Je suis arrive au Doula!

Once I arrived, I was reminded of the Douala humidity. In Washington, DC we complain of the high level of humidity during the summertime, but it does not compare to Douala humidity. By the time I walked the long stretch to the baggage check, my hair has shriveled into an afro and I felt dehydrated. It didn’t help that the baggage claim area was crowded with people who had gotten off the plane as well as family and friends there to meet them, and porters soliciting baggage service. And did I mention that beyond the humidity and well above 80 degree weather there was no air conditioning in the airport…

Nonetheless, after an hour wait, both of my bags arrived in tact and I went out to meet my brother and his girlfriend. It was a great relief to see them there and I was happy to have completed this long leg of my journey.

That night we had a delicious dinner of roasted fish, plantains, fries, and meondo. It was the best way to start of my trip, especially since I had to leave on Thanksgiving morning.

The city has changed for the better since I was last here. For one, it is no longer as polluted as it once was. I remember in 2005, my skin broke out in a rash almost immediately when I washed my face with the water and I could barely breathe in the city because of the pollution from cars and burning trash. But so far is has been quite different. Besides the fact that the city is much cleaner than it used to be, the air and water seem to be as well.

Now, I’m off to Bangui, Central Africa Republic!