The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa
Encyclopedia
The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa (ISBN 1550226673) is a 1996 non-fiction book written by Rush
drummer Neil Peart
about his bicycling travel through the Africa
n country of Cameroon
.
vet. Elsa; a slender 60-year-old pacifist who would struggle to keep up with everyone and complain about everything. And Annie; a 30-something administrative assistant who was often scatterbrained.
Peart, an avid reader, brought two books on the trip with him, Nicomachean Ethics
by Aristotle
and Dear Theo by Vincent van Gogh
, to read at rest stops and before bedtime. He would entwine thoughts about these two books throughout The Masked Rider.
, where they would first travel west along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean
and then turn north to the heart of the former British Cameroon, stopping at many towns in Southern Cameroon along the way, like Tiko
, Buea
, Limbe, Kumba
, Nkongsamba
, Bafang
, Bafoussam
, Mbouda
, Bamenda
, Bafut, Ndop, Kumbo
, Jakiri
, and Foumban
.
As they travel, Elsa starts complaining and is so tired after a few days she contemplates quitting, but it was David who encouraged her to keep going. Neil and the others also experience many things about each town; how nice some are (Bamenda) and how not so nice the others are (Kumba
). Peart called Kumba "a real hell hole." They also meet a Peace Corps
volunteer named Kim in Jakiri who cooked them all hamburgers.
where they spend two days before boarding a train to Ngaoundéré
. Once there, they board another bus for Garoua
. However, this bus would have problems, starting with the bus driver allowing both of one set of dual tires to blow out, and managing to obtain another tire to fix it all before continuing on. Eventually, about 30 miles from Garoua, the bus's engine would give out, and they decide to start cycling again from there.
, Guave, Mabas, Tourou, Mozogo, Mora
, Waza, Ndiguina, Maltam, Kousséri
, and finally, to N'Djamena
, Chad
.
During this time, Neil would get nervous while being accosted by a very, very drunk Cameroon soldier in Dembo, he and Leonard would almost wind up in Nigeria
, they would enjoy looking at wildlife in a game park, Campement de Waza, while enjoying a bit of luxury, and finally continuing onto N'Djamena, where they would have further adventures concluding the trip.
First, they had to obtain exit visas to leave Cameroon, then they would be told they would need one to leave Chad, which they were afraid they could not get in time for the one flight per week. Peart would get so ill the night before worrying about all this, he could not face dinner, but the next morning was much better, and they all managed to leave the country and conclude the tour. Neil, Leonard, and Elsa would fly UTA to Paris, while David and Annie would fly Air Afrique
to Mali
.
At the end, Neil would spend a week with his then-wife, Jackie, in Paris
.
, The Masked Rider was only available in Canadian bookstores, on Amazon.com
, and at souvenir stands at Rush concerts. However, subsequent books by Peart were published by ECW Press
, which actually had an international distributor, thus those books garnered more sales, and in 2004, ECW bought the publishing rights for The Masked Rider and released a second edition.
When the second edition of The Masked Rider came out, there were numerous mistakes that were not seen by Peart until after the book went on sale at a concert in Milwaukee. For instance, all of the pictures were missing, the original map of Cameroon was there, and not a more updated version, along with at least one glaring grammatical error. By the time the book was pulled from the shelves in Milwaukee, 26 copies of that book were sold. Peart then offered, on Rush's website, to replace those copies with a signed hardcover copy of the correct version. Two people took Peart up on the offer, leaving only 24 copies of the book in circulation.
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
drummer Neil Peart
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...
about his bicycling travel through the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n country of Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
.
Synopsis
In November 1988, Peart joined David Mozer's Bicycle Africa for a month-long tour of Cameroon. Along with David, Neil would travel with three other strangers. Leonard; an African-American electrical engineer who is also a VietnamVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
vet. Elsa; a slender 60-year-old pacifist who would struggle to keep up with everyone and complain about everything. And Annie; a 30-something administrative assistant who was often scatterbrained.
