Fruits (and foods) of the forest

There are a lot of fruits and few foods that can be found in the rainforest. Here' I'll go through a few that we found.

Afromomo, this is a red pod that grows in bushes. The outer layer is a bit like the skin of an old onion, but bright red and thicker. Once you peel this off you are left with three segments that look like spotted cocoons. These are the fruit, which is very tart, a bit sour and have the consistency of dragon fruit, but with watermelon pips.

There's also plantain and banana, which are both farmed (boooo). The easiest way to tell the difference is the size and shape as plantain tends to be straighter. Also, where the leaves branch from the trunk is white in banana trees and yellow in plantain. 

Cocoa is also grown by farmers and pods are yellow or red. They are about the size of an adult male hand but rugby ball shaped. You just crack them open and eat the stuff (I don't know what it's called) around the bean. This again is sour but sweeter. Don't eat the beans, they need to be dried out, powdered and added to milk and sugar before they taste like chocolate!

We also found mushrooms. Tonnes of mushrooms, both small and large. We only picked them under advisement from our guide who said that if they are big or grow in large numbers they are OK to eat, though I would always check with an adult if you want to pick mushrooms!! These were tasty and had a really high water content. We had them with garlic, ginger , onion and peppers...

Scotch bonnet peppers were also plentiful in the forest. We picked some and having accidentally eaten a chunk, I can tell you they are HOT! However if you eat chocolate it really helps :)

So those are the fruits and foods of the forest I found. I had no idea the breadth of food that we could get from the forest, but having thought about it, if our closest relatives live there, there must be stuff we can eat. 

Getting around Cameroon

Yep, just remember 'no vomiting'. Even if you really want to!

So in Cameroon you are going to end up taking a lot of different types of transport from private cars (a complete luxury) to public busses (a complete nightmare).

OK let's start with the planes and airports. I flew in on Air Maroc and it's fast becoming my favourite airline. The staff are friendly and the flights smooth. However when I landed and got through immigration I was met by a man who claimed to be part of the security team and said that he needed to deal with me specifically as I was from the UK (lucky guess). The guy had no uniform or badge, but pushed himself upon me as I got my bag and said that he was going to show me where to pay airport tax (there isn't airport tax for arrivals). I tried to call the people who were collecting me but my international phone wouldn't get any reception (thanks eKit) and my iPhone had no credit. So this guy calls from his own phone, but I could see him putting in the wrong number. That's when I started freaking a bit. I passed a security guard who checked I had taken the correct bag. I tried to ask him if this guy was his colleague but he ignores me and starts talking to someone else. I get downstairs and the guy then tries to get me to the back of the airport and is really insistent, but I hold on and find the person who was collecting me and we get rid of this guy, who has the gall to ask if I will give him money for something to eat after it becomes apparent that he is not a security guard. This was not a good first impression! 

On the way out of the country I check in my bag and as I am heading to departures I am stopped by someone working for the luggage company. They take me down to the loading bay (I have to leave my passport with a police woman on the way) and they start demanding 2,000 francs for the bag to be wrapped. I explain that I don't have 2,000 francs (why would I, I'm leaving the country) and that no other airport had demanded this. I also point out that they are basically extorting the money out of me, blackmailing me with the threat of not taking my bag. I put my foot down and eventually another member of the team says they'll take it. Thankfully the bag did make it.

All in all I'm very unimpressed with Douala airport. I'd avoid it if you can, it's crawling with charlatans.

So onto public transport. I think I'll start with the taxis. These are OK. Not very safe, but OK. They run on the principle that 5 seats is not an indication of how many people can get into a car, but more of a suggested bare minimum. As such you go to a central pick up point and wait for a car to fill up, which normally means six - eight people and then more people may get picked up on the way. One trip was two hours with ten people (seven adults and three babies) in a normal five door car which was physically painful. The upshot is it's really cheap. 

The busses are cheap too and we took a night bus between Chsang and Beua. This was hideous as we had booked out the back row, but then told that this wasn't possible and instead got two seats between the three or us and not the four seats we had booked. I wrote a rant on my phone about 45mins in. I think it explains everything...

So my trip was again marred by public transport. This time by a night bus between chsang and baua. I had agreed to take the night bus so we could spend some time shopping in Chsang where I hoped to pick up Christmas presents for my family and as we were to have four seats at the back of the night bus, ensuring we had room and could all sleep.

The day did not start out well as we couldn't get a car to Chsang from Menji until after the shops had closed, but by this time the seats on the bus had already been reserved... or so we thought

The Having gotten to the bus station we found out that the person who was booking them had ordered the four seats but hadn't chosen which ones as they had been faced with the apparently monumental task of selecting them by letter. This for some reason meant that we were no longer eligible for our four seats, instead getting two between three of us. At some point after losing feeling in my lower back from sitting on a half seat, I finally got a seat of my own. I use the work seat ironically as it was more of a shelf that collapsed into the gangway of the bus that had no real support and only a half back. The woman next to me was carrying a small boy on her lap, or rather both our laps as he spent most of his time kicking, pushing or resting his head on my legs. The people behind me have also taken to leaning on the seats in front of them and spreading out to lean on me.

