The day so far ....
Well this has really been an interesting day in Cameroon. First I wanted to go for a run this morning but alas that was spoiled with the rain coming down with a vengance but I am told that this is the raining season ... seems like it is only in the morning though as by the afternoon there was no rain nor a cloud to be seen.
On the way to the office was an eye opener I will tell you that ... ok, Cameroon does have tar roads but they mainly look like they are under construction. The route we took to the office was not much of a road, and traffic or the people that do drive are a law unto their own. I thought traffic was bad in SA but I tell you what ... the rule of the road here ... well there is none, if you want to turn around you do so whenever you feel like it. Right of way ... whomever doesn't want to get their car bumped.
Now if you want to get from point A to point B you have three methods of doing so (taking out the fact that we have a driver) 1) you walk 2) you get a taxi, yellow one or any other one that pleases you and 3) hop on the back of a motorbike where they will give you a lift ... helmets are optional. If you are a couple .. don't worry, they will put one on the back and the other on the petrol tank.
I even went for a bit of a walk about while waiting for my other collegues to finish up. I am lucky to be alive I tell you ... I almost got taken out by four or five of the motor bikes ... now those of you who do share a bit of worry for my life relax, I would never have been hit by the hornets nest they call traffic here. I eventually realized that no matter what they will not hit you, whether it be with the car or the motor bike. I proved this theory when I couldn't cross the "street" yes I use the word street very lightly ... but the mess of all the cars making U-turns, and turning right or left or just stopping proved that I was never going to get across the "street" if I waited, so I walked and believe it or not, the cars or bikes stopped or drove around me ... amazing ... as much as the traffic was a mess and disorganized I managed to cross the street without so much as a bump. Now let me try this in good ol SA ... we are accustomed to some sort of order in the streets and roads so if you go against that order we loose it and will pop a vein in our heads because of it ... but you know ... I would rather have that than the traffic here anyday ... no wonder you can't rent a car here ... if you are not a local ... forget it, you will get eaten alive in traffic.
It was also amazing to see how many people approached me to try and exchange my $'s for African Francs ... even got asked if I want to buy some Russian money. But the fear of getting false money I decided it was a no go and would rather trust my faithful driver to get me the right currency. I got in the car and off we went ... back to the people I just turned down ... well the positive side of it was that when I was walking in the street I was being offered 500 AF per $ but thanks to my driver I got 525AF per $ ... so far I have not noticed it to be counterfeit ...
This evening we went to dinner ... a place called Le Berlin. I will tell you this ... best damn steak I have ever had!!! The owner of the place is also very friendly and he even will help you with the waitress to make sure she understands and takes the correct order ... if there is a language barrier. Then he will sit down and have a quick chat with you as well. Yes, I think I will be going to this restaurant again.
We got to the restaurant by the way by taking a NON yellow taxi (the kind I was warned to avoid) for the Four of us it cost 2000AF and well worth it ... when we thought we were going the long way round and in the wrong direction (which doesn't make sense as we were already given an amount) we found out that he was taking us that way as he saw the police/army and he wasn't avoiding them becuase he was in trouble but it was so we don't get stopped as tourists ... the police will not let us go until such a point we give them some sort of bribe. Thanks Mr Taxi man.
Ok, this blog is done, I am going to post another one with some pics I have taken ... another note to be noted ... Camerooneans do not like the fact that you take photo's of Cameroon or them ...
On the way to the office was an eye opener I will tell you that ... ok, Cameroon does have tar roads but they mainly look like they are under construction. The route we took to the office was not much of a road, and traffic or the people that do drive are a law unto their own. I thought traffic was bad in SA but I tell you what ... the rule of the road here ... well there is none, if you want to turn around you do so whenever you feel like it. Right of way ... whomever doesn't want to get their car bumped.
Now if you want to get from point A to point B you have three methods of doing so (taking out the fact that we have a driver) 1) you walk 2) you get a taxi, yellow one or any other one that pleases you and 3) hop on the back of a motorbike where they will give you a lift ... helmets are optional. If you are a couple .. don't worry, they will put one on the back and the other on the petrol tank.
I even went for a bit of a walk about while waiting for my other collegues to finish up. I am lucky to be alive I tell you ... I almost got taken out by four or five of the motor bikes ... now those of you who do share a bit of worry for my life relax, I would never have been hit by the hornets nest they call traffic here. I eventually realized that no matter what they will not hit you, whether it be with the car or the motor bike. I proved this theory when I couldn't cross the "street" yes I use the word street very lightly ... but the mess of all the cars making U-turns, and turning right or left or just stopping proved that I was never going to get across the "street" if I waited, so I walked and believe it or not, the cars or bikes stopped or drove around me ... amazing ... as much as the traffic was a mess and disorganized I managed to cross the street without so much as a bump. Now let me try this in good ol SA ... we are accustomed to some sort of order in the streets and roads so if you go against that order we loose it and will pop a vein in our heads because of it ... but you know ... I would rather have that than the traffic here anyday ... no wonder you can't rent a car here ... if you are not a local ... forget it, you will get eaten alive in traffic.
It was also amazing to see how many people approached me to try and exchange my $'s for African Francs ... even got asked if I want to buy some Russian money. But the fear of getting false money I decided it was a no go and would rather trust my faithful driver to get me the right currency. I got in the car and off we went ... back to the people I just turned down ... well the positive side of it was that when I was walking in the street I was being offered 500 AF per $ but thanks to my driver I got 525AF per $ ... so far I have not noticed it to be counterfeit ...
This evening we went to dinner ... a place called Le Berlin. I will tell you this ... best damn steak I have ever had!!! The owner of the place is also very friendly and he even will help you with the waitress to make sure she understands and takes the correct order ... if there is a language barrier. Then he will sit down and have a quick chat with you as well. Yes, I think I will be going to this restaurant again.
We got to the restaurant by the way by taking a NON yellow taxi (the kind I was warned to avoid) for the Four of us it cost 2000AF and well worth it ... when we thought we were going the long way round and in the wrong direction (which doesn't make sense as we were already given an amount) we found out that he was taking us that way as he saw the police/army and he wasn't avoiding them becuase he was in trouble but it was so we don't get stopped as tourists ... the police will not let us go until such a point we give them some sort of bribe. Thanks Mr Taxi man.
Ok, this blog is done, I am going to post another one with some pics I have taken ... another note to be noted ... Camerooneans do not like the fact that you take photo's of Cameroon or them ...
posted by Ashley at 11:28 PM
1 Comments:
Hey Ash,
Reading about the 'roads', it sounds like how it is in India. I suggest you learn the tricks of driving and crossing the street. I'm sure, that way you wont have any problem on your India trip. Missing the potholes and pedestrians while riding a bike at fast speeds would be the biggest asset for your survival here.
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