A journey, after all, neither begins in the instant we set out, nor ends when we have reached our door step once again. It starts much earlier and is really never over, because the film of memory continues running on inside of us long after we have come to a physical standstill. Indeed, there exists something like a contagion of travel, and the disease is essentially incurable. - Ryszard Kapuściński

13 August 2019, Mbounaneville to Oyem, 51.1km
Motel Nkoume Ekiene 12,000CFA (R300)

WhatsApp: Photo of kids picking bonbons from a jar... 50km to Oyem where we will spend two nights. Then one night in Bitam. Friday night in Cameroon. Poured with rain last night. The problem with humidity... Nothing gets dry. We hang out our sweat-wet cycle shirts; in the morning we put them on still wet. Yuch. Blanca met a young woman in East Africa who had been on the road a long time. She said she had grown accustomed to smelling of sweat and urine! What the hell? We may smell sweaty at day's end, but start each day relatively fresh even if our clothes are aired only, not washed. And my portable bidet takes care of the other... After our four 1.5 litre flasks which keep our drinks COLD, absolutely my favorite luxury item. The nozzle retracts into the container when empty. Container holds 300ml of water. There is a valve underneath which sucks in air as you squeeze and release. Check out Bio Bidet on the web.

For today's route see below photos
For overview route, click on ROUTE tab above…