On the last weekend in October, we, Ruth, Brian and I, we indulged in a bit Vacation: A weekend in Kribi!
Kribi is a small port city in southwest Cameroon, on the Atlantic coast. On Thursday afternoon we go. We travel once again by "public transport". Actually, we want to start by two clock to Bamenda. The van is full but only at half past four and star ready. This time we have a terrified goat as luggage on the roof that can cry incessantly four and a half hours. As long as we do that is until we finally reach our stop Bamenda. Fortunately, the German volunteers of Bread for the World, "who live in Bamenda, we already bought tickets for the night bus, so that we, after a brief dinner in the next can enter bus that goes to Douala. The night bus is very large with five seats in a row and a total of 70 seats. You have to adjust the seat while sharing with someone, but as comfortable as in a German coach is not. At 9 clock is the departure date. From then on the third driver quite vigorously every five minutes on the accelerator, or stroke testing moves forward two feet, to indicate that all are aboard. In the meantime you can listen to a talk about a miracle cure for rubbing the skin, which is to prevent against all possible and help. And the Cameroonian buy it! Vial to vial is brought to the people. The Seller rhetoric is really very good. In conclusion, she says to me. "This also helps in whites," When I make no attempt to buy a bottle, she adds, "But you've determined something better"
At half past ten, including the huge bus rolls through Night transport of Bamenda. As this bus on the holey roads varies I have never seen on any ship. But soon it comes on the paved highway to Douala. After seven hours, and fairly quiet sleep we arrive in Douala. It's muggy and proclaim the taps on the bus that will soon light. Once the sun has risen, we take a taxi to the bus after Kribi on the other end of town. Here we want to Mona, the German doctor meet. We do not have the time and eat only once an omelet with bread! For we are nearly in France, so in the French part of Cameroon. Punctually at half past nine starts, the bus and we start the last leg of our journey.
After two hours of driving through the rain forest has a very good road, we see the ocean and arrive in Kribi. Actually it's pretty crazy that we take such an odyssey for two days on us, but it was worth it.
Kribi is the most touristy place in Cameroon. This is evident in part because many roads are paved and there are a few Restaurants and shops are, but mass tourism has not materialized. It is a small Cameroonian town where most still live off fishing.
First we strengthen ourselves with a bean French bread, French bread with cooked beans. It tastes good.
We are looking for a hotel.
We are in a small hotel in right on the beach. From the terrace you can see the sea and we are moving to first and jump into the water. The Atlantic is warm bath with at least 25 degrees.
builds on the white sandy beach, sitting Brigitte again contacts with Cameroonians, which are then totally free, well for a phone number, four coconuts get open and. Then we will take a long walk on the beach.
hotel
Maybe I will now speak better the pictures, because as best I can describe it simply:
The only thing we notice is negative, that except us four old French in the hotel are the delight of their young Cameroonian girl. Even at the beach
us men by their thirty years younger women and hybrid babies. In the city we also see two fat blonde women in their fifties, which grip very much in love to a young Cameroonians.
One hotel employee tells me that he also find it perverse. But what he should do if mainly make those visitors here on holiday.
evening we naturally eat fish. You can even eat in the hotel French, but that will cost nearly as much as in France, and finally we are in Cameroon.
you realize that you are in a tourist town. Here is much more going on than in Kumbo, where people go to sleep at eight. Drive it many cars and motorcycles through the streets and everywhere music. It is sold on every corner grilled fish, Grabbing and skewers.
And it's warm, rain forest indicated. I probably ate a bit much by the pepper sauce for fish, I start to sweat and it will somehow did not stop. wanted
After a bit are walked through the city and drank a beer, we go by motor taxi back to the hotel where we sat really still time on the beach. But it starts to rain, we are finally in the rain forest. And so we remain seated for a while at the hotel bar.
The next morning we search for a tasty breakfast. In Kribi, there is a supermarket with a bakery! You can buy as much. Croissants, apple turnovers, fruit juices, salami and candies such as Snickers or gummy bears. That sounds not very much, but for us it is something special. All this because there are not in Kumbo.
On the road we still let us peel a papaya. We find it funny that it takes three people to peel a papaya and packed.
On the way back to the hotel we walk past the harbor, where the morning fish market.
do after breakfast on the beach we go to the waterfalls of Lobe (Chutes du Lobé). These are described in the guidebook as the largest waterfalls in Africa, falling into the sea. After a short bike ride we arrive.
The waterfalls are truly impressive. A little annoying is that we are all the time zugelabert of two blacks who do not understand that we do not wish to go along for 10,000 francs in their boat once before the falls.
On a sand bank, we can run several hundred meters out to sea and enjoy the waterfalls from a distance. Then we decide we do not back down, but to run back. Many miles of sandy beach in front of us and behind every rock opens up a new panorama.
We count all four hotels, each with no more than 20 rooms. Otherwise, the beach is largely undeveloped and the rain forest reaches almost to the water.
Here we also see a live green snake, which is halved but unfortunately before our eyes by a Cameroonian with a machete.
go after a last swim in the sea and the sun set we to the port where you can eat very good fresh fish.
direct at the port are under one roof 10 small "restaurants" with a sink and a grill. One can sit down here and order something to drink. The fish we pick in advance, then negotiate the price and let it cook. You really get everything that was caught on the day. Fish, grabbing, lobster, shrimp.
We have a cod, a grouper and shrimp selected. It tastes really yummy, but also very expensive. At these prices, we are no longer used. 2,000 francs for a fish! The 3.08 €.
sat next to us, four Cameroonian men at the table who speak to us of course immediately and very quickly say that they want to marry one of the women.
Mona and I spend as a couple, with his two daughters on vacation in Kribi. Mona is thus spared marriage proposals. And since I am the father and the only one who understands French, I get the best stories and arguments offered, why they are so in love and want to get married. A Muslim even wants to be Catholic, so he can marry Ruth.
After lunch we leave our last evening out on the beach because it is not raining today. We have a beautiful starry sky. So many bright stars and one sees well only in Africa. You get the feeling that the sky arched by all those sparkling lights like a dome above you.
And the next morning, finished our vacation in Kribi. After a nice breakfast at a canteen in a nondescript back yard, where there are Omelette with French bread, at 6.50, the bus from Douala. Our return trip
run smoothly. Without much waiting, we get the next bus and get pretty down by 10 clock at night in Kumbo. Especially the last track in the car to Kumbo on unpaved road is hard, especially for Mona, because they share the seat with the driver and must, as she says, sitting on the hand brake.
But overall the weekend was beautiful, and on Monday we had to get up all tired and work.
Maximilian
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