Glimpses into life in Pointe Noire

Elder Wheatley is showing a young man how to make banana bread - everyone seems to love it, here.  We often take it to people we visit.  This young man is learning how to make it so he can show his mother and make it for his family.  He speaks English well, which helps ......he came back again today to find out what 'soda' is and to translate measurements of cups and teaspoons into milileters.  He says his mother will show us how to make beignets (fried donuts).

Our flowers are thriving!  Both guards think they need watered daily and so we have been surprised they haven't drowned!

This is a field of cucumbers, which are eaten a lot here.  They are sold all over the city from little booths along the roads and streets.  They are sold for about 1,000cfa for 3 good sized ones in the market - about $2.00.  It's good to buy what we can locally, because a cabbage costs the equivalent of about $2.00 U.S. dollars along the street, and about $7.00 U.S. dollars in the French super market.

Here's a close up of the cucumbers.  We are seeing more and more gardens around the city - mostly on the outskirts, where there is more room.

Typical scene in the road in front of our house.  The young man got sent to get water from the well across the street and he has to wait his turn - might as well be comfortable!

This woman is making manioc(cassava) flour and water into a paste that is wrapped in leaves and steamed for about 3 hours and becomes one of the staple foods here.  Right up with bananas and papaya.  It is sold everywhere.  She is a member of one of the branches, has a lovely little family and is a very quiet, beautiful person.