Cameroon Trip Journal from Apr. 23 to May 08, 2008

Updated last May 22, 2008. To return to Cameroon Photos.

Country: Cameroon

Duration: April 23 to May 08, 2008.

Distance Traveled in the Country: Approx. 1800km on the motorcycles, of which 250km on dirt roads.

Most Memorable Impressions:

Yet another country we had conquered in Africa.  It was not easy and we both were exhausted, but Cameroon had its rewards.  Beautiful secluded beaches greeted us in Kribi.  We came to love the local masks and were intrigued by their meaning.  The famous Mamfe to Ekok road we hit in torrential rains.  No more has to be said, as anyone who has done it will understand why we named it "The Road from Hell".  All in all it was a huge accomplishment one that we will never forget. 

Our Favourite:

- Kribi

- Having Pasta, Cheese and Wine with Neels in Douala

Fuel Cost:

594 to 612CFA/litre ($1.50 to $1.55CDN/litre) for Unleaded Fuel.

Accommodations: Wild Camped (1) night, stayed with Neels for free for (7) nights and (7) nights in a hotel for 10,000CFA/night to 25,000CFA/night ($25.00 to 63.00CDN/night).

Exchange Rate:

395 Central African Francs (CFA) = $1.00CDN

Border Formality Costs:          

Visa = 51,000CFA/person ($130.00CDN/person) issued in 48hrs in Brazzaville, Congo, valid for (3) month.

Motorcycle Customs = Free with Carnet de Passage at border and

$430CDN at the Airport (mostly bribe money).

Special Thanks to:  Neels in Douala, who aided us hugely while processing the Visas, motorcycle and carnets.

Thomas, my uncle, who without his help in Germany we would have never got the motorcycle repaired and back in such a short time.  Thanks a million.

April 23, 2008.  Completing the immigration papers takes about 20 minutes and we proceed down the road a few kilometers to the customs office.  Originally we had planned to stay in Ambam, but could not find a place.  We continued another 80km to Ebolowa and found a nice hotel for 10,000CFA/night ($25.00CDN/night).  The room even had a TV, bathroom, fan and mosquito netting. For another 7000CFA ($18.00CDN) we have a nice chicken and rice meal.

April 24, 2008.  From Ebolowa we head north on good pavement to Yaounde, the Capital of Cameroon.  We had no desire to spend any time in the capital and made our way out of the city as quick as possible.  Heading west now the road remains in good condition right up to Douala, the largest city in Cameroon.  We had picked a couple of hotels in the Lonely Planet and got as far as the city hall before being lost.  Here we start asking for directions.  Though we have the street address, it is of little use as street names are not posted and locals refer to landmarks only.  For a 500CFA ($1.26CDN) charge a guy on a scooter tells us that he knows where the Centre d'Accuiel Missionaire is located and will lead us there.  The first place he took us was wrong, the second, though a church, was also not the correct one.  Another man approaches us, a tourist reporter, who seemed to know his way.  After all that the Centre d'Accuiel Missionaire had only one room available with four (4) single beds.  With a simple Douala map in the Lonely Planet, we pick another close by hotel, the Foyer du Marin.  Both of these places were close to the Nigerian Embassy.  Somehow we were not meant to find this place either.  En-route we saw another hotel, the Hotel Mirabel, it looked a bit too fancy for us, but after riding in crazy traffic and the hot sun our determination of cheap accommodation went out of the window.  The room was 25,000CFA/night ($63.00CDN/night) and had air conditioning and secure parking.  Later as I went in search of a market, I actually located the Foyer du Marin Hotel.  At the reception I asked if they had a room available, but they were fully booked for the next two (2) nights. The room was 20,000CFA/night ($50,00CDN/night). Not much cheaper.  The Hotel Mirabel is located in the midst of a very busy street vendor area.  There is motorcycle taxis at every street corner.  The vendors sell everything from generators to cell phones.  The small supermarket had not much selection, but I was able to pick up some chocolate, which had to be eaten right away otherwise it would melt to nothing.  Back in the room, Mike calls Neels.  Neels is a South African working for a large Telecommunication company in Douala.  He had contacted us via e-mail in Brazzaville, Congo and offered to help us with the Nigerian Visa.  We agreed to meet at 6pm.  Right on time he picked us up from the hotel and took us to a nice restaurant located on the river/delta.  We even had a view of Mt. Cameroon.  Neels and we hit it off right away, as we had many common interests.  He told us a story of one of his colleagues last year, who went to a restaurant and on his way back to the hotel was stopped by the police.  As he did not have his passport on him he was arrested.  Neels had to bail him out.  Therefore Neels suggested to get a copy of our passport certified by the police and to carry it at all times.  Especially since we would be without a passport for a few days while applying for the Nigerian Visa.  We agreed to stop in at his workplace the next morning and he would send his security guy to the police to take care of it.

