Cameroon: Bigger than Bafia!

Every day of every week, I wake up for training from 8am to 4:30pm. It often feels like high school all over again, with class from morning to evening and no playtime at recess. It is so structured and information-heavy that often it feels like being babysat, but by the not-cool babysitter who makes you do homework instead of playing Candyland or watching movies. 

If that sounds like whiney-whining to you… it absolutely is. BUT, the point is, I ESCAPED! Last Wednesday, all the trainees got to flee Bafia and the repetitive structure of training to go on site visit. We were split up into small groups to stay with volunteers in nearby regions: West, Southwest, Northwest, and Central. 

I travelled with 3 other girls (Anna, Lianna, and Lauren) to Bafang in the Western Region. It was awesome for a multiplicity of reasons:

Mexican Food Night

1) I escaped Bafia.

2) We made tons of food that I will never get in my home stay, namely pizza (I put onions and pineapple and basil on mine, it rocked) and fajitas (including tortillas from scratch, guacamole, pico de gallo, sautéed onions and peppers, and meat). It may not have been gourmet by US standards, but believe me it was heavenly in Cameroon.

Me, Lauren, Anna, Lianna in front of la chute

3) The West generally and Bafang specifically are stunning. One morning, we went on a thirty minute hike to see this big 'ol waterfall that made all us Americans ooh and ahh. (In contrast, Cameroonians don't understand what the big deal is, there are waterfalls everywhere. This bodes well for my hiking/landscape photography ambitions.) Also, the region is mountainous, so on the drive to Bafang, every corner rounded was like being given a new gift of a new but equally awesome landscape: rolling hills, slanting valleys, mountains topped with a mix of palm trees and conifers (which I found confusing)…

4) Speaking of mountains, it was actually cool in Bafang. As in, I stopped sweating for three days straight, which in Bafia would require a minor miracle.

5) Real running water and flush toilets. 'Nuff said.

6) Sarah gave me a cabaah. Check iiiiit:

In conclusion, the weekend totally rejuvenated me and now I feel like I can handle the rest of training. From here on out, it will only go faster! Shout out to the wonderful volunteers who kept us company and hosted us this weekend: Sarah, Ricky, Lee, and Justin: we definitely had the best site visits, so thanks! 

Additional important note: today I find out where I will be posted for the next two years, starting after our swearing in on November 20th! Update soon.