http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/renewablenigeria/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from renewablenigeria en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:52:29 +0000 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:52:29 +0000 OK I'm posting this really late so some of these aren't terribly new but here in Calabar 'tigs dey happeno' While most outgoing governors here are busy planning to leave the country there is some nontrivial stuff being unveiled as Mr Duke prepares to leave office. Well done http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/Calabar/blog-230941.html Linus Ita is an incredibly determined person. I certainly did not meet him by chance. This strongly built man with steadfast demeanor was attending every meeting related to renewable energy he could committed to figuring out how to bring it to his unelectrified village. He had been doing so long before I came to this country. In 1998 Linus founded a communitybased conservation society to prom http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/Calabar/blog-203936.html It's been hard to give an update for a while as things are quickly changing The project I was supposed to be involved with got caught up in World Bank bureaucracy. So I've been settling in nicely meeting a lot of interesting people and doing an eclectic collection of things while waiting for a new project to hopefully come about. One of those things being installing a solar system in my office http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-139602.html My first two weeks back in Nigeria were not spent in Nigeria. They were spent in Abuja which functions as both the capital and the antithesis of Nigeria. Shiny freshly painted buildings and perfectly manicured grounds stretch out in front of sidewalks and perfectly paved highways all of which are not really found anywhere else in Nigeria. This is in part a result of its synthetic beginnings http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-100529.html Note The auction is now closed but please consider supporting the Council for Renewable Energy in Nigeria directly httpwww.renewablenigeria.orgdonate Dear family friends and renewable energy enthusiastsRecently I've been given the opportunity to return to Calabar Nigeria for two years. I will be working as a volunteer through VSO Canada for CREN. CREN is an emerging network working t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-90687.html Energy from the sun. Such a ubiquitous inexhaustible power source I took it for granted that with the right technology it would be accessible to all. My Renewable Energy Programmer internship with One Sky in Nigeria gave me the opportunity to realize that most power issues with solar had little to do with electricity. Importation problems lack of local knowledge and ownership issues played a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-88571.html Signs of Change http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-35752.html So my new hometown of Calabar Nigeria is a ridiculously wussy section of a country ldquoonly for the most masochistic of travelersrdquo thanks for nothing Lonely Planet. Calabar is the calm capital citytown of Cross River state. Right next door to the Niger Delta oil wells this relatively conflictfree state is governed by Donald Duke an ambitious and universally adored governor who shin http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-46309.html Compilation of some of the phemoninal individuals I got to know here http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-46230.html Call me a nerd I do it all the time but I found the infrastructure here one of the most fascinating things about Nigeria. Particularly when I was sitting in the dark with no electricity at all ie most nights. It also made me realize how little I knewthought about the North American grid system. Luckily my brilliant electrical engineer of a boyfriend and many people here tirelessly worked http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-46238.html Other pics and movies of interestMovies Left click link to download Xmas greetings from my Calabar family A little dark but has interviews of many of the people I live with. Xmas Bike ride of the Calabar streets. The bike broke down shortly after. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-35616.html The day after Xmas Calbar held its first ever holiday parade. I got a little camera happy and also took a number of movies which give a fuller representation of the festive atmosphere. Just rightclick on the link to download. Movie List Left Click to download These masquerade or Ekpas who often frequent the Calabar streets even when there isnrsquot a carnival going on ldquoscaringr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-35605.html Barry and I visited a bush camp run by the Centre for Education Research and Conservation for Primates and Nature CERCOPAN. Definitely check out their website www.cercopan.orgMOVIE LIST Left Click to download Bike ride to Rokho Camp. Close Encounters with the dominant male of the Red Capped Mangabey group. Close Encounters Our guide clearing the trail on one of our hikes.Crazy ant highway i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Nigeria/blog-35614.html