Even major roads become muddy English-speaking Cameroon poorness of the road network and independence movement of the Federal Republic of South Cameroon

Hello, Bike around the worldTakuya SAITO @ Chalidermanis. Next to Nigeria I will enter Cameroon. It was a muddy to surprise from the border to Bameda in the highland city. The wheel of the truck can not move because it is buried in mud ...... It is not such a way. I felt doubt why it was not paved. I realized the disparity between the English-speaking countries and the French-speaking countries in Cameroon. That is why independence movement is taking place in the English-speaking Cameroon. They summarized the trip to Cameroon 's capital Yaounde centering on them. Running while being covered with mud.

British city Bamenda in English-speaking Cameroon is around here

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We ran for 4 days from the city border with Cameroon, Ikom in Nigeria to Bamenda, a highland city in English-speaking Cameroon. Both English and French are official languages ​​in Cameroon. Because it was a dirt road, it was covered with mud.

It was raining in Ikom in Nigeria. Peeping from hotel, drenched laundry.


When walking in the city brown water will be drained vigorously. Perhaps this was a premonition of the future.


I entered Cameroon. Although I was standing that there might be some trouble, I went smoothly to leave Nigeria and to Cameroon. A river flows along the border and crosses a big bridge.

◆ Day 1

And a dirt road begins.


The road condition is not bad, and they were optimistic, "I can run if this is the case." However, I can not go so well.


A muddy appears immediately.


I can not run in high viscosity mud. I push it.


It can not be pressed. I lifted it and carried it.


A stupid road will block you.


If it can not run without mud I can run.


It is easy to run if the ground is solid. But even ...


This is probably a tact that the truck is stuck.


The driver was digging in front of the non-moving track with a scoop. While detouring.


It is supposed to be a road here. The mud swallows the shoes and the foot does not go up.


These super heavy trucks gouged the ground and the road looked like a wave.


Proceed on muddy water in Nyuronu. I hope that I can run this without coming down yet.


So much shoes will get dirty.


On the first day I ran to Eyumoiok. It is a small town with a very remote boundary, but it was saved because there was a firm accommodation. As water also exits properly, clean dirty clothes and bicycles as well. Even so, I got tired.


◆ Day 2

The road on the second day was better compared with yesterday.


I will run through the forest.


I passed several small settlements.


Children are looking interestingly on a strange bike full of luggage.


By bicycle trip, you can experience the earth exactly.


I can not run without refueling fuel. During lunch.


Although it is better than yesterday, this day was eventually covered with mud.


On the second day I ran to the city of Mamfe. I also washed the bicycle at the cheapest day.


Because it is Sunday, Mamfe's market was not available.


◆ Day 3

Climbing uphill from Mamfe starts. When stopped, I was surrounded by children.


It was a paved road for a while from Mamfe, but it was under construction in a section. I broke the rock and was making a new way.


Proceed through the road before being paved.


Construction ended here and a new road was finished. Good news.


If it was paved, I would climb any slope.


As it became muddy this day, wash the bicycle lightly with the water flowing from the rock in the street.


A comfortable paved road will not last long. The dirt road will start again. Responsibility of climbing up the hill.


I am running on unpaved roads while getting exhausted.


On the third day, where I was approaching the limits of physical fitness, there was a city and a cheap hotel, so I rounded up my driving earlier than planned. The common shower of the cheap hotel is a bucket, the toilet is a hole!


◆ Day 4

From this morning too, the weather is not clear. Still it had only to go forward. Because it is rainy season anyway, it was divisible as it would be.


Unfortunately I do not have pictures because I was running in the rain on the fourth day. I was desperate. Raise the altitude 700 m by the unpaved road 20 km from the inn. This section was the hardest.

If you rotate the pedal with the mud attached to the tire, the wheel will run idly and it will not run well. The mud that contains water firmly is like a mud that is prepared for those who are incorrect with a quiz show that chooses whether the answer is maru or vigor and runs vigorously. This sticky mud is a field soil that can be made with delicious potatoes. I was running carefully so as not to overthrow. The mud scrapes the brake shoe, and the effectiveness of the brake gets sweeter. As it became it was a downward slope, but clenched the brake lever and only had to go slowly. I finally got the force like a cloth that was squeezed out and arrived at Bamenda at last as it became helpless. Bamenda 's altitude is about 1200 m and I came to the highland after a long absence. This is the unpaved section so far, the paved road will continue from here.

At the hotel in Bamenda, I cleaned everything that got dirty.


