63. Well, It's Fixed! That Means Fans and Breathing Machine On Tonight!!

 

The electric Hydro is officially fixed as per John - who came over to tell us. Now the wifi is down after last night's huge storm. So I am in a holding pattern again. But when we get back from Kananga and N'Desha, I can at least use the computer to write- hoping all stays copacetic with the hydro. Then hit send when the wifi comes back on which it just did! Yea!!

Had hot coffee, tea, toasted sweet rolls, toast, eggs ,and papaya for breakfast. Yum.

Cook is a Lubondai native. Gardner/sentry also here.  Both are Lulua. Nice guys! Wish we could hire for these prices in the US. Yea, right!! I'd have a dozen! ;). Football game still on in USA! California teams according to the BBC radio Marcia has. The other day at one of our meals, Marcia told us that Dr.Galdys Smithwick’s name and Lubondai is written on the back of the china cabinet here at her house! Wow!!.

FYI. Let me set the local scene. We have basically had no electricity since we arrived- much to poor Marcia’s dismay. It is hot. I am hotter. But I have dealt with that. We are in the bush country and I knew what to expect. I have a Japanese computer. Bought  in Texas. Used by a basically computer illiterate girl born in South Carolina. Since MPH does not have a computer for the manager, I used my personal lap top. (as does Cindy)- glad we both have one! When folks needed to make copies they put their zippy-de-do-da deals into my computer to print out stuff- always in French. Plus I had to download another browser for MPH’s mail which was also all in French. From time to time the private areas of my computer/blog would totally switch to French and it took me forever to get it back to English. Pain! Plus Andrew wasn't there anymore so I was alone- "tech less" -until poor Markus arrived and saved the tech day for us. Thanks to both of you young gentlemen!!!

I am not an English Lieutenant much less an English Major. (I'm an American History and US Government- “Colonel” I guess! ;)) ). (I think I put a grammar and spelling disclaimer in a very early blog.) I did speak the native language here as a kid. I never learned to read or write it- didn't need to - I was a kid. Missionaries always told me that it is spelled just like it sounds. So it should be Chee-luba, twa-sock-a-deal-a, Chee-kashi, etc. but I know better than that. So with taking notes- still no electricity-I'd write my blog long hand- still no electricity- then when we had the two hours or less of power, I - a none speed typing person- typed like crazy and got it out to you. I did spell check but my computer does not speak Chee-luba or Tshiluba either. Asking poor Marcia every time I need a word is bothersome. So, I’m sorry if I have been misspelling some words. ;). But I think they were close enough. I'll use the standard -It's Congo! Or better yet- It's Lenore!

After our trip to church I wanted to tell you about the “roads” here in Congo. You know from my earlier blogs that most in Kinshasa are not good. But here is how the government actually classifies their own roads!!

“There are five categories of roads here in the Congo as actually released by Congo’s National Bureau of Roads!  “Very good (paved), good (dirt road with some potholes), medium (dirt road, deep vehicle tracks and many potholes), bad (deep sand, mud holes, extreme vehicle tracks, expect to be frequently stuck), very bad (almost impassable).”

After leaving Kinshasa, I watched from the plane window and realized that there are hardly any dense jungle areas near Kinshasa. I only saw dense tree growth near rivers. On the flight to Kananga we flew over the savanna areas.Once again trees were only close to the rivers. We could see the paved road for awhile and then lost it from the air. Guess “Very Good” roads ended.

Villages, just like the ones before them, were all along the route to church on Sunday. They have not changed since we were here 53 years ago! Huts with palm roof, mostly made of branch frames filled with clay. Inside there is still a single room where the whole family and often their critters sleep. Outside the hut is the kitchen where all meals are prepared. The toilet is a hole in the ground- sometimes screened by matting. Beside every hut, manioc is almost always being prepared by the women- dried, pounded or made into bidia. It is a totally rural and subsistence way of life here in the bush country of the Kasai.

The major road’s traffic is fortunately/unfortunately commercial trucks. These worn out trucks look like they have been constructed for a Star Wars scene from various scrap heaps in a movie lot. Things for sale are piled up several feet high on top of the trucks. However- out here in the bush- on top of all the mish mash of merchandise sit the passengers -as many as can get on the top and not fall off. The overloaded and very top heavy trucks add to the destruction of the poorly made roads.  The tracks made in the road by these huge, heavy and overloaded trucks get so deep that the road becomes impassable. The belly of the cars- even with everyone having 4 wheel ones- get hung up on the center dirt. Mud holes and sand pits (in the sandy areas the car tires are often deflated so the car does better??) are dug deeper and deeper each day by the trucks.  The next choice is to make a new path through the tall grassy (Tshisuka –sp?) area next to the road making another new path/road. Rural Spaghetti Junction- ah, no - Petticoat Junction!  When these top heavy trucks break down or roll over from tilting too far in the ruts, the road is totally blocked. So you again chop a new path or wait!

