To the Motherland, and Beyond

This Saturday, I’m going to Kenya. It is quite literally a dream come true. I am so excited to see all of the cultural and natural beauty that I experienced through magazines and TV up close and personal. Going to a primate conference in Nairobi is not how I ever imagined getting there, but it works for me! In anticipation of this trip, I started thinking about my first trip to Africa, to Cameroon back in 2014. What an incredible experience. I was there for a professional development workshop (see my research page) but got so much more out of it.

The airport in Yaoundé was a little different than any other. I had to show my luggage receipt in order to get my checked bag (good thing I didn’t lose it!). There were also several money changers at the door, ready to exchange Central African Francs (cfa) for foreign currency (perhaps at a better rate than formal financial institutions). On the way home to the US, there were people administering polio vaccines at security – I’d never seen that at the airport before! But like all airports, it was filled with lots of people trying to get to their next destination.

The lady instructors and participants of the CABAlliance workshop and COACh workshop. Photo Credit: Vanessa Apkenas

I was supposed to meet the workshop TAs, the driver and the rest of the students arriving that day. Luckily, one of the TAs was a colleague from UCLA (where I was attending grad school at the time). He recognized me, while everyone else was not quite expecting a black foreigner to be participating in the course (local students were participating but not arriving at the airport), and he teased me for already being mistaken for a Cameroonian. I didn’t really mind, and it set the tone for the rest of the trip. Everywhere I went from then on, I was taken for a local. It was interesting having people approach me and start conversing in French and being confused when my ability to communicate was limited to “ça va?”, “bon, ça va?”! On a few occasions, when I didn’t admit to my foreign posing quickly enough, some subsequently tried a few local dialects until a meekly whispered “English?” at them.

But people were mostly great and were intrigued to learn I was American. They’d ask me questions about my background and comment on how I could certainly be Cameroonian, and speculated on which ethnic group my features might correspond to. I loved being so fully embraced by a culture to the point of being claimed. Only one person ever implied that it foolish for me not to know where in the motherland I came from, and I didn’t have the energy, patience or will to disrupt all the other good vibes I was getting to explain to him why such was the case. Outside of this, and despite the occasional extortion at checkpoints by local police while traveling between cities and rarely some (understandable) impatience on the part of vendors dealing with confused foreigners – the trip was extremely pleasant for me.

The workshop in Yaoundé, organized by CABAlliance (Central African Biodiversity Alliance), lasted 7 days. We learned about various statistical methods in ecological research, opportunities to work in Central Africa and networked with local researchers and students.

​The food provided during the workshop was amazing and included local cuisine like cassava, ndolé (bitterleaf) and plantains as well as some obviously French-inspired bread and beignets. There was one restaurant “JC”, which I would call a chicken shack if it were in the US, that was hands down a workshop favorite thanks to its popular rotisserie fried chicken. I did notice though the chickens there were a lot smaller than ours here (damn US hormones!). The spices and flavors of food were so different and amazing. It was a pleasure and a blast to meet so many people and the closing party at the end of the workshop was a testament to that. I had a great time sharing a last meal and learning regional dances to local music from other participants.

After the workshop, we were able to explore a bit more of Cameroon. Our first stop was in the coastal city of Limbe. We arrived by car in the evening so we had dinner on the beach, which consisted of fish freshly caught only meters away, grilled at the shore and served with what I can only describe as a kind of chutney. So…freaking…good. There is nothing quite like seeing the process of how your food is acquired and made from beginning to end. The next day, we visited the Limbe Wildlife Centre which rescues and rehabilitates wild animals, including apes like chimpanzees and gorillas. In addition to rescue, the center is active in conservation and community programming. They also have some cool opportunities for volunteer work that you can check out here.

Engaging in deep conversation. Photo Credit: Jen Tinsman

Enjoying dinner with friends on Limbe beach!

Delicious fresh fish caught off the shore of Limbe.

At Limbe Wildlife Center, there is an awesome gorilla cutout that gives a sense of how beast these apes are!

Seeing how I stack up against a muscle bound gorilla.

From Limbe, we passed through the coastal city of Douala (the financial capital and Cameroon’s largest city) on our way to Ebo Forest. We didn’t spend more than one night in this bustling city but it was clearly a business center and the streets were crowded with vendors selling everything from food to clothing to electronics. It was a good last opportunity to pick up any needed supplies before heading to the wilderness.

Gorilla enclosure at Limbe Wildlife Center.

Apparently, it is not uncommon for these very intelligent primates to occasionally escape from enclosures at Limbe Wildlife Center! Though it didn't seem that they ever wandered too far.

Beautiful light fixtures crafted from recycled plastic and glass bottles at the Limbe Wildlife Center - Anne's Cafe.

Gorilla enclosure at Limbe Wildlife Center.

A "Mona monkey" at the Limbe Wildlife Center.

Interesting cocktails on the menu...at Limbe Wildlife Center - Anne's Cafe

By far, my favorite part of the trip was the time spent in Ebo Forest. To get there, we drove from Douala to a remote village on the edge of the forest. From there, we trekked in 18km (that’s roughly 11 miles), with river crossings, to the camp site where researchers are stationed for field work. That is the farthest I’ve ever gone in one day with a crap load of gear. Luckily, the real heavy stuff was carried by hired porters, local villagers who are in the best shape I’ve ever seen humans in. They carried the heaviest stuff and still beat us there by a few hours. And this research site is the real deal. There is no fancy research station with electricity and running water. This was legit camping with tents, mosquito nets, a dugout latrine, bathing in a river and surviving in a perpetual state of dampness. I freaking loved it.  I won’t lie, I did miss the indoor plumbing, but it was so worth going without it to see this incredible forest. True wilderness. A place that not many people get to see. We spent a wonderful 5 days there.

