Early Morning Errand Running

So, I guess I needed to be reminded how awesome this vacation is going to be because this morning was quite the harrowing experience. My friend forgot her computer cord in Yaounde so I went to send it to her by using the buses we take to get to Bertoua. These buses are a bit out of the city and it takes 30 minutes to get there. So I get up early and grab a bean sandwich and then head out to the routiere. The first car I get in already has 6 people in it and I'm smashed in the front with a very large man who evidently has restless leg syndrome. He keeps asking me to move my arm or my hip, though there's no where to really move them and he keeps giggling like a girl. Then after about 5 minutes of this fun ride my cab driver looks all panicky and pulls over. He tells me I have to get out, so I do, assuming he wants me to try and smooch in the back. So I get out of the car, almost falling down because I can't feel my leg that the large man was sitting on. And the driver yells, "take another cab the police are ahead." (in French). So they aren't supposed to have that many people in the car so I get the boot. Now I'm on a busy round a bout and have to walk a ways until I find another cab that's willing to take me.

So I get in this cab and go with out incident for about 20 minutes and as we get near, as is my habit, I tell the driver that I want them to take me to Orient (the name of the bus service). He starts laughing and saying I should have told him earlier and that he was going toleave me at the round about at the start of the section of all of the routieres. He keeps telling me I'm going to have to faire le sport! Thanks dude. The thing is, I love walking and I don't mind having to get out and traverse the route, but this is one of the most annoyingly intense areas in Yaounde because all of the guys that work for the cars will literally grab you and drag you to their agency so you will take their car. (they get paid money by the drivers if they fill the car). Anyway, I argue with the guy a while but I end up having to get out. I have to walk for about 8 minutes but its hell. I've got guys calling me all sorts of names, I've got creepy dudes touching my arms and I"m ignoring them all because if you react they are like sharks smelling blood and they all come toward you and encircle you.

So I finally get to Orient and thankfully the guys know me there so they protect me and fight off the creepy dudes that are trying to touch me. After sending my package I go back to the road to catch a taxi back into town. I again get accosted by the guys I don't know and then some of the baggage people at Orient start getting in a fight over me. I guess that's nice but I really can't take it at 7:30 in the morning. So then they grab me a cab and I get in. This is by far one of the funniest cabs ever. I get in and the dashboard looks like a carnival. The 'leather' seats are flaking off on my skin. The driver is playing Makosa music (traditional western Cameroonian music). His rear view mirror has a medallion of Marie and Jesus and a tassel is hanging off of it. Then he has little Chinese flags about three of them, tacked into the roof with little tassels hanging off of them. A fluffy Easter bunny about the size of a small baby is sitting on the passenger side dashboard and on the driver's side there is a blue towel with Winnie the Pooh on it. In the air conditioning vents (that don't work) there are heart shaped lollipops stuck in. As I am admiring his decor the other passengers alight and I am left in there with the driver.

He asks me to come sit in the front (which I refuse) and then he switches the channel to 'My heart will go on" by Celine Dion (who they love here) and asks me if I will marry him. At this point I have been in his cab for about 3 minutes. Wow. We pick up some more passengers and a guy gets in and looks at me and says something very excitedly. After about 5 tries I realize he is just yelling "Kentucky Fried Chicken". To which I say what about it. And he says that he's been to American and he loves it. Wow!

Anyway, it was quite an adventure and it would be a good time in Cameroon if someone hadn't have stolen my phone while I was walking to Orient. I looked in my bag and it wasn't there, and I knew it was because I had just checked my credit. So now I don't have a phone but I think I can still get the same number, so we'll see what we can do. At least I've had that phone for more than a year, which is a bit difficult in this country!

Well it is now 4 day until I get to see the fam and though this mornign was a bit of a challenge, I"m super happy!