Day 109: Yaounde
Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Tue 22 Feb 2011 06:30
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Day 109: Monday 21 February 2011. Presbyterian
Mission, Yaounde, Cameroon. N03 34.788 E011 31.354 Distance driven 387
km
We packed up and left the Miramare and drove westwards
along the shore to check out the black lava beaches and the 1990 lava flow which
came down from Mount Cameroon to the coast.
We then headed inland towards Yaonde and wound our way
through Douala, Cameroon's only port and a thoroughly miserable city with a maze
of streets without a single traffic direction sign. The road from there to
Yaounde was on a good, fast tar road winding through magnificent forest and
palm plantations. It was the smoothest, fastest and pleasantest road we
had been on since leaving Spain!
As we approached Yaounde, the heavens opened and we had
torrential rain, thunder and lightening. Of course, we hit Yaounde at rush
hour and the traffic was absolutely chaotic. Jenny took on the mass of
unruly taxis and fought her way across town, terrorising many of them without
hitting any!
We eventually found our way to the Presbyterian Mission
just before dark, which was a pity as we wouldn't have stayed if there had been
enough daylight to find anywhere else. The place is run by a Cameroonian
woman and a cranky old Frenchman who are obsessed by "rules", facilities
are primitive and there are already two overland trucks here with 50 plus
people sharing one broken toilet! We looked at one of the "rooms" but decided we
would be more comfortable camping and less at risk from bed bugs! The guardians
will not allow campers to use water for washing etc unless they pay extra for it
at 200 CFA a bucket. Frenchie asked me for a 15,000 CFA "deposit" but backed off
when I told him what he could do with it!
Unfortunately, Neil Harrower's (Great Trek
South) warning about this place came too late - we didn't download his
email until after we had arrived! He sent us a link to the HUBB website with a
horrific account of an incident with this Frenchman.
Note to future travellers - this place is best
avoided!
We came here primarily to re-stock so we'll hit the
supermarkets tomorrow and then head out of town.
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