17 September 2010
The morning of the 15th (Wednesday) was filled with last-second preparations and an endless amount of list-checking so I could be sure nothing would forgotten. I met up with Kevin and Anika at the airport, and together we separated from our parents via the security checkpoint. It was a funny sight to see 6 grown-ups hunched down to the ground to maintain view of us as long as possible as we proceeded up the escalator. Last minute, the fourth member of our group, Chris, had his flight changed to three hours after ours was supposed to take off, so we met him at his gate in Spain, where we had a 10-hour layover to get past before boarding our plane to Malabo, Bioko Island. We all passed time in the airport differently; Kevin slept for 80% of the time, Anika took naps and read, and somehow I managed to stay awake for the entire time, and I can solely credit that to the book I was reading that I couldn’t put down.
Our plane landed at 11:20 PM (Bioko time). Getting from the terminal to customs was a cattle rush. Apparently courtesy on the island is not as strict as it is in the United States, because if we weren’t nudging our noses ahead to make progress, someone else was. Nabil, our houseparent, and Sally, a liaison for the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP), argued with security to hustle us through the whole chaotic process faster. I was relieved to see that are mode of transportation was a large vehicle, a Ford Expedition with plenty of trunk space for our enormous bags. Nabil joked about our house as we made a left turn and the president’s palace loomed up ahead. It is quite the structure, standing out amidst houses that don’t compare. Our house is across the street from his residence. As we arrived at the stone-walled-in house, Nabil beeped four times and the gated entranced opened, courtesy of our watchman and new friend, Adama. It was around midnight when Nabil gave us the tour of the house. We were all drained from lack of sleep, but somehow found spurts of energy to take everything in and get somewhat unpacked for the night. Anika has her own room, as does Chris, and Kevin and I each have the pleasure of sleeping top-bunk as there are two sets of bunk beds in our room. Air conditioning kept us cool and two thick mattress pads kept us comfortable, so as you can imagine it didn’t take long after lying down in bed to fall fast asleep at around 3:00 AM.
The “morning” came for Kevin and I at 12:06 PM when we woke up to Nabil giving Anika and Chris a tour of the various types of plants that closely border the house, including a mango tree with a knack for dropping mangos onto the metal roof right above our room. The first time we heard it, I though someone was trying to kick a door down in the house or Spiderman just landed on our roof. Growing within the confines of our property are also bananas, papayas, jackfruit (some of which are over a foot in diameter), and soursop trees. We then followed Nabil through the streets on a mini tour on our way to get breakfast (again, this was afternoon). On our way, we stopped to get our Universidad Nacional de Ecuatorial Guinea (UNGE) identification cards laminated in a local Internet café. At the Senegalese restaurant, we were seated at a table with two other men. In America, this would never happen, but in Bioko, there is less of an issue over personal space. The men were nice, and nodded as they got up to leave after they finished. Nabil ordered each of us pollo con arroz (chicken with rice) for our meals, accompanied by Cokes and Fantas, as well as a dollop of mayonnaise, which is a favorite of the Equatoguineans. The meal was delicious and plentiful. (continued on next post)
Pictures: Kevin sleeping in the Madrid airport. Sleep was the theme of the first day and a half, as it became a privilage.
The Madrid airport's terminal, taken from halfway in between lenghts. The size of the building represents how the day felt - endless.