Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (2/2)
This post is part 2 of the "ng-cm-cf-2023" series:
- Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (1/2)
- Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (2/2)
I spent about 3 weeks exploring the central African nations of Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR). It was a good, but rather chaotic trip. Central Africa is a fascinating, crazy, beatiful part of the world. What follows is the time spent in Cameroon and CAR.
Day 9
The music did not stop until 5:30am. Then street noise started, and I sorta napped for 2.5 hours. A thunderstorm moved through. The weather is a bit cooler than Nigeria so far. I attempted a shower, then went downstairs for breakfast. The breakfast was fine, an omelette, watermelon, stale baguette, laughing cow, and crappy tea. I did meet some people for the tour. Paul (HK, also on NG tour), Phil (Singapore, retired now, has been to 192 countries), and Angela (Aussie, been to 188 countries). Apparently Megan (tour leader) arrived last night with severe food poisoning from a gluten allergy, and went straight to bed.
After breakfast we wandered outside to buy SIM cards for Paul & Angela, and take in the street chaos. Dirt is red, and the rain made quite the mess. Beyond that, the usual human drama.
I met up with a bunch of people at dinner. There's women from Norway & India, and Phil from Singapore, plus 3 people from my Nigeria tour. The rest arrive on flights later tonight. Dinner took nearly 2 hours to come out. I had a salad with an insane amount of avocado.
Day 10
I slept much better last night. A bunch of others arrived late last night on a Brussels Air flight that somehow showed up without any bags because LHR failed to load bags. Most of the group is quite old. At least a decade older than I am. Also 7 women, 8 men. 5 British. 4 Americans.
We were supposed to depart at 8:15. The local guide announced the bus was stuck in traffic and delayed by 20 minutes. The bus showed up at 9:20. It was super old, sad & worn out, and was the wrong bus (it was too small and was supposed to have AC). We didn't actually depart until 9:50. Eventually we were driving through dense green jungle, and pineapple farms. There were a bunch of pointless, time wasting checkpoints. Just after 1pm we drove into a storm. Thankfully it was done in less than an hour. We made it to the lunch stop at 2pm. It was a buffet, with salad, rice, chicken,, fish, plantains and pineapple. It was fine.
The remaining drive in the afternoon was really lovely. The light was great, and the forest was gorgeous, full of massive tall trees, flowers, vines and tiny villages. At one point we passed a guy walking along the road, with a massive (15ft) tree balanced on his head, with a machete impaled in the trunk.
We finally got into Bertoua just after 5pm. The hotel is fine. There is crappy wifi, crappy AC and a meh room, but its just for 1 night.
Day 11
A big thunderstorm passed through during the night. The hotel had a metal roof, so it was very loud. Then my floor flooded too somehow. I was up for the day at 5:40am. Breakfast was the usual laughing cow, baguettes, and omelettes (which were actually good).
The original plan was breakfast at 7, depart at 7:30am. Then it changed to take people whose baggage never arrived from LHR shopping, leave at 8:15am. At 8:40am, it changed to go shopping for lunch, leave after that. I got an omelette in a baguette and pain au choc. A 'better' bus (slightly newer, but otherwise identical) showed up at 9:50, and we didn't actually depart until 10:12. Then we stopped for gas before leaving town. Clearly Megan is failing at schedule management.
Once we got out of the city, heading east towards Batouri, we made decent progress, despite lots of checkpoints. The sky was mostly cloudy. We stopped in Batouri at 12:10pm for lunch (which was literally standing around a gas station and eating the food we brought with us). There were lots of police checkpoints.
Then the pavement ended, and we started the 'bad road' section of driving. Overall, it wasn't too awful most of the time. But since it rained overnight, there were a few mud pits which were tricky. There wasn't much traffic other than a random motorbike, and huge logging trucks carrying tree trunks that were at least 4ft in diameter. The scenery was lovely. Very dense jungle, occasional tiny villages.
Of course our late start caught up with us. We did a final toilet break at 17:30 near a school, just as the sun was setting. They announced that we still had over 2 hours of driving remaining. It was scary driving that road in the dark, as we couldn't see a damn thing (the road, people, animals, etc). The sky was lit by distant lightening every few seconds. Thankfully it didn't rain.
We finally pulled into the Yokadouma Catholic Mission at 19:45. Its very basic. Tiny concrete rooms with a bed, towel & bar of soap, with communal bathroom (and no hot water). Dinner was really sad. Boiled potatoes, canned carrots & green beans, boiled cabbage, chicken butts & feet (yes, seriously), and applesauce. Everyone was exhausted, and emotionally drained.
Day 12
A thunderstorm rolled through during the night. I was up for the day at 4:35. Breakfast was a tiny, good spicy omelette, hard boiled eggs, and baguettes. There was a ton of drama while boarding the bus, as people were fighting over seats. Amazingly we left on time at 6am. Although we did stop briefly in town to get drinks for the day.