April 25, 2008.  We visited Neels at this office first thing in the morning.  While the security guy took a copy of the passports to the police for certification we talk to some his colleagues about the roads to Nigeria.  There is a very difficult stretch ahead, and is impossible to pass in the wet.  We had seen pictures of other motorcyclists attempting the road and it was not pretty.  Neels colleagues confirm that the Memfe to Ekok road is the only way to Nigeria.  Our next stop is the Nigerian Consulate.  We were told by Neels, who had called the consulate the previous day, that we required four (4) passport pictures, a copy of the passport and 62,000CFA/person ($157.00CDN/person).  At the consulate we are handed the application forms to be completed and asked if we have a letter from the Canadian Government stating that we are tourists traveling around Africa.  Of course, we do not have such a letter (as if the Canadian Government cares).  There is enough proof that we are tourists by looking at our passport which have numerous tourist Visa's from all over Africa. We explain this to him and that we are on the road for almost (8) months.  We thought we had him convinced.  He takes us to the Consul, who straight out denies us a Visa unless we can produce a letter from the Canadian Government.  We are not aware of a Canadian Consulate or Embassy in Douala or in Yaounde.  The Consul gives us the phone number for the Canadian Embassy in Yaounde 300km from Douala.  We return to our hotel, buy a phone card and phone the Canadian Embassy in Yaounde.  We are told the person in charge is on the other line and to call back later.  We return the call 1/2 hour later only to get a recording letting us know that the Canadian Embassy closes at noon on Fridays.  We were almost sure we had to due a 600km return trip to Yaounde to get this letter and wait until Monday before even proceeding.  Meanwhile we called Julia at the Canadian Consulate in Luanda, Angola to see if she could help (we know she would have), but both her and her husband were on vacation until May 21.  Next option was searching the internet.  On the Canadian Voyage website we found that there was a Canadian Consulate in Douala.  We called them and were told that the office closes at 11am on Fridays.  At least we did not have to drive to Yaounde.  We give Neels a call to update him on the days occurrences and he offers to have us stay with him. As we had already paid for Friday night, we took him up on the offer and would meet him in the morning.  With good access to a phone I called Thomas in Germany to get the latest updated on the motorcycle.  I caught him just arriving in Hahn at the Airport to pay for the shipping.  The motorcycle had already left the BMW shop in Sinn and was en-route to the airport.  Of course we wanted to know what was wrong with the motorcycle.  The electronic box for the key ignition had been replaced.  In addition, the battery was upgraded to an AGM Battery again, one Sparkplug cap changed, skid plate mounted (was lost on one of those bad roads) and a new left clutch lever.  A spare AGM Battery and right mirror was included in the side panniers for my motorcycle.  I could tell that Thomas was a bit stressed, he told me that he had convinced the shipper that a pallet is sufficient for shipping.  Now he was battling with the shipper about the weight.  Instead of going by weight they were going to base the cost on volume, though it was on a pallet. The 300kg on the original waybill was based on weight.  The shipper determined a volume, then converted it to weight, which translated to 700kg at 5.56Euro/kg.  My Uncle and I were speechless.  It would cost us four times as much to send the motorcycle back with the same carrier Air France.  In addition customs would hold the motorcycle for 5 days before shipping as per International Law. What International Law? We had shipped from all types of International Airports and never run across that one.  Taking a deep breath, we realize that there is not much we could do.  Thomas loses the battle and at the same time realizes that the German system is not always what he thought it would be.  The motorcycle will sit at the Airport until April 30.  Thank God I had someone reliable like Thomas working on the issue.  My last call is to the BMW shop in Sinn to talk to the mechanic, but he is already gone for the weekend.  The parts guy confirms what had been replaced.  The only outstanding issue was the Carnet de Passage. We had realized that we were running out of pages before the end of the trip.  We e-mail Suzanne Danis at the CAA in Ottawa and within minutes she confirms that renewed Carnet de Passages are being couriered on Monday April 28, 2008.  She is always on the ball.  We give her Neels work address.  What a day.

