.. travel is to seek your identity by contrast.
You try to write the experiences that happen, even and not having ever had the ease of writing. One could even ask my old school teachers, where there was not one that I call attention to the brevity of my answers on tests. At this time writing a detailed summary of the events in the last weeks of our trip is really necessary, preferably with chapter and verse, with feeling and goosebumps.
The van is becoming a dead weight. No longer an iron over three tons of which we are really fond. But honestly, it often has become a headache. Do not we blame her or African roads, nor even that we tute going on for the past 9 months, not counting those that will have been in almost 17 years he has been on the road. But African mechanics. But as it is too late to blame anyone, the lesson is more or less learned, and the merit of this trip is based not on the crossing of the continent, but by far the overhead of patience and knowledge in which we have, are and must continue soaking until satiety.
Brazzaville has been a comfortable home, relaxed, including a small family that has made us feel at home. We enjoyed the Couch's Maxime and Cristoph, that part of the hospitality offered these two weeks have been the cane and helped us greatly in what they could. our van problems have been solved with new adaptations in the absence of equal parts. Do not believe it is necessary to specify which parts, but hey, pa the experts, the thing was broadcast, satellite and alternator. Almost nothing.
Fortunately for us, and after having moved in the middle of the white community in the city in search of pieces (including embassies), using just the black community , which means getting in their field and seek African solutions.
The second day we have a team of firefighters with the foreman tucked under the van, but after seeing some pretty nasty arrogant attitude, and we want money decided to seek out another person. Luckily Willy encounter in the district of Bacongo, which proves to be a mechanic awesomely consistent, and decently compliant with agreed schedules. And Congolese! Incredible! So we are gradually picking up confidence in the ability to fix the van, which until now seemed difficult. While the pieces are appearing, adaptations and good workmanship, we will make of our own, following the large French community living in Brazza, who welcome us and invite us to participate in many of the few activities that occur here. (Karaoke, golf, watching World Cup matches, drink and drink .... no comment!)
After two weeks it seems that the van is in a more decent as it entered to the capital. Although we do not have all, and we would not have problems across the river, seeing the ruidazos that to be summed up in a CLONG CLONG and a new vibration, we believe it is time to leave, cagaita of fear, but time to continue .. I would say one is .. 'Show must go on'.
It's time to take the dreaded boat that took us across the river, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zaire, Congo Kinshasa, Belgian Congo or whatever you want to call. We've heard it's a complicated journey. Sofia gets to work with the theme of the port, and the thing seemed like it would be terrible, it is only in the usual formalities, and they ask us at the last moment a seal, it was not necessary, of course, and make us lose the first ferry. That he will. We fear they have not done on purpose with a background that is unknown, we can not leave Malpensa. Finally seems to be only one 'egg touched' the white boys. In fact all that time waiting about two hours, are the perfect time to see the inner workings of the port, the madness that makes loading and unloading, disabled, beatings and inspections of the military. Quite a spectacle.
With the next boat, about three in the afternoon, embark. In the distance should be about two miles driven in about 40 minutes. The two closest capitals in the world. We are one of the scariest moments that gave us the whole trip and we were definitely wrong.
Upon arrival at the port is a super friendly police ask for the documents of the vehicle and accompany us to an office while Barto takes out the van. Everything is inside out, we are in Kinshasa, and the unimaginable. Secretary of customs data takes us is pleasant and interesting conversation. But when you are filling out the second form is that my visa and Sofia have the same number. Rather than a sequential number, match! He says his boss. The typical smart, arrogant and unfriendly, which tells us that such an error are canceled two visas are given as false .... What? 'But if the error is from the Congolese ambassador we made them, is absurd! "
only gives us three possible (legal): return tomorrow morning with the first boat to Brazzaville, second, back in the boat to leave shortly, if any, back where we came from, or third, to make two customs visas valid for 7 days $ 60 each (there Andrés gotcha!). Shit! Since we have caught the bastard! We try to engage in dealings with the advantage, or so we believe, that requires less than half an hour to close the office, and the port, and therefore going to have to stop giving. But the guy does not yield, or only when in desperation we say that at least if you have to cancel do so only in one but not both. The good man sees no reason, as part of $ 60, the thing is that visas would be only 7 days and the extension is at 120 USD each, .. the same, a real crazy money for the face.
