We had a first refusal last night - a village that didn't want us to descend on them for the night - we didnt fancy the look of it anyway. We moved on and found another that was happy to have us - although the kids were very subdued and we were told "pas d'image". We have learned, however, that quiet kids usually means that it is a village where there is church discipline in place, so we are starting to seek them out. The "pas d'image" bit turned out to be a m...

0400 The deep thrum of big marine diesels on a pusher unit attached to an upriver barge woke me as it crawled past going upstream, people yelling at each other over the blare of the Congo music and a massive searchlight picking out the bank. It also woke the colony of weaver birds in the tree above us; plus the locals, their hens, pigs and ducks - so at 0520 I admitted defeat and got up. Emerging in the half light I was informed I had a mosquito on my forehead -...

10 minutes to sunset

Pirogue

The 87 year old man in the Cleveland, Ohio Scout uniform was the chief of the village we stayed in last night - wizened face, slow but steady in his movements, and in pretty good shape for his age. He gave Sabine two fine looking chickens as a gift last night and as he waited on the bank to see us off just before 0800 this morning, he was extremely friendly and courteous. Beside him stood an old lady,who I first thought was his wife, very dignified in her bearin...