Students shot dead, rain, cholera and flash floods!

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I've noticed, that a negative strap line seems to get more visits to my blogs! Give the punters what they want!



Whilst I've been here in Cameroon, the student protests have been a major news story. University students have been protesting about increases in student fees and inadequate facilities, including a lack of toilets.



On April 27th the military and riot police invaded the campus of Buea University. They shot dead 2 unarmed students. The government has promised an inquiry. There's more coverage of this story at: IRINnew.org and at http://ambazonia.indymedia.org



Cameroon, as a tourist destination has it all. Beach resorts, rain forests teeming with wildlife including lions, traditional villages clinging to rocky cliffs, and the regions tallest mountain.

Poverty

But, I wasn't in the country in the tourist season. I was here during the rainy season. Whilst I was here there was a serious outbreak of Cholera in the Western part of the country. Cholera is a problem every year during the rainy season, but there has been a particularly severe outbreak this year. Cholera is endemic in the country because of inadequate sanitary facilities. Lack of clean water kills. It kills large numbers every year in Africa. The cost of solving the problem would not be a lot. The deaths are a scandal. Cholera, HIV, Malaria, these are the realities of African poverty. I know, I'm banging on about poverty again. But...a large portion of the world's population is forced to live in absolute poverty. It's not right. It must change.



I could have spent a lot longer in Cameroon - 4 weeks minimum would do the country justice. So, there are a lot of things I haven't visited - the lions at Wasa, Mount Cameroon or the Anglo-phone North Western district.



My personal diary continues from May 1st, where it left off on the last blog. I had arrived in Cameroon the previous day from Chad. The hotel I had booked into was cheap but I didn't like it.

SUNDAY 1st MAY

I'd decided to move hotel. I didn't like the place I was staying although it was cheap. They had harassed me far too much, to take an organized tour. I had no intention of giving them my money for a tour. I was intending to visit the Mandara Mountains, but I wanted to make my own way there. If you book something in Maroua most of the money stays with the tour operator. Also, the room didn't have air conditioning and although it wasn't as hot as Niger, it was still hot!



So, first thing I made my way to the place I intended to stay. I booked into the Relais de la Porte Mayo which was more than twice the price at 13500 CFA's a night. But for that I got air conditioning, hot water, clean towels and a plastic toilet seat which wasn't broken!



After breakfast I wandered into town, walked around, ate lunch and visited a cybercafe to write the Chad blog. I didn't do that much all day, but had a really good meal back at the hotel in the evening. I even splashed out on a half bottle of French wine.

MONDAY 2nd MAY

Again I didn't do much all day. After breakfast I spent my time in town, walking around, eating lunch, drinking in a cheap bar and visiting a cybercafe.



I returned to the hotel in the evening for another very good meal.

TUESDAY 3rd MAY

I got up at 6.30am and had breakfast. I booked out and returned to my room and packed. Then I walked to a bus station and asked for the buses to Moloko.



I was on my way to the Mandara Mountains. There is public transport to Moloko, from there you hop onto a motorbike which takes you through the mountains to the village of Rhumsiki.



At the station I had walked to, I hopped onto a motorbike which drove me to the correct station. I paid for a ticket and waited a couple of hours for the minibus to fill.



The bus finally left at about 11am. As usual it was packed so tight that it felt we were sitting in a sardine can.



At Moloko, I descended from the bus and hopped onto a motorcycle.



I had ahead of me a 50km drive over unpaved mountain tracks, with a backpack on my back.



When I got on the bike the sun was out, but soon after we left the village and I relieved myself in the bushes; it started spitting.



At first it was only light rain. But...as the journey progressed the rain got heavier.

Climbing a hill, the wheels of the bike wouldn't grip in the wet. It was obvious that the bike couldn't get up this slope with me on the back, in the wet.



So, I got off. I took the opportunity to take my waterproof out of my bag as the driver got the bike up the hill.



Putting the waterproof on was a good move. The rain not only got heavier, but it turned into a thunderstorm. During all this time the driver was getting soaked - he had no coat.



The scenery on the 50km journey was spectacular, when I could see it between the thunderstorm and bouncing up and down on the back of the bike on the potholed track.



Half an hour from the end of the trip we stopped. The road was flooded. There were several bikes either side of the new fast running stream which crossed the dirt track. I was wondering if we were going to have to turn back.



The driver was soaked and shivering. I didn't have another coat but I did have a plastic cover for the backpack. I took the plastic cover out of a pocket on the outside of the pack. I gave the cover to the driver and tied it around him. I wasn't ideal but it did give him some protection from the cold and the wet.



