Democratic Republic of Congo: Lubumbashi to Kinshasa

I spent the better part of two days devouring this thread. This is without doubt one of the most compelling accounts of adventure travel I have come across anywhere. Like so many others here I would dearly love to see this in book form. Thanks so much F&J for taking the time to share your amazing experiences with us.

Bravo!! Nothing more can be said. Wonderful, and thank you!

This thread is almost up to 2 million views. Amazing.

Beste Josephine en Frederik,

Jullie hebben echt de guts gehad om toe te geven dat het leven zo intens mogelijk moet geleefd worden, en we moeten stoppen met toch maar zo lang mogelijk proberen te leven door ons allerhande dingen te onthouden, risico's te ontwijken en excuses aan te praten.

Hier is een koppel dat op het einde van hun leven zal kunnen zeggen dat het goed was. Fantastisch, jullie hebben me doen dromen. En ik ga sparen opdat ik op een dag hetzelfde kan doen. Hopelijk ligt er dan macadam in Congo!

Geniet van jullie verdere reizen, en laat het internet voor wat het is. Het is de grootste vorm van tijdverlies dat ooit uitgevonden is! Buiten dit verslag dan:)

Nen Oilsjteneer

The statements I made in post #836 still ring true almost 9 months after reading this and I hope that never subsides...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RockTaco02

Reading this Odyssey a few nights ago changed my perception of a great many things. It was a pleasure to come along on the journey. You guys have the strength and will of which I have never seen. The excitement, the irrational, the terror, serenity, disappointment, triumph, all contribute to a sense of humanity that most of us have never experienced in a lifetime let alone in the course of just a few years span. This narration changed me in the way that I no longer find myself asking why, or how but look forward to the possibility of putting foot to terra and embracing something that i cannot fully understand until it has gone full circle. There is no doubt in my mind that you guys left a lasting impression on everyone you encountered. Even as the days go by the excitement still hasn't subsided, and I struggle to find the words to describe the way I feel, stories like this give hope to young people such as myself who are constantly reminded everyday how grim and unforgiving the world is. Thank you for sharing...

---

I think this how most of us feel reading this thread.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by haven

Very few heavy vehicles in third world settings have front drive axles (too easily broken) and single rear wheels (tires too heavy and very difficult to find).

---

Haven - Sorry but you are mistaken there. Almost all of the trucks shown, including the IVECO, are 6x6s. You'll notice that the truck that was really stuck and held them all up was a single drive, badly overloaded to the rear so that the front drive was ineffective.

Looks like other people are following their trace. these 2 readers have been unable to get visa for Angola (because of coming elections) so they are trying that route (in reverse)

http://tony-roundafrica.blogspot.com/

Christian - The Angolan entry visa is unobtainium, though I know two people headed to Angola in the near future, one of whom is South African (and spent time as a military consultant and mercenary in Angola long ago) and one of whom is an election observer from Geneve. A note to other travelers: I spent time in Haiti and in Tunisia as an election observer. This is an excellent and amazing way to volunteer internationally. My background as an international economist and lawyer let me get a spot more easily than some others might (being affiliated with a university or with the legal profession tends to help), but the reality is that there is a shortage of people willing to be election observers in many of these parts of the world and it is worth looking into this as an "activity" as part of a broader expedition. I'm not saying you should become an Angolan election observer just to get entry papers (this seems a bit overboard), but that it's a great opportunity to understand the local people, culture, and political system that is often overlooked. For those interested, I'm happy to speak with academics, consultants, and UK or US attorneys about the process and whether this is a good activity to include in a future expedition.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mick

Also new here because of this incredible adventure (or is it adventure AND writing style?)
Brilliant story.

I also have never had a winch and a friend who has, has only used it to recover others. However, when travelling alone like this, it seems like a nice-to-have.

However, Consider the Flip-flop technique if you dont have a winch.
I Googled and copied this .doc from Landyonline.co.za, but have known of this technique for years.


Remember
*The winch is going to move toward the anchor at half the rate that the load does.
*Try this with two pencils first to get the hang of it.
*The longer the arm and he smaller the winch circumference, the more power you get.

---

Thanks for sharing this rudimentary but clever solution!