Tag: DRC
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Discussion on power in the DRC
A quick guide to power generation issues and projects in the DRC in 2022.
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Hotel Metropole in Matadi
The Hotel Metropole in Matadi was built between 1925 and 1930. It seems to have officially opened in 1930 according to Wikipedia. It is a gothic revival styled building (Wikipedia) and apparently designed by architect Ernest Callebout.
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Kinshasa : Fuel shortages, traffic and wewa godfathers
You wake up and step outside and notice a massive queue of cars around the block at the fuel station next door. You’re not sure what the cause is. You hear it is about unpaid government fuel subsidies, the war in Ukraine or some other confusing issue with fuel companies.
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The Democratic Republic of Gombe
As you may well know, the upmarket borough of Gombe is not like the rest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Locals cheekily call it the Democratic Republic of Gombe It is only in this tiny part of a country the size of Europe that you can think it is a “normal” city or country
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A list of NGOs and other organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo
There are thousands of non-profits, for-profits, non-governmental organizations, foreign and national programs to help the DRC out of poverty, to end wars, to stop malnutrition or to end corruption (among many other projects). Here is a non-exhaustive list of various NGOs and for-profit projects that are or have done significant work in the country (alphabetically).
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“Where are you from?”
This question gets asked a lot when I meet someone new. I have many versions of the answer depending on the person asking, my mood or the immediate environment. I can’t seem to answer the same thing every time. Why is this question important in the first place? Why is it asked? Is my accent […]
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Sunset pictures again
People only want sunset pictures 🙂 The Kinshasa river loop is a popular spot to park and chill, to walk, to skateboard, to rollerblade, to run, to blast music, to play football (soccer). You bump into everyone 🙂
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Luki rainforest biosphere near Boma
Last weekend, with some friends, L and T, we went to a rainforest biosphere or reserve called Luki near Boma in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We drove from Kinshasa on Saturday morning. We arrived at around 8pm in Mangala/Luki after several calls to find the place. It took us 12-13 hours with an hour […]
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Photos again – March 2021 – Kisantu, Matadi, Muanda
More DRC photos taken on the road between Kinshasa, Matadi, Kisantu, Muanda in March and April 2021. Enjoy 🙂 On the road between Kinshasa and Muanda, there are trucks, motorbikes, customs officials, police, toll gates. There isn’t much harassment if you’re lucky and don’t upset anyone… Motorbikes on the road Hills on the way to […]
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Bombo Lumene national park
The Bombo Lumene national park or the “Domaine et Réserve 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!) ? It’s a palm oil based chicken dish in Congo. You should give it a go. It is served with sweet fried plantains, “saka saka” or a type of spinach like dish using manioc leaves. It’s 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 Clowes’s excellent article on Gbadolite https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2015/the-ruins-of-dead-despots/ And Thomas Nicolon’s video report https://www.france24.com/fr/20181102-billet-retour-rdc-congo-nostalgie-mobutu-gbadolite-zaire
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Internet problems in DRC
Vodacom sent us a message that their fiber optic cables got cut🤦🏻♂️. Oh joy… It’s not rare to have internet issues here. It’s sometimes alright but it’s very hard to get affordable internet…
Emilio in Congo (DRC) 