Douala

Arrived in Douala today, flight took ~7hrs-- VERY turbulent. Stepped off the plane and was greeted with a rush of heat and humidity. Could feel the sweat dripping down my back by the time I got to the passport check. Took over an hour for our bags to come out. The airport was hectic and crowded with all kinds of smells, but I think it was less of a shock than when I stepped off the plane in Haiti. There's a ton of men trying to snatch your bags to carry, but we just looked at the ground and said "Non, merci" seven million times. One of the men from the mission met us at the baggage claim and helped with the heavy bags filled with medical supplies and everything else. We're staying on a guest compound behind locked gates, I think it's pretty nice minus the scattering of giant cockroaches when the light flipped on. Here's a couple pics from inside.

 

 

Took a nice cold shower, can't complain. We will be waking up early tomorrow and taking the 6 hour drive to Mbingo, I am looking forward to seeing more of the country. Driving in and of itself is an experience. I will try to take pictures if appropriate. So, all in all, so far so good. A little hot, a little sleepy, a little mosquito-bitten, but overall we're getting closer to where we need to be...