitors don’t become an everyday occurrence.

The boys are back in town

Hello everyone! Congrats to the US soccer team on making it to the finals of the Confederations Cup. (hopefully we'll get to watch it in the village) I just wanted to post a quick update. You can expect a bigger, more picture-filled one later today and some more over the next couple of weeks. We are back in Kumba until Sunday night.

Everything is going very well here. We joined 371 pipes in 3 days this week. We have a plumber coming early next week to finish all the connections. Our hope is that by Tuesday afternoon we'll be able to test the line. If everything goes well with the test, our work will essentially be finished. We'll spend the rest of the week doing some small jobs and educating the maintenance personel in operation of the system.

Plans for the 4th of July are to host the immersion students (5 boys, 7 girls) at our place in the village. It should be an awesome time. Hopefully, village life won't be too much of a shock for them. The interquarter football/soccer cup also begins this week. Each of us will be playing for a different quarter. The next time we'll be back in Kumba looks like around July 10th or 11th. I hope you all still enjoy reading my updates. I always like hearing back from you. :)

Adventures in Kumba

Friday June 12, 2009
On Friday, we returned to Pa’s house in Kumba. Boscoe was our driver again. This time we had the great honor of inhaling exhaust fumes coming from an open hole in the dash. Friday afternoon was calm as we just hung around the house. It rained again (I guess that’s why it’s called the rainy season) so we stayed at home.

Saturday June 13, 2009
Saturday was quite the adventure. Julius had his uncle’s car for the weekend so he agreed to show us more of Kumba. We rode three people per ocada to his aunt’s place. Our first challenge was to get the car started. After a few tries Julius managed to get it going, but we still had to buy petrol to fill the tank. Traveling tip: don’t ever expect a Cameroonian to know how to drive or shift. I’m pretty sure Julius has never had a formal driving lesson. The only gears he used were second and reverse.

Julius also doesn’t have the knowledge of how to avoid or reduce the effects of the enormous potholes in the road. Brian and I literally bounced all over the backseat as Julius slammed into every bump, rock, and gulley along the way. Julius also becomes easily distracted when he tries to direct our attention to a good looking girl along the road or an interesting landmark. (more often the former than the latter) This results in us slowly veering into oncoming traffic. I feared for my life on many occasions today.

However, we did manage to accomplish our goal of seeing more of Kumba. We traveled through the area known as Fiango and also passed through the Oakwood of Kumba, Alaska Street. (for those not from UD reading this blog, Oakwood is one of the richest sections of Dayton) In the afternoon, Josephat treated Benjamin and us to dinner at Classy Burger. It is a small restaurant in Fiango that serves meals as close to fast food as you can get in Cameroon. We had fried chicken and French fries. It was a nice taste of home. (other than the fact my water glass smelled of fish) Someday, we’ll go there for the burgers. Tomorrow we head off to Barombi for the big canoe races before heading back to the village on Monday.

Chin-chin, gran nut, popcorn

Tuesday June 9, 2009
Tuesday was a relatively easy day. The three of us went up to the line to move the string marking the pipeline route. The jungle was peaceful compared to the previous day. On our way back down the hill, we met up with Mr. Benjamin and Derrick at the storage tanks. We trekked back up the hill to show them the progress that had been made. Tuesday night was pretty normal as we played cards in the living room. This was the first night we met Marie from Limbe.

Wednesday June 10, 2009
After getting almost no sleep due to constant wailing outside, Mark and I sat down to crunch the numbers and prepare the order for pipe and other supplies. After breakfast, Mark headed off to Kumba to place the order as well as run some general errands. Brian and I relaxed for most of the day. We learned that the wailing was from the death of an older woman who lived across the street from our place. Brian and I attended the funeral. It was nothing like a funeral in the US. Very few people cried. Other than a few somber words from the reverend, it was a celebration of the woman’s life. Songs of joy rang out for most of the evening and will continue for one week after her death. The next couple of nights we heard them singing and drinking palm wine into the early hours of the morning.

