Ibis Douala

... in street French it translates as “many dangers threaten us.” To find that on a taxi on the streets in Douala rings true in dimensions behyond those imagined by the person behind the statement! The hall, which had recently been repainted ...

Today was a very busy Sabbath. Mr. Mabout was nearly an hour late in picking me up; he apologized for oversleeping which he said he hardly ever does. Few people have alarm clocks here so they operate on habit. I think we're all pretty tired after the ...

... those phenomena. We spent 40 minutes on the ground in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon and then took off again for Douala where we arrived a little after 01:00. Surprisingly I moved quickly through immigration and my suitcase popped out among the first. ...

... clouds of large bats flitting in the city's sky as I ate my breakfast. They're almost always here in the center of Douala, but I'm often surprised to see them. These are daytime bats, out morning and evening, looking, I suppose, for insects. More power ...

... what happens!" which finally put an end to the negotiating. We drove down dark highways and streets to the Bonanjo quarter of Douala, arriving at the Hotel Ibis about 01:30. We checked in, said "good-night" in the lobby to our friends old and new, and ...

... of about 3 hours, the Chief shows up and we get our free transit visas counter-signed! I took a taxi into the Ibis Hotel which I usually use in Douala. I thought back to my first trip here 15 years ago. So much has happened since then. I may not be coming ...

... leadership seminars to be held in Douala. For lunch, I took a taxi down to the Wouri River to my favorite restaurant in Douala, the Dernier Comptoir Colonial (the last colonial trading post). It's right on the water, and far enough out that one can see ...

... to the hotel that stayed on lit streets. There are shorter ways, but darker and this late at night that’s not advisable in Douala.  Arriving at the hotel around 2:30, I thanked the men for coming and we arranged to meet again then next day for ...

... a certain altitude the cloud cover was solid, so I didn't see much on the 1 hour 45 min. flight until we arrived near Douala. The clouds broke as we approached and I could see the Wouri River estuary, where the country got its name. The first Europeans ...

... ; We arrived back at the hotel late in the afternoon, and repacked our suitcases one last time. We had a light dinner in the Ibis restaurant before checking out and taking the shuttle to the airport for our 10:45 pm flight to Paris.  Cameroon wasn't ...

... . The ninety minute flight to Nairobi went smoothly. After a four-hour layover in Nairobi,I boarded the Kenya Airways flight to Douala, which takes about four hours. Stepping from the plane it was obvious I was not longer in the climate of Nairobi. ...

... slept in a while. Fiona and Tatiana slept until 11:00 when we got them up and going so we could see a bit of Douala. At noon we took a hotel taxi to the Akwa district, a bustling popular quarter where there is always something interesting going on in the ...

... which I'm in an upper tier as a frequent flyer, I was given a pass to their new business lounge: definitely a first for Douala. It was really quite nice: clean, comfortable, and air-conditioned with Internet access, snacks and an open bar available. My ...

photos ...

Today was another very full day. Mr. Mabout arrived late, he wasn't feeling well, and we drove to the hall. The center of the city was rather empty due to it being Easter, but as we left the business centers, the streets filled with people who ...

Today I worked all morning on a sermon, a PowerPoint presentation, and a handout to give the men here. Mr. Mabout came to the hotel at 1:00 pm and we drove to the church hall. I had completely forgotten that it was Good Friday. Most of the shops in the ...

... the loud speaker. “Air Ivoire regrets to inform its passengers that due to a technical problem, the flight to Yaoundé and Douala is cancelled.” Having been through this before (with Air Ivoire as a matter of fact), I tried to beat the crowd ...

... is a miserable way to travel. It’s as if it were yesterday in my memory. A few years back my Cameroon Airlines flight from Douala to Lomé was canceled and we were put on a flight to Cotonou. We had to pay for our own transit visas in Cotonou. We ...

... the receding tide, and fish raptors swooping and diving as they hunted for lunch.  Ships from the port of Douala moved out toward the sea, and in the distance colorful motorized pirogues shuttled passengers down stream from remote villages. The ...