We camped at Lukolela last night - the first place (apart from Kisangani) where I have actually set foot on somewhere mentioned in Jack's letters from Congo Belge. A cocoa plantation was set up here in the 1920's and by the 1950's 2000 ha was under cultivation. It had its own clinic staffed by "infirmiers" (male nurses) but the owners wanted a Doctor from Bolobo to go up there and supervise the dispensaries from time to time.

The clinic is still there - just (see photo). Part of it is being lived in (as opposed to being a house), as is the former manager's house, which would I imagine also be familiar to Jack. Whilst some things like the front lounge in the manager's house are almost unchanged - comfy wickerwork chairs and ceiling fan still in place - all the electrical wiring and plumbing has gone, so the current residents use candles when it's dark and buckets in the bathroom.

Mobutu's "Zaireanisation" policy chased out the European managers in the early 70's and the plantation gradually fell apart, but it has recently been revived by locals - albeit only 100ha so far - lets hope it survives longer than the previous incarnation.