Photo Gallery #75-
Transitioning, Part I
After the whirlwind of the evacuation, nobody quite knew what the next step would be- some would move on to other countries, others would return home, but in any case, our experience as part of Peace Corps Chad was over.
Part
II
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After what may have been the slowest evacuation in Peace Corps' history, we got word that the plane was finally on the way, and we'd be heading to Yaoundé. With that, it was time to say goodbye to the Sahel, and leave for the capital, where our Transition Conference awaited.
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Naturally, our departure ended up being a case of hurry up and wait, as we navigated security, delays, customs, and more Central African bureaucratic hoops. We were just about to begin a game of Mafia, a Peace Corps favorite, when word came that the plane was ready, and we could board.
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When Peace Corps evacuates a country program, Washington seems to have an unlimited budget. Apparently someone back at headquarters developed a sudden case of fiscal discipline, as the plane chartered for us was an ex-Kygyzstan Airlines relic that looked like it'd flown straight out of the USSR, 1970. |
One of the most unintentionally funny parts of the poorly translated safety information card was the mention of the 'Saving Rope,' whose purpose nobody could quite figure out. Greger suggested that it could be used to hang yourself in the event of a crash...
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The plane sat on the tarmac with us inside for the better part of a half hour, after waiting for almost six times that long in the terminal. Hot season was in full fury, and with no working cooling system, things were getting pretty bad. To add to to the flying taxi brousse feel of things, the plane had 34 seats, with our group numbering 35. |
After an argument with the single beleagured flight attendant, a solution was found, although it probably wasn't what Jeff had in mind. |
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At last the engines sputtered to a start, and we were on the way. |
A case of severe turbulence didn't calm anyone's nerves, and the beginning of the flight was one of the scarier moments I can ever remember on a plane. |
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Fortunately the ride smoothed out, the cooling system got to work, and the rest of the 2.5 hour flight passed uneventfully. |
| As we approached Yaoundé, the difference was dramatic- we'd left the semi-desert of the north, and crossed the climatic boundary into the rainforests surrounding Cameroon's capital. |
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One of the funniest (and most poignant) moments happened when someone in my group picked up on the fact that our first meetings in Philadephia happened like this, in an airport or hotel lobby, and began to re-enact the scene. After almost two years together, we had formed a bond inexplicable to anyone who hasn't shared an experience like Peace Corps. |
| Some of the more northern PCV's succumbed to the insatiable desire to feel grass under their feet after months of sand... |
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We soon had all the greenery we could've imagined as we moved to the Mont Fébé hotel in Yaoundé, one of the nicest hotels in the country, on the edge of a golf course owned by the American embassy. |
| After so long in the hot, flat Sahel, the sudden drop in temperature, the mountains and general lushness of Yaoundé was a shock, almost like a vacation in some ways. |
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We weren't in Yaoundé for fun though- the next day our Transition Conference began, and it was time to figure out what the next step would be... |
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