Bonne Année
Algol
Hamish Tait, Robin Hastie & Jim Hepburn
Sun 4 Jan 2009 10:52
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Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone from Anne &
Hamish in Zidim.
It's been great having the Ferries with us over the festive
season and we have both had a couple of weeks break from work to show them some
of the sights of the Far North. The boys have seen a fair selection of
wildlife in Waza National Park (a vast game reserve), visited the hippos in Lake
Maga and ridden donkeys and dromedaries. One of our nurses, Hassanah, has
given them a ride on his moto (see photo) which seems to have been the highlight
for them. Lydia, who "helps" Anne one day a week, invited us all to share
a family meal in her home so we all had the experience of a traditional
Cameroonian meal in a mud house - photo attached. The following night we
were invited by Halilou, who has driven and guided us round the
park on three visits to Waza, to have a meal at his house in
Maroua. Again a wonderful experience, sitting cross legged on a carpet
eating another amazing spread of traditional food prepared by his wife.
This time however, as this is a Muslim household, she did not join us to eat;
Halilou explained she had already eaten wiht "her"
children. Although he seems an enlightened muslim with only one wife and
three children, chauvinism still rules! Again I have attached a photo of
the occasion which may give some idea of the difference in living standards
between those in the city and those, such as Lydia, who live in the
"bush". Halilou noticed when we passed a spot where we'd taken photos of
Heather in the long grass in the park during her visit in October so we got a
shot of Nicola in roughly the same place to show the contrast in vegetation now
we're into the dry season.
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