It’s only a bus, train and moto ride away…but remember your helmet.

By looking at the map, it is quite a bit a ways away from the center region. In fact it takes about 2 ½ days of continuous travel time to get there from where I am at right now. And traveling in Cameroon is an experience in itself that I would like to share with you all.

First I take a five hour bus ride to Yaoundé, the capital, to catch an overnight train. Imagine the first time riding on a train was in Africa! The train has different cars for different ticket prices. Since I was traveling with three other trainees who are posted in the north we got a ‘couchette’ which is a very small room with four beds and a window. It can get really shaky but for the majority of the time it is pleasant to lay down, watch the scenery fly by and feel the breeze. The train can take anywhere from 14 to 24 hours depending on what type of problems it runs in to, including derailment. It seems as though the train derailing is a common occurrence and nothing to worry about, but I have hard time wrapping my head around that idea.

Then there is another eight-hour bus trip to my post. The easiest way to describe the buses is they are like large vans with rows of benches across and no seat belts. What would normally fit five people comfortably across, Cameroon squeezes in at least eight. If you are not touching the person next to you then the driver can fit in more passengers. I’ve actually become used to it pretty quickly and it makes me feels safer when the driver is hurtling down bumpy dirt roads. I feel like I have less of chance of popping out if there was an accident.

And motos are used around the village. They are cheaper and can get to more places than a car could fit. Peace Corps requires us to wear helmets so we have to lug around a clunky helmet when we travel. And we are the only people who wear them; I’m not even sure if Cameroonians understand why. A little bit scary at first, but then motos turn out to be fun once you get used to them.

I will always have lots more traveling stories to tell but that is all for now. The most important part of traveling here is to not pay attention to the actual driving. It will just make you sick and scared for the whole trip.