Blogs from Congo, Africa - page 5

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 the guy refused to stamp the truck carnet because he is already off duty and this is only 3pm, we have to pay 10,000 dibdobs if we want it stamped now or wait til tomorrow, ... read more

There he stood. Half a head taller than me with skin of a beautiful mahogany colour that was almost radiant. His dress was immaculate; the dust filling the air didn’t seem to stick on his newly ironed shirt nor his black trousers. He had a short and sharp haircut that looked as if he’d just stepped out of the barber’s and his cheek was freshly shaved, revealing his strong cheekbones. Pearls of sweat were breaking through the pores on his nose and at his temples the sweat was so imminent that it had clustered into drops that now ran slowly down his cheeks. Underneath the temples, big thick veins pulsated and protruded from the skull like a bas-relief that the stretched skin in vain tried to cover. And somewhere within the framework of his body those ... read more

So there we have it. Unbeknownst to some of you (though certainly beknownst to others), we have returned from our 8 month tour of duty and are now domiciled back in the UK. Just in time for both Easter and the Queen’s birthday- events which are always marked joyously in our household. Before extrapolating on what the trip did for us, and what we gained (and perhaps lost) from it, it is important to fulfil the requirements of a travel blog and relate the events of the last few weeks in South Africa (the astute reader will have ascertained that, whilst this is apparently brought to you from Brazzaville, it, in fact, isn’t). When we last spoke, family of four had just arrived in Durban. Actually, it was Umhlanga, a beach resort about 15 kms north ... read more