Peart, an avid reader, brought two books on the trip with him, Nicomachean Ethics
Nicomachean Ethics
The Nicomachean Ethics is the name normally given to Aristotle's best known work on ethics. The English version of the title derives from Greek Ἠθικὰ Νικομάχεια, transliterated Ethika Nikomacheia, which is sometimes also given in the genitive form as Ἠθικῶν Νικομαχείων, Ethikōn Nikomacheiōn...
by Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
and Dear Theo by Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
, to read at rest stops and before bedtime. He would entwine thoughts about these two books throughout The Masked Rider.
Southern tour
They all met in DoualaDouala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...
, where they would first travel west along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and then turn north to the heart of the former British Cameroon, stopping at many towns in Southern Cameroon along the way, like Tiko
Tiko
Tiko, Originally called ‘Keka’ by the Bakweris, is a town and important port in the southwest region of Cameroon. The settlement grew as a market town for Duala fishermen, Bakweri farmers and hunters from Molyko, Bwenga, Bulu and Bokova...
, Buea
Buea
Buea is the capital of the Southwest Region of Cameroon. The town is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Cameroon and has a population of 90,088 . Buea was the colonial capital of the German Kamerun from 1901 to 1919,and the capital of the Southern Cameroons from 1949 until 1961...
, Limbe, Kumba
Kumba
Kumba is a city in Southwest Province, western Cameroon also known around Cameroon as K town. It had a population of 144,268 . The N8 and N16 highways meet at Kumba.- History :...
, Nkongsamba
Nkongsamba
Nkongsamba is a city in western Cameroon. It is located in the Moungo department, which is in the Littoral region. The city had a population of 104,050 inhabitants at the 2005 Census. The city is a centre of farming of oil palms, bananas and coffee, and is situated between two mountains, the...
, Bafang
Bafang
Bafang is a town and commune in Cameroon situated in the Haut-Nkam division of the West Province. It lies at the heart of the territory of the Bamiléké people, and has a population of roughly 80,500.-References:1...
, Bafoussam
Bafoussam
Bafoussam is the capital of the West Province of Cameroon, in the Bamboutos Mountains. It is the prefecture of the Mifi department, one of three arrondissements in the department. The city had a population of 239,287 inhabitants . The city is the region's center of trade. People are farming...
, Mbouda
Mbouda
Mbouda is the divisional capital of the Bamboutos division, Western region of Cameroon. Mbouda is located between two major cities Bafoussam and Bamenda which are respectively the capital cities of the west and North-West regions of Cameroon....
, Bamenda
Bamenda
Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the North West Province. The city had a population of 269,530 at the 2005 Census, and is located 366 km north-west of the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé...
, Bafut, Ndop, Kumbo
Kumbo
Kumbo, also known as Kimbo, is the second-largest city in the North West Province of Cameroon and the capital of Bui Département. It lies about 2000m above sea level and is situated approximately 110km away from Bamenda , on the Bamenda Highlands Ring Road...
, Jakiri
Jakiri
Jakiri is a town and commune in Cameroon. It lies on the Ring Road in the Northwest Region. Its central roundabout is the intersection of roads heading to Foumban, Kumbo, and Bamenda.-References:*...
, and Foumban
Foumban
Foumban or Fumban is a city in Cameroon, lying north east of Bafoussam. It has a population of 83,522 . It is a major town for the Bamoun people and is home to a museum of traditional arts and culture...
.
As they travel, Elsa starts complaining and is so tired after a few days she contemplates quitting, but it was David who encouraged her to keep going. Neil and the others also experience many things about each town; how nice some are (Bamenda) and how not so nice the others are (Kumba
Kumba
Kumba is a city in Southwest Province, western Cameroon also known around Cameroon as K town. It had a population of 144,268 . The N8 and N16 highways meet at Kumba.- History :...
). Peart called Kumba "a real hell hole." They also meet a Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
volunteer named Kim in Jakiri who cooked them all hamburgers.
