February 13, 2011

February 13, 2011 –
--We were up at 6:15 am to see a lovely sunrise, and then per yesterday’s plans, we stepped onto a steep and winding trail that took us down to valley floor. Along the way our guide told us that the people we met were Nigerians heading for the market in Roumsiki. Today was market day – many Nigerian traders and local people were coming/going on the trail – I admired their stamina and strength as they passed us and continued up the trail at a good clip, carrying their heavy loads including many babies strapped on the women’s backs. Long ago, before anyone can remember, a Nigerian hunter, Roum, came to the largest mountain and decided to make his home there. The mountain was called Roum in his honor. People came to live with Roum, and after awhile the village grew there - Roumsiki, the People of Roum.
--In the valley we stopped to watch wood carvers, and we bargained for calabash bowls that we didn’t buy because the shopkeeper wouldn’t negotiate. We trudged on in the brightening warm sunshine. Ever so slowly we walked on up, up, up the steep trail and around Roum, the huge volcano core. We made our way back to town on the narrow paths between the houses, and stopped to talk about the Palaver Tree where the village leaders hold meetings and resolve disputes. I was slow – it was very, very hot.
--Finally we were back and cooled down on a shady veranda, had a nice brunch and a nap. Inevitably, we had laundry to be done – for probably the only time in my life, I hung my clean clothes on a baobab tree to dry outside our door.
--Late in the afternoon we joined Njoke, Thomas and our guide for a walk through Roumsiki. I was fascinated to see a woman with a handful of raw cotton fibers that she twisted in her fingers and wound it on a large bobbin – finger spinning. I watched her spinning, then we moved on and saw an old man and a boy seated at looms weaving thread like I’d just seen the woman spinning. Inside a thatched shelter there were crafts for sale, and the proprietor explained that the spinners and weavers were a coop. Fabrics they’d made were for sale and I couldn’t resist buying a piece that I think will become a beautiful lightweight jacket.
--We moved on through the village, to see the Crab Sorcerer. This very old man tells fortunes and answers questions. One asks a question and he interprets the crab’s answer. He has a jar of sand with a ring of small sticks just inside the edge. He places a few pieces of broken calabash strategically on the sand, then spits on the crab, talks to it, spits on it again, places the his live river crab on the assemblage, and covers it all with another bowl. He sits back to think and wait for a few moments, then removes the cover. He gives the answer to the question by interpreting the crab’s movements while it was covered. We each paid 1000 CFA ($2.00), asked a question, took pictures, thanked him, he blessed us by touching our feet with pieces of calabash, and we moved on to see more of the village and the market.
--Mobs of people selling things everywhere – aluminum ladles, African print fabrics, soap powder, dried beans, on and on. We sat on a bench under a thatch shelter to sample some locally-brewed millet beer from a calabash bowl – ugh! As it grew dark, we entered a room for our supper. This was a space where several Nigerian traders eat and bed down for the night – it was a fascinating scene. We loved our meal of millet fufu with spicy vegetable sauce and chicken, and of course, beer – yum.
--Back to room we discovered that the computer had crashed – no more internet, no more blog, eeek! Seemed as if bouncing along on the VLBDRs had finally done it in. Darn.

February 12, 2011

February 12, 2011 – Saturday
--We were up and on the road early. Thomas is a very good driver, careful to avoid the potholes without jerking us around, we felt safe and enjoyed the scenery. We drove a couple of hours, traveling through the very arid region, seeing baobab and other desert trees that don’t grow in Arizona, many more compounds of round adobe houses with thatched roofs, long-horned cows, goats, women carrying things on their heads walking beside the road, lines of school children walking home from school, people resting in the shade of large trees, roadside stands selling everything imaginable.
--In Garoua we stopped at a nice internet café, then turned on a rough dirt road to Roumsiki. This is a quaint village situated on the hillside s amidst large and scenic volcano cores nearby. All along the way saw more and more of the baobab trees and compounds of round and square rooms. Lots of cotton and millet are grown in this area. Roumsiki in the very remote, rugged, and beautiful far northeastern edge of Cameroon – you can see Nigeria across a small valley. We stayed in a buckaroo, ie, at a resort that features round huts with thatched roofs for the guest rooms – we were more than comfortable and loved the gorgeous canyon-edge view. Our room is charming, African prints at windows, beds, table covers, etc. etc. We were more than surprised to find the place has a swimming pool, and the guests included sun-bathing French girls on the cool deck!
--There were lots of people, donkeys, goats, pigs, cows – kids everywhere, too much to see! Two little ones scrambling up a hill yelling at 2 pigs that didn’t want to be caught were very entertaining! A mom noisily chastising her 2 toddlers who’d escaped with a water bucked – she drove them home ahead of her brandishing a switch to hurry them.

