Road trip in the Congo

[pyrella]

This is just a small portion of the overall trip apparently, but damn

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/r ... hasa-53285

[Aabidano]

That's seriously cool.

[Winnow]

Wow, I'm only on day three and they've been through a bunch of crap already. I wouldn't even dream of doing what they decided to do which makes their adventure very interesting to read.

Endless bribes.

[masteen]

The only way I would go through that shithole is with an armored division at my back. Un jus, you say? How about I introduce you to Ma Deuce instead?

[Fairweather Pure]

We came across a truck that was parked in the middle of the track. Luckily the surrounding area was pretty open, so we could pass it.

Us: "Bonjour, ca va?" - "Hi, how are you?"
- Them: "Ca va un peu bien " - "I am doing a little bit ok" -> typical Congelese answer this!

Us: "Votre vehicle est en panne?" - "Did you truck broke down?"
- Them: "Oui, mais ils vient avec des nouveaux pièces" - "Yes, but they are coming with spare parts"

So we chat a bit and we ask what their problem exactly was. They left Ilebo for Kananga with a load of building materials for a rich guy in Kananga. Their engine had completely seized. Their cargo was transferred onto another truck and they had taken the engine out and transported the engine to Kinshasa to get it rebuild. In the meantime the truck 'crew' stayed onsite to safeguard the truck. But they were very happy as they just received news that the necessary parts for the engine were now ordered in Germany, so the parts would come arrive in Kinshasa in a few weeks time!

A fascinating story, and they told it as if the was the most normal thing in the world. Fair enough. We said our goodbyes and asked them one more final question. How long had they been here?

"Un peu plus qu'un an maintenant" - "Just over a year"

Amazing to think of how much time and money went into this adventure. I always wonder what people like this do for a living to be afforded the luxury of putting themselves in such misery.

[Aabidano]

Amazing to think of how much time and money went into this adventure. I always wonder what people like this do for a living to be afforded the luxury of putting themselves in such misery.

I've known a four couples who've done similar, one set RVing, one set biking and two sailing. Doesn't really cost that much to get along once you've let your whole "modern" life go. Basically food and possibly fuel.

One set who went sailing left in '86 and never got around to coming back to the states until '03, he had a decent retirement check to help out though (and now 1/2 of a Nobel prize pot).

I'd love to do what they did, China, etc.. would be safe enough, as would parts of SE Asia and South America. Africa? No way.

[pyrella]

Amazing to think of how much time and money went into this adventure. I always wonder what people like this do for a living to be afforded the luxury of putting themselves in such misery.

They sold everything they owned and bought a Landcruiser.

[Siji]

The only thing I came away with after reading his entire trip report was.. what was the point?

[Dakanaf]

And. Why the fuck.

[Siji]

Seriously..

Drive a couple miles. Get stuck. Dig. Deal with beggers. Rush to closest church for safety. Repeat 30+ days in a row. 95% of their pictures were of the shitty roads or them being stuck.

I'm a firm believer in "its the journey not the destination", but in this case the journey sucked. The destination? Nothing exciting. The whole "sell everything and travel for a year" is a fantastic thing I respect. But this was just an exercise in stupidity and extremely pointless. Quite possibly the most corrupt and dangerous continent on the globe.. well known for entire villages being raped repeatedly and he brings his skinny white blond wife into the middle of it. That's just reckless and they were extremely lucky.

If there were amazing views along the way, or they had to trek through hell to get to paradise I'd understand a point. But trekking through hell for the sake of trekking through hell?

[Aabidano]

If there were amazing views along the way, or they had to trek through hell to get to paradise I'd understand a point. But trekking through hell for the sake of trekking through hell?

I think that's just the spin he placed on that part of the trip as it's such and complete and total shithole. Most of the world I've seen, especially that doesn't have people in them are pretty cool. Even those road pictures could have been cool looked at it a different way.

Was thinking "what an idiot" when he was talking about it, especially with a pretty white wife, then thought of my French and Belgian co-workers and it doesn't surprise me nearly as much. Foreigners on the move are likely sort of safe using some common sense, it's the locals that are a mass rape-genocide target and I think Congo is sort of calm in that respect right now. And they didn't have the bad luck to cross paths with any serious loonies.

[Siji]

If there were amazing views along the way, or they had to trek through hell to get to paradise I'd understand a point. But trekking through hell for the sake of trekking through hell?

I think that's just the spin he placed on that part of the trip as it's such and complete and total shithole. Most of the world I've seen, especially that doesn't have people in them are pretty cool. Even those road pictures could have been cool looked at it a different way.

That's kind of what I was waiting for.. the pictures of the massive open plains or from tops of large hills overlooking the top of the forest or something. Perhaps my impression is just as you said because of the way he told the story. The way he describes it, there was nothing redeeming about the entire trip other than surviving.

[Aabidano]

He did mention at the beginning it was home for them, if they remember it as it was going back must be kind of bitter. They don't seem old enough to remember, dunno.

I've read about that part of Africa a bit, in most respects they were far better off as European colonies. Goes for most of the continent for that matter.

[Cracc]

Most of his posts are just oozing "Congo was much better off under Belgian rule". Heh