Democratic Republic of Congo: Lubumbashi to Kinshasa

[Smooker]

Attention: RadioBaobab,

Hi Frederik and Josephine,

I like to think I am pretty hardcore dune bashing in the Rub-al-Khali, Yemen, Sudan and even a couple trips to Iraq but my stuff sounds like a trip to the mall for ice cream with a kindergarten class compared to your Congo crossing.

You guys are in a class by yourselves!

I really enjoyed reading your story and besides the source material you really have a way with words. If you ever want to give the Empty Quarter a try let me know and it would be an honour to take you out dune bashing.

In fact if you get anywhere near to Gulf let me know and I will go to you guys and bring the cold ones.

I know you haven't posted in some time but if you come back I do have a question.

On page 82 when you show the evolution of your vehicle and is that an Azalai you have on the back of your Series 70?

I ask because I am getting pretty close to giving up (within a couple years) the working life and doing my own around the world trip (my Gunther Holtorf impression).

Finances is not really an issue in my life so I am thinking of going with a new Land Cruiser dual cab GXL and an Azalai Lababouch camper so was just looking for a quick opinion on that combo if you have one but don't waste any time replying if it cuts into time spent posting the story of you and Josephine on your next adventure.

Thanks again for writing up the great story and all the best to you and yours in future trips.

Warmest Regards, Smoker

 

[Bergum]

RadioBaobab
Last Activity: 11-19-2012 03:27 PM

I dont think he is here any more....

 

[Smooker]

Hi Bergum,

Yes, it appears they have fallen off the radar. I do hope they are ok and living the good life on a beach and not lost in some wilderness waiting for expedition portal members to come to the rescue.

I took a quick look at the www.radiobaobab.be page and it also doesn’t appear to have seen any activity from Frederik and Josephine for a while.

Please come back and even if it is just a couple quick sentences let us know where you guys are and what you are currently up to!

BTW does anyone else have any experience with an Azalai?

All the best!

Cheers Smoker

PS that is a cool page you have there, Bergum!

 

[Kiwi-Yank]

"Their existence is utterly miserable and pathetic - so they will kill you for your wristwatch."

certainly squares away with my own experience of the bad spots in Africa.
not a place where you want to "be in the wrong place at the wrong time".

I've seen some amazing sights of happy-go-lucky people floating thru Africa. a lot make it - some don't. it's like watching sunbeams dancing on a wall. they're there ... add some brightness ... and then they are gone. I don't think there's anything more that you can say.

K-Y

 

[Bergum]

Hi Bergum,

PS that is a cool page you have there, Bergum!

Thank you

 

[Dan Grec]

I've seen some amazing sights of happy-go-lucky people floating thru Africa. a lot make it - some don't. it's like watching sunbeams dancing on a wall. they're there ... add some brightness ... and then they are gone.

Do you have first-hand experience or reports from Overlanders that have had bad things happen in Africa?

-Dan

 

[k9lestat]

well i cant tell you about all of Africa, i can tell you about aide workers in Somalia during the early 90's. they were delivering food coupons and some basic medical supplies. a french nun and her guides. although i cant prove it, i believe one or more of her guides were cohorts with who ever attacked them. but they were found near one of their disabled vehicles shot close by something big like .50 cal ma deuce. there were alot of things that happened while i was in country there. im not saying all Somalians are bad folks, but like other less developed countries, the violence is not just more prevalent but more brutal as well.

the hospitality of most of the rural Somalians we met was beyond excpected, once they figured out we were not going to take their ak's. regardless of our orders, there was no way my squad would have left a small village of a few men women and children with no way to protect its self from the opposing clans. we would take any heavy machine guns and rpg's.

not matter where you go, be smart, be alert. if you're not comfortable with the area leave it as fast as possible or make arrangements to avoid it. i am in no trying act like a been there person. im just sharing a experience.

 

[Kiwi-Yank]

Dan

I've got some great "almost happened" stories.