February 10, 2011

February 10, 2011 – Wednesday
--We arrived in Ngaoundere very tired about 8:30 am. This is an arid region and we’re in the middle of the dry season. We passed through clean villages with houses made of adobe bricks and thatched roofs, people were primarily wearing Muslim attire. We got our bags, washed our faces in the very clean train station restrooms, and then we found a clean and inviting place to have breakfast across the commons at the station.
-- Njoke had arranged with his former university professor in Garoua for a vehicle and driver. Thomas is a driver with the University of Cameroon Dept. of Faun & Flore (Wildlife Science). Despite his authorization from the professor and the university to use the university’s truck, in Ngaoundere it was necessary to find a high level official to sanction the paperwork from the University, so we saw some of the city and the paperwork was signed.
--As we drove through and out of Ngaoundere, into the countryside we began seeing round thatched huts and mud brick houses clumped together in tight compounds with woven mat walls, trees here and there, people everywhere, many goats and cows, and it all looked very dry. We drove perhaps 100 km on a tarred road without many potholes.
--Then we turned in on a dirt road to Benoe Nat’l Park. Almost immediately we saw large antelope and waterbuck. As we drove along, we saw duiker, monkeys, many types of birds. We checked into our rooms, i.e., buckaroos – round, spacious, cool, African fabrics, very serene and comfy. We napped gratefully – we were very tired after last night’s train ride.
--We went for a drive thru the park seeing monkeys in the road, more antelope, waterbuck, and birds. We stopped, walked about a mile to the river, and voila! Hippos! Along the bank in small groups as far as we could see. We stood watching them quietly for more than an hour. They seemed oblivious that we were there – they rose and sank, blowing air, sometimes standing high enough that we could see an entire body. The males snorted, seeming to tell each other to keep their distance. We watched fish jumping for flies, saw a crocodile trail out of the river onto the bank and convinced ourselves that we saw its eyes above the river surface. Our guide invited us to return for a better look at the hippos at 6 am, and at the moment this was a definite ‘yes.’
--We trekked back to the compound, showered, supper was simple and delicious rice with meat sauce and crusty bread. Walking back to our room the night sky was bright and clear and we saw the stars which reminded us so much of home. We fell into bed hearing the river and whispering together about the hippos, “we’re in Africa!”

February 8, 2011

February 8, 2011 – Tuesday
--Njoke was at the train station at 7 am this morning, and purchased our tickets for the night train to Ngaoundere, estimated departure 6 pm with estimated arrival 7:30 am tomorrow morning.

--We spent the morning sight-seeing around Yaounde, sometimes called the City of Seven Hills.  Yaounde is the capital city of The Republic of Cameroon.  In every sector city we passed governmental office buildings with a significant military presence; it is forbidden to photograph them and the soldiers were convincing, so we didn't.

Downtown Yaounde

President Paul Bia's Palace

We could not help noting the dramatic contrasts between the rich and poor neighborhoods.  Yaounde seems to be cleaner than Douala – Douala is a huge industrial city that has grown too much, too fast.  In both cities, the poor neighborhoods are far more apparent because they’re not situated in the most desirable areas; the poorest neighborhoods are right along the highways and train tracks, and they sprawl a long way on both sides of the traffic.  The poor neighborhoods are dirty, crowded, and seriously congested.  On a high bluff over-looking Yaounde, in a luxury housing neighborhood, below we marveled at the large and beautiful homes surrounded by high walls, each with a uniformed guard at the front gate.

Looking Out Over Yaounde toward Bia's Palace

We had lunch again at Les Sorciers, ie, the Sorcerers’ Corner, enjoying crisp roasted pork and cold beer, and people-watching until time to go to the train station.

Our Beer Waitress

Njoke Buying Our Lunch

Mobile Plastics Wares Sales

Taxi Stand

After waiting an hour in a comfortable lobby at the train station, with very clean restrooms, we boarded and waited another hour – we slowly pulled away from the station in the 6:20 pm twilight, heading north.

