February 3, 2011

Thursday – Today we decided not to go for another LBDR ride, and instead to have a day off to rest, catch up laundry, do a little shopping, go to the ATM, and generally catch up to ourselves. The last 4 days of pictures have been downloaded, and we’re looking forward to catching up e-mail, blog, etc.
--Njoke didn’t object at all - he has things he needs to tend to, but late in the morning he arrived with Elizabeth, his family’s seamstress for the past 20 years. She brought dresses with her for examples of styles and some fabrics to stimulate my thinking – she’s a gracious person, and knowledgeable. One of the dresses fit perfectly and I bought it right then. Another took my heart and will be perfect with a small alteration which she’ll do. She left with orders for 2 more which she has promised will be ready by Saturday!
--At 4:30 we drove away with Njoke and Npho to get supper. We went to a roadside place and chose pieces of pork from a large boiling kettle on a bed of coals beside the grill. They went on the grill to crisp and brown. We waited in the bar, listening to American western music and watching a couple of teen girls practice jitterbugging and two-stepping, sometimes with a very cute toddler dressed in an African dress. The meat came off the grill and was wrapped it in the brown paper that covered it on the grill to help smoke it. On down the road to another place selling grilled plantains which we bought off the grill, too hot to handle, and wrapped in similar brown paper. Another stop for a big bag of huge avocados.
--Then to a roadside drinking/socializing place with outdoor tables and chairs facing the fascinating street, Joe sat facing a sign "No urination here" and occasionally a man got up and went out behind the buildings. The beer waitress brought large bowls of water and soap to wash our hands before and after eating. Our meals are all similar - very fun, usually really good, always interesting, and we look forward to each new surprise. The handwashing routine surprised us the first time, but we find it everywhere - it’s a nicety that I'll not forget for a long time. We relished every bite which went right down with cold beer – we want this meal again soon and often.
--Back at the rest house, we shared pictures of our home in Lakeside and our 2009 Cameroon trip with Njoke and Npho.

--Carol, Ruth and Raphael let me know they’re worried because we don’t have a phone to contact them in case we have a problem. We feel we’re very safe in Njoke’s care, and I sent the following to them and his contact information. Please be reassured, everyone.
--“Please reassure Ruth and Raphael that we feel very safe and secure, and we doubt there's any problem phoning them if we should need help. Njoke is committed to doing his part to develop tourism in Cameroon, he doesn't want to disappoint his customers and he does want us to be able to give a stellar account of our tour and his services. We weren't sure what to expect, we hoped for a very African experience, and that's precisely what we're having. We like him - he's bright and pleasant, sticking to the trip plan pretty well, and he's given absolutely no reason for us to question his integrity. He’s very kind.
--“We're learning a few phrases of Pidgin - "My belly no flop" means "I'm full." "Me head no day" means "I'm spacey." "Slow, slow" means "slow down" and "small, small" means "not so much," "only a little." "Thankee" is self-evident. Its really fun to hear. And yesterday at the hilltop military guardhouse above Lake Nyos the guard checked our passports and then wanted antibiotics and/or pain medicine - I gave him 10 Ibuprofen from my backpack and remembered how to instruct him in French because he doesn't speak English! He was very happy to learn he can get more at a pharmacy.
--“We're staying in local hotels that Njoke knows from his vast experiences around Cameroon doing years of environmental conservation and ecology work - none are fancy, all have been clean with minimal niceties but adequate for creature comforts.
--“Our driver Npho is incredible - like Francis seemed to be one with the 2009 bus, Npho is one with the truck and has an uncanny sense of everything going on around us all the time, and he has an uncanny spatial sense. This truck is a 1999 4-passenger diesel 4-wheel drive Toyota. Its really strong, takes the very worst roads without damage, comfortable for passengers, good economy. Npho is quiet, pleasant, very bright, curious, thoughtful, and perfect for his job of driving, carrying luggage, doing laundry, etc., etc., etc. And we think he knows everyone in Cameroon - he's greeted by friends on every corner.
--“Next time we come, we need to explore Sim cards for our phones - Njoke said there's a way to get them to use with our US phones at very little cost. He said we definitely did the right thing not to buy phones when we arrived because there's no need.”

Here's our guide's contact info – for anyone wanting an African experience while touristing in Africa, I can’t imagine there’s anyone more capable or accommodating.
NJOKE TANGWING Christopher, Director
Heritage Tours Cameroon, Inc.
Email: info@heritagetourscameroon.net
Website: www.heritagetourscameroon.net