Yaounde was getting a bit ‘too comfortable’ for our liking and the trip was in danger of stalling. So, after bidding goodbye to fellow biker travelers - Masa (Japanese) and Mike (British) - over just a few more beers, we set off for eastern Cameroon and the border with the Central African Republic (C.A.R). This is Pygmy country. The original people of this area have been around for over 10,000 years! They only average 150cm in height and like true dwarfs live in the forest. Their homes resemble four men dome tents and are made from grass and leaves. Easy to erect and even easier to bring down

Keeping with tradition we stayed off the main thoroughfares and took some side roads towards Yokadouma. Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea considering its the wet season (mind you we’re not known for our sanity ). It did prove difficult and we had a few ‘offs’ putting a couple more dints into the panniers. We were compensated however with some unique village encounters and a real jungle ambience.

The border formailities were simple enough on the Cameroon side but true to reputation, the C.A.R officials did their best to milk some $’s out of us. It wasn’t anything like the horror stories that we have heard about and after some ‘creative’ discussions we left the border post without a single bribe paid! One thing we’ve learned is that you have to be friendly but firm. The demands will quickly change from ‘official processing fees’ to pathetic pleas for ‘coffee money’. We stuck to our guns and refused to pay a single cent!

Over the border, the roads didn’t get any better and neither did the scamming by the police, army, the presidents guard and anyone else that can put a log across the road and call it a check point. It cost us some time and patience but we didn’t wilt and kept all our money in our pockets. The only time we paid a ‘white guy’ levy was just before the village of Nola which can only be reached by crossing two rivers. Without a bridge in sight you’re at the mercy of the ‘kids’ operating the barge. Negotiation was long and detious but we managed to talk them down from US$30 to US$8. Apparently the locals pay US$2

The C.A.R is the poorest and most undeveloped African country we have visited so far. Electricity is only sporadically available in the capital (Bangui), asphalt covers a mere 300km of the road system, most houses are made out of mud and the average person lives on less than a US$1 a day. Mind you petrol is expensive at US$1.50 and the cheapest beer is $2.00!!

The number of Pygmee villages increased the closer we got to Dzangha Sangha National Park (our main objective while in the C.A.R). In one village we met some more Polish priests (it’s becoming a trend ) who gave us the royal treatment complete with accomodation, food and a few shots of Polish vodka! They were a wealth of information about the Pygmee culture and even allowed us to join a hunting trip some of the Pygmies had organised. We spent a whole day (machete in hand) trying to keep up with the nimble hunters as they raced around the forest, repeatedly setting up their nets and catching anthing that they encircled. On this particular day they caught 11 antelopes which were later cooked up and served with maniok (their equivalent to our potato). We were invited to join the feast complete with singing and storytelling. An unforgettable day!

The Dzangha Sangha National Park is well known for its gorillas and elephants. It’s cheaper to see them in the C.A.R than in other places such as Uganda or Rwanda, however we were still surprised by the pricelist presented to us by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) which runs the park. They seem to have a monopoly so perhaps its not surprising. Luckily negotiating/bargaining is not restricted to the local markets and we managed to drive the price down a bit.

To save on park entry fees we planned to see the gorillas and elephants on the same day. This meant an early start as it takes about 1.5hrs of driving and another 2hrs of walking just to get to the gorillas. In all honesty they were disappointing Makumba, a Silver Back and the leader of the group (which we saw just 3 meters away) was impressive, weighing in at around 250kg and about 2 meters tall!

But the rest was a let down and we just didn’t get the buzz we were expecting. Yes, they’re in their natural habitat, but with all the guides and trackers it felt like a bit of a ‘wild’ zoo. The elephants on the other hand were hypnotizing. They could be seen at a large clearing that is rich in mineral salts which the elephants indulge in. We counted over 50, though in the dry season you can get over 150 of them boring their trunks into the mineral rich mud holes.

From Bayanga (the major village in the Dzangha Sangha NP) we rode back to the broder with Cameroon via Berberati. Originally we planned to head further north in the C.A.R but reports of renewed rebel fighting meant we re-entered Cameroon a little sooner. Back in Cameroon the roads didn’t improve and we were surprised to arrive in Bertoua in one piece, given the corrugations!

From Bertoua it was silky smooth asphalt (the first time in over 1000km) to Garoua-Boulai where we find ourselves now. Next its further north into the Mandara mountains…