quite possibly weeks or longer.
Having left Matadi and a newly enriched Customs Officer, we drove back on the Kinshasa road to Lufu, or any of the other names that towns in this part of Africa get called, depending on your language and which side of the border you nominally originate from. Lufu gets its name from the Lufu River, which runs from northern Angola to the Congo River (presumably) traversing the sliver of land that King Leopold managed to get to ensure that his colony had access to the sea. It’s less a town on the Congolese side and more of a crazy, uncontrolled (to the unfamiliar eye) trading post, where commodities ranging from cement and rebar to beer, plastic products, clothes and bulk food items, are traded across borders depending on exchange rates, availability, who you’re paying off and whether you’ve fuel in your truck (or motorbike for the micro-traders) to make it to Kinshasa.
Mo spent a good deal of the journey speaking to his boss and explaining the loss of US$800 and whether it was worth approaching their friend, the head of police in Kinshasa, to try to get it back. It was decided that route would be more costly in the longer run. “You sleep in shitty hotel tonight!” roared Mo laughing away, because we had to overnight in the nearby town of Kimpese in order to finish our investigation after the delays.
Kimpese is more hamlet than town, more shithole (thanks Dumb Donald!) than hamlet, with a handful of streets of formal houses and potholed dirt roads hidden behind the chaos and colour of the roadside informal trade. It’s also the epicentre of the cement industry in this part of the DRC, with all of the plants within a few kilometres of each other, located on huge limestone reserves.
because they have no education of use to a modern industrial plant.
The grandly-named Hotel Espace Nzilco was our place for the evening, and it looked as inviting as Mo had described it as. We checked in, Mo slipping the receptionist a little something extra with a none too subtle wink and grin, and went to unpack. Basically, the rooms are bungalows and resembled old military quarters from Belgian days, which a number of places I’ve stayed in in the DRC were. No Wi-Fi, so the bar and dinner it would be. Mo was already in full flight buying beer and whisky and chatting to whoever was in the bar. “My expensive friend!” he shouted as I walked in, telling the story in French to those listening and laughing. “Come! Drink shit whisky from you British and good beer from us Congolese!” Right on both counts. I chatted to a couple of Pakistani guys I’d worked with a couple of years before on a project not too far away. They drank like fish in the solid knowledge that what the imam couldn’t see, he couldn’t tell Allah (their words, more or less, not mine). Mo’s roving eye after a very good dinner of peri-peri chicken, freshwater fish and vegetables was my cue to grab a couple of bottles of beer and head to bed.
The next morning, we drove back to Lufu to inspect the border and try to understand the volumes of product crossing it, but we couldn’t get too close to the police or customs officials on account of my dodgy passport. We did some sums in the drizzle, and spoke to traders bemoaning the broken bridge, which would only take small vehicles as some of the supports had collapsed, meaning the cement and steel trucks had to offload onto small trucks and cars, get the goods over and then load up on trucks again on the other side. The Angolans, supplying most of the goods, wanted to fix it but the Congolese, trying to protect their dire, expensive and corrupt local industries were happy enough to leave it be to increase the costs of getting stuff to their side.
After a while watching, and trying to take pictures without getting seen (“No fuckin’ click-click – these cops’ fuckin crazy!”), we headed back out with a rough idea of what was going on. On the muddy, slippery road you have to drive slowly, but not everyone does. We saw a small truck lose control and careen down a small embankment, spilling all the fresh produce and breaking most of the beer it was transporting. The owner of the stock, a young lady, was sobbing. As much as the fright she got, that was her income gone for a few weeks, maybe more. Life on the margins is tough. It’s shit. Mo accelerated past the gathering crowd, all of whom were offering opinions as to whose fault the accident was.
doesn’t really give a sense of how slippery and potholed the road is – and unstable
on the sides, with bits caving in if large trucks get too close to the edges).
We got to the second town of Kongo Central Province, Mbanza Ngungu, and got stuck in the ubiquitous funeral procession, apparently for a well-known local musician. Mo wasn’t in the mood for dishing out cash, and kept his window closed. Apparently his wife was waiting for him. We got back to Kin without any further delays, and I’ve never been so happy to see a proper bed, hot running water, a restaurant and, most of all, familiarity.
A last day in Kin and I had an excellent meeting with a young guy from the investment promotion agency. Chatting through what I needed in terms of project information and our trip to Lufu, he smiled and said, “but we collect that trade data – even the informal trade, so we can know if our traders are being honest with volumes and prices”, and proceeded to e-mail the spreadsheets on the spot. What a win!
