It’s so interesting being in Douala again—the first time since my stay when I’d just arrived in Cameroon. Everything looks the same…only SOOOO different.
When I’d just arrived, I was trying to take everything in, trying to make sense of all these impressions, and trying to wrap my brain around just what “Cameroon” is. I didn’t get how these dusty, pot-holed roads past dingy one-story buildings could be part of the most bustling, industrial city in Cameroon. I didn’t understand exactly where the people lived. I wasn’t sure whether to think the street where we visited a restaurant, bank and small groceries store was typical or extraordinary.
Now, everything looks so impressive, so modern. Such conveniences here! The guesthouse, which on my arrival, seemed like what a nice little rural retreat centre or summer camp would be like in North America, now seems to reach such a high standard of comfort and technology. The streets of Douala are so well paved, and those few multistory buildings are so impressive with their tilework and shiny windows. I’m impressed by the regularity of a number of streets running at right angles to each other. I take no particular notice of the people hanging around, selling foodstuffs or simply killing time, maybe offering to watch the vehicle while we’re inside (for a price, of course).
When I’d just arrived, I was trying to take everything in, trying to make sense of all these impressions, and trying to wrap my brain around just what “Cameroon” is. I didn’t get how these dusty, pot-holed roads past dingy one-story buildings could be part of the most bustling, industrial city in Cameroon. I didn’t understand exactly where the people lived. I wasn’t sure whether to think the street where we visited a restaurant, bank and small groceries store was typical or extraordinary.
Now, everything looks so impressive, so modern. Such conveniences here! The guesthouse, which on my arrival, seemed like what a nice little rural retreat centre or summer camp would be like in North America, now seems to reach such a high standard of comfort and technology. The streets of Douala are so well paved, and those few multistory buildings are so impressive with their tilework and shiny windows. I’m impressed by the regularity of a number of streets running at right angles to each other. I take no particular notice of the people hanging around, selling foodstuffs or simply killing time, maybe offering to watch the vehicle while we’re inside (for a price, of course).
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