River Deep, Mountain High

After our weekly pizza and movie night (Sarah's last one! Sniff), for our Saturday adventure we all piled in the truck and drove the two-ish hours to the Ndawara Tea Plantation! An Indian family we know in Bamenda has relatives working and living up there, so they welcomed us into their home and took us on a tour of the entire place. First of all, the drive up there was absolutely beautiful, since we went through the Ndop plain and then climbed up into the mountains – also, it's just gorgeous wherever we go. Then we walked through the buildings, seeing how the tea was dried, ground up, dried some more, stirred, sifted, and packaged. Tea was everywhere, so we were all covered in the sweet-smelling dust by the time we walked out the other side of the building. But after that we all drove out to the fields where it's grown, and that was one of my favorite parts. Miles and miles of bright green tea stretched out in all directions; we took numerous pictures indeed. 

Then we go to see the animals! The big man, the owner of the plantation and I think every tea plantation in Cameroon, has a huge white mansion surrounded by fields and fields of horses, as well as his own little private zoo. He wasn't there, but we still got to see his three anacondas, the herd/flock/collection of ostriches, a bunch of peacocks, and his four chimpanzees! They took two of them out of their enclosure and one ran around while the other one, a baby chimp named Billy, was handed from one to another as we all took turns holding him. It was very exciting and fantastic! He was very heavy for his size, and interested in my sunglasses. Maimu, Fadi, and Lum stayed home, but I wish they could have all come and seen everything with us. Maimu especially would have gotten a kick out of the chimpanzee! She pored through my pictures when we got home, laughing, and then shrieking when she got to the one of the anacondas. I also wish Karen could have been there – she would have thought it was the greatest thing. 

It was a wonderful day and a grand adventure with which to wrap up Sarah's time here! She's leaving tomorrow (Tuesday) night, so please pray for safe travels for her! I am going to miss living with her terribly, but I'll see her again in just three weeks. :) Thank you all for your prayers for all of us!