Away from Africa

A colorful display of lamps and towels Along the roads of Douala and on the way to the Western part of Cameroon, there are shops and market stands galore. Sometimes the road seems to be one uninterrupted marketplace. These are some of the  pictures I snapped from car windows, on the go. Oranges, hardware and more... I loved her headdress! Perhaps a daycare center? In the baskets: mystery. The kiosk: for cell phone refills. Even the historic Mandessi Bell House (below) in downtown Douala has become a market.... Grilled peanuts are sold in recycled whiskey bottles Apples and more Bread loaves and bobolo  (thick fermented cassava sticks, usually eaten in central Cameroon)

The road to Souza While we were in Cameroon in February, I finally traveled to "Abo," the region where my mother-in-law was born. Unfortunately we were not in her village in the northern part, but in Souza (Abo-Sud) to visit the cassava crop farm I wrote about in an earlier post . Sita Behle In Souza, we met Sita* Behle, who welcomed us with a big smile. Not knowing visitors were coming, she had not dressed up or anything, but that was the least of her worries! When I asked if I could take her picture, she readily agreed. By the time we finished visiting the cassava crop farm, it was incredibly hot, and it was lunchtime. Souza's "green house" Sita Behle's house is the original "green" house--the exterior wall is covered with greenery, an unexpected sight. I was standing outside and realized that everyone else in my travel group (5 people in all) had entered the house, so I followed them inside. Palm nuts Sita was in her kitchen...

Cassava is known in French as Manioc , and here in the United States often as Yuca . It seems it originated in South America, but it is widely grown in equatorial Africa. In Cameroon it is a staple, and the most common and popular use is Gari, a sort of coarse tapioca; mixed with water, sugar and peanuts to make a filling snack or meal. In fact, the way most Europeans know Cassava is through tapioca pudding! A field was planted by a friend in Abo, Littoral region, two years ago, and finally the cassava roots were harvested in November/December  2010 (a warm and dry time of the year). Our very trusted friend Guérin supervised and participated in the harvest and the making of Gari from beginning to end, and sent us photographs of the process. Cassava in the field Cassava and bags transported to the main road (left to right) Piling cassava roots at loading area; filling the truck; unloading Peeling the roots; the drying area; putting the peeled roots into bag...