Like this one ...
I'm travelling with this older lady in a team - let's call her Mary.
she's in her late 40's. nice lady, not totally attentive to practical details, though
we get to the end of the trip in Africa. I tell her to keep her head on straight. I have to go home.

she decides she's going to hand around Zimbabwe for an extra week or so.
this was the corner of Zim over near Victoria Falls - which by the way is a really beautiful place.

so she's out one time at lunch with a female friend.
somehow they hook up with these African guys from Zimbabwe - look a little bit rough.
the guys ask them to go out and check out their vehicle.
they pop the trunk on the 4WD and it's jammed full of AK-47's.
turns out these dudes are former high-ranking military from Zimbabwe.
now on-the-run and doing a business selling human body parts.
in this case - private parts cut off boys. they would just lure the kids,
take them out to the forest, kill them, and cut off their privates.

great lunchtime company, eh???
Hahahahaha!
These two ladies were lucky they weren't on the menu-de-jour for the day.
human body parts are a big black market trade in Africa - used for witchcraft.

anyway, the lady made it home OK. like I said - some people just float through life.
It's just amazing. Hahahahaha!

I've got quite a few stories along those lines. all true.

K-Y

 

[Kiwi-Yank]

xxxxxx

 

[Dan Grec]

well i cant tell you about all of Africa, i can tell you about aide workers in Somalia during the early 90's. ......

The early 90's was 20 years ago, at which time places like El Salvador and Honduras were off-limits, but they're fine now.

-Dan

 

[k9lestat]

The early 90's was 20 years ago, at which time places like El Salvador and Honduras were off-limits, but they're fine now.

-Dan

and im so sure that place as so dramatically changed given the level of education and the total abundance on social order obtained in the those 20 years.

its was an example. sorry

 

[slawekdynak]

The main job of our 'crew' was to flatten the road as much as possible. And give us a push if we couldn't get over things. They would level the road, 50 meters at a time and then we would drive as far as we could, etc.. etc..

This was actually working rather well! My depression from earlier that day was already forgotten!

Imagine you are walking on the street, minding your own business. And some chap comes up and explains he has a problem. He asks you for help. You agree and travel with him to his destination. You have no idea who this guy is. You have no idea when you will go home again. You did not inform your family that you would probably not come home that night.
That is how we recruited Mufuta, Basil and Vita.

They were an energetic bunch and did their work with a lot of enthousiasm. Cheering and singing when we had gotten trough another 'obstacle'. They were proud of their task too, and explained it to all the people we passed. We often had a few extra helping hands.

Amazing story, thanks for posting!
Just wondering, did you consider moving some of the weight from the back to the front, e.g. attaching boxes to the front bumber or maybe even create wooden rack?
Would driving backwards be an option to (you would have rwd instead of fwd

 

[jfj]

I am indeed amazed by this thread taking into account the never ending comments by the readers despite the fact the adventure ended more than two years ago, if I am not mistaken. Perhaps if a poll were to be taken of which among the completed adventures topic was the most popular, this thread would be the runaway winner. Hopefully Frederick and Josephine would have time to make their presence felt among their followers.

 

[PatW]

Stumbled upon this early this morning, it's now lunchtime, wow, what a journey, what a write up!

Proper derring do, well written, loved the cliffhangers!

Pioneer spirit and Frederick admitted the times where they had reached and breached personal limits, well off the scale in terms of outside the comfort zone. And yet a feeling reading through it that somehow, no matter what, they would make it out and so would the broken car.

It's ok to be a bit crazy sometimes, take risks. Anywhere is dangerous, as a young lad I travelled 16,000 miles in a beaten up Pontiac around 40 states in the US, getting into all sorts of trouble and violence. Got back to the UK got a job in London and within a few weeks after a night out I was manhandled down a side street and someone pulled out a knife, asking for money. I was still reeling from the adrenaline of the trip so I simply refused vehemently, that threw them and they slinked off into the darkness.

Mind you that and the trip used up a few of my nine lives...

 

[Dr.Deol]

hii..
It requires a lot of guts to do what you did. four day back, i read first few pages of your thread.. then i got addicted to your thread.. i cant explane my feelings after reading this trip report.. thank you for sharing it..