Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Independence Day

Today is Independence Day in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I took advantage of the day off to meander through the neighborhoods outside the center of town. There is no symmetric grid system here, so it was an adventure in ambling. I walked out one direction for a mile, then turned down a small road and followed the mountain back to the compound. I think I did a full circle at one point :)
As always, everyone was very nice and accommodating. Occasionally, I have some refuse my offer of a photo, but no one has ever been cross or mean. Often, when I am taking a picture of children, the parents or older children will help me corral them and get them to smile. It was a nice way to relax and to take a break from the nonstop schedule I have been keeping. A few glimpses of Zongo:



Preparing for the parade


Jules and Gedeno watching the parade






Heading over for the lineup


My favorite hardware shop













In my opinion, the world's greatest fort!



My shoe salesman, a tough negotiator 

















Kids :)

I will miss these walks, the smiles, the hospitality. I will miss them, but I won't forget them :)

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