One of the drivers, of one of the waiting bikes decided to test the depth of the stream. He rolled up his trousers and walked through the fast stream, which was full of twigs and flotsam. He proved it was possible to cross.



So, I walked through the stream. The water was fast. It came up to my knees. I had to be carefull to keep my balance on the bottom of the stream. Despite all that, all the bikes managed to cross.



Finally the moto arrived in Rhumsiki at 2pm.



Booking into a hotel, a guide was keen to get me to take a tour of the village. I though wanted to eat. So, I had lunch and took a rest. For the first time in months I wasn't hot!



At 4pm I re-emerged and went on a tour of the village. It included a visit to the crab sorcerer and a climb up the peak of Rhum. During the tour I was followed by a large group of children - they were after something. I didn't give them anything. The kids enjoy trying to whedle things out of tourists. It didn't annoy me - in fact I found it amusing. There are after money, pens or anything they see! All the kids were on a hiding to nothing with me. I have no problem saying no, and laughing at them. Seriously, you should never give a thing to such begging children. It's a poor traditional area. Kids in such areas skip school to beg from rich tourists. Don't ever encourage this. If you're in a similar situation, don't give ever!



We returned to the hotel, I bought the guide and myself a beer and ordered dinner for later.



Later I ate dinner and sat out on the terrace listening to the cicadas.

WEDS 4th May

I left the hotel at 6am. It was the only bus of the day to Moroua. It was a long bumpy ride - it took 5 hours. The section from Rhumsiki to Moloko was much slower than the motorbike had been the previous day. It took the minibus 3 hours to do the section that the bike had done in 1 and a half hours.



On the way to Moloko it started raining again. There was no evidence of the flash flood, which had blocked the road with a temporary stream the day before. The water on the mountains drains away very fast.



One of the passengers talked to me a lot. He turned out to be a travel agent. He tried to get me on one of his tours. I humoured him, but he was on a hiding to nothing with me!



I finally arrived in Moroua at 11am. I booked into a hotel near the market, only 9000 CFA's for air conditioning and satellite TV!



I rested up for the rest of the day, getting myself a very good meal in the evening. After that I had a beer in a very crowded bar. It was packed because everyone was watching the football on the bars' satellite TV. Cameroonians are fanatical about football!

THURSDAY 5th MAY

I booked out of the hotel at 6.05am. From there I walked for half an hour to the bus station.



At the station I got straight on a bus, which left only 25 minutes later at 7am. A miracle for Africa!



The journey was long. The first part of the journey was also very bumpy. The road, although it was paved was very potholed for the first 3 hours, until we arrived in Garoua.



We spent half an hour in the town of Garoua, some passengers got off and others joined. The road for the rest of the journey was very good.



We finally arrived in N'Gaoundélé at 3.30pm. N'Gaoundélé is a town at the end of the trans Camerounian railway line. After an 8 hour journey, I was staying here for night before catching the overnight sleeper to the capital Yaoundé. The train is not exactly fast - it's been known to take anything from 12 to 21 hours to make the trip.



So, I walked to the Hotel Le Relais and booked in. It was 10,000 CFA's a night. I again bought insecticide from a shop and fumigated the room and bathroom as there was very obvious evidence of insect infestation in the place.



In a bar, early in the evening, half way through drinking a beer I felt very tired, so I had an early night.

FRIDAY 6th

After breakfast in a cafe I walked to the train station to book my train ticket to Yaoundé, the capital. Arriving at the train station I found the ticket office didn't open till 10am. So, I walked back towards the centre of town and spent an hour in the town's internet café. Then I returned to the station. I booked myself a couchette for the sleeper train in the evening. The train has 4 person sleeper carriages - the most expensive seats on the train for 25000 CFA's. As the train might take 21 hours I thought I needed a bed!



I walked around town and went for lunch. During lunch I started feeling tired and thought I might be developing a temperature. After lunch I returned to my room. When I went to the toilet my bowel movements were rather liquid. Not a good sign! Despite this I went to see the Palais de Lamido. A brief tour that gave an insight into local culture.



I then got some drugs from a Pharmacy to block my bottom up for the long trip on the train. I didn't fancy the idea of a running bottom on an African train! The toilet was unlikely to be luxurious.



I also took some anti-malarial drugs at treatment levels. I carry some Malarone to take as a standby treatment, if I think there is any chance of Malaria and I am a long way from any medical treatment. I take Doxycycline as the prophylaxis all the time. So, I took some Malarone at treatment levels for Malaria, just in case I was coming down with Malaria again!



I did this because Malaria can develop to a very dangerous stage withing 24 hours if falciparum malaria is the parasite. I was about to board a train that can take 21 hours. So, there was no chance of me seeing a doctor soon.