April 26, 2008.  Neels picks us up from the hotel and takes us to his place. It is a six (6) apartment building.  His flat is at the top level with a good view.  While he is off for a round of golf we use the opportunity to hook up to the internet and start up-dating the website.  In the evening Neels takes us to a local Pizza Place close by which is run by a Harley Rider.

April 27, 2008.  A great bakery run by the Lebanese is our favourite stop in the morning.  They have a huge selection of croissants and pastries and are open on Sundays.  The afternoon we laze away at the pool and in the evening Neels prepared some delicious fresh food.  It is his fault that I am hooked now on Olives.  It is a great snack food.  Neels has incorporated the French eating habits in his life.  We spent hours snacking, eating and drinking wine.

April 28, 2008.  By 8:30am we are in the waiting room of the Canadian Consulate, only to be told that the Consul is on vacation in Canada.  The lady behind the glass wall at first is reluctant to help us and advises us that she would not be able to issue the letter.  She contacts the Canadian Embassy in Yaounde and we speak to Mr. Sano.  He informs Mike that they do not offer this service of issuing a letter of invitation.  Mike explains to him that the Canadian Embassy/Consulate in Egypt and Angola issued them and that we would not be able to proceed on our motorcycle journey without the letter and the Nigerian Visa.  Again reluctantly he asks us to fax him a letter stating our request and we should receive a letter from him in a couple of days.  Mike mentions to him that we had been waiting since Friday and with the up-coming National Holiday on Thursday and Friday that we required the letter by the end of the day. We were asked to return by 3pm.  At 3pm there was no letter and we could not get a hold of Mr. Sano.  Again we are asked to return by 5:30pm to check if a fax came in.  At 5:00pm Mike made another trip to the Canadian Consulate, there was no letter and we still could not get a hold of the person.  In the evening we made pasta and salad with wine and watched Zeitgeist, a very interesting documentary that had been recommended to us by other traveling people. Neels was spoiling us rotten.

April 29, 2008.  Again by 8:30am we were sitting in the lobby of the Canadian Consulate.  The letter still had not been faxed and the person in Yaounde was not reachable.  The lady behind the secure glass windows made a call to the Nigerian Embassy and told them that the Consul was away in Canada and that she was unable to issue the letter for us.  We were advised to show up at the Nigerian Embassy at 11am to meet with the man in charge.  Visas are always a hassle as you have to stay in large cities and navigate crazy traffic, not to mention trying to find the Embassies, as they are notorious for changing locations.  Therefore making our way through traffic, we are punctual at 11am at the Nigerian Embassy.  We are led immediately to the office of the man in charge. He takes all our documents and asked us the whereabouts of the letter from the Canadian Government.  Confused we tell him that the Canadian Consulate had called him earlier to advise that there was no letter.  But it seems in the two (2) hour duration from when we left the Canadian Consulate to arriving at the Nigerian Embassy, a letter from Yaounde had arrived and been faxed.  Yeah.  His assistant went off to look for the fax and returned within minutes.  It takes 48hours to issue the Nigerian Visa and with a holiday on May 01 and 02 followed by the weekend it meant six (6) days waiting for the Visa.  Mike gave him the sad story that we have been in Douala for five (5) days and would like to see the country side, but it would not be possible without our passport due to check stops.  Who knows why, but we were granted a 30 day Tourist Visa and to be picked up three (3) hours later.  But first there was all the suspense of serious face, shuffling of paper and humming and hawing. After saying that he will grant us the Visa, he is all smiles.  I guess it has to be that way.  They all seem to be on this power trip. By 3pm we had our Visa.  In the evening we took Neels out to the Foyer du Marin.  He was off to Paris to visit a friend and his daughter and we decided to head to Kribi and then Limbe (Mt. Cameroon) until Sunday, as the Carnets and the Motorcycle would not arrive until the following week.