The local hardcore researchers' tents. Notice the tents are up on pallets to avoid getting wet during heavy rain.

The open-air kitchen. Considering where we were, some great food came out of there!

The common area. The only permanent structure with mosquito netting. While we were there (2014), one of the lead researchers explained they were working on getting more structures like this at the camp.

The river where we bathed while at the research site. Upriver view.

Downriver view.

AND we saw chimpanzees! I mean, up close! They were incredible and beautiful and terrifying. Our amazing guide found a huge group, with young juveniles. But they were not happy with our presence and let us know it. It probably didn’t help that we startled the first one we saw when one of our group slipped and fell. The noise got his attention, and he dropped like a flash from the tree he’d been napping in and ran off to the left where the rest of the group was chilling. The cacophony of their alarm calls and warnings was impressive and I admit that while totally stoked to see such an imposing animal, I was simultaneously terrified! So I hung back a bit as we followed them a ways until they crossed a valley we couldn’t navigate. It was AMAZING. It happened so fast, I don’t think anyone got photos…

Our TA Paul shows us how to log waypoints on a GPS.

Forest friends and gigantic trees.

On one of the day hikes, I hurt my knee after slipping on a wet rock. I had to sit out the last day of hikes as a result trapped in a graciously lent knee brace from another participant. I was bummed, but I spent the day taking in the beauty around the base camp, and for only that reason do I have any photos in Ebo at all. I was so absorbed, I had forgotten to take any during the hikes. The next day, we had to trek the 11 miles back out to the village. And that was quite painful. And everyone was so supportive in helping me through it, including one of the porters who very gently wrapped my knee, which helped tremendously. And I healed, so it was certainly worth the pain.

Me in my tent praying that my "boo boo" healed before the hike out the next day...it did not.

On the inside looking out, wishing I could be on the hike. At least I saw the chimps before this unfortunate accident!

Highilight Reel - A few short clips from Ebo Forest with super dramatic music

We made our way back to Yaoundé for our last day. We got to visit one last wildlife center, Mefou National Park. At this park is a sanctuary run by Ape Action Africa where they care for over 300 primates, including chimps, gorillas and mandrills. Like Limbe, they also offer volunteer opportunities that you can learn about here. They have an adoption program that allows people to sponsor the apes they care for. After our visit, we spent the last of our time letting loved ones know we were still alive, packing, saying our goodbyes and shopping for souvenirs. Haggling at the marketplace is one of the most anxiety provoking things I’ve ever done. I am a shy, sometimes awkward, person. I wanted to give the artisans the money their crafts were worth but without being taken advantage of as a tourist. I much prefer pre-determined prices! But in the end, I got some beautiful pieces, at what I hope was a fair price for both the artisans and myself.

The two male gorillas at the Mefou National Park formed an alliance and did not get along with the male pictured right. Therefore, the keepers rotate their time in the larger enclosure.

The Mefou National Park is home to over 300 primates belonging to several species.

Handprints painted by resident primates at the Mefou National Park.

Resident gorilla group at the Mefou National park. Rival male to the allied pair picture left. Notice the one female at center climbing.

A group of chimpanzees at the Mefou National Park. Notice the two at the center grooming each other. Grooming is an important social bonding activity among primates.

Out at the marketplace shopping for supplies and souvenirs. Photo Credit: Sorelle Sandie

Though a mostly wonderful experience, I felt quite a bit of tourist’s guilt while in Cameroon. I could feel my privilege as I saw the poverty present in many of the places we visited. While I could appreciate the beauty in the country, I wasn’t blind to its struggles. Of course, I’ve seen poverty before, here in the US, in Mexico, in Brazil. But in Cameroon, it was unlike anything I had seen before. Maybe the poor are better hidden from tourists in the other places, their more advanced infrastructure providing a mask. I don’t know. But it always makes me think about how our privileges color our perceptions of the world and what can be done. For example:

On the way here and there in Cameroon, there were several instances of people selling bush meat on the roadside. I had seen this explained on TV, but I was suddenly seeing it for myself. It didn’t make me angry, I was desperately sad. These obviously weren’t big time poachers making a fortune smuggling ivory, but everyday people in need. I could empathize with a person, most likely in poverty, trying to survive. I could understand that person turning to what they know, the forest, as the source of that survival. I saw the conflict of conservation and human need. I felt guilty as we passed by these scenes of people dangling dead pangolins by the tail – wanting to save the wildlife, but not at the expense of impoverished people. Of course I don’t want people to live in poverty. What a dilemma – what a privilege to live “sustainably” and “green.” I still struggle with my desire to protect wildlife and my knowledge that the conflicts between humans and nature is complex and difficult to rectify. And most often it’s poor people affected most directly.

I don’t want to end the blog on a sad note, though I felt it was necessary to share that. I loved the workshop and the field trips. I loved meeting all the people involved. I was so happy to finally have made it to the continent of Africa. Cameroon, though imperfect like everywhere else, is a beautiful country. From the beaches to the forests, in its languages, in its music and dance, in its clothing, in its food and for me most of all in its wildlife.