Despite being a night bus, the driver seems to think he's in charge of a one man human livestock carnival and is playing oppressively loud music. No one has asked him to turn it down...

Also I found out what it sounds like when three men carry a live pig onto the top of a bus (the one I was in) and lash it to a roof rack like a piece of luggage. FYI it's horrific. I then found out what it's like for a second pig to be strapped onto the first pig. To say this country's view of animal welfare is backward is an extreme understatement.

Oh the child is now trying to grab my necklace. Still only 4+ hours to go. 

So basically I would suggest getting a private car when possible. That is unless you get the chance to bike it. Biking is awkward to begin with, but once you're used to being pushed up against some random guy on the back of a bike, and you get used to leaning forward into said guy when you go up a hill, then it's a lot of fun. You go places that cars can't reach due to the state of the roads and the scenery is amazing. You also get to feel the country rush by and wave to the local children or say hello to the local people who all greet you, well they do in the rainforest adjacent communities an smaller towns. 

Transport is one of the weak areas of Cameroon. It's nice to give it a go and get an insight into life in Cameroon, but long term it would definitely be wearing. This is something the country is working on and the topic of a lot of the radio programmes I heard while in the country. 

I'd say that Cameroon is worth putting up with the poor travel, especially if you're only here for a few weeks. The scenery, food and majority of the people make up for it. Especially if you venture away from the cities and into the communities. 

What to pack for travelling

So before I went travelling,  I thought I would take you through what I'm packing (oi oi)... In my bag. The video below gives a few highlights and some of the reasoning behind my choices, so do check it out and please do subscribe to the channel!!

So I've managed to pack everything I want and it's come to 16kg approx, which I'm pleased with. 

The first thing I have to cover off is my bag, the Osprey Farpoint 70, which I'm really pleased with. A few things I haven't mentioned in the vid are that the straps all pack away behind the bag to avoid damage while in the hold. It's also waterproof and one of the front straps has a whistle, which is fun if nothing else. As you'll be able to see the front casing straps can also be used to attach a sleeping mat, which is handy.

Onto the contents... Rather than list everything in the bag, which would be boring/exhausting, I'm going to just mention the bits that I found out about through research and suggestions, so hopefully some of these will be news to you. 

- a no pegs clothes line, there may not always be somewhere to drape your clothes so this apparently is a must

- quick drying clothes. I've got some regular clothing, but a lot is made of quick drying materials to ensure I don't need to pack any wet clothing

- zip lock bags. While my bag is water resistant it's best to keep your tech and docs dry

- lip balm. I'm not much of a beauty products guy, but the organisers of my dune boarding trip have suggested this is a must

- mosi bands. I have to thank Dorcas at my last place of work Kazoo PR (brilliant agency btw) for this suggestion and for lending me a bunch of stuff. She's one of the best travelled people I know, so if she swears by them then they're going in my bag!

- sleeping bag liner. This may seem obvious, but again Dorcas had the inside scoop and said that silk was the only way to go, something which my research backed up. It will be much easier to wash this than an entire sleeping bag!!

- A-Z multivitamins. It seems odd, but as one blog pointed out, you need to look after yourself if you don't want to contract some illness your body has never encountered before

- plastic bags - to separate clean and worn clothes in my bag

So that's a few of the more unlikely bits I'm taking. I haven't gone into the tech that I'm taking, as I don't want to invite any unwanted attention from pick pockets, etc (like this blog is that big haha). 

I'll revisit this post in a few months/a year, hopefully with the benefit of experience, to asses what worked, what didn't and ultimately what I would have packed if I had my time again.

Hope you enjoy the vid, which has more info and please do subscribe and share :)

Live long and prosper 

Ni 

Ten tips to do my trip of Morocco and sand boarding

I would definitely suggest Erg Chicaga and Morocco to anyone who wants to do something active and a bit different, with the opportunity to see some amazing natural sites. Some of these tips are a bit different to those in the vid, which gives you an excuse to look at both (and isn't because I was woefully unco-ordinated making this blog and Vlog haha) - enjoy...

1) Know your exchange rate and haggle. This one is pretty obvious, but worth remembering, people will try and rip you off if they can. Not the guys from the camp though, they were amazing! However in the souks and roadside shops, always remember to haggle and don't be corralled into buying things you don't want.

2) If anyone offers to help you, let's say to find your hostel, or to give you directions, THEY JUST WANT YOUR MONEY! They will be really forceful about it too, so be warned. There have been a few exceptions, but in general they aren't helping out of the kindness of this hearts. If you genuinely so need help, then go ahead, but be prepared to haggle and be firm afterward or agree a price up front.

3) Pack carrier bags, they are really handy for splitting out sand covered clothes from clean ones in your luggage.

4) Bring plasters, the chances are that you will fall off your board and cut yourself. I busted my
shoulder a bit and you can see pics Of one of my cuts here. Don't worry you shouldn't need anything more than a normal plaster, just to keep the sand out of any small cuts and grazes.

