The only problem is that sometimes there is no sleeper car and the first class option has seats around a table which prevents resting on ten-hour train rides. The cheapest tickets are standing with no seats!
A motorbike is a common form of travel here and one I often use because of the bad roads around the protected parks. Often, the roads have large holes or the way is through a forest with fallen trees and erosion damage. A motorbike and four-wheel vehicle is the only option at that point.
Traveling by pirogue, which is a canoe made from a tree, is a common way of travel for anyone living near a river. It can be dangerous because most people cannot swim, but it is very easy and cheap as gasoline is expensive in Cameroon. It is an enjoyable experience to sit and watch the river, and a good way to transport equipment. One just has to be careful about getting sunburned due to being exposed to the sun for so long. A six-hour trip downstream is nine hours when going against the current on the return trip.
My favorite way of traveling is the sleeper car on the train. It allows me to rest and catch up on sleep. My least favorite is the train without the sleeper car! It is a night train so it results in me losing a day of sleep. The cars are okay but it becomes very uncomfortable after two hours. I am still getting used to the motorbikes. Every driver is different and some drive carefully while others drive too fast. I like the pirogues, we often see monkeys and hippos on the trip and I can relax and read. The first time, my hands got badly sunburned so I have learned to put lots of sunscreen on.
