La rigole, what's that? They are cement ditches that are all over Douala to help drain the daily thunderstorms. They vary in size, depth, and the amount of stagnant water and trash that has been collected in them. Sometimes there are cement blocks that are laid over them or make do wooden plank bridges to help you cross, but more times than not, they are just left open.
So the other day, I was walking around my normal taxi pick
up area. I got distracted by the taxi guy eagerly calling me over to his taxi and I went to cross la rigole and my first foot didn't get a proper footing before I lifted my second foot. About halfway through I realized, "oh shit, I'm not going to make it!" and that I would need to readjust. I thought I could dip my leg down and lift it up before it hit the ditch all the way, but I guessed wrong. In an attempt to find solid ground and hoist myself back up I plunged my foot ankle deep into this trash swamp, but the terror of my foot plunging into this caused me to react hastily and I scratched my entire shin along the cement siding. And this particular la rigole happens to be one of the more disgusting ones. (See picture, and yes my foot went in that exact one) The trash is piled high in stagnant water that has been baking in the sun all day long; the odor it emits is just lovely. On top of that, the taxi pick up at this time happens to be quite busy and so everyone saw me as I did this and they seemed rather amused by it, because multiple people yelled, "la blanche la blanche" (the white person, the white person) pretty loudly, but I was too mortified to turn back around and acknowledge them.
After my clumsy crossing, my taxi driver didn't seemed to be phased by my trash soaked foot and bleeding shin and I just wanted to get home, so I got in the cab with my stinky foot and let it boil in the heat filled taxi for another 20 minutes next to all the other passengers. At last I got home. I defeatedly trudged up to my door with my bleeding leg and my swamp marinated foot, but just my luck no one was home and Mary's work was closed, so there was no way for me to retrieve the keys. I sat outside my house for another 30 minutes soaking up the sun and the lovely odor emitting from my foot. Finally, Mary returned and saw my leg and was horrified by the blood, but laughed after I told her what happened. I've never been so excited in my life to wash my leg/foot.
The story actually helped me get in with my friends and co-workers here, because once they saw my leg (there was no hiding it) they would ask what happened and it seems to be kind of a rite of passage that you fall into one of these ditches. Most people had a story to share with me about how they did it one time or another. See my clumsiness pays off =)
Hi Jessica! I've enjoyed reading your blogs! This one I can actually picture happening; makes me laugh!! I'm so proud of you and I envy your adventures! Miss you friend =)
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