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