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.

In Lagos, Nigeria

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Before we could get off the airplane we had to complete some immigration papers.  It took a long time to get through the immigration line even though there were just a handful of people not from Nigeria.  They really looked us over and went through all our paperwork.  I thought it was just intimidation tactics.  I mean really, do we look like terrorists?  The whole time I could see in the distance our luggage going around the belts.  My 70 lb pink duffle bag makes a statement.  As soon as we approached the luggage we were bombarded by men with carts trying to secure our business.  They would not back off so we agreed and they loaded our five bags weighing a total of 290 lbs.  Clint went and exchanged our $100 bills for Naira so we could give the appropriate tips and have money for the baggage on the domestic flight the next day.  We did not see the man who was supposed to help us.  We learned later he was late because he was taking the first grade teacher to the domestic airport.  Next, we had to get through the baggage security line.  They were again looking at our passports and visas and then checking to make sure our bags matched the tags we had.  We were asked to show our medical prescriptions.  We did not have any and so we had to pay a steep fine of 5,000 Naira to bribe the officer.  We learned later that was nothing we really had to do and if our assistant had been there we would have gotten through that with just the luggage check.  We were told the local police would often stop us because we are white just to cause us trouble.

These two are selling the contents of the large plates on their heads

            Outside the terminal we still did not see our ride and then men helping us started getting pushy for payment and we did not know the money conversion or what was appropriate and Clint started getting really nervous.  He was sweating and pale.  I told the guys we were fine to just stand there and wait.  Finally our assistant showed up.  He was not happy these guys had run us out of the terminal.  He helped us pay the 500 Naira a person but he said next time to only allow one person to help with the cart.  It was nice to be on our way to the hotel.  We were both exhausted.  Lagos is the largest and most crowded city in Nigeria.  On the highways there were no lane divisions on the road except dividing the traffic going different directions.  Four lanes of cars were just weaving all over not even looking.  There were few stop lights and drivers just ignored them and the people on the side of the road.  We put our seat belts but most do not.  I thought we were going to hit somebody.  At one point the driver suddenly exited the road onto a rocky embankment which served as a median to make a u-turn.  He did not even stop for the oncoming traffic he just went.  There was honking and swearing but we didn’t say a word.

Many little businesses are just made from a ship's cargo container.

            The little hotel was inside a compound enclosed by tall cement walls with barbed wire on top.  It was like a safe, peaceful oasis.  Our room was pre-paid by the school but it included only one continental meal and had only one towel.  The room was on the second floor and there was no elevator.  The porters carried all our bags.  The man carrying my 70 lb pink bag tried to put it on his back on about the fourth step and he lost his balance and fell back a couple steps.  I thought for sure he would fall all the way and take the rest of us out.  He then put it on his left shoulder.  Unbelievable is all I can say.  I did however stay way back out of the way in case he had a problem.  The room was nice and cool but the bathroom was like a steam bath at a spa because they do not air condition the bathroom and do not use de-humidifiers.  We have found it to be the same everywhere we have stayed here in Nigeria.

Sidewalk Cuisine - We haven't tried it yet but eventually we will.

            I was nervous about the fees for the bags at the domestic airport so I did not eat dinner.  Clint went downstairs to the restaurant and ate both dinner and the free breakfast.  I was still trying to calm my stomach ache from the airplane ride so I just ate a protein bar my friend gave me to pack.  She was so wise because I did not get to eat until after I arrived in Calabar.  I went a whole day on just those bars and bottled water. 

            Our assistant took us to the domestic airport which was next door to the international one.  He went in with us and stayed with us until we went through security.  We ended up paying only about $200 for the bags but it was going to be more but the lady behind the counter started yelling at the man next to her who was weighing the bags.  Apparently he had his foot on the scale behind the luggage so we could not see.  She made him weigh them again and it was less.  I think she felt pressured by our assistant.  He actually works for the government.  He did not tell us how we came to get his assistance but our school is founded by the Cross River State governor’s wife.  We are one of her pet projects.  I am sure she had connections to make sure all the expats arrived safely.  An expat is someone from one nation working in another nation.

            When our bags went through x-ray we were allowed to climb over the scales and go behind the counter to the room where they were being examined.  The police were there and the airport security.  I sure was glad they did not think we were trying to smuggle anything in.  Going through security was pretty much the same as in the US except we had to pull more things out of our carry-on bags.  As I was putting my shoes back on the security agent rifled through one of my bags and wanted to know what my prescriptions were for.  She wanted to know what the C-Pap machine was for too.  She asked if it was for asthma.  Lesson to self, next time just say “yes”.

