Funeral Cars

Hearse

When I was in my previous village I never saw funeral cars like those that they have in Bamenda. In Bamenda they sometimes use hearses as funeral cars but they also use SUVs and other large cars. One of the most intriguing things about these cars is the way they are decorated. Funeral cars are often decorated with large ornaments on the roofs while many others have police lights or other lights on top. I have not been able to find out where this practice comes from or how it started but it is certainly interesting! I also wonder if these grand cars are only for important funerals or if they are for all funerals. 

Fancy top hearse and SUV with lights

Fancy top

Mount Cameroon

Since hearing that there are guided tours up Mount Cameroon I have wanted to climb it, even though it is one of Africa's most active volcanoes. I thought that it was going to have to be one of those things that had to wait until the end of my service but I ended up getting the opportunity at the end of September. There was a small group of Peace Corps Volunteer friends of mine that were going to climb in early October and they invited me to go along. I was just getting over a month long illness but I did not want to miss the chance and agreed to go. So, on the third of October we traveled to Buea in the South West region, the town at the base of Mount Cameroon. We stayed with some friends for the night and got ourselves organized for the climb.

Starting up the mountain

The next morning we got up early and went to the foot of Mount Cameroon to meet our guides. When we arrived the guides were arranging their packs and the porters took our things to add to their own. When you climb with this guide organization they have porters carry all of your things for you so that you can carry just a day pack with water and focus on getting yourself up the mountain. Our group consisted of me , the three other Peace Corps Volunteers, our guide, our cook, and four porters. We were not the only group going up the mountain that day. There was a group of Dutch guys who would also be climbing at the same time The Dutch guys' group consisted of the three of them, their guide, their cook, and three porters. So, all together there were eighteen people heading up the mountain that day, not including farmers who have fields on the slopes of the mountain. The other group left first and once we were ready, my group started up the mountain about thirty minutes later.

At first we were going up a steady slope through fields, farm plots, and even houses. Just after this area we started getting into forest and I started seeing exposed volcanic rocks. I ended up falling somewhat behind because I kept stopping to look at the rocks and I was talking my friend's ear off about the geology!

Mount Cameroon National Park

Arriving at Hut 1

Our first break was at the entrance to the Mount Cameroon National Park where we caught up with the Dutch guys. We rested for a few minutes under the archway that marks the entrance to the park. This break came about two hours after we started the climb and Hut 1, where we would take our first significant break was still another hour and a half up the mountain. So we continued on up through the forest until we reached Hut 1. When the porters arrived they unpacked some food and we all had a snack. I had some Vache Qui Rit (Laughing Cow  cheese) and bread and a banana. After our break we continued on toward Hut 2, where we would be spending the night.

Not long after we left Hut 1 we left the forest and entered grassland plains and it started to sprinkle, we were still in the rainy season after all. We arrived a little while later at an intermediary hut just as it started to pour. We waited for our porters to arrive and our guide told us that if the rain did not stop soon then we would have to spend the night there, climb to the summit the next day, and then return the same way that we had come. The original plan had been to get to Hut 2 the first day, then climb over the summit the next day and get to Hut 3 in the back side of the mountain, and then on the last day climb down the rest of the way. We had to wait and see when the rain would stop. There was a hermit living in this hut and he allowed us to use it as shelter from the rain. So me and my friends piled together inside the little hut and fell asleep to the sound of the rain on the aluminum roof. The hermit had come up the mountain as a religious retreat. He had a one person tent and other personal belongings set up in the hut. Also inside the hut there was a raised platform which is where we took our nap. I'm not sure how long we had slept when our guide woke us to tell us that the rain had stopped and we could continue up the mountain and continue up to Hut 2 as originally planned. This was great news because it meant that we would be able to see the other side of the mountain as well!

Leaving the hermit's hut

So, we got up and started climbing again and after another several hours we arrived at Hut 2 our campsite for the night. I say "Hut 2" when I should say " the site on which Hut 2 previously stood". This is because Hut 2 had burned down and there was now only remnants of Hut 2 around the place. The view from the location was spectacular though. You could see all of Buea and far into the distance. It was amazing! I tried to take pictures of it but I do not think that the pictures truly capture what we were seeing.