It was quite foggy for the first few hours. Just after 7am we got very badly stuck on a thick muddy hill. They got out a shovel, and people were pushing the bus for a bit. The road was much more narrow today, barely wide enough for the bus at times. There were a bunch of sketchy, primitive bridges over small rivers. There was also a long water crossing, with flowing foot deep water. Around 9am, we turned onto a road that had no villages, and lots of logging trucks. As we neared the border we passed pygmy villages.
We finally reached Libongo, the border town on the Sangha river, just after noon. This town has a huge, Italian lumber production factory, which provides most of the employment in the region. We had lunch while border formalities were handled by the guide. Being close to the river, it was much more humid.
The river is a half mile wide, and brown, and flowing fast. The boat to the lodge was a decent, modern aluminum boat, with an awning and 2 outboard motors. We departed at 13:15, and made a diagonal to the CAR border post on the far side of the river. Everyone waited in the boat, while a bunch of village kids stared at us. After 10 minutes we departed, headed north for 5 minutes, then docked yet again, at a different border post. That took another 10 minutes. We finally reached the lodge at 16:30.
Its quite nice. Gorgeous views, good food, hot water, full bar. Only downside is that everyone has to share a room. I'm with Brett, who is fine, thankfully. Wifi is nearly nothing, powered by a generator for a few hours/day.
Day 13
It was warm & stuffy all night, but I managed to sleep mostly ok. Lots of jungle sounds all night, which was kinda nice. I was up for the day at 5:45am. Breakfast was nice, with tea, fresh food (real cheese,, homemade preserves, bissap juice, nice baguettes).
We got into a safari truck at 7am, and drove through town, and out to Dzanga National Park. The people in the town may have been the most friendly I've ever encountered. Lots of smiles & waves. Once in the park, we drove down a very narrow track through the jungle for 30 minutes. Then we all got out and started the hike out to Dzanga Bai, where the elephants congregate. The first 10 minutes were through a knee deep stream. After that, it was back in the jungle, mostly sand, but also mud. Lots of mushrooms, plus ants everywhere. We started to hear monkeys and elephants after 30 minutes. About 40 minutes out we reached the viewing platform, about 3 stories tall, in front of a massive clearing. There were so many elephants drinking, wandering and socializing. Peak count was 68 elephants viewable. It was absolutely the most amazing elephant viewing I've ever experienced. There were also a bunch of lazy buffalo sitting in mud.
As the morning wore on, and it got warmer, lots of annoying black flies (which were apparently sweat bees) started swarming everyone. Lunch was a sad baguette with mystery meat. We finished up at noon, and headed back to the lodge. We got back at 2pm.
The lodge only has generator power for a few hours/day, and the wifi only works intermittently from one physical location, no where near the cabins. Also its super slow most of the time. Better than nothing, but also frustratingly slow.
Day 14
I slept until 4am and then couldn't fall back asleep. Breakfast was similar to yesterday. The gorilla group got into 2 trucks and headed to the park. It took nearly 2 hours to drive out to the gorilla trail head.
After a brief orientation, we started walking. The first hour was fairly easy, on a flat trail covered with fallen leaves. At one point we passsd some elephants in a distant clearing. Then we reached the first of several stream crossings. I removed my shoes & socks, and got across easily. The trail got increasingly uneven & overgrown, and muddy. I removed my socks & shoes at the second creek too. But then it got very muddy, and I sunk in up to my ankle, and gave up trying to keep my feet clean.
Megan ended up with heat exhaustion before we reached the gorillas. Just before noon we reached a swampy clearing, and the guides split the group in half (4/3). The group of 4 headed back back into the forest to see the gorillas. Megan (who was laying in the shade), Brett & I waited. Sweat bees swarmed us. At 12:30 we headed into the forest. It was rough terrain, and we walked for nearly a half hour up a steep hill. When we reached the gorillas, it was very disappointing. Two gorillas were high in a tree urinating down on everything below. The silverback was napping, with its back to us. After 10 minutes we gave up and started walking back.
About 15 minutes into the walk, the lead guide suddenly spun around and screamed for us to run back the way we came. Then an elephant trumpeted and started charging towards us. We were running through the dense forest, as the elephant kept trumpetting. After a minute we stopped to catch our breath, and the guide went to investigate. He was gone for 20 minutes. When he returned he said that there were 3 elephants out there, and we needed to detour around them. It was even worse terrain than earlier, through a steep ravine. We ended up adding 2km to the route back. Megan ran out of water on the walk back, because she foolishly only brought a liter for 4+ hours of hiking. We made it back to camp 40 minutes after the first group.
The 90 minute drive back to lodge seemed to drag on forever. About 5km from the lodge the right rear tire started making a bad rhythmic noise. The driver got out several times but couldn't figure it out. We limped back somehow.
dinner was good. i am very exhausted.
