Hey all so I have an hour break right here between classes and am in no mood to write my paper so I thought why not post something here? Not that I feel anyone really reads this too often... anyways so this week here at school is called RAG week... stands for something along the lines of raise and give. But yeah besides the point prettymuch what it means is that everyone is just drunk all day long and the school sponsers all these crazy events and the clubs and pubs get it on it too... basically just the best week [View Full Entry]

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Point Noire, Congo to Lilongwe, Malawi.... 4 days and lots of patience!! A laughable attempt to get home So this was it, the day finally arrived after 6 weeks my flight home was approaching and I made the biggest mistake of all, looking forward to it. All was set, having managed to walk into Point Noire and find an internet cafe that worked after the internet on the boat died again.... all was arranged to fit perfectly, out of Point Noire, after an afternoon stroll round the town and on to the beach, down Avenue General De Gaulle, past the [View Full Entry]

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Still trying to learn to type in HTML thing, so apologise for any mistakes I'm just going to add in here some photos of the rig, the GSF 135 on the Moho Bilondo field off the Congo coast. Before anyone gets to up in arms about it, just consider for me it's a job and someone would do it anyway and the computer you're using to read this with is probably using fuel from a fossil fuel powered station.... For me the best is seeing the aquatic life and actually now having an idea of how polluting (or not as the [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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Congo and Pointe Noire, a deep green sea holding the future of a country? Arriving off the Air Gabon flight from Paris CDG, I am joining the many "oil workers" that have descended upon the West coast of Africa in recent years. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that the airport worked well and efficiently, passport control took less than 5 minutes, there was the usual gaggle of "give me luggage ticket, I will get for you" when you are stood next to the already working baggage carousel. I will be back to see if the same welcome is [View Full Entry]

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Initial reaction of intense disappointment. Where has the city so revered by Europeans and Congolese alike been hidden? True, the coast with its Atlantic waves and golden sand (just like light brown demerera sugar) is stunning. Yet the oil rigs and Disney style resorts invade the beauty. There is an air of something perverse, although that could just be the presence en masse of macho, chain smoking oil rig workers who expulse an aura that money is power. 21 July 2008 I have seen the light. Driving down Avenue Charles de Gaulle at night with the illuminated facades of shops, restaurants, [View Full Entry]

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After the Ngongo border post we stopped at another checkpoint and got another stamp then had lunch literally on the road and the kids start pouring in, after lunch Kirsten gave them the left overs and total chaos as everyone tried to grab some and even went in to our trash to salvage some cans and jars etc. sad thing to see, we told them to stop scavenging but wouldnt so we have to take the trash back to the truck quickly. Moved on from there to another checkpoint this time in the town of Nyanga. We were told by Tony [View Full Entry]

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Back once again to Pointe Noire in the Congo staying at exactly the same safehouse/hotel as I was the last time I ventured here. Not much has changed in a few months besides the food which seems to have gotten much better. Maybe all the meat I was eating was tasty because it was freshly killed? Or maybe it was because it wasn't loaded with chemicals. Bah, either way the grub was good, and the fruits are still fantastic. Head down any street in the city and you will come across some vender hawking their wares. There were these tiny ugly [View Full Entry]

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This will be my last entry in my little West Africa journey. The city I've been at for just under a week is Point Noire, in the Republic of Congo, or Congo-Brazzaville. To sum things up in a sentence: I've had one hell of a fantastic time here and I already miss it. I've spent my nights drinking with many new friends and dancing till my feet are sore all throughout the night. The local beers, Mutzig and one other with a crocodile on it are very tasty as well! Everyone speaks French and I more or less am able to [View Full Entry]

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In the South West part of the Republic of Congo lies the city of Pointe-Noire in the Kouilou Region. In 1883, it was under French Control until 1960 hence French is the official language. In the working sector French Language is the medium use for communication although their are several dialects spoken across the region.The capital is Brazzaville which is connected to Pointe Noire by railroad since it's the chief port of the country. The region is located in the arm of the Atlantic Ocean of the West African Coast of the Republic. The main attraction of the city is [View Full Entry]

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