Thursday June 11, 2009
Thursday was the second day of community digging. Yet again, each quarter had a great turnout of men to continue the work. Mark was attending the water committee meeting so I took charge of the quarters toward the catchment while Brian started near the tanks. No sooner did I reach Boa Camp’s section of the line than it started to rain. By rain, I mean it was a torrential downpour. Within minutes, I was soaked to the bone. But that didn’t stop me from digging. After about 20 minutes with no end to the storm in sight, the leaders of Boa Camp decided to “close” for the day. As we walked back toward the tanks, many other quarters quit for the day as well. It was far too muddy above the stream crossing to get any more digging done.

Below the stream crossing, it was a different story. The quarters in this area had less rain and less mud. These quarters continued digging the rest of the morning. I stayed with two quarters for the remainder of the morning, digging whenever I could. Angola quarter had the prestigious honor of being the first quarter to complete their section of digging to the required depth. They were very determined to finish on Thursday and celebrated the occasion with some palm wine.

Thursday night we went out with Marie and Peter to a local bar. We played a mix CD created by Justin Forzano (an ETHOS Cameroon alum) for Wise Dog at the bar. They got part of the way through it before switching back to their video CD’s. (oddly it was right after they played “American Boy”) Apparently, it was at this gathering that Marie fell madly in love with Mark. Since that day, she’s texted him a few times and sent him three emails professing love at first sight. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time any of us receive confessions like this.

Judging by the amount of trench completed on Thursday, we estimated it will take a little more than one day to finish digging. Trench completion should occur by next Thursday. Pipe is scheduled to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday and will be delivered directly to the village. The timing looks promising for us to begin installation next Friday. We will most likely form a small crew and start gluing pipes on Friday and Saturday. All pipe should be in place by the 22nd. The next step will be installation of more complicated piping at the storage, aeration, and sedimentation tanks by a plumber. After that is complete, we’ll leak test then backfill the trench.

Our hope is that the next time we are in Kumba (weekend of the 26th) the line will be in place from the catchment to the storage tanks. It may end up that the tanks will be the controlling factor in our schedule. The carpenter seems to be taking his time finishing the last large concrete placement. This aggressive schedule will allow us a week of wiggle room if needed. It will also give us plenty of time to research projects with Mr. Benjamin for next year’s ETHOS Cameroon group. So until next time, this is B-Square (nickname courtesy of Wise Dog) signing off from wet and wonderful Cameroon.

Left: Making chin-chin (a mini doughnut) snack with everyone including Marie.

Right: Water committe member, myself, and Moses after Moses used a Stihl size 70 chainsaw to cut through a tree along the path of the pipeline

Commence the digging

Saturday June 6, 2009
Saturday and Wednesday are the 2 market days in Boa Bakundu. Mami, Brian, and I headed off to buy some more food for the next couple of days. It’s not much of a market and Mami became angry when they tried to sell her anything at white man prices. Saturday afternoon, I was talking to one of the local ocada drivers, Caleb. I told him that I have a motorcycle back in the US and was fascinated by the riding culture here in Cameroon. He asked if I wanted to try riding his bike. (Heck yes I did!) Because he doubted this white’s ability to ride a motorcycle, he would start me off riding around the soccer field. I proved his assumption wrong on my first lap. The only major differences with Sanili 125’s and American bikes is that Sanili’s shift all down and there is a severe lack of braking power. (I later saw that the front brake cables on all these bikes are cut, I’m still not sure why) My last lap around the field I hauled Julius and continued with him on the back as I powered my way back to the house.

Saturday evening, we played soccer again. This time my team and I played much better and the match ended in a 1-1 tie. I managed to get the only yellow card of the game when I tripped up Mark on a breakaway to the net. Saturday night was spent playing cards in the house.

