HI Guys,

My route over the last couple of days.

I am settled in nicely in Yaounde while sorting out some visas and getting some washing done. I found a nice routine to keep myself busy. Coffee in the morning, some errands during the day, lunch at a small restaurant, hotel room to miss the midday heat, dinner at small restaurant and ending the day with a soft serve ice cream.

My time is up though and I am ready to move on. I should have all my papers sorted out this afternoon and hopefully will be back on the road tommorow morning.

I ended last week with the trip up from Oyem, Gabon to the Capital Yaounde in Cameroon. The road wasnt that long only 400 odd kilometeres but it took most of the day. The roads are good tarmac but the travelling is slow through all the villages and winding bends through the jungle. The border post on the Gabon side had me busy for an hour or so. I kept having to stop and sign in everywhere and then wait for an official and then after waiting 30 min I was told to go back and forth…

I eventually made it to frontier Cameroon. This is where west Africa really starts.

The road up from Oyem.

The bike clocked over to 70000km and still going strong.

I made a rookie mistake. The ADV bikers will be cracking themselves pretty soon. While in Ipod mode I kept checking for the equator. Well not often enough I guess. When I realised I missed the divide between northern and southern hemisphere I was 80km passed already. I felt like a chop. I couldn’t turn around as I was low on fuel and the backtrack would get me stuck without fuel.

Anyways I pushed on and arrived in the smog filled city of Yaounde. I was trying to find the suburb Hlongkak as the Lonely Planet said it’s the most central point for embassies etc. After a couple of hours driving around and asking around I made it to the Hotel Ideal.

Hotel Ideal

The next day I headed of to the Nigerian Embassy. I handed in my passport after some protest from the guy behind the counter. He told me to get the visa in SA. I kept cool and put on a sorry face. It worked and told me to go make some copies and come back in 2 days.

I also got round to servicing the bike and giving it a good look over. I bought the Haynes Manual before I left SA and I must say that it’s the most thorough manual I own.

Servicing.

The pannier is coming along nicely.

My small restaurant and the first good food on the trip.

Soft serve at R2 or CFA100… bargain!

My internet café.

Some pics of the city.

I don’t have much more news. Yaounde is busy, very busy with taxi’s and people everywhere. I enjoyed my time here, but now I am off to the coast and then on to Nigeria. I am hooking up with some family there so I am really looking forward!

Have a good weekend. I will be checking in again from somewhere next to the sea.

Cheers
Riaan
Yaounde, Cameroon

Too Leandro who’s birthday its today. Hoop jy het n groot een buddy! and also my girlfriend Deidre who’s birthday is on Saterday! Happy Happy Babe! Wens ek was daar, maar ek sal daar in gedagte wees!