Hey Everyone!!!
Less than 48 hours until I’m on a plane to Equatorial Guinea, and I am definitely getting nervous (in a good way) in anticipation of the unknown. I’m a little miffed that I have to be at the airport at 4:30am for a timely security check…but it’s all in the name of good travel!
Last night I used google maps to look up pictures of the various areas I should be going; they didn’t really do anything to satisfy my curiosity. My image of the country is completely based on what I’ve been able to piece together from my Lonely Planet travel guide, an informative history novel, and online forums. For the first time in my life, I actually feel like I am truly traveling into the unknown. Having lived and traveled around Europe, there is not much that surprises me here. It’s not that Western Europe is boring – far from it – it’s that I can usually get along very well knowing English and German. Many locals come equipped with a Hilton, McDonalds, and Woolworths (or some similar alternative). Accommodation, a greasy burger, and cheap, synthetic wool tights are sometimes an adventure to find, but are nevertheless available. Perhaps my perception of Equatorial Guinea is completely off, but as far as I can tell, it will be the most different country/culture/place I will ever have visited up to this point.
For those of you who totally clueless as to where Equatorial Guinea is (and what I’m doing there), take a look at the google map: the cute little pointers/bubble-thingies indicate what city I will fly into and where (I believe) my “home base” is, when I work for an American researcher to complete a census of the island’s jungle/terrain. The job is organized through the BBPP, approximately 3 months long and will involve camping, trekking, and a fair amount of monkeys, turtles, and awesomeness. Internet access will be limited, but I plan on writing about my travels as I go and uploading them onto the blog when I can. If you want more information about the BBPP, and doing paid volunteerism with them, you can check out their website: www.bioko.org. For a really, really neat report on Equatorial Guinea and the BBPP, read the national geographic article or watch a short video, also put together by the National Geographic!
[googlemaps http://maps.google.de/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=de&msa=0&msid=101813222189103241493.00047be3c41dd794ac7cd&ll=3.536704,8.720398&spn=0.370082,0.115356&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
Finally, I want to say “thanks and cheers” to all of the people in Erfelden, Germany who kept me well fed, warm, and busy during my lovely twelve-day stay there. It was WONDERFUL to see/meet all of you! Special thanks to Mona for giving me music for my ipod; my ears are very thankful.
Alrighty – time to go grab some lunch/dinner. Spoiling myself by staying at a five-star hotel in Frankfurt for the last night of my stay…but am not too excited about the burger and steak dinner offerings.
Only a few days until I touch down on my third continent!!!
You will have a great time. I am in Malabo at the moment it’s 33.2 degrees outside and sunny so don’t forget the shades. I have been to Moka, it’s a bit cooler up there, I would send you a couple of pictures but i cannot attach them to this reply. There’s also a great group of people at MEGI who will look after you. You will have a great time. Have a good flight.
Hey Pete! Thank you so much for your comment! You’re the first other traveller who seems to not only know where Equatorial Guinea is, but also something about the environment and cities there. I’ve definitely packed for hot and humid weather, and thrown in a fleece for good measure (in the cooler areas). I’m hoping I’ve prepared as well as I can…but I wont truly know until I’m right in the middle of it.
Thanks for the well wishes – keep in touch!
I am so excited for you! Traveling into the unknown can be so exhilarating. You are bound to have a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Hey Lindsey! It is exhilarating! It is most definitely a JUMP outside of my comfort zone…but that’s what travel is about, right?