Sunday June 7, 2009
Sundays have been very relaxing so far in Cameroon. This Sunday, we learned how to play draft. Draft is a modified game of checkers. The two major differences in draft are that all pieces can jump backward and that you MUST jump your opponent when you have the option. It definitely adds another level of strategy to normal checkers. Mark and I split the 2 games we played against each other.

The early afternoon was spent drinking palm wine with our fellow residents of Dibamba quarter. A friend in Angola quarter invited us to his bar to watch the Cameroon/Morocco World Cup qualifying match on TV. Cameroon controlled the match but failed to score. The 0-0 tie left a sour taste in many people’s mouths. Sunday night we hit up a local bar for a drink. One drink quickly turned into three. Soon, Mark and I were on the little dance floor feeling the beats.

Monday June 8, 2009
Impressive. That’s the only way I can describe the first day of community work. We ascended the hill toward the catchment with an army. Our army was equipped with picks, shovel and digging tools of every shape and size. Each quarter was assigned a section of the line to dig. Mark started at the tanks while Brian and I would start near the catchment. We had perhaps 300 men digging with us that day. Our primary job was to make sure the men knew the depth to dig in each section of the line. But we didn’t stop there. All three of us got down in the ditch and dug alongside our friends and neighbors. Just like when I used the machete, it shows them that we aren’t here simply to supervise the work.

I’m not even sure how much dirt was removed in 5 hours that day. I know it was a lot. I was worn out and so were many of the people who dug with us. When I got back to the house, I ate the best tasting orange I will ever have in my life. It was the perfect snack at the perfect time. (more pictures of the digging to come)

New format and more info from me

We leave for the village again on Monday June 15, 2009. We don’t plan to return to Kumba until the 26th. So, I’ll be setting the blog to autopost for me over the next couple weeks so you’ll all have something to read. I’ve changed the format a little bit to go on a day-by-day basis. I’ll include some pictures along the way. :)

Thursday June 4, 2009

Of course, we were supposed to leave Kumba for the village at 8 AM, but that did not happen. Our driver didn’t show so we were forced to scramble a new ride. The taxi ride was our worst yet. It was cramped and very dirty, but it just makes you smile and know you are in Cameroon. When we arrived in the village, we unloaded and headed up to survey a new route. We were hoping that this new route would prove to be easier to dig as well as more economical than the original trace.


Our new trek followed the path of the stream more closely. By more closely I mean we literally waded through the stream. We trudged over marshes, mud, and fields of cocoa yams. My shoes and pants were soaked. At the end of the day, the route proved to be no better in shaving off distance. In addition, it would have been nearly impossible to lay pipe in this area.
After resting and drying out for a few hours, Julius, Brian, and I headed off to the soccer field to throw around a Frisbee we brought. Within minutes, we were surrounded by hundreds of residents of Boa Bakundu. Almost everyone who tried to throw it failed miserably the first time. Many of them were amazed when one of the whites would toss it a couple hundred feet. As it began to get dark, the kids of Boa Bakundu became just like any other kids. They started to fight over the Frisbee after each toss. So, before anyone got hurt, we picked it up and headed home.

Friday June 5, 2009
Friday brought more surveying for us. This time, we were resurveying the original route to pinpoint areas that would require deeper digging. The problem area occurs within 100 m of the catchment. After reviewing the original feasibility study, it was obvious the engineers who performed the first survey somehow ignored or missed this high area. In the afternoon, we (by we I mean “Mark Awot and guests”) were invited to nursery school graduation. (the school principal came and forcibly took us to the ceremony) We were given seats of honor and treated like royalty. It’s nice to be treated this way, but it also makes me feel guilty. The only thing that’s different about us is our skin color. All three of us are poor college students and we haven’t even completed the project yet.


