I honestly can't even tell you the name of the place but, after more than a month without a haircut, today it was my turn to visit the local barber shop. Quite an experience it was. Among my major objectives was to avoid having to pay the exorbitantly high prices they can allegedly charge around here for a simple haircut. I had been told that a lot of the folks here go to "Ike" -- who they say does a good job, but charges something like $22. Ouch. I don't think I've ever coughed up more than about $18 -- but I'll admit to being plenty cheap when it comes to haircuts (okay, maybe just cheap in general). So given that Ike was out of my league, my careful research led me to this other place (again, name unknown) in the downtown area, down the street from the Lionking where we had our photos taken a couple of weeks earlier for our recently issued carnets.
So in we strutted, and I was soon seated by a nice young gentleman from Cameroon by the name of Armando who insisted that he and I were going to speak English to each other. I pretty much told him to just go for it. And go for it he did. I hadn't seen clumps of my hair falling like that since I was checking in to West Point and getting introduced to the Cadet Barber Shop.
But the truth be known, I think the guy did an admirable job, even if it was a bit heavier handed than I might have thought I needed. No problem, I figured, I should be in good shape from now until Christmas. And who the heck over here is really going to notice?
The onle disappointment in it all was that, despite my best efforts to do otherwise, I might just as well have gone to let Ike work on me. The charge for my "high and tight": 8,000 CFAs, or somewhere between $16 and $20, depending on the exchange rate. Hey, but I got a scalp massage included in my plan.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Pico Basilé
About two-thirds of the way up the island of Bioko sits a mountain known as Pico Basilé, which I have to say is an interesting place on at least a couple of counts. The first is that it's the rather majestic view that I get on a daily basis from the only window of my little office. It works out well for me not just for the beauty of it all, but also to be able to judge the cloud cover on any given day. Some days, I can see the entire mountain; on others, the clouds are so thick that the mountain disappears from view. The second item of interest: this is no small mountain. It's 3,011 meters high, or just call it 9,878 feet, which in my mind makes it plenty high, especially for an island this size.
So for our adventure this past Saturday, we took a trip to the top of the mountain. It took a while, with its being something like 12 miles of road to get there. But the road is fabulous, presumably the work of one of the many Arab-run road crews. It looks like it's brand new, but it could very well have been there for a while, just without a whole lot of traffic around to cause it any wear and tear. I mean, it's just not exactly part of the beaten path around here. But when tourism takes off here, they're definitely ready to make the trip to the highest point on the island part of the paid tour.
The view from up there is impressive, as is the drop in temperature and humidity. You'll just have to take my word on the temperature and humidity. But here are a few shots from up there...
So for our adventure this past Saturday, we took a trip to the top of the mountain. It took a while, with its being something like 12 miles of road to get there. But the road is fabulous, presumably the work of one of the many Arab-run road crews. It looks like it's brand new, but it could very well have been there for a while, just without a whole lot of traffic around to cause it any wear and tear. I mean, it's just not exactly part of the beaten path around here. But when tourism takes off here, they're definitely ready to make the trip to the highest point on the island part of the paid tour.
The view from up there is impressive, as is the drop in temperature and humidity. You'll just have to take my word on the temperature and humidity. But here are a few shots from up there...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
An Unexpected Visitor
I suppose it was just a matter of time. It happened last Thursday. A couple of us were sent out on a mission, to check out our classroom across the way, not far at all down our dirt road. We had been cautioned that we probably should be a little bit careful as we entered, since it's a place that stays empty for long periods of time. Frankly, I sort of thought that they were being slightly overly dramatic about things.
Not to be confused with the millipede in the distance, the unwelcome visitor was next to the water bottle, hanging on the to the base of the chairs. Looked harmless enough.
So as I unlocked the front door, I was probably gently nudging the person I was with to hurry up and get inside. Things went south from there, though. She about floored me as she came flying out, saying something about "hay víbora adentro!" ...
Not to be confused with the millipede in the distance, the unwelcome visitor was next to the water bottle, hanging on the to the base of the chairs. Looked harmless enough.But we opted to discontinue the tour at that point, and headed back instead to the ranch to work on a plan.
Heavily armed with two machetes and one broom, another member of our team and I headed back on over, prepared if necessary to sacrifice "todo por la patria."
To make a long story short, my partner performed heroically. He was able to push the snake around with the broom enough to be able to take a whack (or three or four) with the machete. Obviously, I guess it goes without saying that the photographer throughout all this had to have been at least equally as courageous as was my partner. The rest, as they say, was history. As it turned out, the snake was not necessarily such a small thing...