Arriving at Hut 2

 

View from Hut 2 over Buea

We had arrived at Hut 2 at the same time as the guides but the porters were still on their way. So the guides boiled some eggs as a snack for everyone as we waited for the others to have dinner. As we snacked my friends, the Dutch guys, and I sat around the fire with the guides talking and trying to get warm. It was surprisingly cold as we sat chatting and getting to know each other. Not long after the porters joined us and joined the conversation as dinner was prepared. The Dutch guys were in Cameroon working for a development organization and all of our guides and porters were students at Buea University. After dinner we all went to bed; we were quite tired from the day and we still had two days to look forward to.

The next day we got up early, had breakfast, and started climbing again. It was to be this day that we reached the summit and start descending the back side of the mountain. We continued through plains but as we climbed higher and higher vegetation became more and more sparse and the rocks became pumice. The climb on this day was also much steeper and more difficult because you had to step up on higher rock ledges than before.

It was just before noon when we reached the summit. The Dutch guys had gotten there twenty minutes before our group did but we all sat together at the top of the mountain and had a drink. After resting there for half an hour, the guides encouraged us to start the climb down because even though it was going to be mostly down hill it is considered, by some, to be the more difficult part of the journey.

Reaching the summit

I found the climb down quite difficult in comparison to the climb up. The upper slopes were covered in small, loose bits of pumice causing us to slide down the hill with each step we took. I also kept getting shoe-fulls of the small rocks. I was glad when that part of the hill was behind us even though we were still a long way from the bottom. After the upper slopes there was some more grassland plains. Then we came to a section where a vent had erupted, leaving two "small" craters and more pumice on the mountain side. We were almost past the extent of the pumice when I slipped, hurt my foot, and got a load of pumice in my shoes again. So, one of my friends stayed with me as I removed my shoes to shake out the gravel. This, in a way, was a big mistake because I saw just how many blisters I had and how many had already broken. Now that I know that the blisters were there I could feel them which made walking down hill much more difficult and painful. So, I limped slowly down the hillside until I reached the campsite.

Summit of Mount Cameroon, 4092 meters

One of the porters let me borrow their flip flops that evening since I needed to rest my feet and had no other shoes with me. I cleaned, dried, and bandaged my feet then everyone went to rest for a while before dinner. We mostly moaned and groaned about our various aches and pains until everyone was called to dinner. We all went to eat and had a drink together. Afterwards everyone retired to their tents for the night. The other Peace Corps Volunteers and myself had another drink as we stayed up in our tent and told ghost stories that we recalled from childhood. Finally we decided to go to bed since it had started raining again and we had a whole day of climbing the next day.

After breakfast in the morning I bandaged my feet very well and we started hiking again. We hiked through some tall grass which soaked my pants, socks, and bandages meaning that when we reached the woods I had to change all of my bandages again. This put me, and the volunteer who stayed with me, at the back of the group.

Mount Etinde or "Small Mount Cameroon", seen from the 2000 lava flow

For the next few hours we hiked down the mountain through the wet rain forest. When I say we hiked what I mean is slipped and slid down the hill side. Due to the rain the forest floor was all mud. We kept slipping in the mud and tripping on tree roots. By the time we were out of the rain forest we were covered in mud and rather battered and bruised. I had been told, before the trip, that once you were out of the forest the trip was almost over. I took this to mean that there would be maybe another five minutes of walking after leaving the forest but I guess they had meant the walk was short compared to the entire journey. It was another hour and a half to the village on the back side of the mountain that marks the end of the trip! This was almost one of the hardest parts of the trip because I had stopped trying after the rain forest and yet we just kept walking and walking. Eventually I asked how much further and the guide told me that it was still a little more than half an hour away. This was pretty disheartening after walking for forty-five minutes longer than I had thought would be necessary and not being confident in their time estimations any more. We walked for another twenty minutes and then, to pass the time, the other volunteer recited a monologue that had been timed at eleven minutes. It was fun for me and the guide to have such entertainment as we walked! Once the volunteer completed the monologue, ably performed I must say, we only had to walk for a few more minutes before reaching the village and the end of our trip.

