Bafoussam

Bafoussam, West Province, Cameroon

We’ve been to Bafoussam twice now during our time in Cameroon. Bafoussam is the capital of the West Province. Many things can be bought there that might be unavailable in smaller towns like motorcycles, cheese, hardware, and most things one would buy in a supermarket. Yes, I know that was a random list! The first thing that stood out to me about this town was the condition of the the roads–they are extremely bumpy. For the most part they are paved, but imagine crevices the depth of roadside ditches cut across the road perpendicular to its direction. Voila! The roads of Bafoussam. Some of these become ponds filled with muddy rainwater. Even the SUV in which I rode for my first trip there bottomed out several times. There are two main markets, Marché A and Marché B. The latter is where one can find food and the former is for everything else!

We passed through Bafoussam most recently during our visit to our future post. Transportation in Cameroon is a lot like amusement park rides! If you don’t mind being stuffed into a rusty metal compartment with wheels on the bottom, along with a bunch of people & possessions (and possibly goats), you’re good to go. The taxi we took from Bafoussam to our post had a make-shift handle on the trunk but no latch, so it bounced up and down while we drove. I was eyeing our belongings pretty carefully to make sure they didn’t fly out along the way. Our seats were so worn-in that all I could feel were the springs. I have to give it to the Cameroonians though–most vehicles here are imported second-hand from Europe (at least that’s what I’ve been told), and are kept in surprisingly good condition for their age. And the Cameroonian drivers could school a New York cab driver any day of the week. In all honesty, I have to say getting around here is a lot of fun. There is always something unexpected, which makes every day into an adventure.