Adventures in the Congo

Well. Last wednesday we ventured into the Congo for a few hours to cross over back into Zambia, it saves some time to cut through the Congo, and it's less money for gas. However the Congolese were not so keen on these white people with no transit visas coming into their country. The way it works is, we get to the Zambian border, all get out, go in and they write down our passport numbers like four times or something ridiculous, then Catherine has to negotiate and convince them to let us through (sometimes the occasional bribe is required...) so we stand there and get stared at for a while (it's a whole new world being gawked at all the time...it's more stressful than you'd think..) so we made it through Zambia. When we had gone to get this magic letter from immigration we were told a man would escort us through the Conogo border so we didn't have any problems. Well. The letter did nothing for us. The man didn't even show it because he knew it wouldn't work. So we walked across the zambian border to the congo border and we stood there and stood there while all the locals just passed through. They did not like us white people just passing through. So the man from Zambia tried to reason and eventually it got through to them that hey-these white people, if they see how bad the road is, they'll fix it! So they let us through. So we took the 2 1/2 hour journey across (the road is only about 40 miles, and it took us that long..that's how bad it is. I gave up trying to read because my book kept getting thrown out of my hand from all the bumps and stops etc.) So after what felt like a year, we made it across and then we have to go through the Congo border again. They didn't want to let us through without visas. So they called their friends back at the other border and they said, oh no! Don't give them trouble, they're going to fix the roads! So then with a little bribe, the guy said ok. But then his boss came in, and said the same thing, so they called the other border again, and they told them the same thing, and he finally said ok. So we walked over to the Zambian border and waited while Catherine worked her magic, and then finally got into the car and drove the last hour and a half to Mansa. The end. It was an exhausting day.

However. Not as exhausting as the women who met us there had. They got up at four a.m. walked 17 km, then took a canoe across a river, got on bikes and road many km and then took a several hour bus. So..I do think we had it a little better than them.

We did decide to come home the long way though..12 hours vs. 8, but much much less hassel and no bribing and waiting at borders.

We got back from Mansa on Friday night and Ashley and I spent our first night at Catherine's house. Things are going quite well so far. We watched Spiderman 2 last night, and they love to show wrestling here..so we've watched some of that too...

Today we drove to Kitwe to take Jac and Sherri to the bus station, so Ashley and I are on our own from here on out. Then we went to visit Catherine's daughter at her boarding school and then we stopped for lunch in Kitwe. We went to this place, After Ten, where we have now eaten at three times in the past week. But I'll take all the falafel I can get :)

Then we went on our first grocery shopping adventure and stocked up for the next couple of weeks and then headed back to Catherine's. Kitwe is about 45 mintues from Chingola. Oh! and at the grocery store, I found veggie burgers! I was amazed-they had burger and hotdogs and ground "meat" all vegan in fact, not just vegetarian. So, we'll see how these Zambian veggie burgers taste... We'll have another low key day tomorrow, and then starting Wednesday we'll be working with the local pastors to get something going in their churchs, as well as starting our survey work.

I've been trying so hard to put pictures up, and I'm still having no luck, the internet comes and goes here so it's hard to get something uploaded before the connections goes. So. Still working on that...maybe someday...

We've also made good friends with Catherine's niece, Maureen, she is wonderful!
She is four years old and has become an awesome play mate :)

Ok. That's all for now. It's about dinner time!