Posted on 01/12/2018 10:45:31 PM PST by KJC1
I saw this account mentioned by another Freeper earlier, and I can't remember who it was or on what thread, but I spent hours reading this.
It is the travel journal, essentially, of a Belgian couple who drove across the Congo. I'm not even all the way through it, but found it interesting enough to post.
Thank you to the FReeper who posted this link today; I'm sorry I can't credit you with finding this as I truly can't recall who you are.
Once you start reading this you CANNOT STOP!
It is like “24”, only true and written, but with great pics.
Beware - you wil be hooked.
Was up from 2am - 4:30am reading........
Average IQ in the DRC is 78. That puts them 3 points above “moron”.
And the DRC is on the upper edge of the scale of African IQ measurement. Equatorial Guinea is at the bottom with an average of 59 meaning it’s an entire nation of morons.
L
I stopped reading. Just a long series of breakdowns, beggars, and bandits in uniform. No wonder places like this are impervious to civilization.
These folks aren't rough-roading newbies, but, IMO, they are somewhat masochistic. They decided to make that trip across the DRC without a winch -- or, even, a set of hand-powered "Comealongs".
Would I head across a "S-hole" country like that? Not with a young woman along, I wouldn't.
Maybe with a Seal Team and a HumVee with a mini-gun in the turret, I'd consider it...
Amazing!
Of course DRC is on the list of eligible Diversity Visa Countries...
Here are my two thoughts on the log:
1. Incredible narrative on an incredible trip.
2. Incredible stupidity on making such a trip thru a lawless country. By all rights, they are lucky they weren't killed along the route..........
I have no respect for such ignorance but one has to consider the mindset of Europeans...........
There's something about Europeans and their ideological mind sets that seems to make them impervious to the disastrous results that "should" have happened to them along their treacherous route but luckily never happened.
I’m sorry to hear you feel that way. I see it differently. We always complain that no Europeans have any gumption in them; these two did/do. The 4X4 action alone puts me to shame.LOL. They are living life, come what may. But take note their stops are by choice Catholic/Christian missions.
But glad you enjoyed their stories; I’m not even to the end yet. :)
I finally finished the 61 pages of their story (still chewing thru subsequent discussions).
Yow.
There’s a lot of angles to take from this. Fortunately, it’s a straightforward recounting of a journey, with little/no sociopolitical opinions injected.
- It’s quite possible for a young couple to pack everything into a small truck and drive/live wherever they like. Get up and go. This backs up Sam Kinison’s “MOVE!” skit nicely.
- Tenacity will get you thru d@mn near anything.
“We do have a great universal plan that works for most situations: “If we have a problem, we fix it!” ;-)”
- Large sections of Africa are staggeringly poor, with nearly nonexistent infrastructure. This was supposed to be a “simple” drive that would take about 17 hours in the US; it took them >50 days and nearly destroyed their truck (yes, they knew what they were getting into). Poverty was beyond rampant. Begging was intense. Corruption was prolific. Many organizations have tried to improve the area, but balk and are torn apart; Catholic missions seem the only semblance of safety & stability, and there only barely. Cell phone communication is sparse, but at least provides a semblance of comm infrastructure.
Appreciate the life we have here. However “poor”, 1st-world Westerners have it good.
And I have to wonder how many like this couple set off on a similar adventure, and did not survive to tell about it.
That's exactly where I am too. Thank you again for this link!
And I have to wonder how many like this couple set off on a similar adventure, and did not survive to tell about it.
Very good point.
Bookmark
A third observation
The tenacity of the Catholic priests who run those missions as their life’s work
Of course, who could tell the good guys from the not so good?
And I agree - these missions are truly G_ds work, writ large.
Yea, that is incredible........
I remember growing up as a teenager, once every year or two a Catholic priest would stop by the house and visit with my dad. The priest was a classmate of my dad's when he attended a catholic school here in Detroit and his church was somewhere in S. America.......Dad of course would always make a sizable donation to the priest for his church
“nuke the whole place, everything!”
I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
What an amazing journal! Addicting. Thanks.
Thanks for posting this but I’m not getting any work done today. It’s absolutely fascinating.
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