Talk:Cameroon

From Wikitravel

For future reference the Wikitravel:CIA World Factbook 2002 import can be found at Talk:Cameroon/CIA World Factbook 2002 import. -- Huttite 22:37, 27 Mar 2005 (EST)

cameroon a personal and social history. a white european childs view.

i was born in london in 1950, my father worked as an engineer for fyffes group plc, and i moved to live in likomba, s.cameroon, in 1959. my father had previously worked in mechanical engineering after he left the royal mechanical and electrical engineers, after the second world war. he had experience of road building, logistics and automotive vehicles as a transport staff seargent engineer, he could tool and fit mechanical parts and was skilled in team building and manpower. his skills were useful to the company, which was developing infrastructure, transport systems, schools, farms, and banana plantations, we arrived in tiko port, or was it victoria, by banana boat from england, and settled into a privileged life with servants in a canadian style stilt house built amongst others in a compound surrounded by barbed wire and a golf course. we were not permitted beyond the boundary line of the compound as children, but often sneaked through to talk with the cameroonians and see how they experienced their lives. i have wonderful warm memories of the kindness of the people, joyful, exuberant and of such a friendly and compassionate dispositon. my friends were mechanics, drivers, plant biologists, teachers, night watchmen with dark wooden sticks, and the wildlife which wasnt threatening, for example the poisonous black and green mambas and spiders the size of dinner plates! my senses were awoken at such a young age (9) to such pungent fragrances, fruit, flower, woodsmoke, dried banana, frangipani and mango, all mixed together in a medley of humidity, heat and growth. the laterite lava colour of red covered everything, tin roof, leaf, and was especially excellent as a compact road surface! and when the rains came from the tropical rainforest, we played washing ourselves of the oppressive heat. the red escarpment road towards mount cameroon was dangerous, we often heard and saw giant man diesel timber lorries which had jacknifed and come to a sticky end, the drivers would replace the steel cab doors with wooden ones. tied with rope, they could escape the 20-30ton payload and danger by jumping!