April 30, 2008.  We wish Neels a safe and fun trip, as we would see him again on May 05, we head out to Kribi.  Traffic is the worst on the edge of Douala, but then becomes almost non-existent.  There are numerous check stops along the way and it seems that each one wants to talk to us.  But instead of stopping, while the person in uniform whistles and makes hand gestures for us to stop, we wave at them while passing.  They do not have a vehicle, therefore how are they going to catch us.  Most of the time they did not know what to do and though they had guns, they were not prepared to use them. It worked every time. Kribi lies approx. three (3) hours (250km) south east of Douala, directly on the Atlantic Ocean.  The town itself is a small sleepy fishing and port community.  Most of the hotels are along the palm treed waterfront.  We continue south of Kribi toward the Chutes de la Lobe.  A couple of kilometers on the dirt road we see a dilapidated sign reading Auberge Tara Something.  A small trail leads to the place.  At first we were not sure, but it turned out to be the best spot.  Our room was located over top of the river that joined up with the Atlantic Ocean.  For 15,000CFA/night ($38.00CDN/night) we got a room with a view, private bathroom and fan.  There was no one else staying at the place.  At about 1pm it started to rain and did not stop until nightfall.  It forced us to relax for a while.  The restaurant is situated only meters from the ocean on the beach.  We sat on the deck and had a chicken and rice meal.

May 01, 2008.  A few kilometers south of our place are the impressive Chute de la Lobe (waterfalls).  The rain had cleared the haze away.  A perfect day of blue skies and hot sun lay ahead.  By 8am we were at the Chute de la Lobe.  Much larger than expected, the waterfall empties into a pool along the Atlantic Ocean.  We can not resist a dip at the base of the waterfalls. Prior to returning to our Auberge, we stop for a picture at an old church.  A strange custom to us is the burial of family in the front yard of the house.  The grave sites are decorated with tiles and some even have a shrine, including a life size replica of the deceased person.  A quick trip into the village and we pick up some pastry at the bakery.  Back at the Auberge it is relaxing time.  We place two (2) chairs under a tree directly on the beach, meters away from the water.  Besides the occasional swim in the warm Atlantic Ocean (we expected cold water) and a kilometer walk along the beach we did not move all day.  The location of this Auberge turned out to be the best for miles.  There was no other hotel for a kilometer stretch in each direction of the beach.  No other tourists were to be seen, with the exception of a few locals.  We even had a chance to have a fresh coconut. A 12 year old boy opened a coconut for us with his mechadi.  After drinking the liquid, we smashed the coconut into pieces and ate it.  What a lucky find this place was.  As we had not heard any news of the motorcycle leaving Germany, I made a quick call to Thomas.  He had not heard either and told me that he just could not talk to the customs person any longer.  But he would follow up the next day.  In the evening we had Spaghetti Bolognese with French bread on the veranda, watching the sun set (a perfect sun set).  In the distance we could see the outlines of Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea) and Mt. Cameroon. 

May 02, 2008.  Unfortunately all good things have to come to an end.  We had to leave paradise and explore some more of Cameroon.  We returned to Douala on the same route (the only route) and continued westwards to Mt. Cameroon.  The weather was not favorable for us to even get a glimpse of West Africa's tallest mountain.  Nevertheless we decided to go to Buea, located on the side of Mt. Cameroon.  The mountain town was a lot bigger then what we expected.  We climbed from almost sea level to 1009m and were now riding in the clouds. It was not looking good for any type of hiking and we decided to continue to Limbe.  Winding our way down again to sea level, the town of Limbe was a bit of a disappointment after Kribi.  Small, lush green islands dot the coastline.  The town of Limbe is situated between the base of Mt. Cameroon and the Atlantic Ocean.  We took a room for 15,000CFA/night at the Holiday Inn Resort (not at all related to the Holiday Inn Chain).  After checking in we head west of town to Mile 8 to see the lava flow of the 1999 Mt. Cameroon eruption.  One can not miss Mile 8, as the road has disappeared under the lava flow.  We pay a small entrance fee that allows us to walk on a wooded stairway on top of the lava. Just as we reach the top the sky opens up and we are hit by torrential rain.  The winds were unbelievable and I almost did not make it back down.  Totally drenched to the bone we hang out in the ticket office.  While waiting we were shown pictures of the 1999 eruption and one picture of a huge whale that they were gutting.  Two (2) people were sitting inside the gut of the whale.  It was the most disgusting thing ever.  After 1/2 hour the rain lightened up and we rode back to the "Holiday Inn Resort".  We had enough sightseeing for one day and called it a day.

