🇨🇩 1/2025 DRC Travel

Day 106, 13.01.2025. — Second Congo? 🇨🇩 And its nightmarish borders. 😤

The night unfolds as usual — at 2 AM, the electricity and water vanish, and mosquitoes arrive in full force. This time, it’s not mice but rats. 🐀 Even Guinea (yes, Guinea!) had electricity from 7 PM to 7 AM. 🙄 At 5:30 AM, Archa tries to reclaim some of what we’ve paid, but the boss is fast asleep, and the staff member, though willing, can’t deliver. Justice isn’t served at night. 💁

Fine, time to move. 🐎 We hop on a minibus heading to the port — it runs even in darkness. But upon arrival, we’re told we can’t enter; it’s “too early.” Yesterday, the police said to be there by 7 AM, but now the gatekeeper, apparently appointed by the same police, says it opens at 8 or 9. 😜 We argue, but no luck. It’s not even 6 AM. Back to town.

We wander back and find the big cathedral open. ⛪ Inside, the pastor leads hymns as the red sun rises. Beautiful. 🙃 A new, adventure-filled day begins! 🌅 Breakfast at 6:30 sounds like a plan. We find our bread vendor, but five minutes later, aunties arrive with buckets of prepared food — rice, noodles, beans, and pepper sauce, the staple across Africa. 🍚 It’s better than bread, but we’re still early.

The difference between 5:30 and 6:30 AM in this city is striking. By now, the bars’ fallen patrons are at peace, and the hustle…