With lot of luck we found a place in Cameroon for our research project….but how were all weeks of preparations?
Chaos…thoughts, arrangements. In the first weeks we started to write our project proposal. Vaccinations had to be taken; the dutch abbreviations, DTP, Yellow fever, Rabies, Thyphus, Hepatitis A and B, Meningitis and a TBC (mantoux) test. Men….I can tell you, the DTP vaccination is a real nasty piece of work! I just could’nt feel my arm for almost 2 days! The malaria prophylaxes have a disgusting taste..I always eat some candy afterwards.
Not only vaccinations, but also the ticket had to be booked, lots of things to buy and of course studying in depth what to do with our research project. Weeks elapsed….hypothesis were formed, methods described, brains dammaged…..great….(still want to go of course)
Such an overkill of information, but really skilful. Other things are a kind of bothering now. For example the temerature shock we will get. It’s getting colder here and warmer in Cameroon, that’s absolutely not a joke, in fact it’s devastating for one’s health….but I always say; realize what you are doing, make up the story.
In other words, when you are doing something, just think of the consequences….mhhh to much philosophy…back to Cameroon.
The people of the Cameroon Embassy were very friendly. Only ‘King weather’ got us…everywhere snow and ice. In 2 hours we could pick up our visa and the final thing was accomplished. Thought so, but no, more had te be done. The checklist was far from complete: books, forms, travel documents, and even medicines.
The count down started just 5 days from now and we will be soon on another continent, in a different culture, with a nice climate, among awsome animals, speaking English or Fench, and almost forgotten to notice, without The Netherlands….hihihi