This is one of our absolute favourite festivals in the world – and we have been to a few! The perfect combination of colour, vibrancy and excitement, with a touch of mayhem and an overlay of total disorganisation. The vibe is second to none, you can almost guarantee there will be no other visitors (other than perhaps a visiting king), and the extent of how relaxed everything is, is impossible to describe.
The festival is supposed to start at 2pm, however “Batoufam time” makes “Africa time” seem like “Japan time”. At some point around 2pm all the locals from the chiefdom will appear out of their houses, or from wherever they’ve been in the morning, and start milling around the central square. There will be people cooking a bunch of different foods, including spicy barbequed meats, and all sorts of local fruits and corn. No doubt at some point some bamboo wine will appear, which can be anything from non-alcoholic to liqueur-level alcoholic. And no, there is no way of knowing until you drink it. Likely some drums will also appear at some point, and of course when drums appear, dancing will start. The village bar, which is just next to the square, and is just a bunch of plastic seats next to a fridge, will be buzzing. Gradually the vibe will get more and more excited, but of course no one seems to have any idea when the event will actually start.
At some point, maybe around 5 or 6pm, people will start putting on their outfits for the procession, and this in itself is a really cool experience if you can get to see it. They also are all super excited about it, as if it’s also their first time (which obviously it isn’t!), and will be posing for photos with each other, trying on various versions of their costumes, swapping hats, and all the while, lots of laughing and frivolity. Eventually word will be sent that the king is ready to go, and suddenly everyone in the procession will make their way out to the central square again, moving in single file towards the “stadium”. And I say moving advisedly, as walking is definitely not the correct word. It’s somewhere between a saunter and a dance. Everyone is just so happy and relaxed, and they’re super happy to have us there watching them and following along with them, and we can just move around as we please, taking photos, posing with people, high fiving whoever’s into it, etc.
As guests, we’ll be given pride of place seating, within a few metres of the king, if not right next to him, and once he’s seated and ready to go, the procession will start. One by one, everyone will dance past the king, moving on in a single file line. Some people are just bobbing a little bit to the beat, some people are going full Peter Garrett. And you can sit and watch it from the king’s perspective, or you can move around and see the whole thing from wherever you like. It’s super chill and they’re just as happy to have us there as we are to be there. We might be more of a novelty to them than they are to us actually!
After the procession, the king and his cohort will themselves process back to the main square, and through it into the main part of the chiefdom, through a series of intricately carved doorways, past the amazing and sometimes graphic paintings that adorn every wall, and towards the king’s private residence.
And again, as guests, we’ll be invited into the King’s private residence, along with the dozen or so inner circle of the Batoufam Chiefdom and any visiting royalty that may be there. Now, it might be luxurious compared to the rest of the Chiefdom, but the house resembles that of a middle-class Egyptian family living in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. If you know the style, you know it! There will be a buffet dinner served, along with a modest selection of wines and beers. The modest selection becomes a generous selection when the first lot gets finished though, and will continue to be free-flowing!
The festive atmosphere continues well into the night, and as things gradually become more and more relaxed, there are plenty of opportunities to take photos with the king, his family, other members of the Chiefdom, visiting kings, and whomever else is milling around.
An absolutely fantastic travel experience, a really one of a kind situation. Join us in Cameroon if you want to see this for yourself!