--Almost immediately Njoke was greeted by Fr. Felix, a Holy Father he’d met at the train station this morning.  They’d talked, helped each other with the ticketing process, and Njoke gave Father a ride somewhere.  Tonight they found their seats were together!  we learned that Fr. Felix has worked in parishes throughout northern Cameroon for the past 30 years and knows everyone.  He said the Diocese of Garoua has a large rest house associated with the parish there, and it also runs rest houses in other cities that we’ll visit.  Fr. Felix called the sisters and made reservations for us, and he left Njoke with names and phone numbers in case we might need them.  His graciousness is consistent with the way we’re received everywhere in Cameroon.

--It was hard to sleep sitting up despite the very generous leg room.  The train stopped at about a dozen villages along the way where passengers got on and off, and at every stop hawkers came to the windows and through the aisles selling manioc, bananas, chewing gum, Cameroon maps, phone cards, soft drinks, clothing,  pastries, etc., etc.  The 2d class section would have been far more chaotic with the vendors and the passengers' loud nonstop music, crying babies, numerous conversations all around, and less leg room.  Initially all the windows were wide open but coolness came gradually through the night and people closed them and put on heavy jackets – folks here are acclimated differently - we found the cool breezes most welcome.  We were advised not to eat the food prepared in the dining car so we bought soft drinks and snacked on things we had with us.  The Toilette was reasonably clean with no toilet seat (a common finding) - it was tricky to balance while the train was swaying along...  There was little to see along the way since it was dark outside, but I can tell you what the train stations look like at night along the way!  And sunrise was lovely.

February 7, 2011

February 7, 2011 – Monday
Our trip focus is changing again - we've been in the southwest and the northwest regions, now we're heading for the northern part of the country.  We’ve sorted and consolidated our belongings so’s to leave most of it in the hotel security room while we’re in the north; we’ll each live out of 1 small bag because we want to keep our things in direct line of sight on the train.  I’m challenged – I want to wear pants in the parks where we’ll be hiking through the forest, and in the very conservative north I should wear dresses and cover my head when we’re in the towns, and I want to buy souvenirs which will have to go in my bag.  I'm packing lightly, we'll wash things often to dry overnight in our room.  I'm excited!--Early today we visited APE Africa near Yaounde – if a primate must live in a sanctuary, this is the place to be.  The enclosures are each many hectares in size, enclosed with high electrified fencing.  The enclosure interiors are natural forest where groups of monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees live in the treetops and the grass.  The Alpha gorilla came right to the fence, 3 feet away, to stand and look us over for 10 minutes.

Silverback Alpha Male Gorilla

The chimpanzee nursery was fun – about a dozen youngsters playfully busy in their enclosure; we learned they go for daily forest walks with their keepers so as to learn how to live in the wild again.  The area was really  loud with bursts of chimp talk.  A dozen or  more adolescent walked along inside just their fence as we passed, stopping when we did, clearly curious about us and wanting to interact.  If you hold a stick and get your scent on it, then push it through the fence, a chimp will take and smell it, add his/her scent and pass it back – they’ll do this all day if you keep the game going.  They throw things at you – pebbles, sticks, etc.  They hugged and groomed each other, and playfully peeked like human children.  There also are Miniature Chimpanzees – found to be more intelligent than their larger chimpanzee cousins.

Npho and Chimp Passing a Stick to Each Other

Chimpanzee thinking, watching, waiting for something to happen?

Animals Watching the Animals Watching the Animals...

Several rare species of monkeys from Cameroon, baboons, drills also live here – all stirringly wonderful.  All the animals here were rescued from poachers whose illegal goal was to sell them for stewpots, traditional medicine and the babies as pets.  At this center, those that can be rehabilitated will eventually be released back to the wild - their keepers take them out regularly for forest walks to learn how to live independently.  Our guide impressed us with his vast knowledge and great love for primates and all of nature.

Very Large Old Tree at APE Africa

 --The mission of APE Africa is to extinguish primate poaching.  They target education in local schools because reaching the children is the best way to influence their parents’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviors about poaching.  Community education about the very real health risks associated with poaching is another very important activity. This project is also an important international primate research destination.

