Calabar

Thursday, August 30, 2012

            You can probably imagine our eyes were big as we drove through town trying to catch everything in what was now our home for the next 10 months.  The streets were not as littered with street vendors but as when we went off the main road through town we say a lot of people selling things.  I am not sure I will ever feel comfortable buying clothing, phone cards, CDs, and produce from a temporary vendor.  I guess you could describe it as a farmer’s market but a lot more accessible but yet more sketchier and dirtier.  People come right to your vehicle if you even look their direction while slowing down.  They definitely attack you if you stop.

The Cross River State Governor's Guest House.  If you look close you can see one of the servants by the door.  He was waiting for me to come back in so he could open and close the door for me.

            Right off we were told our apartment was not ready for us so we would have to stay somewhere else for about a week.  The founder of our school is the Cross River State governor’s wife.  She arranged for us to stay at their guest house along with the first grade teacher who arrived the day before.  The mansion sits on top of a hill overlooking the Cross River which leads to the ocean.  We pulled up to a gate and the driver honked so the guards would open it.  Our room is as big as my double car garage back home.  We have a deck and a private bath.  The cook and service staff made us dinner even though they had already served dinner to the other teacher much earlier.  The dishes all had gold trim and the governor’s crest on them.  It is a strange feeling to have a server do everything for you and then stand in the corner in case you need something.

The Governor's China

A Typical Meal

The Guest House Hostess/Manager

             We were so tired that we went straight to bed after sending off some quick emails to let our family and friends know we made it all the way to Calabar.  Just as we were finishing the lights went out.  We had been warned about the power outages but thought it happened only in the wee hours of the night.  We later learned it is more like a rolling thing that can come at any time.  We had packed four flashlights so the search began in the dark to find them in our five large pieces of luggage.  I found two in mine and we just climbed into bed thinking we would find our clothes and toiletries in the morning when the power was back on.

            At about 11 pm we heard a knock on the door.  I had heard someone on the steps earlier and was glad our door was locked.  The first grade teacher told us the school was on the phone and wanted to know if we would like to move to a hotel because without the air conditioner it would only get hotter.  Granted we were really sweating in the hot humid air but I didn’t want to bother anyone.  The caller said there was a big problem with the generator and we would not have lights in the morning when we were getting ready for our first day at school.  She was also worried we would not get our rest.  I finally decided that maybe it was disrespectful to say no.  After I hung up the other teacher told me I was talking to the governor’s wife.  I was sure glad I had accepted her offer.

            Of course you can probably imagine it was chaotic trying to find clothes, toiletries and what we wanted to bring to school the first day with two flashlights but instead we had only one because the other teacher did not have one.  We hurried down the stairs and waited for our ride.  On the way down I discovered the butler had placed candles around the house so we did not trip on anything.  We were taken to a very upscale hotel and spa.  The bed was soft and we had no trouble falling asleep again.  The next morning was rough because we both forgot things we really needed to have.  The room only had a towel set like the hotel in Lagos.  We decided it was probably okay to charge breakfast to the room since we had meals provided at the house and the front desk didn’t have a problem with it so we were ready to start our first day.