May 03, 2008.  With more rain in the forecast we decide to return to Douala, one day earlier then originally planned.  By noon we are back at Neels place, who is still in Paris.  An e-mail from my uncle Thomas confirms that Mike's motorcycle had left Germany on Wednesday Apr. 30.  We checked on Air France Tracking with the waybill number if it actually arrived on schedule in Douala.  The Cargo plane arrived on Friday May 02 at 4:10pm, but due to the May 01 and 02 holiday it had not been scanned in as received.  Excited we figured to give it a try and see if we could get the motorcycle today (Sat. May 03).  The airport is only a 10 minute ride away.  At the Cargo Depot we are told that there is no receiving on weekends and to return on Monday May 05.  So much for that idea.  Back at Neels place I decide to place all our riding gear in the washing machine.  The gear was unbelievably filthy.  The diesel and dirt just caked on it.  Neels place felt very relaxing almost like being at home.

May 04, 2008.  We did a lot of Internet research on road conditions ahead and Visa inquiries.  We actually found out that Niger had some serious trouble in the last six (6) months.  Mostly kidnapping and robberies of foreigners.  The area we were interested in visiting was Agadez, 500km north of Zinder.  Travel was no longer possible without police convey due to the unrest.  All flights had been discontinued to Agadez.  No curfew had been placed on the town itself as of yet. It did not look very promising.  In addition, an overlander had applied for the Niger Visa in Kano, Nigeria and had to wait five (5) days of continuously harassing the Consulate to get the Visa.  We were not sure what to do.  We could take an alternative route, miss Niger and head west through Nigeria into Benin.  At this point we left the decision open.  With the website almost up to date we were in good shape.