have to start taking cards up his sleeve, and a direct bribery is sensed but not seen very clear, is that if the cagamos more, here you can either fat liar. Resort to a phone that gave us Brazza someone who worked at the English Embassy in Kinshasa. (Blessed be the day when that number was not ended up in the trash and was still located). Not only the name of the person was correct, but actually was an employee of the embassy. Middle confused by the call from someone who does not know and who has his private mobile number, he answers that are going to see if you can do something. Given this response, something desperate and eager to get out of this new Perkins being too complicated and time without solutions in sight, we decided to ask the gas medium visa. At that time called David, the English Embassy, \u200b\u200band says he is coming to the port, which not we move or let go of a dime. We say this to those present, that are beginning to mobilize, a little nervous. El Barto trying to walk out solution for the van to remove the port. There are more than six in the afternoon.
do not know how, in less than 5 minutes after the call from David, they begin to close any doors, offices and take us out to be. A car is waiting at the door of the office, an unofficial car. They force us to get inside, to force, as detainees, Sophie and me. Shit, that's going on here!
'.. Where are we if we are expecting our ambassador? If we said that already came! Where's Bart?
'Calm down, if we carry you to your embassy right now! .. your friend now comes back in another car '
' no, no .. a moment, stop the car, we move from here until you come to the embassy "
'here does not lower anyone ...'
bullshit is something happening here we do not like, what is happening ??????
So starts the car, with three types, Sofia and me. We are taking the port, we do not see it anywhere Barto, the embassy has not .. thing is starting to get really ugly. With fear in her body and absolute distrust, Sophie opens the door of the car in gear, and how to stop, take the opportunity to get off and ask for help. Where are we?? Upon hearing the screams and starts getting such a scandal and the military police guarding the port area to see what happens. We try to explain, and have painted themselves do not understand where we are or why. That makes us more confidence to take on the situation. We see that even among them are discussed to let us go, but after not understand anything, let us lead. Amid all the fuss and trying to gain time to arrive at the embassy, \u200b\u200bor appears Barto, nothing happens.
Suddenly, and at night we move through the streets of Kinshasa, not knowing where we are. The two types of customs that are in the car with us sit on each side so it does not happen we re-open the car door and take away the phone when trying to call back to David. 'Where we going? " 'I your embassy we' 'At 7 o'clock I take my embassy?? What is going on! coñooo!?
does not take long, perhaps less than ten minutes, and left the main street to get into a closer. Da horn two touches and opens an iron gate. The driver said that we have reached to the embassy. The door opens a man in blue uniform. You can read writing POLICE breast height. We have come, is the immigration detention center !!!!!!!!!!!
make us fall. It is a ground floor building with a small dirt yard and a large cooking pot to simmer on medium. The police look at us with the same surprise that they look at us to them. We arrested for using false documents !!!!!
We're relaxing to see that all evil thoughts that had crossed his mind just then, in a small police station. The two customs bastards go so quiet and leave us there without any explanation in the hands of the police. Without knowing how or why we are stopped, undocumented, and separated from Barto.
We sit in chairs on the patio, next to a girl from China. Behind a room with bars spaced displayed hands and faces Chinese and Pakistani boys. It is a surreal place. It's amazing how quickly this all happened. We take the data and make us all moving out of the pockets. They're quite happy to be out of my pocket a ticket for 50euros. The pennies and the Congolese currency does not seem much interested. Sofia has a 100 bill that has been lucky enough to well hidden and that none of this will happen register. I really get into the cell, Sophie and turn left out, it seems that only have a cell and is only for men.
At that time keeps ringing mobile. One is Mikaelo, the couch had contacted Belgian surfer to stay at home and we had had time to send a msn to explain a little above what was happening while we were still in port and the other is David's embassy. Sofia finally convinced the cop to let him pick up the phone (always asking 100 dollars he never received) and then at least explain more or less where we had gotten Commissioner and the film we were living in our magnificent reception in Kinshasa.
Prisoner in Kinshasa. We will not pass things on this trip, my mother!
