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My Cameroon Hero

Friday, March 14th, 2008

Just getting us into and out of CAR was enough to wish Jean Pierre a thank you.  I was already impressed with him since August, 2006 when he guided us through Republic of Congo into CAR and out.  I went into Cameroon without any set plans and I asked Rod if he or JP knew of someone that could take us around part of the country.  Rod told me that JP is now doing that himself so I asked him to put together a Cameroon trip for two.  Rod speaks extremely highly of JP and what I have seen plus Rod’s glowing recommendation was enough for me to know he was the right person.  JP and his partner, Jude (also very competent, personal and excellent speaker of English), pulled us out of a few jams plus set us up with Abdou in Northern Cameroon.  I cannot give a higher recommendation or thanks to JP.  For trips to Cameroon or the Congo Basin, his contact information is the following:

 Jean Pierre (JP) Somon
Central African Safaris
B.P. 12166 Douala, Cameroon
+237 3341 1762
+237 9917 4922
jpsomon@yahoo.fr

To my friend and hero, JP, in Cameroon – VERY MUCH THANK YOU FROM PAM AND I!

Market Days

Friday, March 14th, 2008

I think the highlight of the trip to Cameroon was the different market towns each day of the week.  They draw people from the outlying areas so you get to see a nice variety of the locals with their local traditions and goods.  Since they are dominated by the women, I also got to see lots or pretty women!  Each market is quite different because of the difference in tribes, but they all follow a similar plan of chaos (!) with stalls or areas where food (vegetables, fruits, spices, dry/fresh fish, beer, meats and other), household goods, bicycle repair, hardware, clothing and trinkets are sold.  The markets ramble through the streets (picture totally chaotic dirt paths) between the homes and other buildings in the host village.  They start early morning and go until sunset.  The configuration of the markets, the people and their clothes and the goods they sell make for an amazing sight and I don’t think we tired of any of them.

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Monkeying Around

Friday, March 14th, 2008

Pamela and I visited the Limbe Wildlife Center when we stayed on the coast north of Limbe near Mount Cameroon.  We never got to see the mountain because of the hazy, overcast skies which have dominated almost every day in ... [Continue reading this entry]

Fifty Wives

Friday, March 14th, 2008

The trip to northern portion of Cameroon was simply amazing.  We met people and saw sights that were incredible.  The number of different cultures was like nothing I have seen before and is the big draw to that part of ... [Continue reading this entry]

Northern Cameroon

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

I thought a lot about Ethiopia on the trip through part of northern reaches of Cameroon.  Cameroon is one of the most complex countries one can expect to find in Africa.  There are over 200 tribes and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Douala Auto Mystery

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

One thing noticeable about Douala is the number of luxury vehicles and newer vehicles in general.  The only place I have seen this in sub-Sahara Africa is Cape Town, South Africa.  But Cape Town is extremely wealthy ... [Continue reading this entry]

Douala Twilight Zone

Monday, February 25th, 2008
We got back to Douala yesterday after spending some time at the coast near Kribi.  We do not follow the news in Cameroon because it is in French.  So we did not know that riots had started in Yaounde on ... [Continue reading this entry]

The Cowrie Shell

Monday, February 18th, 2008
The cowrie shell can be found all over Africa as part of the clothes, decorative items and handicrafts.  I never really thought much about this simple white shell.  It never dawned on me that it is strange to find ... [Continue reading this entry]

Football and Elections

Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
We are once again stuck in Douala after spending 3+ days on the coast in Limbe where it was nice to relax, but a bit boring.  Douala is a bit boring, too, and it is easy to see why it ... [Continue reading this entry]

Cameroon to CAR

Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
I decided to go back and re-read what I wrote about my last visit to Central African Republic’s (CAR) Dzanga-Ndoki National Park.  Unfortunately, all I found is tales about the trip from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo (ROC) into Northern ROC.  ... [Continue reading this entry]