Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is home to Central Africa’s largest port. The city and its surrounding area had an estimated population of 5,768,400 in 2015. It sits on the estuary of Wouri River.
Wednesday, 1st March 2023
Tony stood outside the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul in Bonadibong, Douala. This Roman Catholic cathedral was completed in 1936. It is painted white and incorporates plain columns and domes.Tony stood in front of a life-sized sculpture of Jesus Christ on the cross near to the Cathedral.Tony stood in the shaded and leafy courtyard of Espace Doual’art. Doual’art is an arts centre and non-profit cultural organisation which was established in 1991. The current building opened in 1995 in a former cinema. The centre mostly produces and displays contemporary art by Cameroonian artists.Another shot of Tony outside Espace Doual’art.Tony by a large Espace Doual’art sign displayed on a wall outside the arts centre. There is a flower bed planted with succulent plants in front of the sign.Tony inside Espace Doual’art talking to the guide. Artworks can be partially seen on the wall behind. They appear to depict abstract natural scenes.Tony touching a sack cloth t-shirt or gown with writing in French on the front. It is part of an art installation. The lady guide is explaining what the words mean.Again the guide describing the art installation to Tony. The installation includes cardboard tubes with large bar codes attached.Tony talking to the guide. Various artworks can be seen around the room including paintings on a wall and a phallic sculpture.Tony in another room at Espace Doual’art which has red walls with writing on. The writing is mostly indistinct in the photo, although the words ‘Must Survive’ can be read.View from inside a vehicle passing along a busy main road in Douala. The road is lined with mostly single storey buildings housing shops and other businesses.Another view of the main road full of cars and mopeds.Traffic going round the Deido Roundabout with a large metal artwork in the centre. Known as La Nouvelle Liberté, the sculpture depicts a human or robot-like figure, which is standing on one leg and has one arm aloft holding a sphere. The sculpture is made from scrap metal, stands at 12 metres tall and weighs 5 tons. It was created by Joseph-Francis Sumégné in 1996.Tony stood on the pavement next to the busy Deido Roundabout with the distinctive La Nouvelle Liberté sculpture visible behind.Tony in the foreground with the Deido Roundabout jammed with traffic behind. The top of the La Nouvelle Liberté sculpture can be seen behind a bus.Tony stood outside the Mukanda Palace. This distinctive building was built in 1990 according to Wikipedia. It incorporates a mix of styles including traditional Cameroonian. Parts of the building resemble a pagoda with layers of overhanging roofs.Tony sat on the wall outside the Mukanda Palace. A statue of Prince Dika Akwa Nya Bonambella and a sculpture of a lion are among the objects visible in the grounds of the palace behind.Again Tony outside the Mukanda Palace with the statue of Prince Dika Akwa Nya Bonambella in the background. Prince Dika Akwa Nya Bonambella is a Cameroonian anthropologist and politician.Tony in front of the chain link topped wall outside the Mukanda Palace.
Garoua
Wednesday, 15th Match 2023
Garoua is a city in the North Region of Cameroon located on the Benue River. The city had approximately 1,285,000 inhabitants in 2020.
Tony with Jude, his Cameroonian guide and driver, outside a mosque. The doorway to the colourful red, green and yellow painted mosque is in the background. Taken in Garoua on evening of 15 March.Another view of Tony outside the mosque.Looking across a wide tarmaced road with another mosque on the opposite side. The mosque is painted blue and white with a pair of domes on the roof. It has a minaret topped with a small crescent moon. Taken in Garoua.
Lagdo town
Thursday, 16th March 2023
View of the natural sandy rocky landscape in Lagdo town. There is a small hill made up of rugged bare rock in the near distance with a few small trees and a house in the foreground.Tony next to a sign by a road. The sign is in English and French and says ‘North Region, Benoue Division, Lagdo Subdivision, Lagdo Main Customs Office’. There is a stall selling food and drinks part visible behind the sign.A mosque in Lagdo town. It is housed in a substantial rectangular black and cream painted building. It has a tall pitched olive green roof and there are minarets attached to two corners of the building.View of Lake Lagdo from Lagdo town. A rocky island can be seen in the middle distance. In the foreground, there is a beach made up of sand and shingle. There are a few small boats moored on the shoreline as well as people bathing in the water. These local boats with a motor are used to take tourists around the lake to spot hippos and other nature.
Lake Lagdo, also known as Lagdo Reservoir, is a man made lake in Cameroon’s Northern Province. It covers 226 square miles (586 sq.km.). It was created between 1977 and 1982 by building a dam across the Benue River. The dam, located east of Lagdo town, is 308 metres long and 40 metres high.
On the edge of a sandy beach on Lake Lagdo. In front a driveway: a sign indicates it leads to Le Lagon Bleu. Le Lagon Bleu is a small resort located on the shore of the lake in Lagdo town.View along the sandy shore of Lake Lagdo. In front a pair of stone huts overlooking the lake. The huts are round and open at the sides. They appear to be part of the Lagon Bleu resort. When the water level of the lake is higher, the land around the huts becomes a small island, accessed by a rickety looking wooden bridge.Tony on the shore of Lake Lagdo. Behind a small motor boat attached to a wooden jetty.Again Tony by Lake Lagdo with the small motor boat along side.View along the shore of the lake. Tony in the foreground and a Cameroonian man, Jude, Tony’s guide, and Claudia, a Cameroonian woman from Garoua, friend of Jude, behind.Tony in a local bus. Tony is in one of the back seats with the driver visible in the foreground. The two other passengers are Jude and Claudia.
