As easy as it was to cross from Gabon into Cameroon, so difficult it
was to get away from this wretched nest on the border and towards
Yaounde. It took ages for the shared taxi to get full. After nearly two
hours of waiting time, finally, we were six people plus driver. The car
was extremely old and in a very poor condition, so I had (entitled)
worries that we would make the 26 kilometers to Ambam. Well, the first
thing we found on the street was another car, which has driven off the
road, then we had to wait for half an hour for a broken, across-standing
truck to be removed, finally our right front tire blocked. Notable,
during driving! The driver maltreated the tire with a hammer, which in
spite of (because of?) the treatment moved no millimeter. However, it
was possible to go backwards….
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| Kribi beach |
Well, this is Africa, so we drove the last 12 kilometers through the
hills and forests backwards. After the car broke down completely two
kilometers before Ambam, I changed to a motorcycle taxi and finally
reached the bus station of Ambam after nearly three hours traveling time
for 26 kilometers. The remaining way to Yaounde was easy in comparison –
just five hours in a coach, which was very full, but had no single
breakdown….
In Yaounde, I found accommodation in the guest house of the
Presbyterian Church. An inexpensive option, besides, quite centrally
situated, moreover, the only possibility in the city for campers. That
is the reason, why one can find here a lot of overlanders from all over
the world.
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| Meeting on the campgrounds in Kribi |
Here, I got to know Marcel and Daniel from Germany and Barbara from
Austria. They started in october last year in Germany in a 31 year-old
vehicle and are on the way to South Africa. Our plans were the same for
the next few days, thus it was obvious that we do it together.
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| Womens day, Kribi |
Two days later, we went to Kribi, the other three by car (which was
so full with the three of them and their luggage, that there was no room
for another person), so I went by bus. Kribi is a really nice small
place by the sea. The hotel Tara Beach is even a few kilometers from the
city on an especially nice piece of beach with quite bright sand. This
was exactly what I needed after all these long journeys by bus. Having a
rest, doing a barbecue with my new friends, lying on the beach,
swimming in the ocean, and finally, reading a book, which had nothing to
do with planning the further steps of my travels…. Vacation instead oftravelling!
