Well-Traveled Members Conquered the DRC!

Left to right: Mehraj Mahmudov (Azerbaijian), JoAnn Schwartz (USA—Board member), Don Parish (USA—completed TCC list), Charles Veley (USA—completed TCC list), João Paulo Peixoto (Portugal), Valentin Sazhin (USA) at Kinshasa airport.

Some of our most intrepid travelers explored the Democratic Republic of Congo for three weeks this past June. With nearly impassable roads and a 3am finish one day, their drive from Kinshasa to Kasongo took 10 full days. They flew in a cargo plane to Bukavu to see the Lowland Gorillas in a 7-1/2 hour trek, took a ferry to Goma, stayed in Kisangani for an overnight by the Congo, took a flight to Mbandaka (only João and Charles went), and finished in Lubumbashi.
Some remote areas had not seen outsid- ers in two years so they were quite the sub- ject of interest, drawing crowds of onlook- ers. This story would make for an interesting Virtual Exploration, right?

A Congo river cruise, near Kasongo, that had two dugout canoes strapped together; and an example of the poor road conditions endured by the travelers.

A Congo river cruise, near Kasongo, that had two dugout canoes strapped together; and an example of the poor road conditions endured by the travelers.