And there's a rather disturbing finale to the story. Both in our describing the snake to one of the locals and in doing some independent research of our own, it may be that our friend the snake was plenty dangerous. The local we spoke to said that he thought it may have been a black cobra and one of the more deadly snakes to be found around here. Worse yet was what we were able to find on the internet, where we found what looked to be this guy's hand twin, a snake called the Inland Taipan, which really shouldn't be found anywhere in EG. We can only hope that to be true, as the Inland Taipan is considered to be the most poisonous snake in the world. Yikes. At this point, we're looking into the possibility of just holding all of our classes outdoors, in the fresh air.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Shopping
Shopping here is always an adventure. In Malabo, there's just not a whole lot to shop for, other than food. For the less adventuresome, there's the biggest of the grocery stores "Martínez Hermanos" which usually has most everything you need, albeit at reasonably steep prices. They say it's best to go there during the week, with Thursdays maybe being the optimum day as shipments are rumored to come in on Wednesdays. Better to avoid weekends, if possible, as things can get a bit hectic with the crowds then. And by all means, you can forget about any mid-afternoon shopping. Among the few customs still practiced from their Spanish colony days is the siesta. Whatever's not been purchased by 1pm isn't going to happen until 4 or 5pm when the stores reopen after the siesta break.
Slightly more of an adventure are the smaller grocery stores, such as the "Guinaco" store right down the street from Martínez Hermanos. It's worth the trip there just for their homemade bread selections. But it's a much smaller place, with only two narrow aisles. So it can get crowded in a hurry. And the only way out is through the check-out line, so going just to browse may not be such a great idea.
While there are a few other of the smaller grocery stores in and around town, there aren't but a handful of them. One of the few good deals can be found at the semi-open air "panaderías" where a small loaf of fresh bread will cost you about 10 cents.
But for the true adventurist, it's hard to beat a trip out into the countryside. Heading south along the road to Luba, you'll run across plenty of roadside vendors ready to sell the fruits and vegetables from their own little plots of land. Plátanos are everywhere, but their prices have sky-rocketed, with a big bunch of them now going for upwards of $18. Beyond the other items you would typically expect to find in the tropics are a few surprises. First are the large snails, which apparently are considered to be a real delicacy. Then there are what can only be described as fat rats, which hang temptingly by their tails in groups on the sale racks. We haven't checked on their prices, but I'm taking a pass on them, even if they are real bargains. And finally there's the occasional "antelope" hanging on the rack. They look like pygmy versions of deer -- sort of like undernourished (and now unfortunately deceased) Rudolphs. I'll pass on them, too.
And then there's even one more option. Further out in the countryside you can actually sometimes find the folks gathering their vegetables from the fields. If you can find them, they seem to always be willing to sell direct. By cutting out the middleman, their prices are often much better than you'll find anywhere else. But this option is not for everyone, since it can involve a fair amount of trekking through the brush to find anyone.
And finally there's the public market in Malabo. Just getting there is an enormous challenge, with the roads to and from being virtually non-existent, and parking being a free-for-all. What would be considered by most western standards as bad to horrid conditions for a marketplace only get worse during this time of year, when the rains leave mostly mud for patrons and vendors alike to endure. This one's only for the very hearty shopper. After my one visit there, I vowed to myself to always appreciate a good shopping trip to Martínez Hermanos.
Slightly more of an adventure are the smaller grocery stores, such as the "Guinaco" store right down the street from Martínez Hermanos. It's worth the trip there just for their homemade bread selections. But it's a much smaller place, with only two narrow aisles. So it can get crowded in a hurry. And the only way out is through the check-out line, so going just to browse may not be such a great idea.
While there are a few other of the smaller grocery stores in and around town, there aren't but a handful of them. One of the few good deals can be found at the semi-open air "panaderías" where a small loaf of fresh bread will cost you about 10 cents.
But for the true adventurist, it's hard to beat a trip out into the countryside. Heading south along the road to Luba, you'll run across plenty of roadside vendors ready to sell the fruits and vegetables from their own little plots of land. Plátanos are everywhere, but their prices have sky-rocketed, with a big bunch of them now going for upwards of $18. Beyond the other items you would typically expect to find in the tropics are a few surprises. First are the large snails, which apparently are considered to be a real delicacy. Then there are what can only be described as fat rats, which hang temptingly by their tails in groups on the sale racks. We haven't checked on their prices, but I'm taking a pass on them, even if they are real bargains. And finally there's the occasional "antelope" hanging on the rack. They look like pygmy versions of deer -- sort of like undernourished (and now unfortunately deceased) Rudolphs. I'll pass on them, too.
