December 31 – The Last Day of 2025
Good day. Today is the last day of 2025. Wow, what a year it has been. I was making my way toward Yaoundé, with about 100 kilometers still to go.
A Forgotten Charger and a New Companion
After making my first turn, I stopped to pick up someone to give a ride to. That’s when I realized my phone charging equipment hadn’t made it out of the hotel like I did. I had to turn back to retrieve it. When I returned, the person was still there. His name was François.
François mostly speaks French, with just a little English, so everything was in French. That’s getting easier over time, even if it doesn’t make the conversations any less intense.
The Road to Yaoundé
We paid a toll to a person in an orange vest—just 500 francs, about a dollar. The toll stations exist, but they don’t really use them. This is the main road between Douala and Yaoundé, and it still has potholes in places you least expect, so you have to stay alert and drive around them.
Another hazard, even during the day, is slow-moving trucks. There’s always the temptation to overtake quickly, but I try to take my time. You never know who might be coming around the corner.
Scenes from the Road
We passed what felt like the harvest from the night before—accidents along the way. One truck carrying cut wood had lost its entire load. Another log-hauling truck had spilled massive logs, about two and a half feet in diameter, scattered across the road.
The worst scene was in a village where a massive fuel tanker sat intact, but its cab was completely smashed. I’m assuming another vehicle hit it, and they were in the process of hauling it away.
A Village Meal and Local Flavors
This village happened to be where François’s wife is from. He wanted me to try an African dish made with manioc, a root vegetable, and in this case, hare—bush meat caught by local people and sold in the village.
It was pretty tasty, though full of bones. Just like with fish, you leave all the bones in and make it your own as you eat.
Finding a Place to Stay
Along the way, we had good conversations, and I asked François if he knew a hotel in Yaoundé. He did, and he took me there. We didn’t really know what to expect, but it turned out to be a fine hotel at a very reasonable price.
The only downside was the lack of reliable Wi-Fi in the room, so I had to go downstairs most of the time to get online.
Parting Ways in Yaoundé
François works for Orange doing marketing and needed to go to their headquarters, so that’s where I dropped him off. He then had to travel back home the same day. He was a really neat person to have along for the journey.
I stayed at the Juvenge 2000 Hotel—a name I still have trouble remembering. Apparently, it means “youthfulness,” which is an interesting name for a hotel when you think about it.
Coffee, Conversations, and Connections
I went for a walk to see if I could find some coffee. I’d passed a Total Energies station with a Bonjour Café, which had good coffee elsewhere, so I checked it out. The only option was an automated Nescafé machine, but it was the closest thing around, so that’s what I had.
Two guys were standing nearby having a drink, and we struck up a conversation. They turned out to be government workers. The conversation grew into something more, and we even exchanged phone numbers.
They were interested in where I’d come from, where I was going, and especially in the wood stoves—not so much for their jobs, but for the villages they came from. We’ll see where those connections lead.
An Evening at the Bar
That evening, I thought about venturing out near the hotel, but the night staff suggested I stay close and go to the bar below the hotel instead. François had already warned me to keep car windows up and never take photos with my phone hanging out the window.
At the bar, I ended up sitting with the night staff member and his two brothers, who had come to keep him company during his shift. It turned into a great evening. The bar wasn’t very busy, but we ended up dancing a little and enjoying the music and videos playing on the screen.
An Unexpected New Year’s Connection
As it turned out, one of the brothers was a journalist working for CRTV radio. During our conversations, he suggested that he might interview me about what I’m doing.
It’s amazing how things just happen. Just amazing.
Closing Out the Year
Happy New Year, everyone. Thanks for coming along.