May 05, 2008.  To tell the truth I do not really want to relive this day.  We knew it was going to be a big hassle to get the motorcycle and it was.  All I could think of was a repeat of what happened in Cairo, Egypt in April of 2006 when we flew the motorcycles from Yemen to Egypt and it took us 7 days and a $1000.00 to get them out.  The Air France Office opened at 9am and they confirmed the arrival of the motorcycle.  We were assigned a custom broker (tout who appeared from nowhere) and made our first stop the warehouse to see the motorcycle.  There it was looking just the way we had shipped it from Brazzville, Congo.  At the adjacent office we had to pay the handling fee of 30,000CFA ($76.00CDN) and received the waybill etc.  At this point it seemed all very straight forward.  With the carnet de passage in hand it "should" be as simple as getting an entry stamp and we are on our way.  But that would be in a non corrupt country.  Cameroon is known for its corruptness.  The first person we are to see in regards to the customs/carnet is busy for an hour.  Finally we are able to talk to him and he writes us a note stamped and signed for his superior to complete the carnet.  At this rate we might be on the road in 1/2 hour (10:30am).  The superior had other ideas and explained that we had to go downtown Douala and declare the motorcycle.  We explain to him that with the carnet de passage there is no declaration and that we did not have to declare the motorcycle at the land border.  He insisted that it was different when coming in via air.  Translation more money had to change hands.  At 11am our "Custom Broker" sent someone downtown Douala to get the declaration form.  We waited until 2:30pm to get this form and when we showed it to the superior customs official he indicated that it was wrong.  The value of the motorcycle declaration was too high (it really should be zero in a non corrupt country).  The only way to fix it was to return downtown Douala, cancel the original Declaration and issue a new one.  Which of course would take another day "OR" we pay the 43,000CFA ($109.00CDN).  At this point it was 3:30pm and though it went against our grain to pay a "bribe" we wanted the motorcycle today.  We had battled all day with officials that the Carnet de Passage allows free passage of the motorcycle, but they could not care less.  The motorcycle was locked up behind a gate and unless we had the release form which showed we paid our dues it was not released.  Therefore we paid the 43,000CFA ($109.00CDN) and then were told to pay another 50,000CFA ($126.00CDN) for a mystery form.  We were fuming both inside and outside.  The "custom broker" received $120.00US and the entire fun day cost us a total of $430.00CDN. Smile and please come again.  By 5:30pm we rolled both motorcycles into the courtyard of Neels place.  It felt so good to be riding again.  As promised a spare battery and right mirror were stored away in the panniers.  Mike mounted the battery and wired the GPS.  The motorcycle seemed to run well.  My right mirror had broken off at our crash in Gabon and the mount needed to be rethreaded.  This was a job for our security guy at Neels place who for 3000CFA ($7.60CDN) had it done over night.  On the internet we checked the status of the Fed Ex package from Ottawa, Canada with our renewed Carnet de Passages which had left Canada seven (7) days ago.  It had cleared customs in Douala, but had not yet been delivered.  Neels returned from Paris about 6:30pm and we went to the grocery store for some pasta and sauce, plus other goodies.  If the Carnet de Passages arrived tomorrow this would be our last night with him.  Therefore we made the best of it.  Over some good food and lots of French wine we talked until after midnight.  Neels had gotten us a surprise present, the up-to-date Sept. 2007 Lonely Planet Africa Book.  We had mentioned once that the 2004 version was quite out of date, but at the start of our trip the new version was not yet available. There are no words for how thoughtful a gesture like that is.  Neels you are truly a wonderful person.  We have been lucky on this trip to have met people like Robert in Addis, Ethiopia, Morgan & Kate in Durban, South Africa and Neels in Douala, Cameroon.  There generosity has made a huge difference in our trip around Africa.  Thank you all.

May 06, 2008.  It started to rain heavy during the night.  If the Carnet de Passages arrived in the morning we would leave by noon.  All our gear had to be reorganized and packed.  The mirror was mounted, but the rain did not let up.  After 10am Neels e-mails us that the Fed Ex Package had arrived.  We had also two (2) large boxes to be mailed back to Canada.  On the street we had purchased one (1) Gabon Mask, one (1) Cameroon Mask and one (1) Nigerian Mask for a total of 20,000CFA ($50.00CDN).  Priceless.  Neels had told us that the postal system was not very reliable and packages mysteriously disappeared.  DHL was unfortunately way too expensive.  Therefore we went to the Post Head Office downtown Douala.  Quite an experience as well.  A lady behind a desk in the middle of a hall, takes the packages and weighs them.  Each comes in at 1.8kg & 3.5kg respectively.  I doubt that they were that heavy, but the weighing conveniently occurs in a hidden away room. The cost is 50,300CFA ($127.00CDN) for both packages. Done deal as we could definitely not carry them with us.  In the back of my mind I was thinking it would be a shame if the masks would not make it back to Canada.  The lady surprised me as she pulled out a Canada Post labeled bag and placed the packages inside.  She told me it would take two (2) weeks.  Maybe there was hope.  Our next stop was Neels office to pick up the Carnets and say Good-bye.  Of course I got all emotional.  It was like leaving home, the next final leg of our adventure lay ahead.  I was a bit scared.  Thanks again Neels for everything you have done for us and we hope you will take the opportunity to visit us in Canada one day.  By 1pm we rolled out of Douala westward and then north to Bafousam.  After 4 1/2 hours we arrived in Bafousam.  The rain had stopped in Douala around noon and the forecast indicated no rain for the following day.  Our window of opportunity lay in one day to make it from Bafousam to Ekok, also known as the Road from Hell and impassable in the rain.  In Bafousam we stayed at the La Manor for 17,000CFA/night ($43.00CDN/night).  We are both physically tired and the stress of the previous weeks was making itself shown.  In the restaurant we had a good plate of Spaghetti Carbonara. Though tired we were anxious of the day ahead and did not get much sleep.

