Saturdaaay

Today was our first full day in Bamenda! Not that we took much advantage of it - Sarah, Katelyn, and I all slept till after 12. Bothersome jet lag still has up all night and sleeping late, but hopefully that will go away soon. Apparently we even slept through the early morning spectacle that woke everyone else: several Cameroonians had sold a pig and were tying it up and trying to put it on the back of a motorcycle! The pig, needless to say, was not a happy camper. And he made sure everyone within a square mile knew it.

After some coffee and leftover pizza, Karen, Katelyn, Fadi, Sarah and I headed out into town to go grocery shopping and just look around a bit. Bamenda is what I remember from before... it seems everywhere in Cameroon, people are just always outside. Every place we go, the people are out on the street, in taxis or usually walking along the street, shopping at the roadside stands, toting everything from water to shoes to baskets of peanuts on their heads, or just sitting and talking. Makes me wonder how different America would be if people didn't spend so much time hidden away in their houses, on their computers, watching movies, keeping to themselves.

The roads, besides being stuffed full with people and taxis, are quite "fun" themselves. Not the greatest when your stomach is upset from the malaria medicine, as Sarah unfortunately found out the hard way. (Rules of taking doxycycline: Always eat it with plenty of food, drink something with it - no milk - and don't lie down afterward.)  But we went to PresCafe, which must be one of the cleanest places in Cameroon, and after some crackers and tea she was feeling much better. The store right next to the coffee shop, PresCraft, had an abundance of beautiful handmade items like woven baskets, wooden cookware, jewelry and traditional masks. And the amazing thing is how cheap everything is here! Cameroonians use francs, not dollars. (One dollar is equal to about 500 francs.) My self-control shall surely be tested in the coming months.

We came home to a delicious dinner Lum made for us to welcome us back to Cameroon - chicken, rice, and home-grown vegetables, followed by a dessert she created herself and made from scratch. Chocolate cupcakes with hot fudge in the middle, topped with strawberry sauce and more hot fudge. If I had a working camera, there would be multiple pictures of it. It was fantastic.

And tomorrow we are going hiking! I don't know where, but wherever we go, I know it will be beautiful. Pray I will have a working phone soon so I can take pictures and share the loveliness of Cameroon with you all!