Rainwater is stored in the tank from the roof of the hotel in Bamenda. I was surprised at this dynamic height difference. I washed the bicycle here. It was only washing the bicycle for 4 days on the unpaved road.


The way from the Nigerian border to Bamenda was terrible. As I ran in the rainy season, the road was covered with mud so hard. In the dry season, it may have been easy to run a little. But, that alone can not be over. This bad road doubted the policy indifference of the Cameroon government against the English-speaking Cameroon.

Cameroon was a German colony until the end of the First World War. When Germany loses the war, all overseas colonies are abandoned, divided into British Cameroon and French Cameroon, and each is governed. When it became independent, the northern part of British Cameroon joined Nigeria which was also British, and the southern part of British Cameroon made Cameroon Federal Republic with French Cameroon. Here both English and French are the official languages ​​of Cameroon. Cameroon in the English-speaking world had only one-fifth of the French-speaking world and was a minority. However, autonomy was recognized under the name of the Federation, and consideration was given as it was. However, if Cameroon only has an authoritarian regime, it will become a morose. Although it is now democratized Cameroon, there is no substitute for the structure in which the French-speaking world takes power, but there is also a movement to repel in the English-speaking world. In the English-speaking world of Cameroon, independence movement is also taking place as the Federal Republic of South Cameroon (Ambazonia Republic).

Because there are many unpaved roads, there were no objects in the village near the border of Nigeria. There are a few Nigerian products left. However, when entering the French-speaking area, it was overflowing with the goods of its own country. It is the same even in Ambam, the border city with Gabon where the paved road continues. That is why the loneliness near the Nigerian border was outstanding. Logistics will not remain on such a rough road. I felt the intention to avoid the influence of Nigeria which is the same English-speaking area. Also, English-speaking Cameroon is composed of North-West and South-West states bordered by Nigeria. Pavement paths do not pass through between the largest cities Bamenda (North West Province) and Limbe (South West Province) of these two provinces. Baffousam in Bamenda, Duala in Limbe and once in French do not run through the paved road. The poorness of the road network of this English-speaking Cameroon was even a question of foreigners themselves. Because foreigners feel that way, it will be unbearable for those who actually live.

However, a new road was being built for the Bamenda from the Nigerian border, and it seemed that the whole road was paved within a few years. There seems to be involvement of the Chinese government in this paving, the director of the Chinese was conducting. This pavement also recently did not feel like the government finally got a heavy back as a relaxing measure against the independence movement of English-speaking Cameroon. At the end of 1999, in the main city Buea of ​​the English-speaking Cameroon, a radio station is occupied by some power insisting on independence, and there is a case that the tape with the declaration of independence is sent away. Either way, Cameroon, an industrialized country in central Africa, and Nigeria 's trunk line in the regional superpower can open up, so we can not keep an eye on how the logistics of both countries holding economic sovereignty in this region will change.

When I leave Bamenda, I will raise the altitude. It is higher than clouds, and it is high enough to see afar.


The highest altitude was 1830 m, the air was cool and felt comfortable.


The plateau was also spreading along the way.


I left Bamenda and got to Baffoussam. Baffousam will be in French speaking.


Room of Baffousam's inn that was spacious and comfortable.


From the room I could see the cityscape of Baffousam.


Buildings are lined up as if they were covered.


It is along the busy road of Baffousam.


With the Cameroon who became friends in the dining room.


I ran from Baffousam to Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon. Pleasant green.


A motorcycle parked beside a motorbike taxi. When I returned, I was united with the surroundings, so I passed straight without noticing it. I was laughed.


Banana leaves are hanging a lot of bird's nests.


It seems to have made leaves.


Bring me the leaves picking up from somewhere ... ...


I will make nests in this way. Many birds were making nests, so the neighborhood was very lively.


We arrived in Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon. A one-time goal is achieved.


I entered Africa from Morocco in January of this year and southwarded the West Coast. The destination of this West African journey was until Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon. Gabon in the south of Cameroon, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), Angola have little information on travels, countries finally ended the civil war, and the situation has just settled down recently. So, if it was difficult to run, I planned to fly from Cameroon. However, it seems that even if you collect information, you can not run. As it is, I will go south on the west coast of Africa.

The sky of Yaounde who had many clouds of clouds.


This Yaounde was preparing for Central Africa.

(Sentence / picture:Takuya SAITO @ Chaliderman
Cycling around the world for a bicyclehttp://shuutak.com)