Day 163: Yaounde – Noviciat Carmes
Last night we had Ndolé, a Cameroonian national dish: bitter spinach with smoked fish, lots of garlic, onions and baked bananas. It was tasty, but a bit harsh afterwards :-)
And this morning it was about money again. So annoying! Question last night: How is the Single Room different from the Double Room? Only the room size is different. Is breakfast included? Yes, breakfast is included. This morning before we got breakfast: Is breakfast included? Yes, breakfast is included. And then, after breakfast: Only one breakfast is included, the second must be paid for.
We actually want to have the visa entered into our passport in Yaounde, even if it is unclear whether this is necessary. Many people drive through Cameroon without the “sticker” and the consulaire in Cotonou said it wasn’t necessary. But yesterday we had a long discussion with a police officer about why the visa is just a loose leaf.
The whole thing takes care of itself, at least for us: the city is partially closed due to Women's Day celebrations, traffic comes to a complete standstill and, according to the police, the ministry is closed. But we don't want to wait here until Monday. Hopefully this won't be a problem when we continue our journey/leave.
Now we just want to get out of this city. The traffic basically consists of 60 percent taxi drivers who squeeze through third and fourth lanes. In addition, there are 20 percent of trucks that can hardly get through anywhere and tend to get stranded in the middle of the road. There are also a few large, private SUVs that just as ruthlessly slow down everyone else with warning sirens. Phew.
South of Yaounde is Ape Action Africa's Mefou Primate Sanctuary. We spontaneously get a short guided tour and can see gorillas.
It's not our first visit to a sanctuary and we're always a little ambivalent. The animals come from private owners or are given away as orphans. They have it better than in the zoo because the enclosures are very large and correspond to the natural environment. Nevertheless, they remain enclosures and it is only extremely rare to set animals to the wild again.
On the other hand: For us it is an opportunity to see chimpanzees and gorillas, which we are happy to take advantage of. And it's worth it. Great animals!
Btw: We will always lack the money for gorilla safaris in the wild – in the Congo something like this costs at least 1,000 US dollars per person per day, and apparently even more in Kenya.
Our place to stay overnight is a meadow next to a Catholic mission. No infrastructure, but ok for one night. And the afternoon here is quiet and tranquil.
We cook and just manage to put away things and brush our teeth before the evening thunderstorm starts.