The other guys in the cell, I explain that everyone has a problem, in short is the same for all, CONGO: NO MONEY = PROBLEM. One of the leading Pakistani says I got ten days in jail, but he did not understand why, if you have a visa for three months. Poor people. The law here has his feet on the head and the color of money.
In an hour or so shows the director of the commissioner telling the cops let us go out and give us back everything we have seized. It seems unless someone has finally come to save us. Reluctantly we returned the money, but not cut to ask us to give them a tip for your help! (And shit!)
At the door we have two representatives of the English embassy, \u200b\u200band Salva and David Barto. The first question is whether we have hit, I do not want to imagine what might have happened. A reunion full of explanations. So take us to the house of Mikael, and about tomorrow and see how we do it to get back our passports, trying to get the visa without paying a drive and move the van out of the port.
It turns out that they had gotten into another car with three types without a clear idea where they were going to leave, if in a hotel, if Mikaelo house or if the commissioner received. From this he had no idea we had put in jail, and it seems that no one intended to explain.
a beer to relax and once home of Mikael's time to stop and think about everything that has happened in the last hours .. kakao go!
In the morning David is responsible for moving thread DGMigración visits and make a few calls to get back our passports and most of us accept the visa be a great mistake of his ambassador. We imagine that at all easy for him but ends with a resounding success, because in the afternoon and got our hands on documentation, visas and the van aparcadita at home.
From here we have to know something of the world Kinshasa, which seems to be easy.
People of the Embassy has tried to luxury, so to speak, rather impossible. All of a sudden we are up to date with the situation in the country at this particular time, characterized mainly by missing days for the June 30, the 50th anniversary of independence. This represents a lot more presence normal military, increasing strain to date, and what do we understand something like .. "And what might happen next." The thing is in the air, imagining that among the country has only three years without a war on, and that there are still quite active rebel groups in different parts of the country, the situation is not the quietest in the world. With such information we understand that the most consistent is to get the visa for Angola as soon as possible, bugger off. Let's say the idea is not bad, but the problem here is the difficulty been dragging for months to get the damned visa.
Let us know that is what we need to the Angolan embassy, \u200b\u200band are a few papers, photocopies and a letter from our embassy. A portion of the letter, David makes us call a piece of paper and some extra to help get speed up processing. Their efforts have not had much effect at first, but hey, there's an ill wind that blows nobody good, and we have to spend the weekend in Kinshasa. Things in life that this weekend is the (mini) Jazz Festival and find relaxation after a good concert, good beers and a small English community superagradable found in the Congo.
course is all thanks to Mikael who is an excellent guide, and this led us to know everything that can cover not far from Kinshasa, although any point not far away, with traffic Congolese hours becomes crazy car.
Lindos places along the river Congo and the Lola ya Bonobo Reserve, the primates who call themselves the genetically closest to us (99 /). A few more than others, of course.
The truth that we were very afraid of Kinshasa, which is very normal for our reception and the amount of stories that continually tell us stories of one another, or friend of such. In general the white community in this city live locked or in their homes or in small circles. Since then the adaptation to this environment does not look easy and sometimes not even possible. Are far apart in the same city.
This country is literally invaded by the United Nations with a 20.000soldados, and another 10,000 in the administration. One wonders if necessary, if they bring peace or what their mission in rich countries such as Congo. Do not we have our doubts, but now is not our job to save the world but their leave here. Adri, and he will tell us!
And so it goes. For more than a week that we are in Kinshasa, from every day by the Embassy of Angola where things do not seem to move, or at least very, very slowly. Since we celebranado independence day in the very Congo. Today we have gone back to find out the date on which could be visas made, but the thing is far from clear. At the moment we are still in the house of Mikael, who will be eternally grateful for their hospitality, and our family frequented English embassy, \u200b\u200bwhich is the place to relax for a while, have good conversations and eating sausage sandwiches that are made in the super front, go discovery!
will keep you informed when we open our wings and go flying!
And that's the adventures of the fragonafricanus, estancadisimos but always with a thousand things to explain. I want lots of family, more than you can imagine! I send kisses and hugs and unconditional love to everyone, but this time mostly the Pep! Marta i felicitats Adri !!!!!
Thanks for being so close to us.
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