Alicia Ortego
An African bean
We got to Kribi after taking a small road from Yaoundé. Most of the hotels are beachfront since this is a tourist area for the citizens of Cameroon. In August, however, during monsoon season, the town is very quiet. We had a walk in the sand and enjoyed some of the views before heading to dinner. It was quite windy, cool, and very cloudy, but the water was a good temperature. I was struck by the beach. Towering palms interspersed with other "kola nut" trees that give plenty of shade and offer little seats in their huge roots that grow up into the air. The shore is littered with large seeds, red tones, remains of fish from fishermen and boats here and there.
These boats are built with large logs, I guess brought from the nearby jungle and then pierced and molded with axes until they take shape, in one piece. They are very long and it takes several men to enter and exit the water. That day there was little activity because the fishermen go out to sea every two or three days. Most of the population of the south coast of Cameroon is Christian and are generally very different from those who inhabit the North - physically as well. Their faces are wider and their bodies are very muscular but with smaller stature. We noted that the gestures and characters were different too. Here, as in any tropical place, the pace was very, very slow. But, we also found more friendliness and bursts of humor. If anything can be found in Cameroon, it is definitely variety. Some even refer to it as "Little Africa"!
Read more



+8