And then there's even one more option. Further out in the countryside you can actually sometimes find the folks gathering their vegetables from the fields. If you can find them, they seem to always be willing to sell direct. By cutting out the middleman, their prices are often much better than you'll find anywhere else. But this option is not for everyone, since it can involve a fair amount of trekking through the brush to find anyone.
And finally there's the public market in Malabo. Just getting there is an enormous challenge, with the roads to and from being virtually non-existent, and parking being a free-for-all. What would be considered by most western standards as bad to horrid conditions for a marketplace only get worse during this time of year, when the rains leave mostly mud for patrons and vendors alike to endure. This one's only for the very hearty shopper. After my one visit there, I vowed to myself to always appreciate a good shopping trip to Martínez Hermanos.
Critters
A very pleasant surprise has been the absence of one of the more worrisome little critters, the mosquito. I think I've seen all of about ten of them in two and a half weeks. By now, I'd have thought I would have already been on my second or third bottle of mosquito repellent, but there's been no need. Everyone still takes their malaria pills without fail, but at least so far the little guys who carry it aren't to be found.
And then there's a pretty fair-sized chameleon that likes to spend time around our office's air conditioning units. He's a handsome fellow, and probably about 10 inches in length.
But it has been interesting to check the outside walls around here to see what's crawling on them on any given day. Lizards of various sizes and colors are very common. I just saw what appeared to be almost like a miniature iguana, about 18 inches long, wandering across my balcony. He's the biggest one I've seen so far. This guy was probably only about the length of my hand...
And across the way on the opposite wall that same day was this cute little praying mantis which was maybe a couple of inches long...
And then there's a pretty fair-sized chameleon that likes to spend time around our office's air conditioning units. He's a handsome fellow, and probably about 10 inches in length.Less photogenic are the spiders and snakes that cause varying degrees of fear and concern among folks here. There's been one major spider spotting, about a week ago, crawling around on our walls early one morning. He's now a dead spider.
Also in the not-so-photogenic category would be the rats that might otherwise hang around and be seen more often were it not for the regular fumigating (which includes "desratificación" which was a new Spanish word for many of us to learn). Surprisingly, you don't see cats anywhere.
But among the 4-legged critters that you do see are the dogs who routinely patrol our front gate in the evenings. Rumor has it that someone among us feeds them, although by looking at them it doesn't appear that any of them does too much eating. But they're a friendly bunch.
The Weather
It sort depends on who you want to believe and which part of the country you're living in as to what to expect from the weather. By most accounts, we're in the rainy season, which I personally would have to agree with. Without a doubt, what I can say is that since I've been here, it's rained A LOT -- normally about once a day, but by the buckets once it gets started. It can go on for an hour or so, or for several hours, but almost without fail every day. The forecasts for the month of October don't require just a whole lot of creativity -- with scattered thunderstorms, a 60 percent chance of rain, high humidity, and temperatures between about 72 and 87 degrees in every forecast. Unlike in East Texas, there's not a whole lot of commotion with thunder, lightning, and high winds; it's just very heavy rain. But then it'll stop, and it's pretty normal to then see the sun come back out again.
It's no wonder the jungle around here stays so green.
It's no wonder the jungle around here stays so green.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Street Scenes in Malabo
They say that, on a good day, the capital city of Malabo has something like 100,000 or so people living there. Based on what we've seen driving through about noontime, I'd say that children must probably make up about half the population. They're everywhere, all in their various colorful school uniforms. I'm not sure how it is that they alll seem to be out on the streets at that time of day, but I'm guessing that they must be on half-day schedules to make use of limited school facilities.
There's not much ostentatious about Malabo. It's a very humble place, where the people are nice and crime's not a problem. And there are a few pretty nice hotels, all with rates calibrated for the significant number of guests from the oil community. And there are a handful of restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines ranging from Chinese to Senegalese to Philippino, to include a couple of the more local places such as the "Candy Place" and the "Pizza Place." Whether it's food or a room for the night, though, there are no bargains here. The cost of living is, rather unfortunately, based on newfound and considerable oil wealth, and not on the average Equatoguinean citizen who is anything but wealthy.
There's not much ostentatious about Malabo. It's a very humble place, where the people are nice and crime's not a problem. And there are a few pretty nice hotels, all with rates calibrated for the significant number of guests from the oil community. And there are a handful of restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines ranging from Chinese to Senegalese to Philippino, to include a couple of the more local places such as the "Candy Place" and the "Pizza Place." Whether it's food or a room for the night, though, there are no bargains here. The cost of living is, rather unfortunately, based on newfound and considerable oil wealth, and not on the average Equatoguinean citizen who is anything but wealthy.
