The Nigerian Field Society

Lagos Branch

Ijebu-Ode - 02-2004	ABM - 03-2004
Kajuru - 03-2004	Waza - 04-2004
Yartsamiya - 05-2004	IITA-Ibadan - 06-2004
Abeokuta - 07-2004	Jos - 09-2004
Cross River I - 10-2004	Cross River II - 10-2004
Durbar - Kano/Katsina - 11-2004	Lagbaja Concert - 11-2004
Okomu Forest - 12-2004
Trips & Talks

Waza National Park, Cameroun

7th- 12th April, 2004

A group of twenty-three of us made this trip. Four of us had sufficient time off to make the journey by car from Lagos to Maiduguri where we would meet the rest of the group. The drive took us diagonally from the southwest to the northeast of Nigeria, and from the tropical south through the plateau region in the center to the arid Sahel zone in the north. It was interesting to see not just the change in climate and geography but also the change in architectural style of the houses and village compounds. In parts of the south there were old Portuguese-style buildings from slave times and, farther north, mud brick homes with thatched roofs. The drive was two very long days but we saw a lot! We crossed the Niger River at Lokoja, spent the night in Keffi, an hour or so east of Abuja, and, all along the way, took in the sights of rural village life and talked with curious locals whenever we stopped.

Once we arrived in Maiduguri we awaited the arrival of the rest of the group, by plane. In the evening we were all together for a lovely dinner at a private home, which was kindly arranged for us by friends. In the morning - this was Thursday - we began our drive from Maiduguri to Maroua, a town across the border in Cameroun, where we would be staying for three nights. The distance is short - maybe several hours - but the journey was endless. Close to the border, where we stopped to view the balancing rocks in Gwoza, one of the vehicles (there were six) was having engine trouble so we were delayed there. Then we ended up taking the wrong dirt road (there is a right dirt road) to Kirawa, the border town where we would go through customs. With a group our size, and most of us expats, one can imagine it would take a while. But 5 1/2 hours went beyond anyone’s imagination. There were passports to process and visas and vehicles and all the paperwork and stamps and concomitant tedium. The border was not a simple crossing but rather several stops every few kilometers for yet another customs post to get through.

Once back on the road we hit another major impediment when we were stopped by the police. Jean-Paul, the Frenchman in our group, skillfully negotiated our way on, but then, just when we thought we were finally on the last leg, and with the sun about to drop into the horizon, our Muslim drivers started making their preparations for evening prayers. As they were washing their hands and feet, with darkness rapidly encroaching, Jason gestured seriously enough that they should immediately get into the cars.We had hoped to be in Maroua for lunch but we ended up arriving after dark, around 7:30, hot, tired, and hungry. The hotel welcomed us and soon after settling in we were enjoying drinks and dinner outside on the pleasant terrace.

On Friday morning we were up at 4:30 a.m. so we could be on the road by 5:00. We were driving the two or so hours to Waza National Park, West Africa’s premier game park. We spent the day there, with a break in the afternoon for lunch. In the morning we saw mostly birds – abundant varieties, and numbers! – a few giraffes, and a herd of elephants. We also saw topi and roan antelope. After a hearty lunch overlooking the savannah half the group opted to spend the afternoon in the park while the others went back to Maroua for a rest or a swim in a nearby pool. For those of us who chose to stay at the park we were amply rewarded! We stopped at a waterhole and got out of the vehicles to watch the birds and other wildlife coming and going. We planned on leaving the park at 4:00 so we would be back to the hotel before dark. But at about 3:45 a group of 10 giraffe slowly, and skeptically, began to make their way to the waterhole. We didn’t dare move – not only did we not want to disturb them, but also we were enthralled with the exquisite experience of being 100 or so meters away from such stunningly beautiful animals. We stayed for almost an hour, watching the giraffes, antelope, jackals, warthogs, and birds. By the time we got back to the hotel it was, of course, after dark.

Waza National Park

On Saturday we slept in a bit and, around 10:00, left for a tour of the Mandara mountains – later than planned. At the police check on the first day, it was discovered that three cars didn’t have insurance. The police threatened to arrest the drivers and take the cars. But the proper “cadeau”, and the assurance that the matter would be settled in the morning, allowed us to continue. Our drivers from Maiduguri had no French, or English, and we had no Kanuri or Hausa, so they remained blissfully unaware of their impending arrest. In fact with police and military checks being so common as to be mundane in West Africa, they were doubly unaware. So, that was why, on Saturday morning, we were delayed: we were off buying insurance.

Village of Rhumsiki, Mandara Mountains

In the end the delay didn’t spoil our day. We headed off into the Mandara Mountains and immediately felt as if we were in some sort of fairy wonderland. The mountains are not so high but the landscape is marked by volcanic plugs that shoot vertically skyward. Village compounds with round mud huts, connected by mud walls, and topped by woven grass roofs, conical and pointy, are dotted all around the arid countryside. This time of year, at the end of the dry season, roofs were being re-woven or repaired and mud bricks were drying in the blistering sun. There was a skillful perfection to the local style that inspired our complete admiration. We had hired a guide who was able to give us a lot of interesting background information as well as take us to some sites in the village of Rhumsiki. The area has cultivated a small tourist following and in this way we were shown around a family’s housing compound, and potters and weavers at work. It was all very interesting to have a close-up look. We drove back to Maroua in two groups of three cars each. We arrived first back at the hotel and, as 8:00 rolled around, and then 8:30, when the second group finally arrived, we had been getting a bit concerned. In the end, they were delayed because one car’s tire – the whole thing – fell off. Thankfully there was no accident and no one was hurt. 

Mandara Mountains

Sunday was the day to drive back to Maiduguri. About half of us made the decision to get up very early again to have a few hours in Waza National Park. We would meet the others in Mora, the border town. We did enjoy our morning, again with more giraffes, antelope, and birds. Once back at the border we were hoping for an easier time getting back into Nigeria. Planning for the lengthy processing of vehicle papers, we went to a local bar and enjoyed some cold drinks in the shade of a covered outdoor table. We were all looking a bit ragged, but feeling some sort of weary elation, from the adventures that had marked each step of the journey. It felt like a sigh to sit down and wait out the border process. In the end it seemed like it was too easy – in fact, when we got to the post at the actual border we were simply waved through. I wondered if it was because the agent, seeing the size of our group, didn’t want to miss his TV program that was playing in the dreary office. Once back in Nigeria, a bit startled at the ease of getting back in, a number of us walked back to Cameroun to ask that our passports be stamped with an exit stamp. The laconic agent complied and went on with his program.

On the way back to Maiduguri we stopped at a market and spent some time walking around enjoying all the different things for sale and the people working. We saw someone selling handmade rifles and we saw blacksmiths at work. The people and things were fascinating – quite a bit different from the markets in Lagos.

After passing a few camel herds, and one group of families traveling by camel caravan, we arrived back in Maiduguri in the early afternoon with some time to rest and clean up before dinner. In the morning we were up early for our flight back to Lagos, and home.


Kathy Heiser (U.S.A.)

More photos of the trip? Click here.