On Sunday morning, 8 August, we arrive in Kumbo. The driver has successfully brought us through the last mile of red and holey road that is as smooth as soap. Since it is Sunday morning, you see along the way actually make a pilgrimage along the entire Christian population. They come from church. Everyone, especially the women are dressed in the finest. Each shines in other colors, and somehow they make it, that her long African dress and high black boots, do not be dirty. And this is during the rainy season, when you jump over a puddle in the mud after the other not at all easy as we may find themselves.
Kathetrale of Kumbo and the square in front
Kumbo is a city of several districts, which extend over several valleys and hills. On the highest hill stands the Bishop's Palace, which is a larger house, which has almost European standards. Everything is well kept and two gardeners are busy to get an English lawn. Overall, the higher clergy Kumbos will allow a very comfortable life, which for us is not quite understandable, because the differences between city and Bishop Hill has tremendous are.
The priests and sisters are all but very warm and friendly. Above all, they have a lot of humor and really laugh at every opportunity. This morning we had breakfast with the Cardinal of Douala, which is currently also a guest. For breakfast, here are
white bread (a mix of toast and brioche), orange marmalade, honey, omelets, banana, very sweet pineapple, coffee, tea (all products from the region). The milk is it in powder form for reconstitution because fresh milk is very rare and can not be transported or stored. A traditional breakfast
Cameroonian is "Poffpoff and beans. Poffpoff are small fried in palm oil Dough balls, similar to Berlin only much more satisfying. They taste very good!
For the first week or two volunteers from the last year are here. Fortunately, you have to say, because they show us once as we ever come to market. The big market here is "Mbveh" where there is everything. Otherwise, each district its own small market, where you can do the things for your daily needs. We thus start to Mbveh. We need a taxi, motor bike, which one do with sibilants attention. To market it costs 100 francs per person, which is about 15 cents. Apart from the fact that the Mbveh far, the Cameroonians would not understand if you run, even though one has the money. overlooking the Mbveh
As soon as we sit here we go. At a rapid pace
(engine off) it goes down the mountain in the slalom.
The Mbveh itself is huge. In the maze of narrow streets can get lost very quickly. Fortunately we have two here who are familiar. So we squeeze us in which a meter wide streets, where they are about two feet wide along rows of stalls. But one has the whole time his eyes to the ground plane because of this alley and the rain water runs out. When it rains they were traveling in a stream. We teeter say, through a dry creek bed (again, a woman from Cameroon with two-inch heels to move forward without problems).
S0 seen from the streets! _____Werkzeuge
The individual items are packed five to ten square meters large and full to the ceiling. In every other street stalls are located. So there is what to with all kinds of materials, elsewhere, the tailor. On Sunday we bought our first same materials in order to let us tailor a traditional garment. The range of patterns of African Materials is huge. You do not know where to look first. The seamstress is really admirable. In a five-square-foot room, two sewing machines, such as those found in Germany for decoration still sometimes. Approximately six girls are busy trying to iron (with a charcoal iron), with hand-sewing or tailoring. And all that with a little light shining through the little door, because: It is once again a power failure.
If you want something tailored is measured, it says the tailor, how you want it and then it is ready in three to five days. fabric, fabric, fabric ... There
The dressmaker and her assistants
Then there are shops with shoes, furniture and of course the food market. The path then leads through the street of the butchers. A stench like no other, for there is not only head of cattle and the Ziegendärme this morning, but since even the offal from last week below the table, provided they have not eaten chicken and flies were. But you get used to it. After all, the buyer is presented here live goat from which the club is that you buy. There are no sterile packaging from the refrigerated counter.
This is a butcher stand and a very slippery path
on the food market is women and sell everything that grows just on their farm, from corn, cabbage, tomatoes up to bananas. The products are also seasonal, as there are mangoes only at the beginning of the rainy season.
Miles away you'll find the small pharmacy where you can buy all sorts of powders, leaves, bark and other remedies such as talismans.
So there is still much to discover that I in to report later this year.
The pictures I must say that unfortunately it is very difficult to make pictures of people. Many do not want to be photographed in their everyday work. You must always ask before. Therefore I have from the bustling streets and squares of any pictures. But I think that one can nevertheless make an impression.
On Thursday afternoon we had our first drink palm wine. This is the Cameroon national drink. He is in the small palm wine bars served next to the Mbveh to take out above all the men at noon. For the production of palm wine, palm wine tappers of bringing in a raffia palm felled to a vessel in which the emerging Liquid is absorbed. Because of the high temperatures begin this palm sap to ferment quickly. The palm wine taste like new wine. The longer he is more alcoholic and acidic it becomes. The palm wine is made fresh daily, that it is possible early in the day in a Palmweinbar in order to get something. The palm wine is it in 1.5 liter bottles. One costs 100 francs (15 cents). Therefore, it also drinks each and it is ultimately much cheaper than other alcohol.
The men are very nice and happy that we are there. They say that when the palm wine consumption were included in the statistics, the consumption of alcohol, the Cameroonian would much higher than the Germans. What they probably right.
So much for the first week. As you could read: Here is a lot going on quite beautiful. On Saturday we moved into our house where we will live the coming year. Of this I will tell the next time.
Greetings from the rainy Kumbo
Maximilian
streets of Kumbo
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