Anyways, this nursery school graduation was a test of endurance. I thought UD graduations were long at a few hours for a couple thousand kids. I was wrong. With only about 10 graduates leaving for primary school, the ceremony lasted over 3 hours (and we even came late) Each child had to show/tell us what they learned that year in school. There were also repeated requests for donations throughout the festivities. We had to scrounge up what little CFA’s we had to place in the pot. I feel that was probably one of the main reasons we were invited. Many Cameroonians feel that all Americans are rich due to the celebrities they see on TV. The principal was even so bold as to give us his address so that we could send more money when we get back to the states. (we were the only guests to receive this paper)


Friday evening we played football on the pitch. I played defender for the shirts team while Brian was a midfielder. All the kids laughed when I slipped and fell during the match. It was really fun. Mark made the whole village break out in laughter when he ran onto the field in short red shorts and no shirt. The game ended in a 2-1 loss for my team. I guess I’ll have to learn this whole football thing before I leave Cameroon.

Back from the village for a day or so

Here I am back in town for a day or so. Lucky you, another blog update, this time with more pictures :)

So after church on Sunday we came back to Elias's house to relax and prepare for our trip to Boa Bakundu. We had time to play some modified football/rugby with the kids outside in the street. Mark brought out the frisbee as well and everyone had a great time. After we were done with American football, it was time for world football, also known as soccer. The kids played on the rocky uneven street. (which also included some broken glass bottles and a car antenna to make it all the more exciting)

At best, kids played in sandals. One boy didn't have any shoes at all. The ball looked like it had seen better days as it was half deflated and rolled awkwardly over the bumps and rocks. Despite all these problems, all of the kids were excellent players for their age. Clinton plays attacker while Brandon focuses on defense. The "goals" were 2 empty wine bottles placed at each end of the "pitch." (now it becomes obvious where all the broken glass came from) A team scores when the opposing squad's bottle is knocked over by the ball. Brandon's goal celebration and dance was priceless.

When we finally returned to the house, I had the opportunity to eat real sugar straight from the sugar cane. Sugar cane has a tough bark on the outside. The first step is to peel away this cover with either your teeth or a knife (I used my teeth, like any real African would ;)). Then, you pull out the straw-like fibers with your teeth and suck on them. The sugar juice is within these fibers. After the juice has been sucked out, you spit out the straw fibers. It takes a little work, but you'll never have better sugar, I guarantee.

Monday saw us up early to meet Mr. Benjamin and head off to the village. We also picked up our supplies from Josephat's hardware store. As usual in Cameroon to this point, we were late in leaving the Amin house. I've come to accept that promptness is not held as highly in this country as in the US. Elvis was our taxi driver again. This time, we piled 7 people (including Brian, Mark, Mr. Benjamin, Carine, Julius, Elvis and I) in his car. The trunk was so full, Elvis had to tie Brian's bag in so it wouldn't fall out on the way. Then we were off on the 30-45 minute ride to Boa Bakundu.

I'm sure everyone has had a limb fall asleep on them now and again. But what I experienced on that car ride I hope never happens again. With 4 of us crammed in the back seat, my left leg quickly fell asleep despite my best efforts to keep blood flowing. Of course, we were yet again stopped by the police at the checkpoint (foot slowly dieing at this point). While Elvis talked with the policewoman behind his car, an ocada slammed into our trunk and ran into Elvis's leg. Apparently, the man had no brakes. Luckily, Elvis was fine and the policewoman yelled at the ocada and eventually let us go. With another 20 minutes of road to go, I have absolutely no feeling along my entire left leg. Its ok though. Everyone else in the backseat (except Mark) has the same problem.

Mr. Benjamin heard our cries for help and Elvis pulled over just before the road to Boa Bakundu. We all rolled (literally) out of the car to get some feeling back in our legs. (at this point, no feeling below my waist on the left side) It took a few minutes for me to pull my leg and twist my foot so I could even get out of the backseat. The ocada at the intersection had a good laugh at our expense as we shook and stomped our feet trying to get some form of feeling back in them. I was fine until the pins and needles hit me. It was excrutiating. But after about 10 minutes, I could wiggle my toes. I was just glad my leg still worked. We squished back in the car and off to the village we went.

