Dry land for the first time in a month!

Well, if you can really call it that, not much of the experience I would normally look for, but the chance came up to head into town, via the FRC (Fast Rescue craft) so I took it to go and have a pizza in Pointe Noire.
Having been on something that moves constantly with the motion of the ocean since 26th November, I ended up on a boat, anchored in Pointe Noire harbour and just after Xmas, 2 of the other guys I work with said they wanted to head into town for a pizza, would I care to join them.
I figured it would be a bit of exercise and i might get to see at least what the some part of the town looked like!
So we headed across from the vessel to the dockside and wandered out through the dock gates, you need ID to get in and out of the compound, so I handed over my Malawian Driving license and waited to be recorded in the book, Congo is a French speaking country and under the English for Driving License is written "Permis de Conduire", with all relevant details below....so I just check I have been recorded so as no problems later and my new name is..."Driving License" written very precisely in block capitals. My french is not the best but after a few words the guard and I work out the issue and he writes my actual name into the book... quite important bearing in mind I currently have no passport and am not really "in the country"
I want to walk the kilometer or so into town, but no way, apparently far too dangerous at 7 in the evening. So we get a taxi, all of them seem to be the usual standard for Africa, a dilapidated Toyota, blue and white paintwork with a blue neon inside light that you have to switch off denoting the taxi is hired. Cost is CFA 1000 for most trips in the city, unless later in the evening or you don't know where you want to go (as discovered later!)
Impressions are it is like many other commercial African towns, the roads are bad, lots of walled houses with big iron gates and nothing built quite straight or to a design, the main cross roads you come to between Avenue General De Gaulle and Avenue Massafi (I think, there are no street names anywhere) is the busiest strip in town and this was the place, a working ATM at the Congo version of Credit-Agricole, which accepted my card on the second attempt and then I was told a choice of 2 places was all there was to go on, Le Kactus or Master Bar, opposite each other on the crossroads. Le Kactus seemed to be the place for a cold Mutsuig and a vegetarian pizza, I suppose I need to start somewhere, so this is it, european owned and run, it was OK, no local charm and expensive...get your head round it, this is an oil economy town, things cost lots here if you are european, because oil workers don't seem to bargain for anything.
We crossed the street for a beer in the Master bar and were entertained by the owner doing his crooning to a laptop karaoke machine hooked up to the big screen, he wasn't actually that bad... a group of french Aid workers were at the next table munching through pizza and wine.
We tried to take a taxi ride to another club, Daqutari's, which fortunately was closed and just in the brief drive round in a small circle, I need to come back as a tourist, to explore away from the usual huants of the oil industry, not sure how easy it will be, or safe, since aboard I have heard of 4 incidents of guys losing all their cash and belongings, but am sure regardless of the stories of no alcohol involved I think away from the port the city has much more to offer.
Sadly not for this trip, I will only set foot on land to be taken to the airport to fly out, back to Malawi via Libreville, Gabon and JNB, South Africa, but hope to be back to travel some on the land.....

Hopefully my next entry will be back home in Malawi, will do some travelling and see some of my favourite spots again and share them in a line or two.

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