January 31, 2011

Monday. This morning we left Mundemba at 5:30 am, driving another LBDR.

Along the way we saw more of the rainforest and palm tree plantations, and we stopped at a couple of independent palm oil processing plants because Njoke wanted to take some home to his wife for cooking.  This looks like the hardest, hottest, dirtiest work in the world!

Independent Palm Oil Processing Plant

At Lobe we stopped for a guided tour by Njoke's former classmate, the Engineering Manager of Palmol, the national palm oil processing plant.  This plant began operations in 1961 and the first signature in the guest register is the then president of Cameroon. Virtually all the original equipment is still in use, and they have new steam-driven Caterpillar turbines – the steam is generated by a hand-stoked oven. The plant takes pride in being environmentally friendly – they use all the palm waste materials to fuel their processing systems.

Conveyor Carries Palm Nuts to Steamer

Palm Nuts in Steam Cooker Ready for Processing

Grinder Reduces Palm Nuts to Oily Pulp

Steam-Driven Caterpillar Engines

Hand-stoked boiler drives steam engines

 --More LBDR to Kumba, a day ahead of schedule. In Kumba Njoke called Dominic, the solar oven project director, and to everyone's surprise he was one block away from us in Kumba!  WEH is exploring the possibility of developing a solar bakery as a source of employment and income for WEH women.  Dominic rode to Nguti with us (VLBDR) and answered all the questions that I could think of, and kindly offered details that I hadn't considered.  He referred me to Kay-Kay, a Peace Corps volunteer working with the Nguti Solar Project, for more about the business and production details.
--As soon as we arrived in Nguti we went to several officials' offices for formal introductions.  Then at Dominic’s request, we drove several km down a truly horrible road to see an abandoned wildlife research station where Dominic had worked for 7 years with a World Wildlife Fund project. It was too buggy to explore the vicinity, so we turned down the invitation to hike 45 minutes each way to a lovely waterfall and lake that is a fertile bird-watching destination.  After making our way back to town, we were sent to a bar for beer and peanuts. Before we'd finished, we were directed to follow Dominic behind the bar to the home of the Lord High Mayor of Nguti and Seventeen Villages for formal introductions, visiting and a good meal (boiled plantains, beans seasoned with dried fish, boiled coco yams, and a nice wine.
--Finally we went to see the oven! It’s a large critter on its own trailer so that it can be taken outside to the sunshine for baking.  It has 5 large mirrors on top that open up to collect the heat.  It can  hold a dozen loaves that bake in about 30-45 minutes depending on the day.  The vegetation is more dense in Nguti than in the Mangamba area, but it sounds as if the sunshine is about the same. They estimate they'll use solar energy for baking about 7 months of the year.  The villagers like the solar oven baked goods very well and they are affordable - its enjoying a good beginning. The project has German, Swiss and World Wildlife Fund support which  they've obtained by approaching the donors from a environmental conservation perspective.  Dominic offered their business plan to share with WEH, and I exchanged business cards with Kay-Kay.  We look forward to more discussion, and hopefully a return trip.

His Excellency the Lord High Mayor of Nguti and Seventeen Villages, and Barbara

The solar oven on its trailer in its garage, and admirerers

--Njoke felt we should push on, so we drove through the darkness on more VLBDR to a wonderful bed and shower in Mamfe.

January 30, 2011

January 30, 2011
Sunday. This morning we drove a very long bumpy dusty road (VLBDR) to Mundemba.  Along the way we passed massive rubber, cocoa, and palm oil tree plantations, and we stopped at a spring for cool fresh water.  There were fascinating geologic formations in this formerly volcanically active region.  Kids were busily rolling tires along the roadway as we passed.

Very Long Bumpy Dirt Road (VLBDR)

Kids rolling tires

Immature cocoa pods

Tapping Rubber Trees

Rubber Tree Plantation

Geologic Formation - many of these!

In Mundemba the Korup National Park manager very graciously opened the office in the middle of his Sunday afternoon to give us permits, and went with us as our guide. The 250 meter swinging bridge made of woven vines has been replaced with a swinging bridge of cables and boards that are unevenly spaced and far enough apart to see the rushing water and rocks far below and make you hang on to the hand cables for dear life!