            We waited two and half hours for our flight to be called.  Nobody knows which gate is theirs.  Everyone just sits in one big room with windows and vendors.  The announcements were hard to understand and we did not know why our flight was so late.  We finally heard the announcement, showed our passports and visas again and got on the smaller jet.  I think it may it was about the size of a 727.  It was a smooth ride but it felt really good to be on the ground in Calabar and know I did not need to fly again until June.  Our principal and his wife who is our school counselor were at the airport to meet us.  They had a driver and the tech specialist with them so we could get our Internet stick and cell phones.  It was so nice to finally be here and ready to start our real adventure.

Heading Out

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Saying goodbye to our kids at the Eugene Airport

 Our Nigerian Visas arrived just before noon on Monday and we boarded the airplane the next morning.  Right off the bat at the Eugene Airport Clint lost his cell phone.  I had used it to make one last call and put it on his bag and he didn’t get it put away before we got up to board the plane.  We first took a small commuter to Portland.  It was really windy so the turbulence was like getting sea sick in a boat on the ocean.  Several passengers were making comments and one even compared it to flying between Denver and Colorado Springs.  I have done that before and knew exactly what he was talking about.  We both agreed this was worse. 

In Portland we barely sat down in the terminal and it was time to board again for our flight to Houston, TX.  With such short notice to book our flights we did not get seats together.  It was a quick trip however once we got off the ground.  There was an announcement that there was a problem in the cargo hold with balancing the weight of the luggage.  I couldn’t help myself, I said, “I bet it was my luggage because I packed for ten months.”  Of course this started a long conversation with the people I was sitting with and the time flew right by.  Several of us on the flight had short connections.  Without the delay we had only 30 min and with it we were going to have to run to the International gates in another part of the airport.  God really took care of us because there was a last minute gate change because of our late arrival and so we docked right across from the gate we had to get to next.  It was amazing.  We were so worried our luggage would arrive in Nigeria without us right there to pick it up.

"Clint, I think we are the minority now."

The international jet was a United 777.  It was so big.  There were two aisles with a set of five seats down the middle.  Each seat was equipped with something like an Ipad for watching movies, TV shows, listening to music or playing games.  Looking around the plane as it filled to capacity I knew I wasn’t headed to Kansas.  We were officially in the minority.   Clint had the window seat and I was next to him and then we had an elementary aged student next to me.  She was really shy and just played games or slept leaning on me for most of the flight.  It was a long 12 hour flight from Houston to Lagos, Nigeria.  The sun was setting as we took off so we couldn’t see anything out the window.  We flew right over the top of the approaching hurricane that was making landfall in Louisiana.  The plane was bouncing and tossing and turning so much that I was sick again but this time I was also scared.  I asked the stewardess why we were flying into the hurricane force winds.  She told me flight plans are made months in advance and the plane did not have enough fuel to go around the storm.  I was not in my best behavior and told her what I thought about it.  By her quick answer to my question I gathered she had been hearing similar remarks from others.

 I really anticipated the turbulence would get better after the first couple hours but it lasted for half the flight.  Interestingly, on the monitor you could check on a map where the planes path and progression was and it showed a slight hiccup north just before leaving the coastline like the pilots had considered diverting us to land in DC instead of continuing on at that point.  I had packed Dramamine but in all the rush I hadn’t thought to make sure it was in my carryon bags.  I don’t think I will ever take a long flight like that again without it and some sedative or anti-anxiety medication as well.  I could barely eat anything and sitting in the dark with crying babies and the sounds from the engines accelerating every time we would get tousled about plus of course knowing I was 38,000 miles above the Earth just didn’t sit well with my composure.  I would get this overwhelming feeling come over me like I wanted off the plane immediately as if it could happen because I wanted it to.  It was like I was just on a movie set and the lights could come on and I could walk off in peace.

It wasn’t until we were in the middle of the Atlantic that the plane settled down to a smooth sailing vessel.  As we approached the African coastline and the sun came up we could see thunderhead cloud formations and the rough turbulence started up again.  I suppose it was the birth of more hurricanes headed West across the Atlantic.  It was a little settling to be able to at least see out the window this time.  I had been watching the map so I would know when to look for the coastline.  I asked Clint to take some pictures for me.  The land was a beautiful green color but there were so many clouds that we did not get to see very much of it.  I felt like a school girl, I was so giddy about flying over the African landscape.  I was imagining what I knew only as zoo animals running free below me.  I wish I had the window seat so I could keep watch.  An hour before we landed we were served breakfast even though we were landing in the afternoon.  I felt like cheering as we touched down on land.  I was officially in Africa.