Rain forest on back side of Mount Cameroon

We met up with the rest of our group at a small bar and had a drink before we went to our friend's house in Buea to cleanup. We were a mess and very tired but we got cleaned up and went to dinner in town with the Dutch group. We had hamburgers, they were expensive but pretty good. After dinner we said good bye and went back to the house to sleep for the night. I was so tired that I fell asleep straight away.

Even though the trip was very difficult I had a lot of fun! It is certainly something that I would recommend to others and might even consider doing again. Although if I do it again, it will not be for a while and I will definitely consider some sort of exercise program before climbing!

Crossed Legs

     We were told in training that we should try to avoid crossing our legs though I did not understand why. So, one day I was sitting with some of my co-workers waiting for  meeting to start and I noticed that none of them had their legs crossed, instead they were either sitting straight or had their ankles crossed. I had noticed this before too, that Cameroonians almost never cross their legs. I think I have only seen it done two times since I arrived here. I was curious as to why this was so I asked my co-workers about it. They told me that it is seen as disrespectful, especially to your elders who are present. After hearing this I tried to not cross my legs so often. The problem is that it is a deeply engrained habit now and I often do not realize that I am doing it. I still try to do it less, especially in professional settings but I often forget. I guess I have to just keep practicing. I am lucky though that most people are not offended because I am a foreigner.

Crossed ankles vs. crossed legs

Importance of Appearance and Standards for Americans

     In Cameroon it is important to always look your best. People, no matter what they do for a living, always dress their best. It is important to do this because it is a sign of respect to the people you interact with that day, including the people that you greet on the road. Along with looking your best your shoes should be clean, spotless is ideal. It is especially important to be clean and presentable in business settings. Cameroonians, and now me as well, clean off their shoes with a cloth or tissue before entering an office building, or almost any building. I have become very self-conscious about my shoes; I even get frustrated whenever they get splattered with a few drops of mud! This comes from the cultural value of being clean, well-dressed, and presentable at all times. This is very important for Americans because Cameroonians associate America with money and they assume that Americans have the money to dress well. If an American is not dressed nicely some people think that it might mean that they do not have respect for the people with whom they interact. Needless to say, I have improved my wardrobe so that I can show proper respect, especially since moving to Bamenda and working more regularly at an office. I am American though, so as soon as I get home it's straight into pajamas!

Halloween!

 

Halloween is not celebrated in Cameroon so volunteers usually get together to celebrate the holiday. I wanted to do a costume and such this year but I did not end up having time. I had a good time though watching my traditional Halloween movies with some other volunteers. We watched classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hocus Pocus! It was great!

I think that I will have to have some crazy costume made by one of the tailors here before I return to the States. That way I will be prepared for the following Halloween!

Lake Nyos

View of Lake Nyos from on top of the cliffs.

Lake Nyos is well known for the disaster in August 1986 where the lake suddenly "exploded" and killed over 1,700 people and more than 3,500 livestock. Lake Nyos is one of the three "killer lakes" or "exploding lakes": Lake Nyos, Lake Monoun, and Lake Kivu. Lake Nyos and Monoun are both in Cameroon while Lake Kivu is on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. The "killer lakes" are so called because they are saturated with carbon dioxide and if the water of one of these lakes is disturbed the gas can suddenly be released. When this happens it is called a limnic eruption. Both Lake Monoun and Lake Nyos are crater lakes. Crater lakes form in the caldera, or crater/opening, of dormant or extinct volcanoes. There are many crater lakes in Cameroon but only Nyos and Monoun have the potential to have a "limnic" eruption.

Governor's entourage standing at the dam.

