Kids streaming up the road to school.

As we cycled out of town the road was flowing with a continuous stream of students all dressed in light-blue uniforms heading to school. One of the schools was already full of students and as we rode past we could hear a commotion and then the teacher yelling for order for quite some time.

David says:
It is fun to watch the younger students egging on their buddies to greet the strange looking foreigners. Then when a greeting comes back the spigot is open and everyone wants to be greeted. The sound of greetings in the back travels forward faster than the bicycle and the students start turning to look, like a wave going down the side of the road. The frequency of greeting might raise to hundreds a minute.

The morning ride was mostly flat — but we hit the dirt road just out of Ndop. I didn't mind — it's a little more interesting than pavement. The downside, of course, are the ruts and deep holes. (Especially with 20" tires and my panniers being that much lower to the ground). It also requires constant attention to ride and, in fact, I came within an inch of wiping out when I tried to return a greeting of someone who had run all the way from their house to the road to say hello (and later while trying to get out of the way of a car).

We rode into the village of Babungo where a sign pointed the way to a museum and the Fon's palace (a local king). It was quite pretty and we decided to pay the admission fee for the tour. The museum was a single, large room with a variety of artwork and descriptive posters. During a major festival they basically empty the museum — the artifacts are still actually used. It was the Fon's first wife (of 5, and he's only 32) who led us around the museum and palace. It was quite posh by Cameroon standards although we didn't get to see any of living areas. (The Fon was away so we weren't able to meet him.)

David says:
The Fon is the social, political, economic and ritual leader of his people. The current Fon, Ndofua Zofoa III, the 25th Fon of Babungo, was enthroned in 1999 (age ~25), after the death of his father. The Babungo have live in the Upper Nun Valley for centuries. While we were there the mother of the Fon, Nchio (mother of the people), was also visiting. The Nchio is traditionally one of the most important and powerful people in highly hierarchical Babungo society.

We stopped for soft drinks in the mid-morning and the rest was definitely energizing — unfortunately my back had stiffened up considerably and I could barely walk when I got up again. After being on the bike again for a few minutes though I could ride properly.

Typical home with baskets for sale.

Often, when it seems almost impossible to go on, a friendly honk of a passing car, shout of encouragement from the roadside — or an entire school standing outside cheering us on — is enough encouragement to keep us going. It's hard not to smile despite the tears, sweat, and ochre dirt covering us, our bicycles and our panniers from top to bottom.

Gill pushing her way up the hill, with Il spinning behind her.

We made arrangements at the restaurant for dinner — plantain and jam-mu jam-mu — as they needed to buy the food in the village in order to make it for us and we then sought out a hotel (since, of course, the hotel David knew before was long gone). Along the way David popped his front tire — a sure sign that we weren't meant to continue on today (though he still wouldn't give it up).

We lucked out on the rooms at the hotel — ours is the only one with an ensuite sink, toilet and shower head (that drains onto the floor as in most of the other hotels). It's actually the "VIP Suite", which may explain the Fanta beach ball hanging from the ceiling. Classy! (Although by North American standards these rooms would be condemnable, they are undoubtedly luxurious for most Cameroonians.)

We rested for a while before heading out for dinner. Il had befriended some ladies cooking food over fires next to our hotel. They gave her free fries and she allowed us to help her eat them — they were oh so salty and delicious!

We had a relatively quiet dinner on the outdoor patio and enjoyed our meal.

Walking in these Cameroonian villages is such a sensory experience — motorcycles and cars driving through in the dark; light from cookfires, lanterns, interior of bars and buildings shining through in the darkness — and so many smells and sounds to accompany.)

It's also much cooler in the highlands.

One person has commented on this article.

 No.1  So nice browsing through your website

How do you do? Hope it won't take you aback reading from a stranger cos when you have a website as yours you gotta read from many curious people.

I'm Verla John Bosco and presently reside in Asia - China with my wife from Cameroon as well. I'm from Cameroon and specifically from Jakiri.

We were so amazed going through your website and had good memories of those beautiful places back home. We thought it nice to drop a note and hope we can become great friends.

Best wishes,
John/Brunhilda

John/Brunhilda (Guest) • 2008-05-13 15:18:19

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