On the Outskirts of Malabo
There currently are two roads that lead into the capital, with a third one soon to be opened. Entering from the south, it's the national stadium that'll get your attention. There's work being done there -- getting it ready for EG to co-host with Gabon the 2012 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament. And next month, there's supposed to be a regional women's soccer event held there.
As you get closer in, there really is a load of construction going on. The word is that the Chinese are doing much of the work on buildings, while the Arabs are doing the roads. Plans are for the city to grow out from its current port-based location towards the west and south, to create what they're calling "Malabo II." Much of the ongoing construction that you see on the way supports the idea of that plan.
As you get closer in, there really is a load of construction going on. The word is that the Chinese are doing much of the work on buildings, while the Arabs are doing the roads. Plans are for the city to grow out from its current port-based location towards the west and south, to create what they're calling "Malabo II." Much of the ongoing construction that you see on the way supports the idea of that plan.
Our Jungle Home / Office
What a wonderful place we have to live and work in, particularly given that it's pretty much in the middle of the jungle. Sure, there are the minor drawbacks such as the occasional deadly snake and the pack of stray dogs that hang out at the front gate, but in the bigger scheme of things, our home away from home is a pretty nice place.
After six plus years of dealing with the traffic in and around DC, I have to tell you that I absolutely love my commute here. It's a total of about 100 or so feet from the front door of my apartment to the office downstairs, making my daily commute about 45 seconds. And, as if that weren't already the "crème de la crème," we even have a washer and dryer in our office! Whoa! I finally feel as though I've arrived; that all those people working from home that I used to envy have nothing on me now -- even if it did require that a move to West Africa to get there.
So here's the view from the front...
And here's the back yard....
And here's the road in front...
After six plus years of dealing with the traffic in and around DC, I have to tell you that I absolutely love my commute here. It's a total of about 100 or so feet from the front door of my apartment to the office downstairs, making my daily commute about 45 seconds. And, as if that weren't already the "crème de la crème," we even have a washer and dryer in our office! Whoa! I finally feel as though I've arrived; that all those people working from home that I used to envy have nothing on me now -- even if it did require that a move to West Africa to get there.
So here's the view from the front...
And here's the back yard....
And here's the road in front...
And the inactive volcano a bit further to the south (as seen from our third floor)...
On the Road to Luba
One of my first outings was on the Saturday after my arrival. Destination was to be Luba, which is the second largest "city" on the island of Bioko and is just over an hour's drive from where we're located, in the jungle to the southwest of Malabo. Luba's a somewhat interesting place, what with being the port where oil tankers go in and out from. It's pretty from a distance, and okay from close up. More captivating, though, is the countryside on the way in along the road into Luba.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Trip Over
Ugh. Just no better way to describe the experience of flying from Tyler, Texas through DC and then on to a 7 hour layover in Paris before the final flight into Malabo, the capital of EG. There's no way around it -- it's a long, long journey, enough to wear even a youngster out. In my case, I was doing pretty well until the stop at lovely Charles DeGalle airport in France. We got in at about 6am and then got directed to a huge line of folks, all waiting to get through the security just to get to the departure gates. A couple of observations on my part: (1) It was an amazingly patient bunch of people. I think under the same circumstances in the US, there might have been riots. (2) Suitcases with wheels are a real good idea when going through the Paris airport. I unfortunately was loaded down with two heavy carry-on bags, which really did seem to get considerably heavier after about the first hour and a half in line.
On the flight from Paris into Malabo, I think there were maybe a handful of people actually from Equatorial Guinea ("EG-ians"); everyone else with the exception of the two of us were in the oil business. The flight was packed.
Air France, once they actually get up in the air, actually treats their passengers pretty well, even those of us traveling in coach.
It definitely was nice, after what felt like a very long time in the air and waiting in airports, to finally arrive in Malabo. And to let the adventures begin...
On the flight from Paris into Malabo, I think there were maybe a handful of people actually from Equatorial Guinea ("EG-ians"); everyone else with the exception of the two of us were in the oil business. The flight was packed.
Air France, once they actually get up in the air, actually treats their passengers pretty well, even those of us traveling in coach.
It definitely was nice, after what felt like a very long time in the air and waiting in airports, to finally arrive in Malabo. And to let the adventures begin...
Prologue
Wow, what a difference a month can make. A month ago, I honestly had never heard of this country, and certainly had no idea that it's a Spanish-speaking country in Africa. Now I'm here. It's been almost a week now, and it's pretty much been one adventure after another. The plan is for me to be here for just about three months, during which time I feel reasonably sure that the adventures will continue. So stay tuned, and I'll do my best to keep you posted!
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