Leg Four – Start
I am looking at the most difficult travel so far. I have an overnight trip from SFO to London, followed by a six hour layover and then another overnight flight to Nairobi. After twelve hours in Nairobi, I fly west to Yaounde, Cameroon. The following day we start a three-day drive east to Central African Republic. After a day off to organize ourselves, we head into the Congo forest with the Ba’Aka (pygmy) people. Since I already know they are giants in the forest, this will be the last reference to “pygmy”. Below, I have attached the itinerary for this interesting non-profit, first-time-attempted tourist adventure into the deep forest with the Ba’Aka.
After finishing the camping trip, Pamela will join me in Cameroon for four weeks. We may go to Nigeria if I can get a visa. We will spend a good amount of time on the coast. We will do some travel that takes us to national parks and to meet some of the interesting people of Cameroon. Cameroon has scores of tribes and a varied landscape from coast to rainforest to mountains to sahel and savanna. The diversity of Cameroon matches on a small scale the diversity of all of Africa so it should be quite exciting. If we do get to Nigeria, I am looking at the Cross River area as a safe and interesting place.
In late February, we will go back to Kenya. Any plans for that time will need to wait to see what happens with Kenya. I would like to visit more of Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa so there is plenty to do before leaving Africa.
After Africa, I will be in the Mideast. I am currently thinking about Israel, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Oman and Iran. I am sure a plane will take me to Dubai eventually. Once I get my fill of the Mideast, I plan to move on to Asia. The only hard plan today is a kayak trip in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in October and November. I committed to that trip so that it would force me along. I have a couple of friends interested in Indonesia and some other interest in other parts of Asia so hopefully I will have some companions. As of today, it does not look like I will be back in USA for about a year or so making this leg a very lengthy one and maybe the first to actually get me around the world. So, today I am excited about the year to come although I am not excited about the long days ahead to get into the Congo.
(From Heathrow – Made it across the big pond OK. I was on United Airlines and they are certainly the worst trans-Atlantic carrier I have been on. Royal Air Maroc and the rest served better food than United. I slept well and I am grateful the handling of the aircraft was superior to the food and the check-in procedures. I have not been to Heathrow for twelve years and it is as crazy as I remember. If one based their opinion on British order and organization by Heathrow’s hodge-podge mess, one would definitely have a skewed opinion.)
What I am doing in Congo…
the ba’aka pygmies of central africa .
led by Rod Cassidy and Louis Sarno.
This trip will be the first of its kind to spend time in the tropical rainforests of Central Africa with an extraordinary group of people the Ba Aka pygmies.
After which we will have a few days to visit Dzangha-sangha national park , go Gorilla tracking, and visit the world famous Dzangha Bai.
Our trip with the Ba aka will involve quite a bit of walking over a number of days, not too much walking on any one day. Each day we will be moving out further into the forest until we enter forest which has never been logged. There will be net hunting each day, and gathering. A spear hunt with the men will take us out to the farthest spot, a lovely little bai, and after that we will begin the return to Bayanga; our walk back out of the forest will not be lengthy as we will rendezvous with a vehicle at a prearranged point.
Day 1, 10 Jan 2008: The tour begins on arrival in Yaoundé in the Cameroon ’s. Where we will be met and transferred to our hotel.
Day 2, 11 Jan 2008: After an early breakfast we pack our vehicle depart on our adventure, first visiting the primate sanctuary at Mfou where we learn some of the problems facing primates in central Africa , here there will be plenty of opportunity to photograph these animals. Drive to Bertoua for the night.
Day 3, 12 Jan 2008: Drive to Yokadouma and overnight
Day 4, 13 Jan 2008: Drive to Libongo and from here travel by pirogue and 4WD to Bayanga. Overnight at Lodge.
Day 5, 14 Jan 2008: Today we get briefed fully by Lois sarno as to the dos and donts of forest life after which we consolidate our supplies with an excursion to the local store.
Ba Aka Sojourn
It is Important to bare in mind that although this itinerary is here as a guide the trip with the Baa ka cannot be scripted and will vary considerably in what is written here, though we expect the destinations to remain the same, we rely on spontaneity rather than script.
Day 6, 15 Jan 2008: Three-hour walk to the temporary camp near the
middle Kenye river. Maybe there will be a little music in the evening, such as harp-zither music. Possibly this music will be played late at night while most people sleep. It is a luxurious feeling to hear this music from bed.
Day 7, 16 Jan 2008: Begins with a ceremony Makuse (ma-KOO-say),
This is performed before sunrise around the base of a large tree. This ceremony is performed only once and only on the morning that the people arrive at their permanent camp. Its purpose is to guarantee that food will be plentiful on the forest sojourn. It’s also a “farewell” to the village, and often ends with the BaAka cursing at all aspects of village life. Then a 3-hour walk to our next campsite. Probably the men will try to get in some net-hunting while the women prepare camp, building leaf huts etc. Possibly music that night, maybe more harp- zither (a traditional Aka instrument) or something bigger like Boyobe (boy-O-bay), the hunting ceremony.
Day 8, 17 Jan 2008: A day of net-hunting, which includes the women who help with the hunt and also gather foods in between each round with the nets. That night definitely Boyobe, with forest spirits (bobe) (BO-bay).
Day 9, 18 Jan 2008: Probably spear hunt for red river hog with a contingent of men. This involves a lot of walking and stalking, and we will almost certainly spend the night away from the comfort of our hunting camp. Depending on where the hog trails take us, we may spend the night at the beautiful mini-bai called Moala, the only bai not in a national park. If the men have killed a red river hog, we’ll be in high spirits.
Maybe there will be some sort of music (men only, of course).
Day 10, 19 Jan 2008: Second day of spear hunting while making our
way back to the hunting camp ( a more direct return to camp if the men have speared a red river hog. At night, more Boyobe.
Day 11, 20 Jan 2008: Net hunt. Night: Boyobe or another ceremony/dance called Enyomo (from Congo ).
Day 12, 21 Jan 2008: We will begin the return to Bayanga; our walk back out of the forest will not be lengthy as we will rendezvous with a vehicle at a prearranged point on the Kongana track.
Days 13-15, 22-24 Jan 2008: : Dzangha- Sangha is the northern section of the Northwestern Congo Basin . In the reserve are large populations of forest elephant, Lowland gorillas, 16 of the country’s primate species (such as De Brazza’s monkey with its distinctive white beard), hundreds of bird species, reptiles, frogs etc. The next few days will be spent visiting Dzanga bai, tracking lowland gorillas, and relaxing. Nights in Doli Lodge
Day 16, 25 Jan 2008: A private Charter will fly back to Yaoundé in Cameroon . Overnight in Yaoundé.
Tags: Africa, kenya, Travel
vagabondrick
wow !!!!!!!!!
It’s interesting to sit where I sit and read where you are and what you are doing today, it’s actually very interesting to see your intineray…..Hope your well. Julie
Last night egypt and gasa strip had the wall blown up.nrmany holes the size of a football fields.nrI saw 10,000 people flooding through the manny openingsnrLarge steel panels were laying instead of standingnrnryour buddy