6.06 to 11.06.07, 5 days, currency rate 1 € = 660 F (CFA, Central African Franc)

highlights – jungle, savanna, palm groves, meadows, hills - landscape was changing often through the car window. In Africa, there aren’t many wars between the countries, but there are often civil wars - the fight for the power and money. But this info is not interesting for the media, so in Europe people won’t hear much about the situation in the fronts. And here, in Congo Brazzaville, civil wars happened very often and long, divided informally the country for North and South. There is not many tourist attractions and in the only national park game was almost completely exterminate (the war - a hunger nightmare). In 1969 Congo became the first communist country in Africa, later joined by Angola and Ethiopia.

Our attention focused mainly on the people and with help came to us priest Tomasz - we hitchhiked and when our driver heard that we are Polish, he drove directly to the parish in the Gamboma village. He was our pass, a mediator and an informant of interesting dealings with the local communities. Compared to the previous countries I've noticed a significant difference with tidiness and great organization of small villages lost in the bush.

The structure in most African tribes is very similar - a man gets money or food, and woman takes care of the house and children (fantastic shawl with baby tied to her back). Women duties are work in the field or trade in the market, transport of firewood, water, food (heavy goods balanced on her head). At the end of the day she has to prepare a meal - first guests are eating, latter men in the household, and at the end the rest of the family – women and children. Polygamy is commonly used and sometimes asked women - "where is the husband?" – she normally answered – “with the other wife". So men are jumping from lady to lady, and when he became bored one of the spouse, he leaves her and the several children at the fate mercy. Spread of AIDS and poverty causes malnutrition, which weakens resistance to malaria (so far this disease kills the most people in the world then other diseases). Lack of financial resources for treatment contributes to increase children mortality (up to 5 years old often exceeds 50% - only the strongest organisms survive). Interesting is also that the mother’s oldest brother decides for the child future, he has more to say than the parents.

To see the Pygmies villages, the shortest human in the world, you should go deeper in the jungle. We heard about the new Pygmies villages established along the main road north from Gamboma. However, those that we visited are enjoying the benefits of civilization, so there is nothing interesting - modern.

Residents of both Congo countries attach oneself to excessive importance to the external look. Men dressed in expensive elegant business clothes and women wear wigs and put bleaching creams on the skin. You can also see mobile phone in their hands, although there are places without network. Often they have not much food to insert in the pot, but in the quest for new fashion trends, expenditure on clothes and perfumes becoming a priority.

There are a lot of political and business scandals, money often disappear forever. In both Congo we heard so many terrible stories and complain. How the economy should improved if the civil servants steal the money.

There is only one place in the world where two capitals are situated right next to each other. French Brazzaville and Belgium Kinshasa were founded on opposite banks of Congo River (after Amazon the second largest river in the world). After this point the river is not navigable anymore and goods (mainly timber and minerals) coming by barges from the depths of the country must be transferred to the trucks. How come so calm river may not be navigable? So I went a few kilometers out from the city to see “The Cataract”. River full of speed and turbulence with few meters high waves did serious impression. We returned to the city center and wade in garbage on the street - according to the statistics, after Baghdad, Brazzaville is the capital with the lowest living standards in the world. From the street moneychangers stationed around the harbor we have exchanged the local currency (1,000 CFA = 800-900 Congolese Francs (CDF), 1 USD = 500 CFA, in money exchange offices were worse exchange rates). We left the French Congo by ferry across the river, in the point with calm current of course.

accommodation –we stayed mainly in Polish Catholic Missions. In Brazzaville I came to one small ugly hostel to ask for the price list - Hotel Sivingo, a single room for 15,000 CFA, only with air conditioning. Located on Ave. de la Paix, north of Av. de France, in Poto Poto district.