The next issues that have to be dealt with on these roads are the streams and rivers. Most of the bridges are left over from when the Belgian’s owned the country 50+ years ago and were built way before that. Trucks were not this big or heavy nor were there so many. The bridge’s iron frames are no longer safe and the boards laid over them on which to drive have been chewed by termites so some look more like Baby Swiss Cheese. As you cross it you wonder if your vehicle will be the one that “breaks the camel’s back.” Then it is “Go around” to a low water area and try to make you way across or go to a canoe ferry or “real ferry”. The ferries are very unreliable and one can wait at least a day if it has already left today for the other side or weeks if a part is missing.

Pretty much once one is off the beaten path and in less populated areas it is bicycles- like you see in photos of China- to carry it all. Folks say the bikes are loaded with up to 300 pounds of agricultural stuff, handmade bricks and charcoal from the rural area. They are actually pushed to Kinshasa and then loaded with merchandise and pushed all the way back to trade! These walks can take up to 1-2 weeks.

Trade products are also gotten up country by being carried on the heads of women- dressed in their brightly colored Congolese garb They usually also have a baby tied to their backs. The loads they carry are often so heavy it takes two men to lift the load up and get it situated on the lady’s head. Then off she walks with all balanced on her head and she uses no hands. Just walks off into the sunset- so to speak! It is amazing!  On our way to church we only saw the bicycles and ladies as the methods of moving trade goods. We saw a total of two other cars and no big trucks.

Last night the sound of the rain, thunder and lightning gave us an almost 1812 Overture inside this old mission home! Fabulous sounds on the tin roof and dripping off the eaves. Then during a pause in nature’s music, I heard a tiny little drip from a tiny secret little hole in the eave’s tin roof as it delivered a sweet little ping, ping, pong-its own quiet little song- outside our window against the fallen mango leaves.

 I am trying to share as much of what I see, learn, hear, answer as many of your questions as I can and get y'all as many pictures etc as I can. I have been posting as soon as we have electricity for long periods. So, please be patient with me for a few more blogs and all of the issues.

On way again to Kananga. Same road. Worse- after the night ‘s rain- more of the basically none existent road washed away.  Our driver can dodge a bunch but it is a major challenge on the first part of the road between the station and Kananga proper. Found out as we stopped at the hospital on the way to town that the Birthing tables have arrived at the hospital here on the station! Speedy! Thanks, Charles and all from San Antonio.

Once we arrived, we drove and saw all of the old memory places for Ken and Marcia in Kananga/Luluabourg as we knew it as kids and pre Mobutu’ name change orders. Water tower, Bonne Auberge - now Centre Protestant, Pax Clinic, Butcher, Movie Theatre, Sandy Marks’ Dental Clinic, where the old patisserie was and I got my Swan Éclair, what I call THE Circle and a few red flowers still ;)).  The smells entered the car as we drove; I kept asking Marcia is that coffee roasting? Tshiombe? Palm nuts roasting? Amazing- I got all smells right!

Next on to N’Desha - Old station . Roads not so bad- relatively speaking. Neat old houses.  Saw the old homes that belonged to the Halverstadts, Cranes, Vernon Andersons. Mary Crawford, Madge Rice, Audrey Brunkhurst Skelton the three different houses the Murrays lived in while stationed there, the Treasurer’s office, Dad Murray’s office, and the Soccer field.  We met the director at N’Desha school. Great English. When I told him my name he just beamed and hugged me. “You are my child. My family. My daughter is also N’Seya!” What a day! Life is good out here! 

Once back in Kananga we had to go by Western Union for Marcia- thanks, LeeAnn- and the printing press for the station. They are still -for some things- using the old Luebo printing press and actually still set some press by hand. Also got a few groceries. Marcia and I climbed out at one and the second one- much nicer- I let her go in alone. Guess what! She came out with 5 packages of P-Nut M&Ms for me and Snickers for Ken. Drinks for us all! Probably cost her an arm and a leg! It’s that Yaya thing! ;))

Marcia and I are in the back seat and remember, unless you are the lead dog- the view’s the same! ;) And when I’d say, “Ken, take that picture,”  it was too late! So I have learned that at Lubondai I will just walk it all. Getting in and out with a front seat that won't move forward is tough.

We came home after shopping to a set table, and lunch of rice, Kasai peas, turnip greens, beef and fresh mushroom gravy, AND iced tea!! Also a cook in the process of making bread. Life is good. Wifi and Hydro still working. However it is now pouring again so hope all stays working.  So I will post for today. Wednesday is supposed to be “go to Lubondai day.” But it is Congo. So I won’t count our goats yet! ;)

Have a great rest of the day!

Love ya! Me