Monday July 13, 2009
Two weeks left in Cameroon starting today. We had a couple more pages to print this morning for the embassy proposal. Then, we made two copies of the 30+ page submission. The immersion bus pulled out from Azi Motel in Kumba sometime around 10 AM. For lunch we stopped at 3813. 3813 is a business center/restaurant/hotel located along Buea Road. It’s owned by a Cameroonian couple who live in the US. After passing through Duoala, there wasn’t too much to see other than picturesque farms, hills, and valleys. The most depressing aspect of the trip was seeing signs along the road that said “Here XX deaths.” In some places the numbers were as high as 15. Development (including nice roads) can come with a heavy price.
Finally, we reached Yaoundé just before dusk. The city is enormous and spread out over a large area. Due to numerous traffic jams, we didn’t reach the hotel until well after dark. Yaoundé is a much more modern city than Kumba. It is home to national government offices and corporation headquarters. Many high rise buildings greeted us as we drove through downtown on the way to our hotel. Yaoundé even has its own Hilton Hotel.
I can’t wait for my first hot shower in 7 weeks tomorrow morning.
Tuesday July 14, 2009
That hot shower was fantastic. (Other than the yellowish tint of the water, no way am I drinking that stuff) After breakfast, we loaded up the bus and headed downtown with the immersion students. We were allowed to roam the city center for a couple of hours. The three of us took the bus driver and walked around the central business district. The only problem was that you are not allowed to take pictures of any government buildings. Government police are authorized to immediately seize your camera if you are caught taking pictures of the wrong buildings. With almost every other building being some government ministry or office I decided against taking pictures.
After lunch, we proceeded to the large congress hall. It sits atop a big hill that overlooks much of the city. Yaoundé stretches almost as far as the eye can see. From this vantage point I was also able to see the President’s palace. Needless to say, it was opulent and enormous. (No pictures allowed yet again) The city contains approximately 2.2 million residents.
Inside the congress hall I got to act like a government delegate at the large conference tables. The hall is a meeting place for numerous governmental functions. Yesterday, the building hosted a meeting discussing national finances.
Cameroon President Paul Biya has his own office in the building. However, he is the only one who holds the key. When he comes to the hall, he sends the key over a few hours before his arrival so they can prepare the room. When he leaves, he takes the key with him.
The American Embassy was a short drive from the congress hall. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed in this area for security reasons. It was awesome to set foot on American soil in another country. The complex itself is beautiful. The embassy has taken steps to plant all types of native plans and flowers within the grounds. After going through the second security checkpoint, we entered a small meeting room. The US Ambassador and one of her assistants soon entered for our discussion. They began the meeting by briefly describing what the embassy does. A question and answer session followed. At this point, we presented our application for additional funding for Boa Bakundu and a copy of UD magazine that highlighted last year’s project.
The Ambassador was very frank in her answers to our group. However, she’s also a good politician as she deflected fully answering some tough questions. Overall, it was a great meeting. It’s not everyday that you get the chance to meet the highest ranked US official in a country. Her assistant was already reading over our application before we left the meeting. I hope that is a good sign that the Embassy can provide additional funding for the Boa Bakundu water project.
Two weeks left in Cameroon starting today. We had a couple more pages to print this morning for the embassy proposal. Then, we made two copies of the 30+ page submission. The immersion bus pulled out from Azi Motel in Kumba sometime around 10 AM. For lunch we stopped at 3813. 3813 is a business center/restaurant/hotel located along Buea Road. It’s owned by a Cameroonian couple who live in the US. After passing through Duoala, there wasn’t too much to see other than picturesque farms, hills, and valleys. The most depressing aspect of the trip was seeing signs along the road that said “Here XX deaths.” In some places the numbers were as high as 15. Development (including nice roads) can come with a heavy price.
Finally, we reached Yaoundé just before dusk. The city is enormous and spread out over a large area. Due to numerous traffic jams, we didn’t reach the hotel until well after dark. Yaoundé is a much more modern city than Kumba. It is home to national government offices and corporation headquarters. Many high rise buildings greeted us as we drove through downtown on the way to our hotel. Yaoundé even has its own Hilton Hotel.
I can’t wait for my first hot shower in 7 weeks tomorrow morning.
Tuesday July 14, 2009
That hot shower was fantastic. (Other than the yellowish tint of the water, no way am I drinking that stuff) After breakfast, we loaded up the bus and headed downtown with the immersion students. We were allowed to roam the city center for a couple of hours. The three of us took the bus driver and walked around the central business district. The only problem was that you are not allowed to take pictures of any government buildings. Government police are authorized to immediately seize your camera if you are caught taking pictures of the wrong buildings. With almost every other building being some government ministry or office I decided against taking pictures.
After lunch, we proceeded to the large congress hall. It sits atop a big hill that overlooks much of the city. Yaoundé stretches almost as far as the eye can see. From this vantage point I was also able to see the President’s palace. Needless to say, it was opulent and enormous. (No pictures allowed yet again) The city contains approximately 2.2 million residents.Inside the congress hall I got to act like a government delegate at the large conference tables. The hall is a meeting place for numerous governmental functions. Yesterday, the building hosted a meeting discussing national finances.
Cameroon President Paul Biya has his own office in the building. However, he is the only one who holds the key. When he comes to the hall, he sends the key over a few hours before his arrival so they can prepare the room. When he leaves, he takes the key with him.The American Embassy was a short drive from the congress hall. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed in this area for security reasons. It was awesome to set foot on American soil in another country. The complex itself is beautiful. The embassy has taken steps to plant all types of native plans and flowers within the grounds. After going through the second security checkpoint, we entered a small meeting room. The US Ambassador and one of her assistants soon entered for our discussion. They began the meeting by briefly describing what the embassy does. A question and answer session followed. At this point, we presented our application for additional funding for Boa Bakundu and a copy of UD magazine that highlighted last year’s project.
The Ambassador was very frank in her answers to our group. However, she’s also a good politician as she deflected fully answering some tough questions. Overall, it was a great meeting. It’s not everyday that you get the chance to meet the highest ranked US official in a country. Her assistant was already reading over our application before we left the meeting. I hope that is a good sign that the Embassy can provide additional funding for the Boa Bakundu water project.
Left: The view from our hotel room.
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