. OnHiatus.com > Journal 1 > Day Index > Journal Entry: December 23, 1998

Wednesday, December 23, 1998
Kwa Falls, Nigeria to Mamfé, Cameroon
Nigeria's FlagCameroon's Flag

Map
Mamfé, Cameroon:
Latitude: 5° 45' 5" North
Longitude: 9° 18' 54" East
Altitude: 506 feet
From Seattle: 8706 miles
Lodging: Hotel - Data Hotel

Map
Today's Travel:
Countries: Nigeria, Cameroon
Regions: Cross River, Sud-ouest
Path:Kwa Falls, Nigeria - Mamfé, Cameroon
Linear:73 miles
Weather: Overcast

Available Photos:

Park drive Kwa Falls, Nigeria

Land Rover on bridge A-4, Nigeria

Dirt highway A-4 near Cameroon border, Nigeria

Joy and Dean with Land Rover Near Nigeria's Border, Cameroon

Land Rover coming through mud Between border and Nigeria, Cameroon

Bridge view: River Between border and Nigeria, Cameroon

Bridge view: Tree tops Between Mamfé and Nigeria's border, Cameroon

All photo images © 1997-2000 Anthony Jones - Images may not be used without prior written approval.

Click on map to Zoom in...
Map
Trip Stats to Date:
Day: 622
Linear Dist: 131356
Countries Visited: 46
Regions Visited: 181
More stats...
Hotels: 192
Friends / Family: 155
Camping: 68
Hostels: 145
Transit: 55
Other Lodging: 6
Beers: 2152
Hide...

Journal Entry:
Joy got up and walked into to the village to sign some papers regarding getting her camera back, and to give the chief a 500 Naira ($5) reward. The lodge keeper told us that the mother had been hurt (we don't know how badly). Packed up left the VSO girls to find their way back to Calabar and hit the road. The road quickly degenerated to some of the worst I've ever seen. Tons of checkpoints (customs, immigration, National Drug Agency, Army, and the Health department) including a thorough searching, but still didn't pay any bribes. Some sketchy bridges (a decaying wood one, and one that wad fallen down but was still usable as a ramp).

At the border we had to go fill out forms for immigration, again for visa control, then go talk with customs. Customs made a big deal about not having the receipts for the owari boards we bought in Côte d'Ivoire but as usual with a little patience they moved on. Next they checked that we had no Naira remaining (it's illegal to export), and then demanded 400 N for vehicle exportation. We just waited claimed we didn't have any Naira and eventually he let us through. The vehicle log book showed one car across the border on the twenty second, and another on the fifteenth - and this is supposed to be the major border crossing!

On the Cameroon side things were a little more organized, everything went smoothly except the man with the key to the box with the stamp we needed for the car's carnet wasn't to be found. We waited about an hour and a half before giving up with the assurance that we could get it stamped in Douala. No one asked for bribes which was very refreshing. The road got even worse (!?!) they would have been completely un-passable with even a little rain. Some pot holes were large enough (and nearly deep enough) to completely hide the car in. Just after sunset the inevitable happened and we got bogged. Tried pushing, the winch, and even the sand ladders, but we were stuck. Got bit and scratched up, and very muddy but with no results. After an hour of frustration we heard an approaching car - and ominously - gun shots. As the car got closer I could even see the muzzle flash. I was pretty resigned to being robbed at this point - but several large men got out and towed us out of the mud before heading on their way. The rest of the drive to Mamfé was rough but relatively uneventful - thank God.

In Mamfé we found a nice hotel with A/C and running water! More importantly they said they'd take payment in French Francs - since we have no Central African CFA.


Related Sites:
US State Department ConsularInformation Sheets: Cameroon
CIA World Fact Book: Cameroon

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