Too Darn Hot

They used to call West Africa the white man's grave, so I've come armed with enough mosquito repellant to fell an army of the pesky things and I'm popping pills which may induce psychosis in me as a second-best substitute for malaria. ...And guess what? So far I've not seen one of the little blighters. Maybe it's just too hot for them to handle here in Douala, because believe me, it's baking in Cameroon.

I've been poking my nose out into a city that is supposed to be renowned for muggings after dark, but couldn't be friendlier on first acquaintance. Actually, it hardly seems like a city at all, rather an overgrown provincial town, though it's the main metropolis in the country. The central square is an unremarkable patch of lush grass surrounded by low rise colonial era buildings in an advanced state of decay, and improbably, an array of outsize antique photocopiers lined up along the pavement awaiting business from the army of civil servants that work thereabouts. The fact that the Justice Minstry has reserved parking spaces for no less than ten Vice-Presidents leaves you wondering whether they might suffer from an over-inflation of bureacracy in this country. Certainly, I found changing money at the bank took the best part of an hour to achieve, though I've rarely seen a queuing public look in better spirits anywhere.

Since the trip officially commenced today we've decamped from the administrative heart of Douala to the Downtown area. We're staying at the Roman Catholic Mission, which incorporates a lovely little church with colourful stained glass windows and a very nice looking swimming pool! It's just off Douala's version of Knightsbridge, which though a little less grand than its London cousin, does sport a local fast food joint named 'Harrolds', all done up with a green awning emblazoned with the name of the place in the trademark style of London's most exclusive department store. We've been warned that Douala is very much at the sophisticated end of West Africa, so I can hardly wait to find out what lies ahead.