And Continues Some More

I wish we had more pictures of this night or some video footage to really bring it to life for you, but in the craziness of it all, somehow the cameras were left behind. (If you don't know what I am talking about, scroll down) You'll just have to use your imagination. I believe we left off in the middle of a dark alley.

As we started walking, Guy's cousins took us by the hand and guided us through the dark with lots of laughter and broken English. "Jump jump," to let us know where potholes needed to be crossed, or water avoided. At one point we passed by a large group of women dancing and singing by rows of blue plastic chairs and a canopy over the road. We learned that it was a funeral and the organizer had simply closed off the whole road to use the space. After a lot of jumping and a maze of alleyways later, we eventually made it to the simple little house of Guy's aunt and a little while later to the home of another aunt.

What followed is a bit of a blur. Imagine what it would be like to see your family after being away for six years, and to that add the infectious, exuberant Cameroonian spirit. I'm hoping you are picturing joyful screams, hugs, kisses, much jumping up and down, the biggest smiles, and of course more dancing. Anja was a major attraction being the much anticipated newest addition to the family,and Scott and I smiled, nodded and tried to make the best sense we could of all the French flying around us. We spent the rest of the night watching the reunion unfold while sipping coke, and munching on crispy fried fish, head and all. Really really tasty. mmmmm. All concept of time and convention thoroughly thrown out the window, at some insane hour, we eventually made arrangements to meet with the family in the morning for breakfast and a taxi ride later (that I have absolutely no recollection of), we found ourselves with a bed in sight. And so ends day one of our adventures with Guy and Anja. It was a fitting start considering the pace of events that followed...