The long journey North (in picture form!)

So I'm stuck in Garoua for the next couple of nights while a slight bat problem is being taken care of chez moi, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some more pictures while I'm here at the case with ample internet access.  I have so much to show and so much to say, but let's just start with the journey North, shall we?  I've already given the whole shpiel about how awesome trains are and all that jazz, so how about I just rehash the story in captions?

It all began with goodbyes in Bafia, which included one last chocolate sandwich as I said "au revoir" to our most beloved Mama Gizelle.

Bright and early Wednesday morning after a pleasant evening in Yaoundé, we headed to the new Peace Corps office to prepare for the ceremony.

There was matching pagne.  So much matching pagne.  One pattern for the new volunteers, and one pattern for all of the language trainers.  Here I am with Michelle, Yannick, and Calla.  Calla and I were classmates for many weeks of French lessons, and Michelle and Yannick tolerated us so well when we found a way to incorporate sweets (or food in general) into every single conversation.  Best teachers, best classmate.  We had so much fun!  (and learned a lot!)

After the ceremony, John the Money Man opened up his briefcase full of bills to give us our allowance for traveling to post. 

And then we got on the TRAAAAAIN!

 

Top bunk is the best bunk!  (That's Ampson with his head out the window.)

Sunrise in the Adamawa.

Scenes from the train window.

We counted 21 cars in total.

And finally we arrived at the station in Ngoundéré!

And then we had a whole bus just for the seven of us!  (And because our luggage hadn't arrived at the same time as us, it turned out to be probably the most comfortable/spacious ride we will ever have in this country!)  Off to Garoua we go!

Though the terrain in the North is generally incredibly flat, there are little hills popping up all over the place. (Mountains?  They are no bigger than Mont Royal.)

Some random village we passed along the road.  This seems to be the typical housing style up North.

And voila!  Bienvenue chez moi!