One of the major reasons for the timing of my sabbatical was to have the chance to spend some time with my Dad over in Cameroon, central Africa. Someone accurately described my week at home in Spain as "decompression". It was good to have a buffer zone between two hectic weeks finalising work in London and coming to Cameroon where the pace of life is rather different (sometimes very little pace at all!). So I've swapped the view of our beloved Segaria (see previous post) for my Dad's place in a town called Buea on the slopes of the regions largest mountain, Mount Fako or Mount Cameroon as it is internationally known.
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| Dad's house in Buea |
Behind the house on a clear morning one can see almost to the summit which is 4,100 above sea level and looking out downwards the view is of the estuaries of the Mongo and Wouri rivers.
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| The summit of Mt Cameroon |
Both are spectacular on a clear day, which there aren't many of at this time of year - being the end of the rainy season. It has been surprisingly cold (not by UK standards) and I've had a sweater on every day for the first week and the house can often be surrounded in clouds. However it is great to be here and to have the opportunity to spend some time with Dad and other family and friends. As well as finding some time to relax I will be helping him develop his organisation, Global Health Dialogue, which promotes good practice in community health around Africa in particular.