town	hotel and address	N	accommodation	price per night	€/ pp	note	comments
Boundji	Hotel Leos	1	double room	4000 F/ room	€3.0	5	sheets
	hospitality	3	Catholic Missions
	in transport	1
		5			€3.0 (1)

transport – the first Congolese control was in Mbie,  consisting the office of immigration, custom, police and army - all offices in a separate place. All expected bribes except immigration and our driver immediately went to all rooms with 5,000 CFA note. Some officials weren’t satisfied, so driver has run to the truck for some soap, which he just carried. In these circumstances servants generally left us alone. Later we got some more checkpoints and once we scared, when in the middle of the night we woke up tipsy policeman with gun at his side, and he wanted our head torch. Ewelina explained him with humor that without a flashlight she wouldn’t be able to find me among others ladies in African darkness. He pardoned us, but with the driver he argued strongly. After all night drive we were so tired in cramped truck cabin (tragic road quality). Fortunately we were close to Obouya where paved road connect South and North of the country.

In Brazzaville to get to the impressive Cataract on Congo River (about 10km from downtown), you should take minibus to Marche Total (150 CFA, market in next to Total petrol station) in district Bakongo. Here you should change a minibus (100 CFA) to the Pont de Djone (Djone Bridge). Walk toward the bridge along N1 national road and after crossing the bridge turn left and walk down the unpaved road. You can continue to the end (this way cars going to wash in the river), or take a shortcut after a few hundred meters and turn left into the narrow path. You can take as well a small boat to the island, from where is a better view for the rapids - the locals pay 500 CFA for return trip, but from paddlers wanted 5,000 CFA. In this case we ignored them and went further on to the river bank, where the view is still good. Be careful with the photos, secret police might not like it.

Ferry Brazzaville - Kinshasa runs from dawn to dusk every two hours. First go to the immigration office for a passport stamp and then decide if you go by fast motorboat or slow ferry. Motorboat is faster but more expensive (11,000 CFA), safer and less crowd. A regular ferry runs about 45 minutes but you need to add a lot of time for queuing for the formalities. However, the ferry costs 6,500 CFA plus 200 CFA for "fluvial navigation" whatever that means. You have to pay a port fee, which is actually equivalent to 1,200 CFA departure tax - you will receive the receipts and they will be checked many times. Before boarding you have to complete a foreign currency declaration known as "Jeton Fouille". Officials might ask you for 1,000 CFA - explain to them politely that such fee shall be charged only to persons traveling on business visa - show them your tourist visa, which exempts you from this fee. And in the end vaccination review - similar story, but only yellow fever is compulsory, don’t believe in any other vaccinations. In case of obvious bribes try to use following words such as: embassy, doctor, lawyer, UN, tourists, I have everything in order – it might help.

day	destination	transport	price in F	€/ pp	duration	km
147 - 148	Gabon border - Boundji	truck	5000 F/ per	€7.6	9,5 h	180
149	Boundji - Obouya	truck	1000 F	€1.5	1,5 h	40
149	Obouya - Oyo	7-place	1500 F/ per	€2.3	45'	40
149	Oyo - Gamboma	2x hitchhiking	-	-	3 h	96
150	Gamboma and around	pick-up	-	-	7 h	200
151	Gamboma - Brazzaville	bus	5000 F	€7.6	3 h	312
152	Brazzaville - Kinshasa	ferry	6700 F	€10.2	45'	3
	city transport	taxi, minibus, bus	550 F	€0.8	-	-
				€30.0		871

visa – we got our in Yaounde, Cameroon. When we were applying consul invited us for an interview, where we had to declare for how long we want to stay in Congo (we said 15 days) and the anticipate date of entry. We received our visa a few hours later in accordance with our request, the price of 50,000 CFA. Later in other embassies in Yaoundé we received unexpected visa for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. I realized that given date of entry to Congo is a bit too early – so we were forced to increase the pace of travel at the end of our stay in Congo.

In Lonely Planet appears information when crossing the border from Kinshasa to Brazzaville you can obtain a visa at the border. There was the same information in the immigration office in Brazzaville, so it might be true.

Congo also has embassies in Gabon, Cameroon, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.