A Week in Cameroon

The palace of the Sultan of Bamun in Fumban is the imposing mansion of an enduring traditional people. The dynasty started in the 14th century, and in the 18th century, the Bamun devised their own alphabet in the century before any Europeans arrived. The museum holds elaborate masks worn by the Bamun warriors who were members of a undivulged secret society. The museum also holds a two faced carved Janus emblem, a tradition which some how made its way from Europe before the first Germans arrived here.

My week in Cameroon has been full of such rich discoveries as I have traversed the country by motorbike, taxi, and minibus, from Yaounde to Bamenda to Limbe and now Doulua. We have traveled in fast forward in preparation for the Global Youth Partnership for Africa Cameroon Immersion which begins this afternoon when 10 American students land in Doulua to spend two weeks traveling and engaging with their Cameroonian counterparts on issues related to youth and the Millenium Development Goals. Keep track of our adventures on the trip blog here.

I've enjoyed romping around the country with Augustine Alang, my counterpart from our Cameroonian partner organization CAMYOSFOP. He is a energetic fellow and has led the charge through long bus rides and repeated 13 hour work days.

However, amid the rampant planning I was able to steal a moment one evening in the beach town of Limbe to gaze, over the palm trees and bright oil flares in the distance, out at the western coast of the Atlantic Ocean, and contemplate my first week on this side of the continent.