I got to the station early at 5.30pm. They were letting people on the train. So, I took my place and lay down. My couchette bed had clean sheets! Luxury! I was feeling very rough, feverish and tired. Fortunately the anti-diarrheal drugs seemed to have worked. I was also carrying 4 litres of water with me to keep myself hydrated.



The carriage filled up. The others in my couchette prayed frequently! The electric in the carriage seemed very erratic.



Although I had blocked up my bottom, my bladder was not so co-operative. I kept having to go to the toilet; including trying to get there and use the toilet in the pitch black because the lights had failed again. It's not easy trying to piss into a toilet bowl when there is no light. I knew the bowl was in the left hand corner of the room. So I found the left hand corner of the room and... It's also not reassuring, that the floor that I was standing on was flooded with water (or possibly something nastier!)



Despite my frequent trips to the toilet throughout the night I did manage to get some sleep.

SATURDAY 7th

I felt far less feverish in the morning. The train rolled into Yaoundé at about 9am. It had in fact been quite quick - only about 14 hours. From the station I got a taxi to the El Panaden Hotel. I spent most of the day lying down - which I thought was sensible. I also dosed myself up with Malarone again.

SUNDAY 8th MAY

I felt a lot better but there wasn't a lot I could do in Yoaundé on a Sunday. Everything apart from a few expensive restaurants is closed in the city on a Sunday. Despite feeling better I still kept myself on the Malarone at Malaria treatment levels, just in case.



Cameroon is well into the rainy season. It rained very hard in the evening, with less heavy showers during the day. I've taken to going out with an umbrella, just in case.

MONDAY 9th

In the morning I went to a travel agents and booked a flight to J'burg. I've decided to avoid the Congo and Angola, mainly because of civil unrest and the recent outbreak of Marburg Virus in Northern Angola. It was, in fact the outbreak of Marburg that made up my mind to fly. It would have been a very difficult journey this time of year in the middle of the wet season and might also have been dangerous for my safety, let alone health. So, I've taken fright! Having said that, it's an expensive option. There's no Easyjet in West Africa! I've decided to fly from Cameroun rather than Gabon because Gabon is even more expensive than Cameroon to fly out of. I was thinking of flying from Libraville in Gabon. So, it's a pity to miss out on visiting Gabon.



Gabon is a wealthy country by African standards. It has a small population. It has oil. But, its oil doesn't seem to have been the curse that mineral wealth has been in other parts of Africa.



The travel agent made a provisional booking but I couldn't pay them there and then because they didn't accept credit cards. Very few places in Cameroon will take a credit card. In Cameroon cash is king!



This was a problem because I needed a lot of cash to pay for the flight. The cash machines insisted on being difficult. I only know the pin number of one of my credit cards and the debit card is useless in all of West Africa. I didn't want to have to get a cash advance in a bank, as that can be a way to waste a whole morning.



I tried putting my card into the ATM twice to get enough money. It wouldn't co-operate. So, I tried a different bank - still no luck. It occurred to me that I was trying to get out more than my daily cash limit. So, I looked for a phone. The credit card company confirmed that I was trying to get out more than my daily limit.



After the call, thinking about it, I realized I could just about get out enough money if I limited my extra attempt to 110,000 CFA's (about £110 sterling). That would leave me with very little to live on for the rest of the day.



So I went back to a cash machine and got out 110,000 CFA's. I returned to the travel agent and bought my ticket for 441,700 CFA's. Once I had finished with the travel agent it was lunch time. After lunch I had a long siesta. During the afternoon it started raining very heavily and continued most of the night.

TUESDAY 10th

I wandered around town, had breakfast and returned to the hotel to pack.



Then I booked out and took a taxi from outside the hotel to the bus station for Kribi, on the outskirts of town.



Kribi is an established backpacker hang out; although not this time of year in the middle of the wet season.



At the gare routiere I was recruited onto a minibus, took my seat and waited 2 hours for the bus to leave.



The journey was uneventful (for Africa). I arrived in Kribi at about 4pm, booked into the Hotel Panoramique taking one of the expensive rooms with a balcony and air conditioning for 14,000 CFA's (£14).



Then I walked around town, taking in the atmosphere. I could see why it would be a backpacker hangout. But, it wasn't at its best because there was no sign of the sun. It had stopped raining but was still very overcast. At one point in the evening walking around town in the dark I got lost for 20 minutes. But, I did eventually find a road I recognized. Then I ate and went to bed.

WEDS 11th MAY

I decided not to stay in Kribi . Seaside resorts are not such wonderful places in the rain!



So, I went to the garage for the buses and bought a ticket for Douala at 9am.



Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the economic capital. It is hot all year round, even in the wet season.



