I don't even know where to begin...

Let’s start with the trip itself…I have forgotten how long and tiring this trip was to get here.  Friday, we got out of the house (on time!!) with all 7 totes of supplies, 1 electric key board, two suitcases, 5 carry-on bags, 5 backpacks, and three children. 

Late night, early morning, makes for happy travelers!

   Thank you, David, for driving with us and making sure we made our flight on time.  We flew out of Fayetteville to Atlanta to Paris to Douala, Cameroon; a total of 17 hours of flying not counting lay overs. 

Once we made it to Douala, we had dinner and stayed overnight in a guest house.  Sunday morning, we packed up with another couple and their grandson who were headed to a hospital in Banso, and hit the road to Bamenda.  I remembered this to be about a 6-hour drive, as it turned out, the road has deteriorated a bit since our last visit and it took us 8.5 hours of a cramped (9 people and all our luggage) very bumpy ride, from which I now have a bruise on my forehead from hitting the window while I tried to catch a cat nap.  When we finally made it to Bamenda, the only road into town was flooded and we ended up sitting for an hour in a backed up African style traffic jam.  And by that, picture this…cars from both directions trying to pass through standing water up to their hoods (because there was no drainage across the road) and everyone passing each other to get closer to see what is going on.  There were vehicles stalling, blocking, and bottlenecking.  Complete chaos and not a single person trying to direct or manage traffic.  I seriously thought we were going to have to spend the night in the van.  But, God is good and we eventually powered through thanks to the super skills of our driver, Fon.  We finally made it into Bamenda and then Mbingo about 8:00pm, exhausted and hungry. 

Lychee Fruit, roadside pineapple, bush meat

Crazy Traffic Jam

For those of you worried about my Tobs and his refined palette, our first dinner was rice with green beans and carrots and oranges…it’s gonna be a battle to get him through the next couple of weeks.

On our route to Mbingo, I started a list of all the things that I wanted to talk about, my list got really long quick.  I am overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts about being here and wish that I could illustrate it all in a way that you all could “experience” it with us, but I know that is impossible.  I know that this post would be too long to explain everything on my list, so here is just part of the list and if you are interested when we get back, ask and I will vividly explain. 

-I was asked how I felt about Trump before we even made it out of the Douala airport, 😕

-My kids (or all kids) should never complain about work, as I watch two young girls (ages 6-10ish) struggle to push a cart uphill on the side of the crazy Africa highway full of bags of grain and vegetables

-Motos with umbrellas attached in downpours

-First time ever in Cameroon we were stopped by a gendarmerie on the road and asked for our passports with his automatic rifle at his side, he was not a pleasant man, made me a skosh nervous

-Stopped at a roadside market to buy fresh pineapple and lychee fruit…there is none in the states that even compares to how good it is here, I wish I could bring it home with us

-Bush meat for sale roadside, we couldn’t decide what it was, probably a large rat…see photo and offer your guess

-Past a celebration or festival of sorts with man in costume on stilts and women wearing my favorite beautiful juju hats (google search them if you have never seen one)

-Making my strange things you see in Africa list…ducks that looked like chickens and sheep that looked like goats

-The nearly impassible flooded road...there’s more to the story that made this a memorable African adventure

It is so much for me to absorb, I don’t want to miss or forget a thing.  But as before, our internet connection is so-so and I don’t want to bore you all to death with a lengthy post, so I am going to stop here for now.   I am going to close with a picture from the porch on our house.  It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.  Paradise, peaceful, with stars brighter than I’ve ever seen. 

Our house is the last one.

This is the view from our back porch...breathtaking.  See if you can count all the water falls!

P.S.  Please remember when you call or text (yes we get both and would love to hear from you) that we are 6 hours ahead...I need my beauty sleep! 😉