May 07, 2008. By 7am we made our way out of Bafousam toward Dschang.  The first 60km are paved to Dschang.  In Dschang the road narrows to a dirt trail and at first we questioned if we are on the correct route.  After asking a couple of locals, we confirm this dirt road is the way to Mamfe.  The road winds it way to over 1700m in elevation.  At yet another unmarked intersection a police officer confirm the direction and warns of the steep and windy descent to 300m.  It is quite a spectacular view and the road becomes rutted and more difficult to navigate.  At least we were in the dry.  We arrive in Mamfe at 3pm, riding all day without a break.  It had taken us eight (8) hours to cover 190km.  Black dark looking clouds were forming all around us.  The most difficult stretch of road still lay ahead.  Mamfe to Ekok is 70km of what you can not really call a road.  The rain was moving in and we decided to push on.  Every kilometer passed in the dry is better then battling the mud in the rain.  Unless you have driven the road yourself, no one can image its condition.  Sometimes we would drive 1 km in 1 hour.  Every few hundred meters were huge mud/water holes.  Most of them too deep to get the motorcycle through.  A muddy single tire track would lead through the jungle to by-pass the mess.  At one point the road looked like a war zone.  Here we hired three (3) local guys to help push the motorcycles through the mud.  The rain was holding back and only a few drops would fall, but we knew it was going to come.  25km into it, the sun was setting, we came upon two (2) large semi-trucks, stuck and buried to the windshield of the cab, blocking the road completely.  Local boys had built a make shift trail around the mess.  We learn that the trucks had been stuck here for three (3) days and they had been working continuously to free them.  Meanwhile it took us one (1) hour to get through the make shift by-pass with three (3) guys pushing and pulling the motorcycles.  It was now almost 8pm and completely dark.  We pushed on to the next settlement.  Locals offered us the community hall to set up our tent to stay somewhat out of the rain.  Too exhausted to cook anything we each had a power bar, all the calories for the day.  We almost had made it half way.  Our greatest fear became reality as the sky opened up and torrential rain engulfed us (the sound was deafening).  It rained and rained, and with every passing hour we got more worried.  What to do?

May 08, 2008.  It had poured rain solid for at least eight (8) hours, the community hall was starting to flood.  At 8am we start taking down the now wet tent and packed up the motorcycles.  Again we ask ourselves what to do, the rain did not stop and we decide to go for it and push on.  Within minutes of pushing the motorcycles onto the muddy road, we realize that it is a bloody mess.  We had gotten stuck already and were covered in mud.  It is one of those moments where you want someone to tell you what to do.  Both feet on the ground we started walking the motorcycles meter by meter.  It was super slippery.  We battled all day and won.  Mud hole after mud hole we conquered and would tell each other, another one down.  Some sections seemed impossible to pass.  At one time Mike's motorcycle was sitting upright stuck in the mud and in water to the seat.  Again local guys came to the rescue.  Everyone is in bare feet and we all jump into the waist deep water pushing the motorcycle out.  We had shut off the engine before water could come into the air intake.  But still it made a funny gurgling sound.  The locals were amazing always helpful and smiling.  Asking how we liked the road.  I had given it the name "The Road from Hell".  They were used to it.  The water in one muddy hole was almost 2m deep, we battle our way through a by-pass.  The two (2) trucks which had been stuck for three (3) days catch up to us.  But this mud hole is too deep for them.  They hire locals from the settlement and they start removing the water with buckets.  It will take them all day or longer to get it passable.  The rain stopped mid afternoon and by 4pm we reached Ekok.  The GPS indicated 4km/hr we had done on average.  What an unbelievable accomplishment.  We had made it through.  At the border post, we are told that the road had not been graded in over a year and is in really bad condition, no kidding.  Everyone was cheerful, including us.  I changed some CFA to Nigerian and we said good-bye to dirt/mud and hello to pavement.  A large bridge divides Nigeria from Cameroon.  We did it.

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