I had the chance to visit Lake Nyos on the anniversary of the disaster with the mayor of the North-West region and many other officials and delegates. I was at the Senior Divisional Officer's office one day waiting for a meeting with him, some Peace Corps Admin, and other Peace Corps Volunteers when I found out that I had arrived several HOURS early. So, since the mayor's office was close by I decided to go and introduce myself to some people there for protocol and to see if I could find any information on natural hazards and disasters of the North-West.

I did my protocol and then tried to find anyone who could tell me anything about the types of natural hazards experienced by the North-West. (I was interested because I am currently going for my master's in Mitigation of Natural Hazards, in case you weren't aware). I was not having much luck. Then finally the Head of Protocol told me that the person who dealt with those things was preparing for a very big meeting the next day and that he could take my number and inform me when the person might be available to talk to me. So, I gave him my number and went back to wait for my meeting.

The next day, August 21st, the Head of Protocol called me and told me that there was going to be a very important meeting that day about the very things I was asking about and that it was going to start soon so I should come right away. I was at work so  I asked my counterpart if I could go and I went. When I arrived at the governor's office I was shown into the conference hall and told to sit in the audience. There were camera crews, delegates, the mayor of the North-West region, and many other important people. Apparently it was the anniversary of the Lake Nyos Disaster in 1986 and the government was giving some continuing disaster relief to the people of the affected areas. This meeting was a press conference for the governor of the North-West region to announce what was being given and when, and to announce that he would be  traveling to meet the Senior Divisional Officer and other delegates at Lake Nyos for an official ceremony of handing over the disaster relief. The governor announced that everyone present at that meeting was invited to come to witness the occasion! So, after the meeting I asked just to be sure that I was included in that invitation and I was!

The following morning I went very early to the governor's office to wait for the group to leave. Almost everyone had shown up. I was in the Head of Protocol's truck, the one he was in not his personal one, with the Head of Protocol, the driver, a news reporter, and three camera men. Yes, this was all in one small Toyota pick-up truck. Finally, we were on our way! The drive was to take five hours and we were getting a late start at 9am, especially since we had to make it back the same day. So, the convoy of trucks and cars and SUVs (almost all Toyota, as most vehicles in Cameroon are) went speeding through the jungle, plains, and hills in the sun and streams and mud and rain. Finally we came to the last hill, at the top of which was Lake Nyos. We went up and everyone got out to look around.

Guard houses a Lake Nyos.

There is the lake and some guard houses and barracks. The only people who are up at the lake constantly are some gendarmes. Then there is the small village of Nyos in the valley near the hill. There was one foreigner there, a Spaniard, who had mountain biked all the way through the North-West region and was going to be going all the way through Cameroon.

The lake is in a crater so it is surrounded by cliffs and hills on all sides except at one point where it lets out and a dam has been built. The plan for the dam is to make it a hydro electrical power plant. From the top of the cliffs around the lake the three de-gassing pipes can be seen sticking out of the water at the center of the lake. By using these pipes the dangerous gas in the lake has been reduced by  about 80%.

Cliffs around Lake Nyos.

Once the Mayor had gone down to the dam at the outlet of the lake, he went to the meeting hall and gave a brief presentation. After that it was back into the vehicles to hurry back to Bamenda. Everyone took off, speeding down the hill and over the bumpy, rocky roads! It was a little frightening as we splashed through ponds left by the rain and the cars were showered with the muddy water. Although we had made our visit to Lake Nyos brief we still found ourselves speeding through the jungle in the dark. Finally, at almost 10 pm, we arrived back in Bamenda where a police escort lead us to a hotel where there was a reception dinner waiting. Even though many people were very tired we stayed after the meal until the Mayor left. As soon as he did leave though everyone else rushed out. I found a moto and went home. I was very tired. The day had been very long even though most of it was spent riding in a car. I'm very glad that I got the opportunity to see Lake Nyos and learn so much about the mitigation efforts going on there.

