What Is The Congo Like?

Dear Rurel and Fellow Travelers,

      Since I am the ‘behind the scene’ person, I feel I need to give you some of the basics for your trip to central Congo.

      If you wear glasses then bring a spare pair.  If you have special medications please make sure to bring enough. Please bring Imodium since you will be eating ‘strange’ foods to your digestive tract. You might want a small bottle of Tylenol. Sunglasses are needed and repellent though this is the dry season and there are not as many mosquitoes as normal. Since there is no electricity you will need a flashlight. We prefer the ones you buy at Wal-Mart. They are called LED lights and can fit around the head and leave the hands free. Please bring a set of extra batteries.

      You will probably need about 5 shirts (short sleeves) and one long sleeve and perhaps a tie for one. If you have the safari type shirts which are casual but dressy those are nice. Central Congo is hot but since this is the dry season, then you might need a very light weight jacket for the evening or early morning if there is fog.

      I might ask you to bring a special food or two to have while you are here.  All foods are prepared from scratch and cooked on a wood stove. You might want to bring some snack bars or granola bars. We have lots of peanuts so do not bring those. Our main stable is rice. Potatoes are almost impossible to get. We try to be ‘creative’ with our rice dishes at times.

      I don’t know, but you might want to bring some dried fruit though not much. Unfortunately, Tshumbe does not have fresh fruit like Lodja does though we may have to keep a motorbike running back and forth to transport some.

            You are soon in for an ‘adventure’ which is normal life for us. You may want to bring a journal so that you can write something each day.

                As concerns money –you will need newer bills. Bills will not be accepted if they have any marks or even slight tears. You have plenty of time to arrange with your bank for brand new bills which always makes it easier. You will need mostly $100 in bills but some 20’s and 10’s would be good.

       You can pay for your ticket to Lodja as you check in–a check in like you have never experienced before!  Paul will make your reservations but you can pay there.

        We enjoy our lives here and we are busy but life gives us time to sit and ‘smell the roses.’

        Until later, Marty

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