Pinguis Dance

Cameroon is a multicultrural and ethnical country. It is said that more than 230 native languages are spoken in this land of 18 million inhabitants. This multiculturalism has produced a variety of dances within which some of them are a combination of of the major rythms. One of these is the so called "Pinguiss".

I was told that this is a new dance in Cameroon. Going to Night-Club, I had the opportunity to move according to the Pinguis rythm. I had fun dancing it with other people. Once the rythm was lunch, all the night-Clubers stood up to dance. The dancing floor was packed. To dance it demands energy. A dancer has to be in movement from the beginning to the end. I was happy to dance a rythm created by a young artist called Daniel Mbaka. Above is the video of the clip. Dancing such a ryth will put you in good mood throughout the day. Enjoy it

DISHES from CAMEROON

 I feel like in heaven when having original dishes made at home. It tastes good and natural. No preservatives added, or no radiation from a microwave. These foods are healthy and natural. Let's me give you some of the dishes I have tasted so far. They are many of them. Please this post is not complete yet.

ndole na miele

this type of dish is made of "ndole" which is a composition of spinach, nuts and some traditional ingredients. It is one of my favourite dishes. Miele is one of the two types of bananas. This type can only be eaten cooked.

soup'a mbongo tchobi

This is one of well known soup in the Sawa's region or people from coast. It is made with a type of fish that I cannot describe, also it is made of some type of traditional ingredients. I love it. It can be eaten with with miondo, cassava, bananas, etc.

poff poff and beans

This dish is made for breakfast. some people eat it in the evening in street restaurants or make it at home as a dinner. It can be eaten in the morning or evening.
the poff poff is made of fried flower. the bean is a mixture of bean, oil and ingredients.

soupa'a kingan

fufu

 This is a combination of dishes that go together. Fuffu is made of cassava powder that was stired in the hot water. soupa'a kingan is a made of grinded nuts, ingredients and (meat, dried fish).

Irish potatoes, fish and vegetable

                                                 
This is a mixture of vegetables, irish potatoes and fish. It is a Lunch's dish. Potatoes such as Irish or sweet are found all over Cameroon.


P.S More dishes are to be published.

An Unpleasant Welcome

I am a US Citizen of Cameroonian origin. On July 20th at 8:00 PM central standard time, I landed in Yaounde, Cameroon from Nsimalen Int'l Airport. I was, from the plane Swiss Airline that I flew very happy to touch the land of my origin. Let recall that, Cameroonians when flying to Cameroon, always clap hands when the plane touch the driveway. I was amaze and happy to witness such a moment. I have never experienced such a happiness of passengers of landing home throughout my travelling experiences. Even before nearing the Capital of Cameroon (Yaounde), passengers whom 98% are Cameroonians going to visit family, were happy and talking about the foods they will eat, what they are going to do. I myself was thinking about my family, how I will see places of Cameroon. The trip from Zurich to Yaounde Nsimalen was safe and joyfull.
This joy to landing on the land of my ancestors started to fade when at the Airport Custom, I was told to present my Card of Yellow Fever Vaccination. I was disturbed by such request. I recall that other passengers were providing such card. So, I asked myself how come they knew that they have to present such card? To me, once you ask a visa to visit a country, you have to fulfill all the requirements for your visa to be granted. I recall that, the Cameroon Consular Office in Washington, DC posted all the conditions on their website www.ambacam-usa.org. Here, there is not a mention of yellow fever vaccination to fulfill for a visa request.
I have explained the procedure of visa request to the custom agent, I told him that, according to the Cameroon Consular, a tourist or a visitor has to among other conditions provide a card of Typhoid Fever Vaccination and that, there is not a mention a yellow fever vaccination. The agent said according to the Cameroonian Governement through its Health Ministry, any visitor to Cameroon has to provide a proof of Yellow fever vaccination. And, if not the visitor has to pay F CFA 12500 ($27) for a yellow fever vaccine that will be given to him before leaving the Airport.
I was trying to explain to this agent that it is not my fault if I cannot provide such card.  When coming here, and my visa granted upon fulfilling all the requirements, I was sure to cross the border without any difficulties as I do in every country I travel.
Noticing that, arguing will not solve the problem, I decided to pay the fee and take the vaccin. The issue here is that, a respectable country has to provide up to date information about visa procedure so that s/he will not have an unpleasant welcome in the country of visit. The Cameroonian's Government through it Foreign Office should send these information to any Consular abroad. From this experience, I understand why some tourists avoid travelling to third world countries because of inadequacy and uniformization of tourism policies of the host country. I recall that passengers coming from Europe have provided the card whereas those coming from US haven't. I asked myself what would have happened to me if I had not some currencies with me? Would they have jailed me? or put me back in a plane to return to my country (US)? It was an unpleasant welcome to me by the people with whom I share the same origin. May be this example can serve as a lesson to always be prepared when I travel to Africa because, the policies or information might have not been updated. It relies wholly to the host Government to update visitors on a daily basis about travelling to their lands.
Please, anyone wanted to visit Cameroon should be prepared to provide a Yellow Fever Vaccination proof before entrying the country.
I hope that this will be an isolated inconvenient during my journey to the land of my ancestors.
I left the Airport and went home happy to meet my family and eat good foods from Cameroon.