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| Hospital of Albert Schweitzer, Lambarene |
The next day, I went by collective taxi to Lambarene. The street
winds through very thick rain forest, every now and then small villages
or single houses. In Gabon, there are only about 1.5 million people,
more than half of them live in the capital. In Lambarene, I stayed with
the Soeurs Bleues, Christian sisters, who rent some rooms to travellers.
The most important place of interest in Lambarene, actually, also the
only, is the hospitalof Albert Schweitzer. Here, there is a museum with
photos, old pieces of furniture and various surgical cutleries, machines
and microscopes from the time of Albert Schweitzer. At that time today
the clinic was apparently better equipped than various other african
medical centers nowadays… The clinic is still operating, and people here
are treated here for a donation only. Otherwise Lambarene is a town
with about 30,000 inhabitants. Life here is rather quiet and
contemplative.
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| Hospital of Albert Schweitzer, Lambarene |
During breakfast, I got to know a local, who offered me to bring me
to a friend, who speaks German. At the end, it was not German, but
English, still it was very interesting, as this man was the prison
director of Lambarene. Here, there are 200 people arrested, indeed, the
rooms are so incredibly full, that he has decided, that the prisoners
may stay outside during daytime. It seems first like a normal village
here, laundry is washed, toddlers are supplied – only that the villagers
are not allowed to leave the area.
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| To Port Gentil - by boat |
The next day, I took the boat from Lambarene to Port Gentil. Here
there is no road, travellers can take either the boat or fly. A kind of
strange, that the most important industrial town of the country, Port
Gentil, is not accessible by road. However, the trip on the river was
wonderful, the river is very wide, but mostly the boat was going along
the shore, so I had plenty of time to take in the nice scenery of the
jungle. Animals are not to be seen here, but plenty of gigantic trees,
bushes, palm trees, every now and then small villages, often with
colossal churches. The journey lasts about 7 hours and it was no single
second boring.
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| Towards Port Gentil |
Though Port Gentil is the most important industrial town of Gabon,
however, it gives a very provincial impression. There are hardly high
buildings except of the harbor buildings and the oil pile works in the
sea. During the fruitless search for a working internet cafe (no
connection because of thunderstorm last night) I got to know Gisela from
Germany. She is living since many years in Gabon, is married here with a
local and just left her work to drive me around by car! Port Gentil is
not exactly blessed with places of interest, but there is a nice beach,
the buildings from Total, the harbor area with a view over the oil rigs
in the ocean and the new hospital. Thanks a lot to Gisela for a great
afternoon with much info about country and people!
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| Pepes Family |
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| Pepe |
The following day, I returned to Libreville via the ocean in a big
ferry. After one more night in Libreville, I traveled by minibus to Oyem
near the border with Cameroon. In the coach, I got to know Pepe, who is
married in France, and who on the way for a brief visit of her parents
in Oyem. Travelling with her was two-year-old son Cameron. She offered
me instead of staying in a boring hotel to come with her to her family.
Things like these are always exciting! The father is divorced from
Pepe's mum since a long time and has married anew. Polygamy is here
something very normal, he is married with two women and has a somewhat
unknown number of children. Place and money is limited and of course
everybody must help. Older children from approx. 6 years pay attention
to the smaller ones, others cook, wash laundry or dishes or get wood for
the cooking fire. I shared room and bed with Pepe and Cameron. Because
the bed was not really exorbitant big, I was hit once a while by arms
and legs of a not so good sleeping Cameron. After I decided to sleep the
other way around in bed, it became more spacious and I also caught some
sleep. People here like Pepe and her family are very rich in heart, and
I want to say thanks a lot for this very interesting day with your
family. I felt treated like a Queen staying in your house and I hope to
meet somewhere in Europe next time. The remaining way to the border was
easy, also the border itself was no problem and after few minutes I was
in Cameroon! If just all borders were simple as that one! In the
meantime, I am in Kribi, a small town by the sea and enjoy a few days
being lazy on the beach. The next mail will cover Cameroon. Greetings
from Kribi, and, as usual, I am glad receiving mails.
