Cool Bafoussam!

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I have been sleeping over the last 2 days. THe mood is good. Today going out to discover the city with "guy" my younger brother. We are going downtown on foot which allows for better sight seeing. anyway Bafoussam ain't that much a large city and some exercise will do me a lot of good. My first impression is that the place has not change much. The same old (potholed) and dusty streets.

At the cybercafe, I could barely check my emails. the connection was too slow to run travelblog. I also ran accross franky, an old acquaintance, at the cybercafe. It is the guy (not "guy", my younger brother) bent over a computer on the first picture of this blog. After a friendly chat over meeting after years, we sat by each other and started browsing.

I left eventully left the cybercafe after some 25min disappointed at the slowness of the connexion speed. I then wandered a bit downtown snapping places here and there. It has not rained here for weeks, which makes breathing difficult. The air is very dusty. Bafoussam however is not as hot as Douala or Yaounde. The climate is very cool throughout the air, presumably because this province is on highlands.

The city of Bafoussam is built over three "chefferies" (traditional kingdoms). chefferie Baleng, chefferie Bafoussam and chefferie Bamougoum. The chefferie Bafoussam is located within the town and is believed to be the original point where the city started and expanded outwards, thereby lending its name to the wholw Bafoussam city. The town of Bafoussam is in constant expansion and will or has to some extent aleady swallowed up the other two chefferies Baleng and Bamougoum located far at the other suburb. The west province is landlocked within the country (let's recall that Cameroon has got 10 provinces) and its economy revolves around the agricultural sector. For example, some people still plant coffee on a large scale here.

late that evening

The ongoing trade fair will close tomorrow on the 11th of March. So I am going there tonight with my mother. The place is terribly crowded. One can advance only at a desesperately slow pace. But the place is rewardingly lively. For food goers, there is plenty of it, all kind of braised/roasted stuff. I am particularly interested by handicraft stuff. This annual trade fair was started over ten years ago and is a good expression channel to promote the competitiveness of local companies and even companies from elsewere in the country/abroad with local branches in the province. The fair is usually held for over 2 weeks or so peaking in the evenings with maximum affluence. Here you can buy almost everything from a bracelet to a car. It is also very entertaining with some shows going on at some stands. But the sound pollution is pervasive with musical devices blasting music at all corners.
We would not stay out too late, so we left after less than 2 hours after puchasing a few items.

Tomorrow I will be going To Bamenda. Stay tuned...

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Photos

Local cybercafe in central Bafoussam
I came here to check for some internet. The connection is a bit slow to my taste(I have been so used to broadband...)

Two kids
I was holding the camera scrutinizing the horizons for appealing sites to snap, when the kids apparently attracted by the device rushed in front of the lens. So... I took a picture of them. :)

Center of Bafoussam
This is the center of Bafoussam city around the "Marche A" (Bafoussam main central market).

Montee UCCAO (UCCAO avenue)
This street is very busy all day with a lot of businesses running on the left. The UCCAO is inside the green building on the right.

Beac rounabount
Another major roundabout in Bafoussam. The place on the hill behind were you see many houses huddled together in the "Tamdja" area.

The Police Building
Another typical point of reference in Bafoussam. Over there the central police Building.

Trade Fair Entrance
The regional trade fair is going on in Bafoussam. It happens only once a year. There, you can buy many items at a promotional price (usually lower than normal price).

Exhibition of bracelets
Handicraft is thriving here. These bracelets were on exhibition at the regional Bafoussam trade fair.