So for those who worried, June 30, 2010, National Day of the DRC and the fiftieth anniversary of independence, s is well spent. I attended the festivities on TV as advised Mum Helen. The only things we experienced was the live shots guns rang mournfully and patrol helicopters (the last six Air Force) making skimming between palms "moooorning Kinshasa gooooood! "It's still pretty impressive! It is true that for some time, trash bags had appeared in town, we repainted the buildings (the outside) and sidewalks in red and white and Chinese rush the construction of the "triumphal boulevard. Everybody was busy. The parade lasted 5 hours, the arrival of the President with his motorcade of security, his speech, the religious authorities, enumerating the various guests, including heads of state such as Angola, Rwanda, South Africa ... The King of Belgium, Belgian, French and American (they treat their relationships). Then start the parade with the police (who we stop regularly to ask for beer), the Presidential Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, all marching in step with new uniforms received the day before. Then successive 201 vehicles including jeeps equipped with machine guns, trucks, guns DCA, mortars, tanks and All new trailers etc. ... purchased for the occasion! Worrisome given that the regular army commits more abuse than other armed rebel groups and militias. And finally, civilians from different political parties. A beautiful evening masquerade as a power cut me abruptly back to reality in the country and its many failures. But I understand that people want to believe it.
We also said goodbye to Monica, and Charles Idelette returning to Switzerland on Wednesday. We had a great meeting with them and shared lots of fun moments. The fact that Monique and Idelette were born Coast to the Fairies there is surely something to do!
Ouch I assess with a vengeance these days, even a little effort up my record! Kisses kisses and see you soon. Jean-Yves
Holidays whiskers (Bis with photos and lots of patience)
Hello, So for those who would doubt, mustache, sunglasses and coca is indeed the second level!
This Friday, we finally leave on vacation, our taxi after waiting 3 hours anyway. We stop a few hours Kisentu Botanical Garden. It is a haven of peace and greenery after spending four months in the city and agitation. On the road we go through lots of different landscapes, bush, savannah, rainforest, mountains, sky and clouds are beautiful. We cross small villages of mud brick houses and thatched roof red, that seems more fit lifestyle traditional Congolese what I've seen so far in the city (citizens!).
At Matadi we discover a port city clinging to the steep and rocky slopes of a mountain. Here we stay in "the city", a popular neighborhood.
The apartment we prepared a work colleague is simple and practical, outdoor shower, toilet facilities, oil lamp when there is no power and cooking coal. Neighbors make us a great welcome and Dad Hubert contact our site makes us understand that the title "Father" here is not an empty word. In fact it gives us to drink, eat and phone us regularly for our news. We'll eat in the street and do quickly with knowledge of the Congolese. Besides, we sing their "up there on the mountain" it's relaxing atmosphere right away and spend very pleasant evenings with them. It very different from Kinshasa, the roads are in good condition, clean city, people still and bossent and motorists respect the rules of the road! For me it feels good to regain my freedom, a breath of fresh air!
Then in two days we do double-check by the DGM (Department of Management of Migration) and spend several hours in different offices. According to them the invitation of Mother Helena (and therefore the Visa issue) covers only Kinshasa, the more she said "we assume" and we're finally alone and we stay in the city (in a hotel we would have automatically been announced to the authorities). We are therefore illegal. There followed several phones to Mom Helen (who rounded up all his knowledge of Matadi) and we'll go into the office of Provincial Director of DGM for the Bas-Congo. There he explains that we must return to Kinshasa! (I believed at the time) then that is the first time as it gives us a favor and allow us to continue. Finally they all did their job, and I realize I am not a citizen of this country, we are in a region bordering Angola, the DRC is not yet fully pacified many shops (Call traffic or looting the country's resources by multinationals) passes through this port and finally that tourism does not exist (for us it seemed normal to travel freely). So they must be surprised to see our mouths grotty backpackers!
Then we continue our journey to Boma then Muanda, 200km of track and rutted roads, we took a three officers DGM await us at the bus station and escort us to the Guesthause sisters of charity. We are starting to become paranoid! Anyway the holiday finally, beach, sleep ...
We meet Ukrainian sailors, it's been ten months since they are stuck here because of a failure and that their Paris-based owner does nothing. They carry frozen chicken!?! In addition to their captain had a heart attack and is in a coma for three days. It is here in this small hospital without equipment or drugs. They are still very warm, more than the French!
Indeed, a French oil company Perenco is established here near the naval base to solicit his protection in exchange for water, electricity and some buildings. Offshore, 7 oil platforms pumping thousands of barrels of crude. What hypocrisy, the country's wealth does not benefit the inhabitants of it but to multinational corporations and their shareholders. This in exchange for three taps protruding from the enclosure of barbed son Penrenco and two shacks with corrugated iron roofs. In addition, our consumerist system has its roots here, he needs these resources to produce consumer goods. Not only Perenco the plunders Congolese oil, but here there is no refinery, crude oil exports to Europe via pipeline, refines and transports it back here at exorbitant prices. The state is nonexistent on and win surely remain. Neo-colonialism is an evil far more insidious. Only loser all the way the Congolese people, I have nausea and I understand their hatred vis-à-vis whites!
Small musical interlude, I think of a song tryo "misery opposite" which takes on a whole new dimension. The complex relationship between the West and the South.
We visited the Naval Base Banana without problems thanks to Cyril Papa (our dad Muanda) where is the mouth of Congo River. In fact no ship, only shacks inhabited by the military and their families. Even more surprising, the remains of the Second World War, in fact participated in the Congo to the Belgian war effort by supplying iron, copper, oil ... necessary for the arms industry and therefore the mouth of river was considered a strategic point may be attacked by the Germans. Crazy.
Well, way back went smoothly, except for three semi-trailers with their shipping containers off the road and two front along the path, a path normal here in Congo!
is the end of the holidays, the last straight line to the end of my internship. Kisses
