Hard To Love

Luckily the dry season is here, so we are spared the mud. It's sandy now, and we could actually use some rain. The city really needs a cleanup program, but there is no place to put the trash. And in a country where everything is imported, the packaging abounds and there is not an organized trash pickup service or landfills, except if you count everywhere. The plastic bags are the biggest culprit. I hope something can be done to improve the sanitation problems here for health and hygiene as well as appearance.

Here are some pictures of markets and roads here in Brazzaville, for someone who who normally enjoys poking around in markets, this is pushing it for me.. I continue to go to to these places sometimes as there is always something interesting to see in spite of the difficulties in trying to feel the love. There is no drainage provision in this city of torrential rains. Protective footwear here is a must!

Cost O' Living

So it must be official if it's on the web! Congo makes into the top ten for something, and that is cost of food. So we are due for congratulations for achievement over here.

The top 10 most expensive global cities for expatriates to live based on the price of groceries as at March 2008 are as follows:

1. Seoul, Republic of Korea
2. Brazzaville, Congo
3. Ashgabat Turkmenistan
4. Accra, Ghana
5. Lagos, Nigeria
6. Copenhagen, Denmark
7. Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire
8. Kinshasa Congo Democratic Rep
9. Luanda, Angola
10.Oslo, Norway

So six out of the ten are in Africa...Maybe I will start going across the river to Kinshasa to shop since they are only number 8!

Source:http://http://www.hittrafficer.com/2009/01/27/68107

Inauguration Day in Brazzaville

On January 20, 2009, following the morning opening of the new Embassy, a party was held in the Embassy for guests to watch the television coverage of the Inauguration ceremony going on back in Washington. Guests were offered tours of the embassy before settling in with drinks and snacks to watch the news. Here are a few pictures taken at the event.

What is wrong with this picture?

Opening of U.S. Embassy Brazzaville

January 20, 2009 was the opening date for the new U.S. Embassy building just completed. Pictured here are some images from the ceremony. The Stars and Stripes fly again over our Embassy for the first time since June 18, 1997, when they were lowered after our Embassy was taken over during a civil war here. The Embassy has been operating from rented space in a bank building and out of Embassy Kinshasa during the interim. Ambassador Eastham here addresses the guests after U.S. Marines from the detachment in Kinshasa raised the flag. Below Al stands with Mr. Karamoula, longest-serving Congolese employee at the Embassy. The building was completed in less than two years under the direction of the State Department's Overseas Buildings Operations and construction company B.L. Harbert of Alabama.





The spokesman for the Congolese government was the Foreign Minister.

More pictures from Nouabale-Ndoki Park

Here are some more pictures sons Mark and Michael took on their trip to see gorillas....

Gorilla Watching in Congo

Mark and Michael are back from Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in northern Congo. Here are some pictures they brought back from their adventure. They both agreed this was really worth the effort. They were lucky enough to see gorillas and elephants and to spend time at the WCS research station at the National Park headquarters. The link is WCS if anyone is interested in more information on this organization which operates in several African countries as well as running zoos in the U.S. Above they are pictured with their Pygmy trackers, and pictures taken from the viewing station and in the forest.

Christmas Vacation

Michael beside the River Congo
Mark's "before the haircut" picture



Mark and Michael have been spending their Christmas vacation here in the Congo. They are now up north in the gorilla reserve, Mark volunteering to help out on a project for the Wildlife Conservation Service, and Michael to keep him company. They are now out viewing the gorillas in the rainforest. Here are some pictures of what they did here in Brazzaville before they left for this adventure. Now we look forward to pictures of that.
Michael and Leroy kick back.

How Do I Look? The "after" in the makeover.