With a spring in my step, I went into my final meeting, with the national power company, looking for an outline of current and upcoming projects. The cantankerous bastard wouldn’t have been out of place in a recreation of Heart of Darkness and openly asked for money. Two faces of the Congo in one day, one old, one new; one condemning 80 million to poverty, the other swimming upstream to create a better life. All with the memory of the broken woman fresh in my mind.
It’s the Congo. It’s tough. It hurts you in ways you don’t expect; it thrills you in ways you can’t explain. It hardens you and teaches you humility and kindness all in one. It leaves you exhausted and angry; it creates a kaleidoscope of memories, vivid, jarring and spectacular. It never disappoints.
As told by serial luncher Deebee7.
Super Saturday, only 7 months late!
Ireland, England and France all still have a chance of winning the Six Nations.
In the unlikely event that Ireland beat France with a bonus point, they will win regardless of the other results. If they beat France, but without a bonus point, they still win if England fail to get a bonus point against Italy. If England win with a bonus point – as you’d expect them to – then it will come down to points difference, with Ireland currently being 23 points ahead.
If Ireland lose or draw, and England win, then England get the title, unless France win and have a better result than England’s victory in terms of championship points or, if on the same points, the points difference in scores. If they end up with the same points and points difference, then it comes down to tries scored, where France are currently ahead by 13-9.
Clear? Let’s play!
Onna telly this week
Friday 30th October
| Lions v Griquas | 16:55 | Sky Sports Mix |
Saturday 31st October
| Australia v New Zealand | 08:45 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Wales v Scotland | 14:15 | BBC1 / S4C |
| Pumas v Sharks | 14:25 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Italy v England | 16:45 | ITV / STV |
| Bulls v Stormers | 16:55 | Sky Sports Arena |
| France v Ireland | 20:05 | BBC1 / BBC2 |
Sunday 1st November
| Dragons v Munster | 14:00 | S4C / TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Connacht v Treviso | 16:30 | TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Italy v England (women) | 17:00 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Scarlets v Edinburgh | 18:45 | Premier Sports 1 |
Monday 2nd November
| Cardiff v Ulster | 18:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Zebre v Ospreys | 19:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Glasgow v Leinster | 20:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
No you’re not….
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BB, Marauder was my intro to Blackfoot and still one of my favourite albums!
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Trisk, there’s no flow to that joke.
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I was in a band that played Kingston Green Festival in 1988. We “opened” it, ie we played at 11 in the morning. We were terrible, apparently. Everyone was sober.
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Great days.
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We were terrible, apparently. Everyone was sober.
You were superb, BRB. The fault was entirely with the crowd.
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Deebs
Exeter have signed Maks van Dyk as cover for Francis and Williams at tight head. Sems to have played for everybody else already – is he any good?
Baxter seems to think he can make something of him…………………
https://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/van-dyk-seals-move-to-the-chiefs
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Some types of music can’t take being sober.
Back in the day, I worked for Tyne Tees TV.. one of the production secretaries was a mad blues fan – so after a few post-work pints she’d insist we’d all head to the Broken Doll to hear whatever blues band was playing (https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/newcastle-broken-doll-pub-nostalgia-13592576) – yeah, strange name – we’d have a great time…. try listening to same music at 10am in the office ….. hideous….
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Georgia be like
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Slade, van Dyk played in the 2012 Junior Bok side that won the whole thing and was expected to push on from there. He played for the Cheetahs for a few seasons after that and then headed for France. Must admit, I haven’t seen much of him since then, but he’s been fairly regular for Toulouse and at 28 is probably approaching his prime, so if Baxter thinks he’s good I’m happy to go along with that. We’ve got pretty good depth in the front row at the moment, so not getting a Bok nod (or even extended camp) is no disgrace really. I don’t remember him being gushed over here, so probably wasn’t brutal enough at scrum time. Any other skills being a bonus here. Or frowned upon in more conservative rugby quarters.
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Is the bridge dead in the water?
Tunnels are cool so am a big fan of this waste of mon … er, proposal.
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Either way, there’s that big ammo dump in the sea to be navigated….
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There’re very expensive ways around Beaufort Dyke. More importantly, it’s a scheme with Johnson’s imprimatur so likely to be unrealised but someone’ll make a few bob in the consultation stage.
This is great:
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1956/mar/23/irish-channel-tunnel
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What was it ….7k a day /week for the contact tracing….
Anyway, never mind the munitions – the sea-floor is 1000ft deep in places…. now it would be an awesome undertaking to see but doubtful you’d get a return on expenditure of any kind….
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Too many Exeter players in the Scotland squad.
I worry that Baxter is confirming his Scottish roots and allegiance and help make the national team good again.