Moving to Bamenda

Bamenda

Peace Corps decided to move me out of my site for security. I knew that it was the best thing to do but I also knew that I would miss Menji, my projects, and the friends that I had made. I was taken to my village by Peace Corps in order to pack up my house. I expressed to the logistician that I was sad to be moving, that I had projects and work that I felt that I was abandoning by leaving. He told me that safety is paramount, how much can I expect to do for a community if I am always nervous and on edge? I knew that this was true and hearing this made me feel better about moving. He and the driver helped me get through packing up my house and saying goodbye to all of my work partners and friends.

               Within four hours of arriving in my village my house was packed up, I had said goodbye to everyone, and we were on the road to Bamenda. We arrived at my new house just after dark. We got my stuff in the house and said goodbye. It rained but at least the power stayed on! (I don’t know why but almost every time I arrive at a new place the power is out. (China-2009, Nevada-2011, Yaoundé-2013, Menji-2013, Angelique’s site-2014).

               My stuff was scattered all over the living room, or as they call it here, the parlor, and I did not feel like sorting it all out that same night. So, I set up my bed and went to sleep. The next day I started organizing everything and trying to put things in their proper places.

Bamenda  from above.

               I arrived in Bamenda the last night of Ramadan. So, the next day I got to see some pretty impressive motorcycle and car riding in “Old Town”, a mostly Muslim section of Bamenda. I also saw a motorcycle crash, no one was hurt thankfully. Everyone was running around yelling and the people driving were swerving all over. T was very interesting. I had to prepare my house though, so I hope to be able to see more of this celebration next year.

               I have been in Bamenda since the end of July. I have basically got my house completely arranged now. I have all of my furniture and everything that I need. The only thing I need is some work done that I need a technician for; a few things are still not working around the house.

               I really liked my village although I have to admit that being in Bamenda has its benefits. I am a ten minute cab ride from the bank and the main markets and the main super markets and only a five minute walk from any daily needs. It is nice and bad at the same time to be in a city because it is expensive to live in a city, especially on a Peace Corps budget. I am learning to adjust though. I think I will soon be used to it.

Dancing with a Mama in the market!

               I am hoping that being in a city has some advantages in being able to get some good work done. I am excited to see what I can do with so many resources being consistently available and easily accessible. My new host organization is called SIRDEP (Society for Initiatives in Rural Development and Environmental Protection). The office is only about a five minute walk from my house, so it is very convenient. My new counterpart is Elvis although I work closely with Emmerencia as well. Everyone at SIRDEP is so nice! They seem really great! I could not have asked for a nicer group of people to work with. Emmerencia’s daughter just had a baby so I crocheted a baby blanket. She really liked it and appreciated it and now several of the women from the office want me to teach them how to crochet! Now I am working with SIRDEP, looking at projects that they are working on or are trying to start to see how to move forward. It is like having a bunch of homework because there is a lot to read but I am excited to get started.

Kitten-

               While I was in the United States I left my cat with another volunteer who is a friend of mine, Angelique. My cat is still rather young and is sometimes poorly behaved. I am lucky because while I was gone my friend trained her up a bit. She is much better now. She still often misbehaves but it is not nearly as often or as badly as it was before. My friend though says that she does not want to have to watch my cat for that long again! I understand though because I know that my cat can be a handful. And it turns out that my cat who I thought was a girl might actually be a boy! I will be taking my cat to the vet soon to get an expert opinion.

                                            My kitten not long after I got it.

               Sometimes my cat is a hassle but I am also very glad that I have her. She is company when there is no one else, she keeps the number of insects in my house down, and I hope that if there were ever mice or rats (knock on wood) that she would take care of those too.

               She was supposedly born in July but I am not sure that she is fully grown yet. She is still very small, but then many Cameroonian cats are very small. I am hoping that she will calm down as she grows up. I do not mind frenzied out bursts sometimes but three times a day is too much. At least that is how often it was before I left for the States. Now it is more like once a day or once every few days.

               And I guess it is actually a boy. The cat that I have had for almost a year I am just finding out is probably a boy… and he has a girl’s name, gah!