Douala adventures
It was luck that I could start that jiurney at all, after a
front collision with another biker on a busy Viennese square, on a late evening,
just 2 days before departure. What could have been a serious injury ended up
only as a swollen right eye in dark blue and red. Sharing Air France business
class with apparently well known group Kon Live, known also as Konvikt Music,
in my shades I had the coolest artistic look.
Even bigger portion of luck I experienced at Marche Centrale
in Douala. Only absolute fool would go alone on such a crowded market and
demonstrate a photo-camera taking pictures and videos. Here is one:
Shortly after taking the video, things happened very fast. I remember the shock as the camera
was ripped off my waist. Then I remember being on the ground, a
musculous body in a blue T-shirt
underneath, surrounded by a shouting crowd, trying to reach the camera in his left hand. Then I saw him jumping over a nearby wall, some guys following him. Thinking of it now, I was really lucky that I
did not fight harder, as he might have pulled a knife, or someone around could
have. At that time I was only upset that I lost the pictures from the market
and that I would not be able to take any more during the trip to follow.
While walking there
and back and thinking if I should look for a police station, suddenly a
huge guy in an orange shirt started a conversation (in French) and in a
plastic bag he was holding my camera ! Finally, I left a deserted room just
next to the market, holding firmly the camera and leaving 15.000 XAF behind. I believe that everyone was happy. The guys earned 24 euro and I had an adventure of my life, while keeping my possessions & health intact.
Only later I found out that in the fight the guy must have
hit my right ribs (just the other side than the broken ones 9 years ago) with
his elbow. It was hurting night and day, especially when the shoulder support
of the camera was leaning exactly agains that spot, or when the jeep bumped on
the “safari” tracks in the Extreme North.
Garoua
A local flight took us to a small city with a clean hotel called after the river Benoua, offering a swimming pool, decent meals and good local beer.
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| Sunday afternoon in Benoua hotel |
Next to Garoua is the state owned laboratory Lanavet, which
is dealing with animal diseases. If an infection hits a cow herd, it can eliminate half of
it, cutting the farmers "savings" by half. Early diagnosis (done with a portable kit co-developed by the IAEA), and subsequent vaccination can save the farmer from a disaster.
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| Dr.Abel Wade is participating in the project |
Pitoa market
Before getting a chance to film on a market in Cameroon, one
has talk at length with the governor of the whole region, then to pay a
courtessy visit to the mayor of Pitoa. It was well worth, because this market,
about 30 min drive North of Maroua, was
one of the most spectacular market places I have ever seen. Having officials as
a company, universal access to all places run by local vendors was granted.
Maroua
Another small city further in the North can be reached by car.
Hotel Porto Mayo, run by a German called Reinhard, offers hunting trips. But
that was not our intention.
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| Dr.Wade in the field, testing sick animals |
Sick cows
and goats were our targets. We were driving to
distant places to find farmers plaqued by animal diseases. Granted access to
villages, which did not change much through the centuries, we had a chance to get in touch with the
real African life. Poor, simple conditions, but most people made a happy
impression, and even in distant villages, women were dressed in beautifiul
colcorful clothing.
Rumsiki
The hunt for sick cows brought us close to Nigerian border, to
a unique scenery with spectacular rock formations, suddenly opening
behind the windows of our Toyota. Even the vilages became more spectacular
here.
Douala apres …
Due to bad communication between local and international
airlines one has to wait whole day for a connection flight. This time in a
seamans mission hotel called Foyer de
marina. I did not even go around the corner to a grocers shop to buy water
this time. A clean pool, good food and drinks in a largely European company
made a good transition to mid Europe where we were heading.
More photos on flickr:
Watch video:
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