Mondays's small crew had been waiting patiently for us to arrive in the village. After a half hour or so to settle in to our new home, we headed off to the tanks and catchment to begin work with our small group of about 10 people. It felt like we had been walking for miles, all of it uphill and over various terrain. Most of the proposed route for the line was either jungle or cocoa trees. At one point, the route crosses a stream. The only way to cross it without taking a swim is via a few carefully placed logs. It was a balancing act I'll probably have to perform many times before the project is complete.

After what seemed like hours, we reached the catchment. In the picture to the left, you can see Moses (no really, thats his real name) standing on a rock (in reality concrete) with water coming out of it. (very ironic I know) The catchment has 16 pipes coming out of it. All of them flow at least half full and a few flow completely full. It is the most amazing sight to witness in person. The catchment has been here since 2002. The village has been waiting for a long time to get access to this water. The amount of flow from this structure could handle 10 villages of Boa Bakundu's size.

We began the survey from the catchment using the outlet pipe as a base elevation of 100 m. Brian and Mark ran the level. My primary jobs were recording data for each point (backsight, foresight, length of segment, and elevations). However, I also assisted directing the men with machetes and using/adjusting the level when necessary. The whole route from catchment to tanks totaled 2182 meters. The change in elevation was about 51 meters. Over the course of the day, I managed to do the following: suck on a cocoa bean, get bit by an ant, sweat off a few pounds, and learn a little Pidgin English. We finished up around 6 in the evening which is only an hour or so from dark here. Monday will probably be the latest work day we will have. Mark says most villagers will probably work till 2 or 3 due to the extreme heat and other factors. A typical 40 hour work week probably doesn't apply here.


On our way back to the village, we were treated to a breathtaking view of Mt. Cameroon. It is the 2nd tallest mountain in Africa. I wish I had my camera with me to take a picture. When I get a clear shot, I will be sure to post it on the blog. I was worn out after such a long day. We went to the water project chairman's bar to talk with some of the village leaders and put back some beers. They argued over what quarter we should play for in soccer. It was finally agreed that the three of us would be chosen by teams at random from a hat. I realized that I am slowly picking up more and more Pidgin as I listen.

Today, we laid out the line along the points we placed yesterday. We placed stakes 40 cm apart at each point and connected them with string. It took a little while, but soon we had a great system going. Mark's crew would place all the stakes to avoid large trees, rocks, and other obstacles for digging while Brian and I commanded our own crews that would create the string lines. These lines will efficiently mark the extent of the trench when the digging begins tomorrow. Eventually, my group ran out of string and caught up to Mark.


At this point, I took a crew of about 20 men with machetes ahead to clear a path along the roadway for the pipeline. We cannot run the pipe in the roadway due to the amount of rocks we would have to dig through to reach a depth of 70 cm. Some of the men were just standing around watching the others work. So, I took matters into my own hands. I asked one man to hold my notebook while I borrowed his machete. Then, I started hacking away. All of the men were suprised that I took the machete and started cutting. I think it really showed them that we are all in this project together. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. As we progressed down the road, I took a few more stabs at clearing brush. I think I gained a lot of respect from the villagers today. (just wait till I get a shovel and pick in my hands :-P)

We reached the tanks rather quickly. Mark's group was the last to arrive at the tanks. After today, the villagers who worked with us understand how to run the string and set stakes if necessary for any phases of the project in the future. We were back in the village by 11:30 AM. Mark, Julius (pictured at left) and I even had enough time to join our neighbors across the street for some palm wine before we returned to Kumba.

Tomorrow we'll meet with Mr. Benjamin and our plumber, Simon. After discussing things with them, we'll place the pipe order and pick up any supplies we may need. Tomorrow, the villagers should begin digging the trench in earnest. Our plans are to head back to the village on Thursday morning. We'll stay through the weekend and all next week. You shouldn't be hearing from me again until next weekend. Hopefully by that time, we'll have the whole trench completed and the pipe delivered to the site. Wish us luck.

Carine (aka mami) and her boys in our common area. She will take good care of us while we are in the village.