Cameroon is full of contrast.
You
see a huge mansion is being built in back of a very primitive market. This is
typical. You frequently see extreme cases co-existing right next to each other.
These
ladies were all dressed up, but there was no suitable place which matched their
clothing for them to stand to take a good
picture. This field below the parking lot was the best we could do!
Natural
beauty is easy to find, but you see people dumping garbage literally every where.
While you often see modern houses, this kind of dwelling place is also very common.
This one may not have electricity and /or water.
Private homes usually have running water but it costs
money. In
the "city", you can always carry water from a communal water faucet
which is free.
Religion
is a very important part of Cameroonian life, but witchcraft and superstition also
play a role - even for educated people.
This
bus company has a very appropriate name for itself, as the "express bus"
always requires passengers to have a lot of "Patience". Tom was
brave enough to try them once. They do not have a regular schedule - when the bus
is filled it will leave the station..
In
Cameroon, this is also common for us. While we are using the best
available high tech computer equipment, it's not unusual to use them in conjunction
with candles and flash lights when the electricity is off.