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Hello! We're finally here!<br /><br />We left on Monday and arrived here Tuesday evening. We had safe travels all the way although Paul, our youngest son, set off the panic alarm in the Portland airport (just mildly, I don't mean to exaggerate) by leaving his scissors in the homework binder I was carrying for him...

We're in Cameroon Now!

Denny Nkemontoh
2006-02-25 19:58:26

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Hello! We're finally here!

We left on Monday and arrived here Tuesday evening. We had safe travels all the way although Paul, our youngest son, set off the panic alarm in the Portland airport (just mildly, I don't mean to exaggerate) by leaving his scissors in the homework binder I was carrying for him...

It took three hours to collect our luggage once we reached the Douala airport. It was very hot and muggy and we had porters vying to help us with our 21 pieces of luggage. George, Joe's brother in law, had come to meet us with two vehicles -- his car and a rented van. All the luggage was tied on the top of the van and we headed to Limbe where George lives.

Limbe is a town of about 100,000 at the foot of Mt. Cameroon, the highest mountain in West Africa. George lives in what we might consider a suburb. The roads are absolutely horrible. Once there, I got to meet my sister in law, Patricia, and niece and nephew, Ndase (age 8) and Azuiase (age 7) for the first time. Soon Paul was racing little zip zap cars (which we took along) with Ndase. Azuiase received a baby doll and has carried it everywhere. We had a black one and a white one and interestingly, she chose the white one. They are bright children with beautiful smiles.

So much fills my head and my senses that I don't know what to tell you. This country is so beautiful. Lush, green. Palm trees, flowers, and what we consider exotic tropical plants, even growing in garbage heaps!

This country is such a study in contrasts. Homes have TVs and, yes, even cable is available. Few land phones but everyone has at least one cell phone. They all purchase prepaid minutes. And yet roads are very rough. Homes can be fairly nice but also very primitives -- standing next to each other.

The food is wonderful. Fresh pineapple and papaya. There is no comparison. Even the carrots taste sweeter. Due to volcanic activity, the soil is very rich and ...