Yaoundé

18 APRIL 2023

It rained heavily in the night - reminder that we are in the rainy season now and evening downpours will be a regular occurrence.

Getting a Gabon visa.

This was possible to do in one visit to the embassy in Yaoundé. I needed to provide the following:

*photocopies of passport and Cameroonian visa

*1 photo

*confirmation of 1 nights accommodation in Gabon (this can be done on Booking.com with a cancellation option)

*show yellow fever certificate

This will get you a one month visa with multi-entries. I paid extra to get same day delivery - a total of 70,000CFA dated from the day of issue.

Places to visit in Yaoundé

I really enjoyed wandering around this city spread over a number of small hills but all walkable. On the way up the hill to Independence Square is a great French style café serving coffees and croissants. Independence square hosts the monument commemorating Cameroon's independence in Jan 1960.The ornate First Africa bank building dominates one side of the square.

Back in town the French Institute was a great place to grab lunch and see their latest exhibition all about the country's efforts to safeguard its forests and the life styles of the forest dwellers

The National Museum was brilliant. My visit coincided with a touring exhibition entitled " Accounts of Another History" - a rare and impressive opportunity to see female artists exhibiting an alternative story of Cameroonian history, culture and women empowerment. The permanent exhibition is very informative and the guides add great value to the whole experience.

On a hill behind the museum is the Renumeration Monument - commemorating the agreement of a federal structure in June 1972 which saw the French and British Cameroons centralised as the United Republic of Cameroon.