Mbello's Village

Jennifer, Meredith, and Sandrine toasting us with palm wine.

Mbello and his parents.

After the stay at the tea estate we went to Claudette's driver, Mbelo's, village. His parents and family greeted us. We drank palm wine, ate jamajama and fufu. They than took us around and shoed us all the different vegatable and how to make the palm wine. We also saw a raffia tree and now I know where some of my crafty things come from.

Waterfall Ride

After about 2 hours we made it to this waterfall. We had been told we could go swimming there, but there was no easy entry and the current was very fast at the pool of the waterfall. The ride was spectacular, but it was very hazy so not too many pictures were taken. The dry season's sky is very different- hazy, smog-like.

Horse Ride

On the second day at the tea estate we were given a tour in the school van. We then went on a long horse ride to see other areas of the ranch. At first they told us they only had 4 tame horses and we were all apprehensive. Eventually we all got on one and had a great experience. I was clutching the saddle horn so hard I gave myself a blister! The ride led us to a beautiful waterfall.

The houses in the background were the guest houses Fred and Claudette stayed in. The boy is holding the horse I rode.

Hospital

Part of our tour was to stop at the hospital. It was extremely depressing. It only had four rooms and there are over 2,500 people living there. There was a doctor and nurse they are pictured with our driver Fabien. A new hospital with 100 beds is being built right next door. I whispered to Pete not to lean on anything as it was not sanitary in any shape or form.

THE Lake

Here are some shots of the vistas and animals we encountered. The picture of what looks like a swamp in a valley was one of the volcanic crater lakes. There may have been water at some point in the last millennium, but not for our visit. The manager said that no one goes down there. The craters have mystical histories and the locals stay away. The cattle look much different. They allow the horns to grow and there many different colors.

Traipsing Around the Estate

When we first got there most of us went on a long walk to explore a little. We were trying to find this mysterious volcanic lake that we were supposed to able to swim in. The response was, "not too far away" or "just over there". Pete and I have a track record of never getting to any lakes, just ask Amy May. The next blog will show you what the crater lake we eventually saw the next day, looked like.

Tea Factory

On Friday morning a supervisor took us all on a tour of the farm. As of now the estate ships their tea leaves to another part of Cameroon to process it. They are in the midst of constructing a huge manufacturing plant. There will be two buildings to dry, sift, sort, and package the tea.