When I bought the ticket, there was no sign of a bus. So I waited...eventually at 11am a bus arrived full of passengers. It was our bus that had just arrived from Douala.



Once the passengers got off the bus and their luggage was unloaded from the roof, we got on.



The bus had a full complement of passengers, but it didn't leave. I suppose the driver thought he was entitled to a rest!



So, we sat there and baked in the heat. Some of the passengers got very vocal about our plight, demanding the driver leave. One Frenchman and one African were particularly vocal in their complaints; they had both been drinking together all morning waiting for the bus. They weren't sober.



Finally just before noon the driver decided to leave. He was greeted by cheers and clapping. The drunk Frenchman continued to amuse us all with strange noises and his comments for half an hour or so, until he eventually ran out of steam.



The road was paved and not full of holes, unlike most of Cameroon.



We arrived in Douala at about 3pm. We were dropped off on an unpaved back street, full of very shabby beggars. I walked a few hundred metres to the main road and hopped onto a motorbike taxi.



The taxi hadn't heard of the place I wanted, so I mentioned a nearby landmark, which was a cinema in the heart of the commercial centre of the city. He dropped me off just opposite the cinema next to a high rise hotel. It wasn't the place I had asked for, that was somewhere down a side road. But seeing as I was here I thought I would try the expensive looking high rise hotel.



It wasn't cheap at 39,000 CFA's, but for that you got a 2 room apartment with satellite TV, air conditioning, a fridge and even a little kitchen area with electric hob. I relaxed for the rest of the day. It rained all day.

THURSDAY 12th MAY

I moved around fairly sedately in the morning. There were other places I could have traveled to in the time I had left in Cameroon, but after considering the very wet weather, I decided to take it easy and stay in Douala.



I didn't book out of my expensive apartment till 11am. From there it was an easy walk down a side street to the place I had been intending to stay. My choice of budget place was the Foyer de Marin, also known as the German Seaman's Mission. This place is excellent value for money at 15,000 CFA's and even has a swimming pool!



Unfortunately for me when I arrived it was full.



They had a room for the next day, so I made a booking. They advised me of alternative cheap places.



Leaving the Seaman's Mission, I hopped into a taxi waiting outside. He took me to the 2 recommended places - basically religious missions, that hire out cheap rooms. They were both full. So, then he drove to a cheap hotel, the Hotel du Port. It was on a very run down looking street. He told me not to walk there after dark - frankly that was obvious!



Everything in the room appeared to work, although it and the area was very run down looking. The hotel was close to commercial premises next to the Port. I didn't do a lot all day, partly because I developed a headache. The headache eased after I took some Ibuprofen.



In the afternoon I did some shopping - I bought a new pair of Chinos. I had managed at some stage to tear my old trousers, probably on some exposed metal on the back of a seat on a minibus. It was the sort of rip you see all the time on the clothes of the child street beggars. I'm not about to adopt some sort of street beggar chic!



After a meal, I returned to the flea pit hotel at about 8pm, in the dark. Despite the short distance I didn't walk. I used one of the many motorbike taxi's for the sake of safety. It would have been a false economy to walk, as it was only 200 CFA's.

FRIDAY 13th

After breakfast I booked out of the flea pit Hotel du Port. I walked the short distance to the Seaman's Mission. It was still early, so the room wasn't ready.



I sat down on the tables by the poolside. It gave me the chance to write up the last few days of the blog in my note book.



The wait was well worth it. When the room was ready, I found it was immaculate. I'm sure there are many rooms in the city for twice the price that are not as nice. The room was clean, well decorated and all the fixtures and fittings were modern, undamaged and worked. I almost felt I had left Africa! All that for 15,000 CFA's. It's no wonder the place is often full. If you do ever want to stay in Douala its well worth booking a place in advance. Also, for those of you that refuse to learn French, they speak English. The email address is: [e-mail]



This will be my last day in Cameroon, and the sun's come out. So, I might even get to use the pool at the Seaman's Mission.



Tomorrow at 1.30pm, I'll be catching the plane to J'burg.



My next blog will be from the rainbow nation.

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Photos

Rhumsiki
The Crab Sorcerer

Rhumsiki
Crabs in crab sorcerers bowl

Rhumsiki
Weaving

Cameroun
Rhum, the peak of the mountain in Rhumsiki

Rhumsiki
Looking towards Nigeria. The border is only 4 km's away.

Rhumsiki
View from Rhum

Rhumsiki
View from Rhum

Rhumsiki
Cave near top of Rhum

Rhumsiki
Room in Rhumsiki

Maroua
Relais de la Porte Mayo

Palais de Lamido
List of Lamidat's

Yaoundé
Train Station

Yaoundé
City Hall

Kribi
The beach