DAY FORTY-EIGHT We had an early breakfast so that we could be in town at 8 to finalize our Cameroon visas. I changed 300 French francs at a bank and got 15000 CFA then we went to the Post Office and everyone posted their mail.
We then filled in a couple of hours taking turns to go to the patisserie and wander around the town then went in search of the fabled Artisans Market. It turned out to be a good place to buy souvenirs but they saw us coming and put their prices up. I bought a leather bracelet for 1500 CFA and Linda bought two ebony bracelets, a pair of malachite earrings and a leather bracelet for 2000 CFA.
We went back to the camp for lunch, then at about 3:30 Russ, Di, Jo and I caught a taxi back into the market. I wandered in and out of a few of the shops, then began to bargain with a guy selling figure heads and masks carved from ebony. After a beer in the bar while I planned my strategy I first bought a male and female set of heads for 5 US dollars and 1000 CFA and he threw in a small carved elephant as a cadeau¹. Then we did some further bargaining and I swapped my watch and singlet for a beautiful Ebony mask. A hell of a good deal.
We caught a taxi back to the camp in time for tea then I went to bed as all of the bargaining was too much!! (or was it the beer?!)
¹ French for a gift. The phrase “donnez moi un cadeau” (give me a gift) is a phrase we often heard from children in Francophone Africa.
CurseOfTheTraveller 