Loud talking and lots of noise outside the hotel room woke us up about 6:30 but I was too tired to get up then so dozed off and on until just after 7. We needed to be ready to check out by 9:30-10 a.m. so got up and got ready for the day. Off to the hotel restaurant for our daily omelet. The three of us were packed and had all our luggage down to the front door by 9:30. Several of the JF team are going with us in order to be the ones who do the video each night. Abraham, Gabriel and one other young man are already waiting on the porch. It wasn’t long before Rachel got out of a taxi in front of the hotel. Right at 10 a.m. a van showed up with Cyrille, a driver and 3 others inside. We put our big luggage and the JF backpack on the top of the van and smaller things inside and started to take off. Suddenly, Humphrey came running across the street so we waited for him to get in. Then down the mountainside we went. Before starting we all had to write our names on a roster for the driver. We stopped and picked up other riders so I guess this vehicle was not rented just for us. Occasionally we had to stop at a small checkpoint along the side of the road for someone to look at the papers and tear off a little corner. Apparently we are headed south toward Duoala. About halfway there we had to stop for an official police check. They had all of us get out of the van and walk down road to wait for the van. The whole time there took quite awhile. Because it took so long the van driver lost a couple of his fares to other vans going by. We were finally able to get on our way just to the outside edge of Duoala where the van turned around facing the way we had come, pulled off to the side and stopped. This was the end of the route for this particular van driver. All our luggage came off and we had to wait for a van or bus going east to Njombe, our next destination.
It wasn’t too long before a small bus pulled up, a fare was negotiated, luggage piled on and we climbed into a nearly full vehicle. Our group was scattered into the last available seats. There were three in the very back for the three of us “whites”. Getting to these seats was a little difficult as there is not a definite aisle. Once we made it to our seats then fold down seats filled the aisle for some of our team members to sit on. It was about a 1-1/2 hr ride with either frequent stops or major areas to slow way down. At each slow down both sides of the bus were bombarded by peddlers of all different kinds of foods. Of course the bus was not air-conditioned so windows were open to allow breezes to flow through….and hands and items to sell. Some of the team members were purchasing different things to eat and finally Johnnie and I got a small bag of tangerines. Apparently the Njombe area of the country is well known for its fruit growing. We have seen lots of banana and papaya orchards along the way. Before long we pulled into Njombe, a very small town crowded with people. We got ourselves and our items off the bus and went to the nearby outdoor covered patio bar to sit down and get something cold to drink, if we wanted. Our team members were buying and eating some of the street foods but we ate some of the packaged snacks we had brought along. Gotta be careful with those street foods. It is very, very hot and muggy in Njombe.
While we were sitting there Cyrille walked a couple of blocks to a small hotel to make sure it was appropriate and safe for us to stay in. He soon returned to where we were and said arrangements had been made and that is where we would be staying. So the whole entourage picked up bags and baggage and walked to the hotel. It’s a nice small place called Hotel Lux’or. We were shown our rooms and then checked in. Cyrille is going to stay in the same hotel as we are but the others are apparently going to stay elsewhere. We went to the hotel restaurant and got a nice snack of cold fresh pineapple. It was so delicious. Cyrille and the others have all left the hotel area because Cyrille was going to find the police authorities to let them know we were in the area and to make sure it was ok. Humphrey and Rachel were going out to the two villages we are to visit the next couple of days to make sure that it is still ok with the village chiefs for us to be there. For the rest of the afternoon we enjoyed the outdoor patio area underneath big trees in the yard. We can see some of the sites along the main road but there is a green hedge blocking some of our view. We’ve seen many people walking by carrying all sorts of items on their heads. Many vans and buses packed with people inside and loaded down on the top with all sorts of items including motorcycles and goats. Some of the vehicles have so many items piled on top that it makes it twice it’s normal height. Our rooms have air-conditioning in each but, although the air conditioner runs it does not blow cold air. It’s actually cooler outside under the shade trees. The only problem is that there are tons of mosquitos and we are getting eaten up despite the bug sprays and natural oil concoctions we brought.
Once it started getting cooler out from under the trees the three of us walked to the town. There really is not anything there except for bars, a couple of restaurants and a few little food shops. It may be all of 4 or 5 blocks long. We did find only one shop that sold any type of dresses and found just a couple that might be something native to Africa but they wanted 25,000 francs or $50. So, no buying that! We did find Cyrille and some of the team standing in town. Cyrille went to get a haircut and the other three walked back to our hotel with us. We decided to sit outside as there really isn’t much of a lobby. The three really hit us up about wanting to go to America, needing sponsors, etc. It took awhile convincing them that the best way to get to America was to apply for visas and wait for God to open doors. They think that since we are Americans we have lots of money and can easily sponsor them. I think they finally understood that it was not going to happen with us or probably any other team that happens to come over here to Cameroon.
About 7 p.m. the three of us made our excuses and left the three team members waiting outside for Cyrille who had called and said he was on his way to the hotel. We went into the small restaurant and ordered a meal. I had chicken and rice. Sam and Johnnie both had beef. It was all cooked with a tomato sauce and was very good. Johnnie had fried plantains instead of rice. Just when we got up to leave the owner/cook/proprietor called out, “wait” and came rushing over with three plates of fresh papaya drenched in fresh lime juice. I thought it was very yummy and ate mine and Sam’s both as he doesn’t like papaya.
We had been in and out of our room several times but it felt like the air-conditioner wasn’t working well. It still wasn’t cooling our room. Johnnie’s was nice and cool. So, we mentioned it to the lady in the restaurant. She had Pierre come and check it. I guess Pierre is the resident handyman. He pushed buttons and left. It didn’t get any cooler. So, we went back out and talked to him again. He came back in, turned it off and on and fooled with the buttons again. It still didn’t get cooler. So, Sam went out and got Cyrille who came and talked to them. We were moved to a different room. Air conditioner works!!! It helps to have someone who can speak the language. Although this is a French/English country with multiple tribal languages in this little town it seems French is predominant. Even the menu in the restaurant is in French. Glad I know a few words of French…thanks to you, Amy and our trip to Paris a few years ago.
Cyrille just told us he needs to return to the police in the morning but that both village chiefs had given their ok’s. Tomorrow there is nothing scheduled until we go to the first village for the JF showing. Wish I had brought more books to read! Don’t know when I’ll get this sent. No internet here but can possibly connect to Cyrille’s “hot-spot” sometime.
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