Author: K Emilio Noorani
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A walk around Gombe
I went for a walkđ¶ââïž today. Gombe before sunset is a chaos of speeding cars. Police and random people standing outside properties staring at the silly white guy walking around with his earphones. “On fait tĂąche” The streets are clean enough. Sidewalks are littered with plastics. Public spaces aren’t cleaned. People waiting for buses. Some…
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Graffiti tour of Kinshasa
Have you seen graffiti in Kinshasa? Don’t think there is? Think again! Here are a few I saw around Kinshasa in Bandal. The artists I met, Chris and Malco, do it out of love for the art and need more fans and supporters. Drive around Kasavubu in Bandal on a Sunday to see these. Have…
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Driving around the city
Driving around the city
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Littering on the river loop
In nice settings, sometimes littering is normal and accepted. How to change this behaviour?
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Recommended bars and restaurants in Kinshasa
Here are a few places I recommend in Kinshasa. You will quickly figure out that there aren’t too many places to go too but some are nice but somewhat overpriced compared to other places in the world! Avoid them when they are crowded! Try to go during office hours or really early. Most can deliver…
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More photos of Kinshasa during Covid
More photos of Kinshasa during the curfew/Covid⊠Things havenât changed much. Just masks, get home before 9pm. Parties start earlier now. Bars and restaurants are changing their hours. No one wants to sit at home.
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A fruity breakfast
Fresh fruits and yoghurt in the morning
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Photographs of the river loop before a storm
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Bombo Lumene national park
The Bombo Lumene national park or the “Domaine et RĂ©serve de Bombo-Lumene” is 3-4 hours outside Kinshasa. It has many animals, insects and birds that you can see if you’re lucky! It is run by the ICCN, the conservation and environment ministry. They received a little funding from the European Union but the park is…
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Mwambe (Palm chicken dish)
Have you had mwambe (or moambe, the spelling is always a problem!) ? Itâs a palm oil based chicken dish in Congo. You should give it a go. It is served with sweet fried plantains, âsaka sakaâ or a type of spinach like dish using manioc leaves. Itâs all served with some normal local rice.…
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Gbadolite, 2016
Here are a few pictures of the city, the roads and the old Mobutu palace. Check out William Clowesâs excellent article on Gbadolite https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2015/the-ruins-of-dead-despots/ And Thomas Nicolonâs video report https://www.france24.com/fr/20181102-billet-retour-rdc-congo-nostalgie-mobutu-gbadolite-zaire
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Coriander and green chilies omelette
An Indian breakfast. My grandfather Sultan used to make this. Green chilies and coriander in an omelette with some chopped onions and served with some chapatis. Give it a go.
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Kayser in Kinshasa
Have you been to Kayser Kin Plaza? Itâs the place to be apparently. Go there on a Saturday afternoon and youâre sure to bump into someone you know. A lot of people like to come here for the food and atmosphere. They make great bread. Their lunches are delicious too. Itâs like you leave Kinshasa…
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Internet problems in DRC
Vodacom sent us a message that their fiber optic cables got cutđ€Šđ»ââïž. Oh joy… Itâs not rare to have internet issues here. Itâs sometimes alright but itâs very hard to get affordable internet…
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Driving in Kinshasa
Driving in Kinshasa is a nightmare. There are no priorities. You constantly feel anxious. The police donât help. They harass passengers and drivers. Courtesy is inexistant. It truly is remarkable how people go from their home to the office everyday without heart attacks or road rage. I donât even imagine the difficulty of finding a…
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Another Sunday in Kinshasa
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Fruits in the DRC
Take some time to enjoy the local food, specifically the fruits. Itâs the beginning of the rainy season and itâs now mango đ„ season! There are also delicious bananas but those are available year round. You can also make amazing fresh juices with local mint and ginger. Here are some pictures of what you can…
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Confined in Congo
What would you do if you were stuck in Kinshasa for 7 months? I worked, I played, I saw friends. It wasn’t too bad. I had a nice comfortable life. I can’t really complain. It could have been much much worse. How was your confinement? Are you even still confined? Now we are 7 months…
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Des scĂšnes de Kinshasa
La route de lâaĂ©roport est spectaculaire et prĂ©sente dâune maniĂšre brutale et honnĂȘte la rĂ©alitĂ© du congolais. Câest Ă voir de soi- mĂȘme lâesprit combatant du kinois. Voici quelques photos.
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Thursday afternoon
This Thursday I went for a run along the river. I got to see yet another lovely sunset. While the rest of the world closes down, the DRC seems to be reopening and returning to normal life. We have to fight with one another to make sure people wear masks or respect social distancing.
Emilio in Congo (DRC) 