Running in Cameroon

For the most part I go running three times a week. My distances vary from 3 to 10 miles depending on weather, time, and my energy level. I leave the house at 5:30 as that's when there are a lot of other people out running. It's still dark, the sun comes up about 6am. Many people take sport very seriously and there is literally hundreds of people out jogging at that time and doing exercises. I'm actually a late bird, most people are out by 5am. All of us runners clap as we pass each other. Also if you're having a hard time, someone will always give you an encouraing word to keep on going. Generally running is a great, relaxing time. But running in Africa certainly is an experience. There are no side walks, huge pot holes, often no street lights, serious mud in the rainy season, suffocating dust in the dry season, lots of stray dogs, terrible drainage when it rains, motorbikes that don't seem to see you, cars that give you no space.  Just the fact alone of being a "white girl" you attract attention weather your running or not. People calling out, guys cat call and sometime try to run along side you. Usually a curt, "Leave me alone, I'm running" get's rid of these distractions. When Jenna was here she ran with me a lot. She is young and blond which is even more of an attention grabber; there was often boys trying to run with us. One boy would not give up, so finally after sticking my finger in his face and telling him to stop following us, he quit. We kept running and then about a mile down the road we saw a taxi pull up in front of us and then the same guy got out! As we passed him he said he wanted to talk to us but we told him we weren't interested. Thankfully he finally gave up.  Just the other day I was running Upstation, a mile and half huge hill that comes into Bamenda. It is super steep and is an awesome workout! Anyway I was on my way up, listening to my music, and I heard a guy shouting at me, I kept going but could still hear him. I turned around and saw it was a "mad" man following me. There are lots of these people in Cameroon, I'm guessing in the West they would be put in a hospital of some kind, but here they just sort of roam the streets (often naked!). Thankfully this man was dressed but I did speed up to a guy running in front of me and kept a steady pace with him. I forgot about the man in a few minutes and made it to the top in record time! On the way back down I noticed the mad man again... he had come all the way up the hill after me! When he saw me he started waving his hands and blocking my way. I shouted at him to move but that didn't help. I decieded to go around him in the ditch. As I came out I missed the curb and twisted my ankle, so now I couldn't run... thankfully he stayed where he was and just kept shouting. There was a lady in front of me running and she told me to jog down with her. I didn't feel unsafe at anytime as there is so many people out but is was frustrating. I have been thinking though, that when we are back in the States next year, running is going to seem so boring!