Yaounde streets

I grabbed a few pics from the front seat of the van this weekend, while we were riding through town back to the Mvan nieghborhood with Ann K and company. These are a few I got of the streets of Yaounde.

There are far more cabs than any other kind of vehicle, although large trucks are only allowed through at night, when you can see huge tractor-trailors, each loaded with a few enormous tree-trunks, barreling through town. Cabs are under a dollar for short-distance rides, and although you can get one to yourself, they are typically shared. You tell the driver where you want to go, and how many people, and if it's a long way you offer a price. "Quartier Mvan, deux place, huit cent." If he stops completely to let you in, you've got a ride. Unless you're by yourself ("taxi depot"), the ride will slowly wend its way to your destination, as the driver continues to troll for fares unless he has a full cab, which is three in back, and three in front with bucket seats, including the driver. Lots of cabs are Toyota Corollas, and I'm usually in back with Ann, so there's not a lot of head- or legroom, but it's usually an interesting ride. Drivers and sometimes passengers hear us talk, figure out we're Americans, and want to chat.

Typical roadside here in Yaounde is full of small businesses run out of storefronts and stalls with umbrellas selling anything from hardware to groceries to food to phonecards. Parked cars are dusty, small and Asian, since people with the money for SUVs and German automobiles have enough money to park them behind walls in private space, unless they're out running errands. There is a drainage ditch alongside the road, sometimes covered with flagstones as in top pic, sometimes with wood, and sometimes open. People occasionally pee in the big ones. And even downtown there are usually plants and trees in the background somewhere, or right along the road, because the area is very lush. There's loads of fresh produce and tropical fruit available all over the place, at markets, at stalls and in stores.

Trash pickup is a recent innovation in this city, according to Ray. Trash is still often burned. We can smell it wafting in sometimes when we're in bed, from a small fire somewhere in the neighborhood, since the windows in the house are screens rather than glass.