Mana Suspension Bridge - Entrance to Korup National Park

Korup Park Manager, Me, Njoke - along the path in Korup National Park

Path in the Park

 --This tropical forest is in pristine condition, never cut, and protected for the past 50 years. It is the site of worldwide research that benefits our world – medications, animals and their behaviors, insects, weather, the myriad of forest plants, flowers, hundreds of bird species. We sprayed our insect repellant liberally, and into the forest. As we walked the narrow path under the dense canopy we heard bird calls and our guide said the monkeys were feeding in the treetops, getting ready for their night. At the Limbe primate sanctuary we saw chimpanzees, gorillas, drills, baboons, and several types of monkeys whose native home is here in Korup National Park. It was humbling to be here, it is so beautiful.
 ----Back to town for supper of bush meat (crocodile?), boiled plantain and beer at a local spot and stimulating conversation with the park manager about forest fire control. Our gracious guide told me that I’d made him crazy during our walk. I asked if it was because I’d picked up the litter I found along the path – that was it, “I didn’t know how to respond, no one does that here and I didn’t know what you were thinking, maybe that our park is dirty and you didn’t like it?” I explained that I was doing what I do at home, that in the US there are effective campaigns for each and all of us to keep our natural places clean, and my small gift to this park’s beauty was to carry out the small amount of trash that I saw. He was very interested in hearing about strategies to motivate people to pick up their park and their town, and I described our Adopt-a-Highway program. I suggested that in Mundemba he might approach the Presbyterian Church, the Apostolic Church, the Secondary School, etc., asking each group to adopt a 2 km stretch, and post a sign indicating whose stretch is which. He loved it! I hope this is the footprint that I left in Mundemba – I’d love to know how his efforts fare.

Dinner Spot

--To bed early under the mosquito net – tonight I’m very thankful for it – this is a buggy place.

Our room had everything we needed

January 29, 2011

--After breakfast we picked up Remy and drove to the village to see the first day of the 2-day Elephant Dance.  Edward took Joe's camera, wrapped a length of African print fabric around his hips forming a long skirt, and joined the group of dancers.
--My understanding is that this dance is done annually during the dry season to enhance fertility in the coming growing season, and to pass the tradition on to younger man in order to perpetuate their culture.  Seventeen villages from around Mt. Cameroon participate.  One village at a time, costumed men arrive outside the host village and come in carrying an Elephant Bundle and trying to avoid the host village's efforts to drive them away.  They must pass certain tests of endurance and bravery before they can join the growing group of men dancing around the two men who represent elephants in a wallow.  Running barefood on the rocky road, another test is to eat live coals, another is to eat raw coco yams which are poisonous, and of course they must not drop out from exhaustion.  The "elephants" , ie, men who have been singled out for this honor, stay in the wallow all night long while the groups of men sing and dance.  On the second day, when all 17 villages have arrived, the Elephant Bundles are opened and the most honored men from each village dress in elephant costumes and dance the Elephant Dance.  It is said that sometimes the dancers turn into elephants and are never seen again because they disappear into the forest.

A village arriving

One of the lead arrivals

Dancers arriving

Dancers arriving

Bringing Fire

Maintaining the Fire

Dancers arriving at the Elephant Wallow with an Elephant Bundle

Singer with an instrument

Dancer with Amulets

Elephant Wallow

Elephant Wallow

--We left earlier than we'd have liked.  --Edward came to Njoke saying that some of the dancers were demanding money in order to continue filming.  We agreed that seemed best to leave rather than to pay, and pretty soon have to pay again, and again,...
--In Buea we stayed at a Presbyterian Rest House that has a free kitchen - this means that we have the use of the kitchen to prepare things that we've bought in town.  We were delighted with the flowering poinsettia trees just outside.

Poinsettia Tree

Our Toyota Chariot in front of the Guest House

Shopping for groceries in Buea

January 28, 2011

--Friday. After breakfast we drove to Buea, an old city of 60,000 residents who live in the city and many surrounding villages on the slopes of 13,000’ Mt. Cameroon.

