We crossed the border from Nigeria to Cameroon near Ekok at about 2pm last Friday, intending to spend the night in Mamfe, about 40 miles further on. A day and a half later we limped into Mamfe, having spent the intervening time in a giant mudbath. The road from Ekok to Mamfe goes through the rainforest. It is a stretch to call it a dirt road. In fact it is a stretch to call it a road. It is more like a swimming pool. Or a construction site. After 10 minutes on the road we found ourselves stuck in a mud hole about 15 feet deep with 5 feet of water at the bottom and no traction for our wheels. It was raining, and the only way out of the car was to climb out of the window. Still, with smiles on our faces we broke out the shovel and hooked up the winch to a conveniently located tree. Within an hour we were free. This was fun! 10 minutes later we were stuck again. On about the 10th time the fun started to fade. Still it was an amazing experience. We only managed to get through the whole thing because we got so much help from locals. Every time we got stuck people would emerge from the jungle, dive into the mud and start pushing. We carried on deep into the night as locals had advised us it was too dangerous to bush camp. We were covered in mud. The car is coated with mud inside and out. Overall, however, it was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip.
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