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Election update:- Actually shocked at how Donalds supporters locally seem to be accepting defeat, ie gracefully. General shrug of the shoulders going on, as well as numerous comments about how he doesn’t seem to want to let go, so perhaps he could build himself a replica White house on one of his golf courses, and that life will go on pretty much the same anyway. This is generally very different from Democrats, who seem to be still working themselves into a frenzy.
Been relaying news of OTs bet, and most people are saying that it would have been worth sticking a couple of hundred bucks on a price like that.
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PA’s gone blue … see ya, Donald!
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Frankly Thaum – I want to see him and his clan suffer for quite a while – I know it’s not charitable, but………………………
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Slade – it’s not like they’ve been bothered about others’ suffering. GA will have a recount, possibly AZ and PA too.
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Gonna struggle to get a new post up today (working later than planned), but the only thing on tonight is Toulon v Brive.
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Jo Jorgenson doing a reverse Ralph Nader. Blimey, totting up the Libertarian vote, most of whom would have otherwise voted Republican I suspect, she has done Donald in. Wonder if she was funded by Sleepy Joe?
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Thauma, I’d post Kinshasa Part 4 but that would be fake news.
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Have a lovely yarn to spin about Cameroon though.
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……now you’re just showing off…………………
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I had a friend who grew up in Cameroon. She was enthusiastic about it.
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Big Derby tomorrow in South Africa.
Sorry* for your side’s loss, Deebee.
(* Not really)
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Geoffrey Palmer RIP
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Dropping like flies these days. Most of ’em I haven’t heard of, but I do remember Palmer.
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The Squidge post mortem on Wales v Scotland. It’s very sad from a Wales pov but I needed it as part of the grieving process. Perhaps Squidge can do something similar for the Donald.
Spoiler: Wales is broken, but may recover in 4 to 6 years. Scotland are here already.
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So basically Scotland won being not being quite so ‘Scotland’ as usual?
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This came up in the old YT recommendations. 20 years ago? One of those bands I always felt I should listen to more, but then there’s dozens of those. Always liked this song though.
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Yes, or perhaps Scotland winning is the new Scotland. Either way, I for one welcome our new Scottish Overlords.
* Cue video of misty glens and unnerving bagpipe music*
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And this one came up next! Love this song – great vibe to it.
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Both one of those bands that seem to have been a sound track to times when I wasn’t listening to much new music. Have an old ipody thing with tons of stuff (60gb) on it that I can’t access, downloaded from various friends in the early 2000s . They knew better than I did.( they were probably younger than me)
This is quite cool.
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Thauma, Cameroon was the first country I ever visited and was a magical experience. Been lucky enough to go back a few times since.
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TomP, Lions are gonna shock your Orcs and shove it up their holes! Guaranteed!
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A very outmoded view of the free-running, try-scoring team that are South Africa’s sweethearts.
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Answers the question “Where did Deebee first get to use an expense account?”
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My lad’s doing his drama class at the mo so following the Wallabies-ABs game on test. ABs have had a player red carded.
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Wallas also got a red in the first half. 14 v 14 until Korobeite got a yellow. 13 v 14 at the moment. 8-8 on the board early in the second half.
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Buggerit. I had forgotten about that Bledisloe game, I caught the last ten and that was fairly entertaining, two red cards by the look of it too
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Australia will be happy but that AB’s B team was crap. On what they showed, the famed AB’s depth seems quite exagerated. On paper they look like they could take on any NH team, but the reality was quite different. Poor decisions, poor handling, silly mistakes, lots of niggles, too many nasty tackles.
As a footnote, Nic White must be the slowest 9 on earth. But Australia have unearthed some serious talent at 6, 8, and in the backs. Even found a very good young prop, only 20 yo. Dark horses in two years?
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What’s happening in two years?
Don’t see why Australia can’t do ok-ish in the RWC in 2023. But what’s ok-ish? The line of thinking for many was that the Boks were dead, doomed to eternal rubbish, in 2016/2017 and they won the World Cup last year.
Only fliicked in and out of the second half but NZ just played far too loose. BB and Perenara’re excellent but they’re not put the foot on the ball types. Also, dead rubber and the breakdown reffing was a mess, as per.
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Flair, busy watching a replay and not everything Nic White does is glacial. He’s lighting quick on the whine.
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Ooh, where did you find the replay, Deebs ?
Nic White was excellent in the first game, fast to the breakdown and really zippy pass. Wonder what the difference is ? Maybe having Hodge at 10 instead of J O’C ?
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Replay on our version of Sky Sports. They’ll have it on another 15 times rather than showing live Premiership matches.
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New postlet up shortly.
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Palace v Leeds is on now, Deebs.
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