Australia Day but I didn't realise until Vicki reminded me!
Toast in hand, I headed into town early, camera hidden in my pocket and stealth in my heart. Wandered the main street, ducking behind trees and looking up and down the road for men in green and feeling like a spy taking forbidden photographs. Got the ones I wanted and a couple of bonuses before returning to camp before the streets woke up.
Kel and Ben got thoroughly carried away and washed the truck with hose and brushes while everyone else stood or sat around and watched. Then we piled on board and headed to the market for a farewell milkshake and meander.
Reversing and making a non-clunky first gear turnaround for the first time in weeks, we left town, passing through the Tchad border with no formalities and no searches. Then we discovered that the gentleman who issues Cameroon visas doesn’t work on weekends and we had to wait until tomorrow morning.
The campsite had a bar with tables and chairs under a thatched roof. Here ladies of the night plied their trade during the afternoon and evening, identifiable by their white clothing. One arrived back at camp with one of the white businessmen marooned here and went into his bungalow just near our campfire. Both the Hotel Chadienne and here have been popular meeting points for working girls and clients.
Encounter Overland were parked out the back but we camped with the Douglases again, our separation on hold for at least one more night. Ben and Kel set to work patching Stanley's shredded windows in case of rain. I sat out the back trying to write a letter but ended up chatting and drinking. Spaghetti bolognaise for dinner then we gathered around the fire with the Douglases. Wine and beer inspired a reruns of our Christmas show including Not A Dinkum Christmas in celebration of Australia Day. We also sang That Old Four Wheeler and did the Swedish frog dance, everyone joining in and jumping around, to the amazement of the few Cameroonians still in the compound. Lots of laughs.
It was another rubbish tip camp site, with open-air shower and the only toilet in the bar, which closed at about 11, so we had no toilet facilities except the ditches and buildings until the morning. Still, we didn't need guards, so I slept well.
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