It is Monday and the sun is especially mild. Youpwé, a villlage along the Wouri, is buzzing with activity. Downstream is the lively fish market. The place is a little corner of heaven; cabarets and restaurants are everywhere. The most famous of them all is "Dernier Comptoir Colonial" and it sits right next to the Wouri.

Visitors can also find women, hard at work, selling braised fish. Once the visitors get out of their vehicle, taxi or moto-taxi, the smell of grilled fish overcomes them. It is mouthwatering.

We see about thirty customers sitting on chairs which have been spread out all over. The tables are black with braised fish and... beer.

" Your prices are going up! "

At "Santa Maria", about five or six fish are getting braised on a "ganou" or barbecue. Carp, seabass and shellfish turn golden over the hot embers. The smallest of the shellfish weighs about half a kilogram. Augustin Bilé, a regular customer, works in marine freight. His girlfriend heads toward Santa Maria. She shouts to the owner, "Hello Partner!" The owner replies, "I have good fresh fish! They just got fished half an hour ago. Look at them!" She points to the different fish and says, "3 500 francs (5.30 euros)... 4 500 francs (7 euros)...  5 500 francs (8.50 euros)..." Augustin's girlfriend was silent and then exclaimed, "Your prices are going up!"

The restaurant owner begins showing her fish with praise: "Only little fish can be found around here. Look around, Chérie. It's the rainy season right now and fishing is really hard. I am the only one around here who has such large fish!" The owner then decides to deduct 500 francs from the prices. Augustin and his girlfriend end up with a fish which cost 5 000 francs. They are smiling again when they add, "And a beer for Monsieur and some juice for Madame."

" Arthur, calm down! "

Nearby, Mado works on his specialty dish: grilled shellfish. On his "ganou", visitors can find lobster, prawn, crab and shrimp barbecuing nicely. They cost between 500 and 5 OOO francs. One customer, Polo, who is still in the middle of eating, says, "When I come here, I always eat shrimp. Did you know that that's how Cameroon got its name? Rio de Camaroes means river of shrimp. The early Portuguese explorers called the Wouri that. I adore shellfish. If I wanted to eat fish, I'd go to a restaurant in the city!"

Next to Polo is a family with four children. The baby cheers up the atmosphere. "Arthur, calm down!" says the mother. She tries to keep each child under control. Her husband says, "I just had to take the children here before they go back to school. They spent their summer holiday back home in the village."

" We are monitoring the situation. "

The "Naval Base" is upstream from Youpwé. It is a reference point for the people of Douala. They go there to escape the stress and noise of the city. The fish they eat is fresher then the fish in the city shops. Once they are caught, they are cooked and served. The "Naval Base" teems with military staff and policeman whose offices are around the the river.

One disadvantage to this paradise: the use of toxic products. Daniel Njog, a fishery inspector, says, "We have noticed that some fishermen use toxic products so they can catch fish more easily and in greater quantity. Fortunately, we are monitoring the situation. The guilty parties could be banned from fishing in the Wouri and could even be sentenced to prison."

Night falls on the city. Augustin and his girlfriend are about to leave Santa Maria. Augustin says, "I met my girlfriend right here. I come back often so I can eat and relax. If you're looking for quality, this is the place. Also, there is a great breeze and we can take it easy. I don't need to go to a seaside place like Kribi or Limbé. I can travel here, once or twice a week." He clearly feels right at home.