Former capital of Cameroon from German occupation

Njoke, Barbara, Remy above Buea

Buea behind a budding tree

Flower gardens fluorish in Buea

--In downtown Buea across from the large old city market building, the Lifafa Travel Agency is operated by Njoke’s tourism mentor and friend, Remy.
--He joined us – 5 in the Toyota pick-up, and we drove on bumpy unpaved roads to see hundreds and hundreds of acres of the Tole Tea Plantation. The workers have deplorable living and working conditions – minimal pay, miserable housing, no company benefits of any sort, grindingly hard manual labor. The women we saw along the way appeared as if their lives are unspeakably hard.

Tole Tea Plantation - Women harvesting tea

 Tea Workers

Tea Workers' Housing

  

--Over palm wine in one of the villages, Remy discovered that tomorrow they would start dancing the Elephant Dance, so we decided to change our plans and stay on to see it.  Remy arranged with Edward, who would be dancing, to hold our camera and photograph the dancers up close. 

Palm wine break - Njoke, Barbara, Joe

Joe, Remy, Edward (tomorrow's photographer)

Woman selling fresh roasted corn on the cob

--On the way back to town we needed a snack.  We bought freshly roasted corn on the cob from a lady who was cooking and selling it at the edge of the street.  No butter or seasonings, but it was nutty and sweet, yum!


Much later we had lunch/supper at a “Spot” where we had Pepper Soup (bushmeat – antelope? with boiled plantain chunks in a peppery broth) and “Export 33.” We enjoyed it, but wouldn’t order it as often as we go to Sonic!

Pepper Soup and Export 33

--We drove then to another “Spot” in town for more “Export 33” and talk in the twilight, then to the hotel for the night.

January 27, 2011

January 27, 2011
--Thursday. English breakfast on the patio, then we drove to the Limbe Zoological Park.  I’ve seen documentaries about wild animal rescue and rehabilitation programs – this is a primate rescue center for about 200 gorillas, chimpanzees, drills, baboons, and several monkey species from Cameroon.  Every animal’s photo and story are posted – babies who were orphaned when their parents were killed by poachers, adults who were injured by poachers who couldn’t/didn't sell the damaged goods, animals kept as pets in horrible living conditions, etc.  They live in large, well-kept areas much like the best American zoos, and a veterinarian is in residence. Their keepers were all helpful with our questions. We will wear our souvenir t-shirts proudly. This poster, in Pidgin, speaks to the consequences of poaching.

Plenty animals them for LWC na orphans them.  Hunter people be kill their mami and papa them and sell the pickin them for people for play witham.

Taking it easy

Just sitting

 --Then we drove along the coastline to Idenau, a fishing village almost at the Nigeria border. No photos were permitted at the bridge, but we were free to take them on the other side.  The village is long and about 2 houses deep, right on the beach. The houses are constructed of bamboo poles and whatever else can be found, people everywhere, a few thin dogs, and lots of small children.  Little booths selling roasted fish from the catch brought in this morning, corn on the cob, and other things I didn’t recognize.  A fishing net was spread along the shore between the houses and the waterline – about 20 feet wide and ¼ mile long, doubled in half over itself.  We sat down to watch and a man came along and started talking and explaining in Pidgin with Njoke and Npho how their fishing is done.  Pidgin, we were beginning to learn, is the lingua franca in most of Cameroon. We understood quite a bit, and Njoke interpreted to keep us included.  Npho and the man disappeared and returned with home-brewed gin from the man’s native home in Benin – we drank shots that were much like white-lightning.  Eventually we started back toward the bridge, marveled at the dozens of dugout canoes as we crossed, and went to a noisy river-edge bar for delicious roasted fresh fish, whirls of manioc paste with palm oil, and fried plantain – all with lots of very hot chile paste and lots of very cold “33” beer - We took pictures, talked, marveled – oh my gosh!

Npho, Njoke, Barbara

Fisherman (note gin and grin), Npho, Njoke

Fisherman, Njoke, Barbara, Joe, Fisherman - with gin

Fishnet  drying on the beach

Our restaurant

Freshly caught grilled fish, manioc whirls, hot sauce, cold "33"

--Everywhere in Cameroon people are friendly, polite, kind and very helpful. If this country were to package their best product for export, this would be it – we’ve never been welcomed so warmly and consistently as here.

--Back to Limbe, we rested and showered, then had chips and beer on a seaside patio, and turned in.

Njoke - Barbara