Mark and Jessica Spangler

Caleb had to collect as many flowers as possible for class. It was fun, we went outside and started picking flowers. Some grew on vines, stems, bushes and even trees. We actually had to get out a knife to cut a few!

We went to this sanctuary and saw different types of monkeys and apes. It was a fun thing to do while we were being orientated to how things work here. Here are a few pictures and a few stories.

I must say one of the cool things about living here in Cameroon is learning about the local animals and plants first hand. It was so cool to see these guys living in the forests here with the plants and foods they are used to. Although they are fed daily and taken care of by a keeper they are still from here and living in their own habitat.

This is most of our group.

This is what we were looking at. These were gorillas and they made the loudest scariest noise when they popped their hands on their chests. They would run up along the fence and pop their chest and we would be caught off guard and jump a thousand feet in the air.

These chimps would poop on their hands and fling it at people passing by! It was so awful but you had to pass them in order to see some other apes. There was a jungle trail that offered some protection so most of our group decided to chance it. I stayed back with Zoe and some other young kids and moms. On the way back there was a small part that was open to the chimps and as they were running Mark and Caleb and one other guy in our group got splattered with Chimp feces! It was so nasty as you could imagine but makes a good story, if told right. Caleb was screaming and had to ride home shirtless cause it was so smelly even after we cleaned it up.

The End

We tried finding a location in Douala where we could buy some American/European things and also grab some good food. Well directions here are far worse than country folk directions. Some of you live where they give country folk directions. “drive down this road for about five minutes and turn where the red barn used to be. If you see the open field at the Wilson’s you know you’ve gone too far”. Hahaha, we tried but if you don’t know you don’t know. So, on our scenic tour of Cameroon’s biggest city, Douala we saw many interesting things. Not all we could catch.

This is a motorcycle taxi with an umbrella and tarp overhead to stay dry during the rain. It is so funny and traffic is so thick and slow they actually seem effective. This is a very common sight in this big city.

This was some sort of trash sculpture that was in the middle of a roundabout.

This is a big screen for advertising or sports or tv or whatever else they might use it for. It blew my mind to see something this high tech here.

We have a lot to update but I don’t currently have access to my pictures but I do have access to Internet so I will post what we are doing real time.

The kids and their new friends are working with this fun new wood and making boats.

We had a fun French reunion tonight! I am so happy to see old friends again.

Our living room

Our kitchen

The girls beds with mosquito nets

A touch of home! Our pictures.

Dirty water on top, clean on the bottom.

Indoor clothes line when it rains.

Everyone is snug in their mosquito nets.

We found Maui Wowi!

Micah getting his face painted in Brussels.

A huge connect four!

Caleb got a tattoo!

So, I’ve never been before and I was so excited to see whatever much or little I could! Happy happy day.

So, to back up a bit, we fly out of D.C. So we thought we’d see a bit of it while we were there.

This was one overwhelming memorial.

Eating ice cream at the Washington monument.

All dried up! Sad times but they are making repairs on the Reflection Pool.