the century post

I can't believe I've hit 100 posts! Somehow, it doesn't seem like I've actually done that much writing; maybe some drafts slipped into the count. In any case, Post (supposedly) 100 finds me at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. I have a boarding pass that says I'm departing for Douala at 14:30 and so far no one has told me differently. Although that still doesn't mean I'm taking the flight for granted, given my last experience here.

Which may be an upshot of the Great Cancellation. I now have a much greater appreciation of just being able to get to Cameroon. So what if I haven't gotten a confirmation from the hotel in Douala? There are plenty of others. So what if I haven't been able to get in touch with any guesthouses in Yaounde? I'm sure there will be something. So what if I have no Central African Francs and don't know for certain if the ATM at the airport will work? Or even if it still exists? I've got enough cash dollars to get into town and I'll sort the rest out from there.

Another upshot of the delay is that I got to interview the godfather, basically, of African boundary studies: Anthony Asiwaju. He's a professor emeritus in History at the University of Lagos and was the first commissioner of the National Boundary Commission, where I did most of my Abuja research. He lives in Imeko, near the Benin border, but was at UniLag on Monday for a celebration for his 70th birthday/recent book release. I *might* have been able to arrange an interview next month, if my original travel plans had gone through, but there were no guarantees. I also managed to finish up my research at the Institute for International Affairs.

So, things seem to be working out. And I'm pleased that, while I got plenty angry and frustrated at the change of plans, I didn't just give up. Thank god for previous travel experience and a good survival instinct.

And I'll close with a lizard.