Fresh-Roasted Peanuts for the Trip

Yaounde Railroad Station - In Line to Buy Train Tickets

Midafternoon we went to the train station to get our tickets - but  tonight’s train was completely sold out!  Nothing to do but stay another night in Yaounde.  We went to another spot for Export 33 and supper - we discovered that the intersection is called the Sorcerer's Corner.  Again, Njoke had found a place that turned out to be just right – we sat under a shade facing a typically busy intersection.  We ordered beer while he went to find roasted pork and accoutrements.  He returned, beer and then dinner appeared from different directions.  We devoured a platter of pork, spicy sauce and grilled plantain, and then we ordered another platter which also went right down.

Njoke Buying our Lunch

The plan is that Npho will stay in Yaounde with the truck while we’re in the north, and we’ll meet him here when we return.  To everyone’s surprise, Npho’s most of all, while he was shopping for his supper from a vendor, his older sister saw him – they’d not seen each other for years!  She joined us and Npho happily said he’s already made plans to stay with her and other relatives in Yaounde for the coming week.

Npho and His Long-Lost Sister

February 6, 2011

February 6, 2011 – Sunday

--Our laundry is all clean again, thanks to the helpful rest house staff.  All our belongings were loaded, and we and left Bamenda by 7 am, going generally south for a couple of hours  We stopped at a roadside place for breakfast of locally grown spicy black beans and rice, and avocado that we brought with us – I can’t say enough good things about this meal!  Back in the truck and on down the road, paved nearly all the way, to Bafoussam and then on a little farther to Foumban to visit a large Fon's palace.  Along the way the houses changed from flat or thatched roofs to tall tin pyramids.

Paved Road between Bamenda and Bafoussam

Near Bafoussam - House with Tall Tin Pyramid Roof

The Fon's Palace in Foumba

The palace is a UNESCO Heritage Site; we were not allowed to take pictures inside, but we did tour the palace museum.  This huge palace was built by the ruling Fon in 1913.  Its 3 stories are constructed of red clay bricks with interior stairs and floors all of hand polished dark wood; the architectural style shows how important the British influence was then.  This dynasty's Fons are documented back to the late 1300s, and there are artifacts associated with most of them.  Beautiful carvings, feather capes, beaded capes and masks, locally forged and skillful ironwork and statuary.  Perhaps we should not have been startled by the very graphic displays of weapons and trophies that depicted the cruelties done in earlier times to enemies – but we were.  As we considered a little more, we realized that what we saw here has been done by people to other people the world over – man is really not a peaceful animal.

Stairs leading to the Palace Museum

We had a flat tire leaving Bafoussam, so Joe and I waited with the truck for an hour while Njoke and Npho took it in a push cart to a tire repair shop.  We happened to be near a small interurban bus stop, and watched an over-full 9-passenger van add 4 more passengers, and up to the top went 4 goats complaining loudly, 2 very large woven fiber bags of live chickens, 3-4 big heavy stalks of plantains, a few suitcases, and about half a dozen long large heavy bags of goods.  Everything was secured with ropes, another passenger climbed in, and off they went – the goats looked very unhappy.  An apparently mentally ill man who seemed to be responding to internal stimuli stood across the street; he stared at us, chanted loudly, did something with a piece of metal in his mouth, held his arms outward for a long while, and kept his eyes on us – people walked around him as if he were a signpost.  Dozens of the little motorcycles that are used for taxis darted past us within inches, picking up and depositing passengers.  A man was steam-washing a large tanker truck a dozen yards away.  There was a market 100 yards up the street – people carried everything imaginable on their heads as they streamed by, the traffic was unending.

Where We Waited in Bafoussam for the Tire to be Fixed

Woman Shopping

Taking the Tire to the Tire Repair Shop

Putting the Tire Back on the Truck

--Npho and Njoke returned with the tire, paid the boy who had volunteered the use of his cart, the tire was back on the truck in no time, and off we went, good as new.  We drove and drove on a good paved road, heading for Yaounde, and stopped at a "truckstop" for late lunch of hot grilled fish, roasted plantains, spicy sauce and Export 33.  The fish and sauce were indescribably delicious to us who typically don't enjoy fish – oh my gosh!  Eating with our hands, we savored every last bit, then washed away the last traces in a basin or water.  These meals are always amazing – we arrive at a very unlikely looking roadside place, Joe and I find seats on a bench at a wooden plank table, and a waitress appears to wash the table and take our beer order.  About the time that the beer arrives, Njoke shows up – he’s been shopping the many food vendors between our eating establishment and on down the road for our food.  The waitress brings a basin of cool water which we share in turn, washing our hands there at the table, generally we either share a towel or there is none.  Then someone else turns up from one or more of the food stands nearby with platters that we share, or sometimes plates are provided, frequently there is no silverware and we eat with our fingers.  The basin is provided again after we've eaten. --Njoke explained why he didn’t choose the roasted meat that looked good as we passed a brazier – “too many flies, it didn’t look good – it was probably cooked 1-2 days ago and the woman couldn’t sell it all so she kept it (unrefrigerated) last night and made to look fresh today by pouring palm oil on it, you have to be very careful.”

