Race of Hope

Saw a show about Cameroon, on PBS' Globetrekker show. Not really a huge fan of the show but it was on and I was bored. The show's host came across a big event in Cameroon, called the "Race of Hope". It involves running up and down Mount Fako, or Mount Cameroon, a volcanic mountain that rises over 13,000 feet into the sky. I think the race is a total of 42 kilometers or so.

It's actually scheduled for this Febuary and attracts athletes from all over the world. Personally, I get tired after like 7 flights of stairs. 13,000 feet sounds like a whole heckuva lotta stairs...

To entice the lazy, they've doubled the prize money to 3 million CFA, which sounds like a lot but translates to $5300. Hmmn. Or you could sit on the couch and watch other people do it for you...and if you have HDTV it'll be like you're really there! Won't it?

Well, whatever you decide to do, here are some nice pictures taken by Ann Bowker, who did climb the mountain and who apparently has climbed a whole lot of them, if her site is any indication...



Mt. Cameroon is also famous for its biodiversity and a local tree called prunus africana, whose bark is used to make a medicine to treat prostate enlargement. Cameroon is the largest exporter of prunus and apparently the French are the biggest importers...draw your own conclusions...