July 10, 2006
Bonjour from Yaoundé, Cameroon!
During most of
the drive from Douala to Yaoundé,
you pass small villages and lots of forests.
We arrived in Cameroon very early (about
2 AM) the morning of July 6. It was a long
trip. From Boston, we flew to New York City
and then to Casablanca, Morocco before moving
on to Douala, Cameroon. Our friend and driver,
Divine Fotibu, was at the airport to meet
us. Unfortunately our luggage did not arrive
and we could not get it for several days.
Searching for the luggage was difficult
because the baggage office at the airport
did not have electricity for a day or so.
We were extremely happy to change into clean
clothes on Saturday when the bags finally
arrived!
Our luggage,
packed and ready to go, sitting in front
of
Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Our first “night” (really from
about 3 AM to 10 AM) was spent in a tiny
hotel in Douala. The next morning we drove
on to Yaoundé. This should take about
three hours, but we got three flat tires
along the way. Our spare took care of the
first one, but for the other two we had
to improvise. A local repair shop found
a tire to fix the second flat, but when
that blew (only 30 minutes outside Yaoundé),
we had to leave the car behind and catch
a bus into the city. Divine returned later
in the evening with another tire and drove
in.
Getting a car
repaired in Cameroon can be a tricky business.
The cheapest
way to get a repair is at a small shop on
the side
of the road in a town or city. This taxi
was getting repaired as
we were getting our exhaust pipe fixed.The
umbrella is to
protect the mechanic when it suddenly starts
to rain!
Photo K. Blackburn
For the past few days, we have been running
errands around Yaoundé. The city
is bustling with shops, street stalls, and
people walking everywhere. You have to be
careful crossing the street because the
cars drive very fast! Dave bought the chemicals
(formalin and ethanol) that he will need
for preserving animals at a laboratory supply
shop. Yesterday we went to a big outdoor
market to buy some things we will need while
camping. Divine led the way, as he will
be our main cook. We bought cooking pots,
plates and silverware, and some other important
tools.
Grilled corn
from the roadside. A great "to go"
snack.
Photo K. Blackburn
Today, we will move to a small apartment
which will be our home base for the rest
of the trip. We have been staying with a
friend who is also a herpetologist. We really
appreciate the hospitality we have been
given by his family! Last night we cooked
spaghetti and garlic bread for the whole
family and watched the final match of the
World Cup.
We are off to a good start! We hope to
leave for our first field trip either tomorrow
or Wednesday. We will keep you posted!
Dave and Katie Blackburn
|