5) Pack warm night wear and a jumper. It gets cold at night so you'll want to wrap up to see the stars, sit by the open fire, watch the sunrise, etc.

6) On the subject of sunrises, be aware that the tents block out a surprising amount of light. I almost missed the sunrise because I hadn't realised that it has started getting lighter.

7) Take an action camera. I used my GoPro Hero 3+ Silver edition and I feel it's a better way to remember the feeling of dune boarding, plus they take great photos. 

8) Watch the stars, after a long day, and a big, hearty dinner (with wine included), it can be quite easy to slope off to bed, but take the time to sit out and see the stars, they are phenomenal and the camp has a telescope, should you wish to see more.

9) The food is spiced, but not spicy, which means it's full of flavour. My favourite dish was beef and prune tagine with couscous, which was served at the camp with red wine. In a word, DELICIOUS!

10) Visit in November apparently. I had a great time and the place wasn't overrun with other visitors, while the cities were still very lively. The weather was also just right during the day.

Hope you enjoyed my tips and as always suggestions, shares and comments are always great fully received :) 

World travel day 2 - Road to the Sahara

Mists over the Atlas Mountains

I wasn't planning on making another video on my second day, after all I was spending 10hrs in a car... However I underestimated Morocco and it's amazing scenery, dramatic weather and very interesting people, for that Morocco I am sorry.

The day started at 6:30am, which I was surprisingly awake for. I was met by my driver Hicham and we quickly made our way through the winding back alleys of the souks to the car, a big 4x4 with a safari snorkel.

It was still very cold and just around sun rise. This meant that the mists were still low and hugging the Atlas Mountains when we got there, creating beautiful views and an unexpected rainbow, all set to the background of burnt red rocks and deep green trees. As the day went on the sun burnt the mists away and the vast views of the mountains and later on the wide expanses of desert were epic. 

En route we stopped at a few cafes and tourist shops where the local people were actually less pushy with their wares than I thought they would be. 

Throughout the journey Hicham highlighted points of interest, including the country's main filming location, where they shot Gladiator and some scenes from Babel. This and the ever-changing scenery made the journey pass very quickly and we were soon at the desert. 

The real fun started when we went off road. Hicham picked out the path with an obvious knowledge and understanding of the area, throwing the car around very safely over hills, along long since dried river beds and even through a sand storm that brought visibility down to a couple of feet. Hicham said that they were expecting a sandstorm as there had been snow and mists on the mountains that morning.

We arrived at 4:30pm and I was quickly shown to my tent, which far out stripped my expectations. I then unpacked did some video editing and was considering going to bed when I was informed dinner was ready, I then realised it was only 6:30pm.... It had been a long day and surprisingly tiring, but a lot of fun, which did bode well for the day ahead. 

If you want to find out more about sand boarding I'll be posting another blog with the rest of my experience soon, plus you can check out the camp's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ErgChigagaLuxuryDesertCamp

The World Is Not Enough - the first step

Hi, if you don't already know me (Hi mum) my name is Niall, though I mostly go by Ni.

I'm planning to take 18+ months out of my daily life to go back packing around the world, a trip I have been planning and saving for over the last year or so.

A world tour is one of my two main life goals, the other being raising a family. I'm hoping it's going to be a trip to remember, but to ensure it's a trip that I ACTUALLY remember, I'm starting this blog, with less than a week until I leave my life here in the UK behind.

So I suppose there are two things I need to cover off here, who the hell am I and what the heck am I doing...

Ten things about me
1. I'm 30 years old
2. I live in London, but grew up in Ramsgate, Kent (England)
3. I'm half Irish and half Sri Lankan (Go hybrids/mongrels)
4. I'm an identical twin (his name is Eddie)
5. I've sky dived from 13,000ft and bunjee jumped from a crane (can't remember how high that was)
6. I'm a public relations professional and was once named Employee of the Year by a former agency
7. I was the face of my university for a year (Luton, now Bedford University)
8. My interests include the gym/fitness, drawing, manga & graphic novels, films, etc
9. I am a victim of novelty - I'll give pretty much anything a go
10. I consider myself to be a bit old fashioned, as in I'll hold a door open for a lady or assist an old person with their bags, etc
Bonus. I was once nearly run over by Stephen Hawking in the London Science Museum

What I'm doing
Basically I'm backpacking around the world with the exception of Europe, which I plan to do when I get back to the UK and start working again. I'm not planning everything out too much as I want to go whereever the wind blows, but plan on Africa, India, Sri Lanka (I've never been) Nepal, East Asia, Polyneisa and down to Australia where I have a year working visa. I'll then do South and North America before going to Greenland and finally heading back to the UK.

My first stops will be; dune boarding in the Sahara Desert, surfing and hang gliding in Las Palmas, volunteering at a Gorilla and monkey sanctury in the forests of Cameroon before making my way to South Africa.

I'm going to be vlogging my experiences too and have created my first video which I hope you'll enjoy - even if it is a bit terrible - I promise to at least try to get better and all comments are welcome : )

Live long and prosper,

Ni