Day 4 of Eight Days with the Nephews

Another tremendous, fun filled day.  The morning was spent canoeing up the Niger river looking for hippos.  And we found them--lots!  What incredible creatures.  Tom's been singing the kid's song
                         "Hip, hip, hip hippopotamus, hip, hip horray,
                          He made all of us ...
                          In between he had loads of fun, he made a hippo who weighs a ton."

 Remember that song?

At this minute, Matthew is researching hippos.  Here are some interesting items:   

They have been clocked moving at 20 mph.
They are considered to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
They weigh 1.5 to 3 tons.

And we got to see them!  Our canoe skipper (Troy's name for him) stayed at a good distance away to avoid any hippo charges.  Our guide told us that hippos have a phenomenal memory and if you are mean to them, they will remember your voice and GETCHA next time you come around.  Oh, my, scary stuff, but not verified in Wikipedia.


It was a beautiful day for a canoe ride.

 This is the motorized model that we took.

 

 

Mama with her baby born last August.

Quite an animal.

Day 3 in Eight Days with the Nephews

Another glorious day!  It's so fun to take the boys to the places we frequent and let them see what we see everyday.  We about walked their legs off today-from our home to the Grand Marche (downtown market) and then some. But there is so much more to see if one walks, than when one buzzes by in a car.  Plus picture taking is an added benefit.

We walked across the bridge and saw the unloading of another boat from the top.

The washer-men were hard at work, scrubbing the mounds of clothes they have been hired to do.

By the time we returned home, the clothes were hung over the bridge banister, flapping gently in the breeze.

Such a classic!

A "stroll" through the large, downtown market which defies any ability to capture it on film.  You'll have to come visit in order to appreciate it.  Plus a chance to chew on some sugar cane for a mid-morning snack.  Yum!

Back home again, the boys enjoyed their first African coke. Sorry kids, I know you can just taste it about now. But even the caffeine didn't deter jet-lag which made them sleep hard in the middle of the day until we awakened them for the exciting afternoon adventure, the camel ride.

One of our faithful taxi drivers had some friends who would let us take a camel ride.  The guys loved it.  

Getting the saddle on and putting enough layers over the camel's hump was a challenge. 

 They said that the camels can get nasty and bite and they don't like cool weather so the muzzle was in order.

 

Matthew took some great pictures,too!

Day 2 of Eight days with the Nephews

We had to awaken the boys this morning in order to make our first appointment on time. I won't say at what time!  I'm so glad they slept well.

We walked the mile or so down to the river where large motored canoes unload their cargo of pumpkin/squash and 100 kilo bags of corn that have been raised a "two-day boat ride" south from here.  We have spent time in the past watching them unload the canoes, but today's visit was more specific:  we were there to purchase three 220 pound bags of corn to give as gifts to our national staff.

Unloading the boat was quite a job.  Several fellows took turns carrying the 220 pound sacks to shore.

At the other end of the boat they were unloading the pumpkins relay style.

Three 220 pounders barely fit in the back of our taxi and we scraped every stone we drove over! 

I should never have worried about who would unload the sacks.  The boys tried to do it together and then decided it was easier to do it alone.  What muscles! Who needs Crossfit!

What a joy to give and it was fun to introduce the boys to our staff families.

After lunch and a nice nap we headed for the University, walking cross-country instead of along the highway.  It was a peaceful, quiet walk...

listening to Tom's great explanations,

stopping to watch the cows graze, (Jonathan, you feed your cattle much more than you need to! We decided tonight we need to go back there to find out just what they were finding to eat that wasn't cardboard and plastic bags.)

...then we passed an elementary school that was just being dismissed for the day and the Pied Piper story became alive!  Nothing like being mobbed by children.

Arriving at the agricultural school, we had a guided tour from one of the students that Tom knows.

 Billy Goat Gruff was my favorite.

My, my what big horns you have! Cows that were brought in from Lake Chad area.

It doesn't smell like anything familiar.

