Blogs from Central African Republic, Africa - page 2

Traveling from Bangui to Bayanga The drive from Bangui to Bayanga felt like you were in a movie, which had nothing to do with the fact that I got to ride down with the movie producer in his land cruiser. I guess this was because I was still not used to how different everything is here that it did not really sink in that this was real life. The distance we had to travel was about 250 miles and that took us about 12 hours. Only about 40 miles was on paved road. I did find it rather amusing that where ever there were pot holes (and there were many big ones) instead of fixing them they were just marked with paint so you could see them better. The rest of roads were dirt logging roads, ... read more

Travel Blog 6-15-09 to 6-24-09 Munzu in Africa You know you are in a remote place when the Lonely Planet Travel Guide writer comes looking for you to see about transportation to the village where you are heading. Here is excerpt from the whole 8 pages the Africa Lonely Planet book has on the Central African Republic (CAR): If it’s the ‘real’ Africa you’re looking for, Central African Republic (CAR) may be it. A country of staggering rare natural beauty, with some of the world’s most amazing wildlife, it nonetheless remains underdeveloped, fragmented and poverty-stricken……… Travelling here is a backpacking bungee jump. At the time of writing most of the country was not considered stable or safe enough to travel through. May be a better phrase is stereotypical Africa. It is an extremely poor place. I ... read more

I frequently visit the Central African Republic (CAR) to foster the companion relationship between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the CAR (ELC-CAR). Despite the political turmoil, civil conflict and political instability, I cannot find a good excuse for not visiting my companions, friends, brothers, and sisters in the faith. CAR is rich in natural resources and a beautiful country but ravaged by repeated military coups and successive violent civil conflicts. During my travel and encounters with the Central African peoples, I discovered another story which would probably not make the headline news. They are stories of those village girls and boys, who defy all logic to stay alive, educate themselves, protect themselves against HIV infection, and also find creative ways to spread their joy, love and hope where ... read more

Before talking about CAR, I will talk a little about my excellent time in Cameroon, really a pretty nice country. I encountered no bureaucratic hassles here, everyone was friendly, and compared to where I am now, scamming and money grubbing were almost non existent. Despite their intensive logging the forests of Cameroon are still incredibly beautiful, especially in south. I like the Anglophone west, I met some really nice people and learned a lot of interesting things about the country. I did not meet any white people, though I saw many in Yaounde, so I didn't get the expat angle on the country. I did not like Douala, probably because I was only there a short time, but I did get to enjoy staying in a shanty town/slum in a sad wooden shack with no ... read more