Democratic Republic of Congo: Lubumbashi to Kinshasa

[RadioBaobab]

I'm off for the weekend. :camping: :bike_rider: Story continues on Monday.

Sorry ;-)

 

[Overland Hadley]

Last year we got a bit lost in the Cambodian jungle on our bikes... but that's another trip report :bike_rider:

Can you start that story when this one is finished?

 

[RusherRacing]

I'm off for the weekend. :camping: :bike_rider: Story continues on Monday.

Sorry ;-)

Well I have something to look forward to on monday then!

 

[TreeTopFlyer]

I'm off for the weekend. :camping: :bike_rider: Story continues on Monday.

Sorry ;-)

Bugger. Well, traffic will be down slightly at the expo =) I feel like Pavlov's dog reading this report. Every time I see RadioBoabab under the DRC subject line on the forum home page I get excited to read the next adventure. I have never seen so many new users posting in one thread. Monumental report. Enjoy your weekend.

 

[Trausti]

I'm off for the weekend. :camping: :bike_rider: Story continues on Monday.

Sorry ;-)

I will be checking my computer many times on Monday for more.
Thanks again.

 

[VikingVince]

As everyone else has said...extraordinary overland trip and great trip report!

Frederick...would you say that being fluent (or nearly so) in French was nearly indispensable to your trip? I can't imagine successfully dealing with all the situations you've described without being able to clearly communicate...plus negotiating your way out of paying bribes to officials and police! I think most of us (who can't speak French), at the very least, would have ended up paying the bribes or, at the worst, being detained far longer or hauled off to jail.

Thanks for a great trip report.

 

[nat]

I guess I have a reason to look forward to Monday!

 

[MuleShoer]

Weekend read

For those interested in the Congo I would suggest taking a look at
Jean-Pierre Hallets book "Congo Kitabu" I first read the book in 1968 it was riveting to say the least. it is really his autobiography from 1945-1965. He was an interesting man and real conservationist. He also published two other books related to Congo life. Now that we have a weekend "off" I will wipe off the dust and reread the book

 

[Morticon]

thankgod, im away till monday and thought i would have a lot of reading to do to catch up!:wings:

 

[squint]

Another long time lurker

Another lurker coming out of the woodwork here

I have forwarded this link to loads of friends and family because it is so enthralling. I am almost finished with "The Dark Star Safari" which is a really interesting book about a guy who essentially hitchhikes from Cairo to Cape Town. Although it is on the other side of Africa, many of the descriptions of begging, the interference from other nations, and corruption on every level parallel your descriptions very closely.

I love adventure and when I am not adventuring, I love to read about other's adventures. You are brave souls. Thanks for all of the entertainment and education like no one could teach you in school!

 

[nitason]

I'm off for the weekend. :camping: :bike_rider: Story continues on Monday.

Sorry ;-)

:1888fbbd:

enjoy your weekend!

 

[Wheelingnoob]

3 days on and off of reading.......what a riveting trip!!

Cant wait for Monday now!! (how often dose one think that?:sombrero

 

[bobDog]

Thank you so much for all the kind words. It is a great feeling to know we are not boring you guys with our little trip report here ;-)



Nope, no winch. We would have used it often if we had one, but at when we were preparing for the trip we could choose between buying a winch, or an extra month on the road. We went for the extra month.

A winch can be handy, but there is always an alternative. Sometimes it meant it takes days to get out, instead of minutes.

Funny....and I might add not your kind of experience, but I would have chosen the winch and figured I wouldn't need the extra month on the road then!:sombrero:

 

[bobDog]

since I'm just now reading this thread and totally fascinated w/ your perils, When and where did you get or need fuel?

 

[bobDog]

When we were busy digging we thought of only one thing: getting out of the obstacle, using whatever was available. Thinking about the things that we did not have but could have helped us at the time would have been a sure recipe to get a depression.

But yes, it did cross our mind. And yes, it would have helped tremendously and reduced the damage the our car (the value of all the things we broke exceeds - by far - the price of a winch). But did we need it? Nope, we have always gotten out this far without a winch

But given the option, I would choose the month extra any time.

That said, I am building a new and improved version and a winch is on my shopping list.. but only if we have some spare cash..

Then again, there is something magical about getting trough impossible obstacles. The improvisation, the stress, the hard labour.. Great stuff! A winch would kinda spoil the fun ;-)

yes I suppose taking matches would spoil the fun of lighting a fire.