..that picture is my tribute to Anglophone.
First I'd like to say that Ingrid is hard core...she lives in the middle of nowhere--really. Until last year it was the end of the road, like the road actually stopped there. Then there's jungle, that's it. We're talking like Congo basin jungle, not like wimpy palm-trees-and-bush jungle. She eats bush meat and more bush meat. Sometimes goat. There's never electricity, except soemtimes from a generator at the bar and...it's so far away. She gets props for being amazing.
We went to visit her in Ngoyla in the East province. On our first leg of the trip we officially had 6 monkey carcasses on our bus. One was actually under the seat in front of us...we were a little nervous that it may just miraculously come to life and leap up on us. Outbreak? It didn't, it was dead. Also, they smell bad. Monkeys in general, especially dead ones. On travel day #2 we hopped on the ferry/barge/boat (not sure the official title) to cross the river and were quickly shooed back into the van to avoid being eaten alive by little moot-moot flies. It didn't work, we flailed for 20 minutes and still left with spotted ankels and shoulders.
In Ngoyla we were able to meet some of her friends, eat a fruit that turned to gum while chewing it (very difficult...kind of coats your throat with gum when it should just swallow and leaves a thick film of gummy something on your lips...tricky), had a goat for lunch (and dinner cause it was a lot of meat), killed some chickens and ate them, sang SO loudly that we attracted an audience playing our new game "i-oke", spent an entire day on mattresses looking at magazines and having Stacy braid hair, danced at the outdoor bar under the full moon to the enjoyment of about 79% of the Ngoyla male population, hiked out for a short jaunt in the jungle wherein we were shooed (again) by some men bathing in the river and then made an almost Blair Witch Project-like video...we were sad to leave.
Cameroon continues to amaze me with it's diversity, gererous people, beauty and it's "African-ness." The chessiness and sentimental feelings are already starting.
(For more pictures look at eskimolinds.blogspot.com)
Big Trees...sorry, no more insight than that.
The "Bac" crossing the Dja River.
With Madson in the jungle.
I held it, Ingrid cut...
Then we chopped (after it was cooked of course, there's still bird flu after all). :)
So hot right now...
Trying to be African...plantains and kaba and unbrushed hair.
So much girl time. As Stacy said, we braided hair and talked about boys. What else do you need, really?
Ew.
Mieh River going through Ngoyla.
I-oke.
Things I realized:
1. Stacy does a damn good Shakira.
2. I know WAY fewer words to songs than I thought.
3. Kids love the "sha-la-la-la" of Brown Eyed Girl.
Monkeys everywhere!
Again with the girl time...
Just walkin...
