Limbe

Limbe is a coastal town with a heavy western influence. Its like a traditional African town collided with great force with a western one and all the resulting debris ended up on the ground. Pollution is awful, no vehicle here would pass emission standards at home. There is trash everywhere and the air often smells like miscellaneous burning things. But the ocean views from the restaurants are amazing, and if you catch it right you can see all the flying foxes wake up and fly overhead on their nights search for food.

You'll see people walking down the street in wrapped fabric clothing, and right next to them will be some guy wearing chucks and levis. Most people, me included, get around on motorcycles. To go anywhere starts off with a bargain, but you're not going anywhere for under 100cfa or twenty cents in American dollars. I'm white so all the prices start off higher. I've asked around the staff for how much they pay for things so that I know around where I need to bargain to. The beaches in Batoke are 300cfa and 10km away. Old market is 100cfa.

My walk to work is about 10 minutes, and like everything else here is navigated on landmarks. There are no street names. I turn at the tire pile, pass Chariot shaving and beauty complex, take a left at the Jenny Rose Bowl and stay straight until I hit the red gate with the painted blue stones. It works for me since I am terrible with directions. "Near Down Beach" or "Just past the Mars Bar" works well around here.

Today finishes my two week rotation. I spent the last two days in quarantine cleaning and feeding and playing with baby primates. Sadly the turtle boots lost their battle with Africa, but went to chimpanzee enrichment. Gaa and Yabien had a good time trying to wear them and filling them with water and throwing them around. There are pictures and very blurry video.

After two weeks I've only learned a few dozen names of the animals, and can identify even fewer. They largely have people names, though things like "Titan" and "Madamme" get thrown in every once in a while. There are only a few names of people I know in there. There is a Nicky which made me think of Mammy as it is a female, Johanna, Billy, Julie and Jack. Though none of the personalities fit.

Hope all is well with everyone. See you in 8 weeks.