At this point in the day, it was almost dark so I caught a taxi home and the boys proceeded with Tom to the dorms where they visited friends that Tom has made and carried on conversations in English for a couple of hours.  A great time was had by all.  Now it's bedtime.   Until tomorrow.

Day 1 of Eight Days with the Nephews!

The long awaited day is here!  Troy and Matthew (my nephews from Kansas) arrived this afternoon.  As we were sitting around the table today, Tom mentioned how unbelievable it was to have some of our extended family with us.  I'm thinking and hoping this will only be a start of a series of visits from our loved ones!  We've been anticipating this visit since it was just a dream last summer and our own kids have been so eager for their cousins to experience some of the Africa they know and love and carry in their hearts and a life that is so difficult to explain to one who has never set foot on African soil.  One daughter was text-ing numerous times throughout the afternoon to see if they'd arrived YET.  Another said she could hardly concentrate on her teaching because her mind was always with her cousins who "should be arriving now and seeing their first sights of her beloved homeland."

So... they (the nephews) gave me permission to follow their week "on blog".  They are hoping it will answer all the questions their moms will have and they won't have to explain/talk too much when they get home!  I'm hoping it will serve as a "conversation helper" as they seek to find the words to describe the sights and smells of their visit. Our internet has been unbearably and unusually slow these days so we hope the blogging will go forth as planned.

Air France arrived with them as scheduled at 4:23 pm.  We sent Porter #16 inside the baggage room with a sign indicating that they were to follow him, since we were only allowed as far as the parking lot.  The porter called to say that he'd found them so we knew they would come out sooner or later.  It was "later"  but they walked out smiling with all their luggage piled on the cart.  It's not permissible to take photos at the airport so couldn't get that one, but we were so glad to see them.

Our faithful taxi-man Moussa transported us and the luggage home.  About a block from our home we saw a bright orange stocking cap suspended on a pole at the gas station advertising Midwest seed.  Gordon, we'll settle up later.  Our neighbor wears it morning and evening in this "cold" weather.

I was amused by the variety of suitcases the family found to send.  One of the zippers broke in transit so the whole thing arrived in a large plastic bag.  My favorite was the one sealed with baling wire and duct tape!  Ingenious.  That's a keeper.

Of course, it was the contents of the suitcases that interested us and they were filled to capacity with good and glorious things. It was definitely Christmas in January.  Many thanks to Florene and Terry for all your work. 

Later that evening, Tom had Bible study with a couple of students on our porch so they were the happy recipients of a couple of farm hats the boys had brought.  (Ernie, don't look too closely, I hear they came from your stash!!!)

What fun we are having catching up on their lives as well as them learning about ours.
More tomorrow.

Starbucks to go!

 I'm not a coffee drinker.  Never have been.  I stayed up late in college without caffeine,  I worked the night shift in a retirement home without drinking coffee and I taught school, frequenting the teacher's lounge without even being tempted.  The smell of coffee is luscious and that's all I need in order to enjoy it.  My husband loves a good cup of coffee...just black.I think he's still waiting for me to learn how to make it so that I will get up really early each morning and have a nice cup awaiting him.  (If you know the habits of my dear man at all, you would know what "early" truly means and why after 32 years he is still making his own coffee.)

Coffee drinking in Africa means Nescafe.  This is a cute little coffee shop on the university campus.  I really don't know what they sell there, but it's new and it's bright red, and I assume one can get a cup of instant coffee on the spot.

Probably even more popular than coffee is the tea they drink.  I'm not going to explain the way they prepare it, that's another post. But I've just been fascinated by their "hot water to go!"  We meet these  "Starbucks to go" fellas at all times during the day.

 

In one hand they carry a large recycled tin can  that has a square cut out of one side.  Inside that hole, there is burning charcoal and a tea kettle with water settles nicely in place above the charcoal.  That keeps the water always hot and ready for the next customer.

In the other hand he carries the supplies for his customers:  tea bags, sugar cubes, milk, Nescafe instant coffee and a couple of recyclable cups.

Time for an afternoon spot of tea for the cement bag sellers!