Likely a  Good Place to Eat

Man doing laundry beside the road in the outskirts of Yaounde

Outskirts of Yaounde

We drove on, holding tight and praying that we'd arrive safely - Cameroon drivers aren't known to be cautious and there are many very serious accidents on this road.
 








As the twilight and then darkness gathered, we drove into Yaounde – the capital of Cameroon, population about 1 million.



Traffic is heavy:  people on foot with loads on their heads, mototaxis, people pushing or pulling carts, yellow taxi cabs, huge trucks, personal vehicles – its loud and congested.

Early Evening in Yaounde

Njoke knew precisely where we were going and took us to the Hotel Azur where we were expected.  No elevator – the bellhop carried all our large and heavy bags on his head 2 flights up the stairs.  We were very grateful for his help, and he appreciated our tip.

February 5, 2011

February 5, 2011 – Saturday

--Today started quite pleasantly.  We shared breakfast with a rest house guest from Canada - Sam is here in Bamenda for a month as a volunteer community services accountant and business development consultant.  We visited with a Cameroonian woman who moved to Virginia 7 years ago – she is here now to bury a sister who died of AIDS.  I’m wearing one of my new African dresses today – it feels so-o good.

--We visited Cameroon Alternative Technology (CAT) where we saw and learned about some fascinating demonstration models made from found materials:  equipment for solar cooking, water heating, environmentally-friendly outdoor toilets for urban dwellers with no indoor plumbing, recycled vegetation for fertilizer production, etc.  I think Joe is ready to convert our house, and say good-bye to the grid!

Center for Appropriate Technology Headquarters

Solar Cooker Made from a Satellite Dish

Solar Cooker, Outdoor Odorless Toilet, Solar Food Dehydrator, Solar Water

Learning About Alternative Energy Products and Projects - Barbara is holding her new "grandchildren"

 --In this building I peeked in a doorway with a sign, “Women Income Generating Solution” and lo! a small doll-making project.  I talked at length with the director, admired the dolls, and could not resist buying two African children dressed in Cameroonian costumes.  I hope to keep contact here and arrange to offer some for sale at the annual Christmas gift sale at Our Saviour.  The proceeds are divided in 1/3s among the women who make the dolls, support to sustain the project, supplies for doll-making, and 10% is saved toward program growth and/or emergency loans to the participating women.  The director’s passion is AIDS orphans – I’m putting her and Ruth in touch with each other.

Amazing Handmade African Dolls Inside!

--Then we went to Njoke’s office in downtown Bamenda.  With his colleague, we talked at length about their work as conservationists in Cameroon and efforts to promote and develop tourism.

Street Entrance to Njoke's Downstairs Office

Njoke at his desk in the Nature Concerns Office

The tourism concept isn’t well understood and does not yet have strong governmental support.  The hotel and souvenir industries seem to have a better grasp of the potential benefits for the country from tourism.  Nonetheless, word of Cameroon’s beauty and charms is spreading, and increasingly more people want to see and learn more about it.  Our tour has an ecological conservation theme, thus our focus to see the natural world and seeing human life and activity is a splendid bonus that ties our impressions together well.

--Remember the chicken that the Fon gave me a few days ago? Njoke’s wife Aggie prepared a magnificent feast for us – fufu, njama-njama, and the chicken.  Njoke brought Aggie, his youngest daughter, and his colleague.  They, Npho, Joe and I enjoyed this meal  – Aggie cooks very well, and we were all full and quite content.  We spent an hour talking, and everyone helped to name the dolls.

On the porch at our rest house enjoying the Fon's Chicken, Njama-njama, and fufu with Njoke's Family

Niassa holding Fatima Precious, Barbara, Aggie  holding Ali Haj Moosh