Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 60
Hudimche, we check the time and realise that it is still quite early, and therefore decide to
hike on to Ngoshe Sama in Gvoko, hoping that we might be able to make it back to Dzga the
same evening.
We leave the settlement of Hudimche behind and soon wind our way along a little plateau
covered with fields of tiger nuts, until we see the upper deep valley separating the Gwoza hills
from the Tur heights (Plate 11a), which we have to cross at about 900m. To the west we see
Kwalika, which is the most southwesterly settlement ward of Dghweɗe, and to our left, on the
southeastern side of the upper valley, we see the massif of Huduwa, which is Mafa land and
in Cameroon (Figure 3). Looking back to our left we see the massif of Gharaza and Gudule,
the latter forming the most southeasterly part of Dghweɗe. We can see from afar the areas
with the house fields indicated by greener fields, and more trees nearby being cultivated for
roofing the houses and other useful purposes.
Plate 11a: View from Korana Basa, across the valley and up to Ngoshe Sama in Gvoko.
We continue south and cross the watershed to descend into another lower valley which then
falls sharply down into the western plain. On the other side of this valley we see the Gvoko
massif, and after crossing it we have to climb a steep hillside to get up to Ngoshe Sama on top
of the massif. We are now in Gvoko country, and we instantly realise that the architecture of
the houses is different, in particular the roofs are more pointed, which reminds us of Mafa
houses. We now walk a little further across the Gvoko massif where we soon join the road
coming up from Limankara. Next we get to Ngoshe Sama, and there we find shops open to
buy something to eat and to drink. It is early afternoon, meaning that the whole hike from
Hudimche has taken three hours.
We discover that walking on to Tur would be another two or three hours, and that one would
have to follow a well-maintained dirt road which forms the international boundary at the same
time. One could also have taken a motorbike to get from Ngoshe Sama to Tur, or to get back
down to Gwoza town. However we want to go back to Dghweɗe, which leaves us no choice
but to hike. When we eventually arrive back at our research station in Dzga the night has
fallen, and because the moon rises very late we have to use our torches to get across the ridge
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