Blogs from Brazzaville, South, Congo, Africa
January 22nd 2011
15:20 Today I went on a last visit round the site. I said goodbye to all the people in the village and to everyone who helped me. Someone even gave little souvenirs! 0ne was a Tropical Plant called a Croton and she also gave me a wonderful baked loaf of bread homemade that did not last as long as I had wished for! I can’t wait to go to Ethiopia! Secretly I’m quite glad to leave as here it’s the rainy season.... read more
January 21st 2011
22:07 The boat trip was sooooooo exciting! I got a great picture of hippos at the water’s edge. I wasn’t allowed to take full pictures of just the River though because authorities will confiscate any cameras or pictures…luckily I didn’t have my Camera confiscated but it did mean no pictures. (I got away with the Hippos, though, as they are not part of the river!) It’s a lot better in a boat than in the water! Me, and a couple of other tourists and guides set of at 13:30 in an 8 seated canoe. We had a wonderful time looking at animals, plants, special features and the guides were brilliant; telling us everything they knew about everything we passed or saw. I was an amazing experience. The River is wildly twisting and turning so much that ... read more
January 20th 2011
13:27 Hello again! I found loads out yesterday…I’ll tell u later but first I’m sooooooo glad I didn’t go swimming. According to the Village people not only crocodiles but water snakes, tortoises and hippos also are lurking in there somewhere! Joined by 200 species of fish, I wouldn’t want bump into any of those creatures while swimming! Anyway back to the amazing facts. Did u know that the Congo River is used mainly for goods and transportation? Unfortunately all this transportation of goods leads to pollution of the lovely Congo RiverL. The Congo River’s source is the Junction of the Lualaba and Luvua Rivers and its mouth is the Atlantic Ocean. The people of the village use the water from the River as a source of food, as they fish there, and also a place to ... read more
January 19th 2011
19:03 I went exploring today!! I had planned to go swimming in the River, and I was close to as well. Just as I was about to jump in, in swimsuit, the patroller told me to beware of the crocodiles…obviously that led to me quickly removing my feet from the water’s edge and pretending to rush of for a forgotten, booked activity! After that I went to a local visitor centre where I found out more about the rainforest along the Congo. The rainforest provides a home for the “forest people”. They live in groups or bands of around 15 – 70 people depending of course on the outside factors. E.g Hunting, Diseases, trading and Forest area. Most of the time they live near villages to ensure they have lots of food, and other things for ... read more
January 18th 2011
16:34 The Congo River is the largest river system south of the Sahara, it’s 2700 miles long! Also 10 million gallons of water rushes down it every second. It has a big potential for hydro-electricity. The Congo River flows through the 3rd largest rainforest in the world! Aren’t these cool facts! I never knew just how important the Congo River was. ... read more
January 17th 2011
04:25 L Sooooooo tired…I had to get up this early to catch the flight to the Congo. I’m going from the Capital of Chad (N’Djamena) to the Capital if Congo (Brazzaville) which is really near to the Congo River. I’ll let you know when I am there what it’s like!... read more
January 17th 2011
17:41 I landed at the Brazzaville airport at 7 o’clock in the morning. By then I was very tired and went straight to the hotel (Hotel de ville Brazzaville), on the shore of the Congo River, for a quick nap! I was quite worried about the flight because the African Airways are not as safe and secure due to the lack of Political Stability and that flight in 1989 when the plane crashed after stopping at Brazzaville and N’Djamena…my destination and start point…luckily I had my guide, Abdoul, to convince me, with proof, that I wasn’t going to be blown to smithereens during my journey! My Journey was in fact very pleasant. I planned the rest of my Journey and researched some good activities to do in Congo. Tomorrow I am moving out of the ... read more
July 27th 2008
Life without running water involves containers, basins and buckets. In general water is transported in 25 litre containers in carts, wheelbarrows, on heads or in taxis from communal pumps. This single water supply is used for drinking, preparing food, washing oneself, the house, children and laundry. ... read more
July 26th 2008
There has been no electricity for two days now. Supply from Kinshasa to the whole of Brazzaville has been cut. It’s such a frequent occurrence that no one bothers to moan, everyday life continues in the darkness. Street vendors remain by the roadside, friends congregate at bars yet settle for lukewarm beer and taxis continue to shift the masses from one side of town to another. Complete neighbourhoods are plunged into darkness save for kerosene lamps and candle light. Private generators are increasingly widespread and start to buzz and expulse kerosene fumes as soon as the power is cut, yet generators remain the reserve of the middle class and do little to lift the blanket of darkness within les cités. More worrying is the water supply which tends to ebb away during power cuts. What to ... read more
July 25th 2008
There is no culture of outsourcing. Every business is self-reliant, own electricity supply, security guards, couriers, cleaners. Supermarkets import all their own stock (i.e. no wholesalers), patisseries bake everything in-house, hotels have their own laundry service. The notion of economies of scale is absent, only self reliance ensures survival.... read more