Buses and trains
After the Southern tour is over, all five of them are crammed into a bus in Foumban to go to YaoundeYaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
where they spend two days before boarding a train to Ngaoundéré
Ngaoundéré
Ngaoundéré or N'Gaoundéré is the capital of the Adamawa Region of Cameroon. It had a population of 152,698 . It lies at the northern end of the railway to Yaoundé and is also home to an airport. The current city was founded in approximately 1835 by the Fulani leader Ardo Njobdi, although the...
. Once there, they board another bus for Garoua
Garoua
Garoua is the capital of the North Province of Cameroon, lying on the Benue River. The city had 235,996 inhabitants at the 2005 Census, and is an important river port.- Overview :...
. However, this bus would have problems, starting with the bus driver allowing both of one set of dual tires to blow out, and managing to obtain another tire to fix it all before continuing on. Eventually, about 30 miles from Garoua, the bus's engine would give out, and they decide to start cycling again from there.
Northern tour
From before Garoua, the gang starts cycling again to towns and villages in the north. After Garoua, it would be Hama Koussou, Dembo, Tchevi, RoumsikiRhumsiki
Rhumsiki, also spelt Rumsiki and Roumsiki, is a village in the Far North Province of Cameroon. Rhumsiki is located in the Mandara Mountains 55 km from Mokolo and 3 km from the border with Nigeria. The village is similar to many others in northern Cameroon...
, Guave, Mabas, Tourou, Mozogo, Mora
Mora, Cameroon
Mora is a town in northern Cameroon. The German fort of Mora was the last German fort in Cameroon to surrender during World War I. After a long time under blockade by allied forces, Captain von Raben and his men surrenderd to the allied forces on February 20, 1916, over a year after the rest of the...
, Waza, Ndiguina, Maltam, Kousséri
Kousséri
Kousséri is a city in Far North Province, Cameroon, lying on the border with Chad, across the Chari River from N'Djamena. It is the capital of the Logone-et-Chari department. It is a market town, and its population has recently been swollen by refugees from Chad. It had a population of 89,123 at...
, and finally, to N'Djamena
N'Djamena
N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
, Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
.
During this time, Neil would get nervous while being accosted by a very, very drunk Cameroon soldier in Dembo, he and Leonard would almost wind up in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, they would enjoy looking at wildlife in a game park, Campement de Waza, while enjoying a bit of luxury, and finally continuing onto N'Djamena, where they would have further adventures concluding the trip.
First, they had to obtain exit visas to leave Cameroon, then they would be told they would need one to leave Chad, which they were afraid they could not get in time for the one flight per week. Peart would get so ill the night before worrying about all this, he could not face dinner, but the next morning was much better, and they all managed to leave the country and conclude the tour. Neil, Leonard, and Elsa would fly UTA to Paris, while David and Annie would fly Air Afrique
Air Afrique
Air Afrique was a Pan-African airline, that was mainly owned by many West African countries for most of its history. It was established as the official transnational carrier for francophone West and Central Africa, because many of these countries did not have the capability to create and maintain a...
to Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
.
At the end, Neil would spend a week with his then-wife, Jackie, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Printings
Originally published in 1996 by Pottersfield Press, a small publishing company based in Nova ScotiaNova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, The Masked Rider was only available in Canadian bookstores, on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, and at souvenir stands at Rush concerts. However, subsequent books by Peart were published by ECW Press
ECW Press
ECW Press is a North American small press book publisher located in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded by Jack David and Robert Lecker in 1974 as a Canadian literary magazine named Essays on Canadian Writing. Five years later, ECW published its first books - trade and scholarly titles...
, which actually had an international distributor, thus those books garnered more sales, and in 2004, ECW bought the publishing rights for The Masked Rider and released a second edition.
When the second edition of The Masked Rider came out, there were numerous mistakes that were not seen by Peart until after the book went on sale at a concert in Milwaukee. For instance, all of the pictures were missing, the original map of Cameroon was there, and not a more updated version, along with at least one glaring grammatical error. By the time the book was pulled from the shelves in Milwaukee, 26 copies of that book were sold. Peart then offered, on Rush's website, to replace those copies with a signed hardcover copy of the correct version. Two people took Peart up on the offer, leaving only 24 copies of the book in circulation.