Travel from my village is done by hitchhiking. To go from my
village to any of the surrounding villages or to town, I head out to the road
and flag down any car or bike that passes.
There are bush taxis that go back and forth from the
outlying villages to Mamfe and make drops from village to village. Bush
taxis in my area are just everyday sedans. The extraordinary thing about them
is just how many people, animals, and belongings they can fit. Imagine a Toyota
Corolla; the trunk is packed with anything from petrol to bushels upon bushels
of plantains. And obviously the contents are stacked to the point that the trunk
lid is straining on its hinges. Now for the seating situation: Three places in
the back? Pssh, no way! Four, even five passengers! What about the front seat?
Place for one? What?! And waste all that space? Two passengers! Some drivers
are kind enough to have a flat pillow that they’ll place on the center console
for your “comfort.” Surely the driver gets his own seat, right? Don’t be
ridiculous! What does he need all that space for? Some lucky passenger gets to
sit half on the driver’s seat, half on the center console and in between the
driver and the stick shift. I mean, I can’t think of anything more appealing
that having a stick shift rammed into my thigh each time a gear change is
needed. It's a cozy way to get your daily dose of adrenaline, all while meeting locals in semi-intimate scenarios. And you will figure out all kinds of new and interesting ways to fold your
body as small as it can possibly go.
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| Not all passengers are human |
One thing I’ve learned: never be in a hurry to get anywhere
because things will never go as planned. Once in a blue moon you might get
where you’re going no problems or unexpected stops, but the last time I
checked, the moon is still white.
Here are a few scenarios that are bound to happen as you try
to get from Point A to Point B:
A mama holding two babies will get in the car and hand you
one. The best part of this scenario is the baby is just as shocked at the
situation as you. It will stare at you with wide eyes and then start to cry.
You will eventually calm him and he will put his sticky hand in your mouth.
As you’re waiting by the road, some well-intentioned (rather
intoxicated) person will grab your belongings and drag you to a bar to take a
drink while you wait. You will sit there missing all the cars that pass on the
road as the people you’re sitting with half-heartedly yell your destination at
them.
You get in the car clearly saying your destination. You will
then get dropped at a location that was not your intended destination. The
exciting part of this scenario is that you get to pay for two rides, your ride
to said strange location and your ride to where you actually wanted to go. That
is, if you can find a ride to where you actually wanted to go…
Sometimes after a trip to town, you’ll be waiting at the car
park for hours. The drivers, most of whom are jovial and welcoming, will quiz
you on what Cameroonian dishes you know. You may even get a free meal of
whatever they’re having! This is a fantastic way to get to know the drivers and
it certainly doesn’t hurt to be friendly with the people responsible for
picking you up on the side of the road or making sure you get home.
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| Birds-eye view of the Mamfe carpark |
Travel here is like trick or treating. Sometimes you get the
king size candy and sometimes you get… raisins. Either way it’s already too hot
here to sweat the small stuff so take it in stride.
All in all, Cameroonians are a hospitable, easygoing people
who aren’t in a rush to get anywhere. Pull up a chair, grab an Export, and join
in.
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| The Bible verse on the back will keep me safe, right? |