Day 15
I slept like the dead until nearly 6:30 (latest of the trip). I decided to skip the day's activities to rest at the lodge. There was a visit to a pygmy village in the morning and kayaking on the river in the afternoon. After yesterday's insanity and nonstop travel for the past 2 weeks, i needed a day off.
Of course a huge thunderstorm rolled through just after everyone else departed, which took down the wifi. So I mostly watched the storm, as all the foot paths became creeks of muddy water.
Not long after that 1 of 3 trucks that took the group out returned early when the awning collapsed, soaking everyone.
I did a few short hikes around the lodge in the afternoon once the rain stopped.
I might have caught a cold. my throat is very scratchy today.
Day 16
Last night was rough. I had tons of crazy dreams, I was either too hot or cold, and my nose was congested. I gave up at 5:15am. Brett had lots of issues too, so he was also awake early. It rained lightly all night too.
We had breakfast, and departed on the boat at 7:20am. The rain had stopped but it was still quite foggy. We made good time, even though we still had the 2 CAR border post stops before reaching Libongo, Cameroon at 9:10am. This is the border town with the lumber mill. Its basically bars, whorehouses and tiny shops.
Next stop was a pygmy village. Megan claimed it was a 30 minute drive. In reality, it was 20 minutes drive down a muddy, overgrown track. Then it was 20 minutes hike through the jungle. The worst part was that there were angry biting ants on the trail. They hurt, and wouldn't let go. The village visit was fine, but not at all worth the time, effort or pain. We were back on the road at 11:55am.
The drive went ok. Weather was good. Many people slept. We pulled into Yokadouma at 17:30, just as the sun was setting.
I definitely have a cold. Stuffy & runny all day. I don't feel too bad.
Day 17
i slept ok until 1:30, and then couldn't get comfy. I felt very crappy when I gave up at 5am. I took some aspirin which helped.
The drive was slow going because the roads were an awful muddy mess. The sky finally cleared around mid-morning. Just before noon we stopped at the village of Sangele. There was an old church with a collapsed roof. There were supposed to be hippos in a lagoon 5km away, but we saw none.
By midday, I had a searing migraine from the heat & rough road. I tool excedrin which helped eventually.
Around 2pm we passed 3 road graders at work. After that the road was in much better condition and we were able to make much better progress.
10km outside of Bertoua, we were stopped at a checkpoint for 20 minutes while a bored cop demanded to inspect everyone's passports. After thumbing through 5 of them, he gave up and let us go. Then we got stuck in terrible traffic that wasn't moving for 15 minutes, less than 3 mikes from the hotel. We pulled into the hotel at 6pm, about 11 hours from when we departed.
Day 18
i slept fairly well, and was up for the day at 5:30am. We departed at 8:03am.
The local guide spent over an hour on the bus chewing our ears off. First, a bizarre rant about how its the West's fault that Africa is a mess, but China & Russia will fix everything. Somewhere in there he also blamed America for killing Qadafi, who was apparently the best leader in Africa (who knew?). Then he started promoting his own tours, attempting to convince us to go to Congo & Angola with him. It was so weird and tone deaf, and off-putting.
The rest of the drive to Yaounde went smoothly, until the last 5km. Traffic was horrible. The driver attempted a backstreet detour, which literally took longer than if we stayed on the original road. Then Meg got violently ill and had to race off the bus to vomit. We arrived at 16:15.
Its the same garbage hotel as the first nights. It took 3 trips to the front desk to get working AC. Wifi is still broken. And music is blasting.
Overall, i'm feeling much better today. I'm mostly stuffy, and have not taken any medication since last night.
Day 19
Such a long, long, pointless day. We were supposed to do a city tour of Yaounde. However, the (new) president of Gabon is visiting, so many streets in the city are closed, making travel very difficult. Despite that, we attempted to do a city tour anyway, which was mostly sitting in traffic and staring at random buildings. We never actually got off the bus to see much of anything, other than some NGO that Lupine supports and a crappy sourvenir market. The guide insisted that we should place our lunch orders early so that it would all be ready by the time we arrived. Two hours later we got there and they had barely even started preparing our food. To add insult to injury, I got a text from AirFrance that they had cancelled my flight home that night. So begun several hours of phone calls and planning, trying desparately to find some way to avoid being stuck in Yaounde for an extra 24 hours. Eventually I got AirFrance to rebook me on a Turkish Air flight which was departing about 4 hours later than the (cancelled) AirFrance flight. It was better than nothing, and I took it. Of course that meant going to the airport at 10pm. And then waiting around for hours until the ticket counters opened, and the flight arrived. Thankfully, everything went relatively smoothly after that, and I got home only 4 hours later than originally planned.
Overall, it was a good trip, despite a lot of chaos. I'd consider returning to all 3 countries, if it was safe/possible to see other parts of them.
A GPX map track from the trip is:
All trip pictures are posted HERE.
This post is part 2 of the "ng-cm-cf-2023" series: