Entering Kinshasa
As you bump and bounce out of N'Djili Airport, you start to head in Kinshasa proper. It's a long trip of about an hour or so in moderate traffic, of which there is always at least moderate traffic in Kinshasa. The journey is not like that from American and European airports where you start in the middle of nowhere and slowly pick up more and signs of civilization until you are in the center of a bustling city.
Kinshasa is much different. You both start and end in the middle of nowhere. The end point has a great many more buildings, but it still feels dislocated and at odds with itself being a city of 10 million people and the largest French speaking city in the world. It feels like it is still trying to contend with the fact it started life as Leopoldville, a trading outpost on the river that is actually younger than West Coast American towns like San Francisco. It's a bend in the river that now is home to so many.
There are no bright lights of Kinshasa. While the city sits along the Congo River and there is a massive hydroelectric damn further upstream, electricty is very much an ammenity that most are forced to live without. While the center of town (like the Gombe District) has much better power connections, it is mostly expats and the wealthy living there. The endless sprawl of Kinshasans live quite literally in the dark.
The road from the airport passes all the bars and clubs that are packed with people no matter what the night is. They sit outside it in the stifling humidity, their evenings illuminated by candles and the passing lights of cars on the road. As I looked forward out the front window of the shuttle we were in, I could see the dark, smoky veil of cooking fires and pollution descending on the roadway. Silouhettes of people crossing the road were lit up by the streams of traffic, looking like these human shadow puppets strolling through the night.
We reached the center eventually and the building that we would call home for the next couple of weeks. The power was on here, as well as the water. A brief shower rinsed off one layer of the sticking, unwavering humidity before we plunged in to a deep sleep.
30 04 2008 0 comments
Tags: dr congo, in to africa, kinshasa
How to Survive N'Djili Airport in Kinshasa
Upon arrival in Kinshasa, DR Congo, the first site for visitors in N'Djili Airport, which is definitely not the most pleasant of sites. It's rundown. It's smelly. It's crowded and it is overall a complete zoo.
Previous to visiting Congo, I read up a great deal on the country and this airport was one of my biggest fears. The endless delays in getting through it, the possbility of losing a great deal from your luggage when going through "customs", and then trying to get away from the airport and in to the center of Kinshas were all daunting problems not allowing me to sleep on the seven hour leg of the flight from Paris to Kinshasa.
Once we got there, my fears weren't fully lived up to. They have apparently cleaned up the airport a great deal in recent years and the need to have a "control" to usher you through the airport has lessened. It still sucks though and there are what I consider to be the five levels of purgatory before you are actually released upong Kinshasa.
1. Passport Inspection This is pretty minor and is just checking to see if you have a visa. The line is lengthy and stretches out on to the tarmac as naturally there are no true landing gates for the planes.
2. Passport Control A much longer process. You stand in lines with everyone else as you weed your way through a couple of booths checking each person's allowance to be in the country. This was apparently much faster in the past, but has been slowed down in the last month as the Congolese staff are learning to use some new computers that the EU got them. Once they get used to it, it will most likely speed up. One thing to note here is that no matter how seemingly stupid of a request the police might ask of you, go along with it. They have nothing else to do other than controlling that line and if you feel like giving them shit, they will give it right back. Just be patient and listen to them and respect them.
3. Health Control A minor step to make sure you have your yellow fever vaccination and your immunization card, which if your traveling here, you should most definitely have had.
4. Luggage... Sweet jesus almighty. This is the worst part. You stand along the luggage conveyor for something like two hours or more waiting for your baggage to come out. This may seem like a boring wait, except that there is no air conditioning in the space and there are all these random guys who want to "help" you grab your bags for a tip. It's sweaty and completely not fun, but is part of this journey. The biggest issue here is if you bag was lost, like one of ours was in the tight transfer in Paris. You don't find out that the bag is gone until the very end of all of this and then once you know, you have to register it as lost and then wait until the next flight, of which there are only three a week. Of course you have to get in a circular line (also known as a mobbing) to get in there to register your lost luggage.
5. Clearance and Onward Once you have your luggage, ignore every single person outside the airport. They will forcefully try to grab your bags to again "help" you carry them for a tip. Just cling on to them and keep going for either your ride, the taxis, or if you're lucky enough, the UN shuttle to the center. It should be noted that the taxis will be $50+ to get in to the center. Why? Because it's an hour ride on some of the worst roads ever conceived.
But that's it. Just a few simple steps. Just a few minor hours and you'll soon be in Kinshasa, home to 10 million people and a whole lot more craziness that I'll get in to again when I can get at the internet, which is scarce commodity in these parts.
28 04 2008 2 comments
Tags: airports, dr congo, in to africa, kinshasa, travel
Preparing for a Journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo
As you read this, I'll either be on a plane in what is an 11 hour series of flights or I'll be on the ground, starting a two and a half week trip through the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is not to be confused with the Republic of Congo just to the north of it. For those not up on the last ten years of geographic shift in Africa, this is the country that used to be known as Zaire and was run by Mobutu (the guy with the leopard skin hat) for 30 years.
This is my first trip in to Africa and is probably one of the more odd choices in initial African landings seeing how this has been a country in Africa with one of the most storied histories. A more obvious choice would have been Kenya prior to the riots (I mean, even Virgin Atlantic flies there) or South Africa, which a good numbers of whities "venture" to.
Beyond the fact that I've never gone to Africa, the other big strike against me is that I don't speak Lingala, Swahili, or French. Thankfully, I have a very able guide in #1 Fan, who not only speaks French, but lived in Congo for two years. This should make the trip considerably easier. Even still, how in the hell do you prepare for a place that has rampant diseases, endemic unemployment, next to no ATMs, undrinkable water, and no reliable airlines? Well, first of all, you fly on glorious Air France (which only takes you to the capital of Kinshasa) and secondly, you hit the books.
DR Congo is not Croatia and there aren't 25 guidebooks on the country or many articles about the country in general. Lonely Planet had one, but it was from about nearly 20 years ago and yes, things have most definitely changed. There is a book that documents these changes exceedingly well, which is In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz. It's not a travel guide at all, but a book that documents the downfall of Mobutu. It prepares a visitor for the general cultural sense of DR Congo and might make a great many change their minds about going. Nonetheless, it's a great book to read even for those who have no intention of ever setting a foot in the country.
With a relatively stable peace established in 2003, this has brought about a couple of travel guides to actually pop up. One of the earliest was the one from, Petit Futé. It's big downside is that it happens to be written in French. But, it is a good entry to the country, especially if one is of the French speaking mindset. The other book which has only just come out in the UK and is set to be released in the US in May is from, Bradt. I love Bradt not necessarily because they're always the best guides, but because they publish guides on places like Congo (in this case both DR and R). This guide is in English and I have been reading it intently since getting an advanced copy of it. it's quite well written and based upon what prior knowledge I have of DR Congo, it is very accurate. The author pulls no punches and doesn't gloss over any of the ugliness of traveling there, showing the would be traveler what they are going to be up against, but at the same time showing the rewards of the trip. Things do change quickly in DR Congo and one of things that's already out of date is that Hewa Bora should not be flown on. That was the only Congolese airline that the author recommended and they've just been added to the EU's no-fly blacklist, which brings the total number of Congolese airlines not on the blacklist to a whopping zero.
But, this is how it is and I am going. This will be one of the tougher chunks of travel I've done and in the end I'm sure all will turn out fine. We'll just have to see what direction the path of the next two and a half weeks takes. I have no idea how often I'll be online, since internet is scarce, so if you see no posts here for some time, just remember that I am now in what I call Deep Travels.
25 04 2008 1 comment
Tags: books, dr congo, in to africa, travel
A Proper 2008 Diada de Sant Jordi
Last year, I merely celebrated Saint Jordi's Day in the fashion that one should when one's household is half Catalan. But this year, through amazingly skillful planning I was actually in the heart of Catalonia to see the celebration at its fullest in Barcelona, Girona, and Figueres.
My original post last year talked about how this is the Catalan equivalent of Valentine's Day in the US. This was mostly true, but I discovered that there is another angle to it as well. Since it is just a Catalan holiday, it is also a time for Catalan pride and nationalism to come out and shine for the day. The best way to put this in terms that Americans would understand is to say that Saint Jordi's (George in English) is a blend between Valentine's Day and the 4th of July. Probably an odd concept to wrap your head around initially, but when you're in the thick of it, it makes a great deal of sense.
It isn't a celebration that's just in Barcelona, although that is the center of it. You see celebrations of one degree or another through every town throughout Catalonia. You see roses and books everywhere. I have to say that despite seeing some guys walking around with a pile of roses to give to all the women in their families, the guys get off easy. They only have to get the flowers. Women have the harder part in trying to figure out what book to get the guys. After all, that is the exchange; a rose for a book. But, this is changing these days and there are those couples who both give each other books.
Of course, much like you can find all things "stars and stripes" in preparation for the 4th of July for the US, you can find all things roses and red/gold (the Catalan colors.) We had lunch in a place with a special St. Jordi's menu with the red and gold colors splayed across the dishes. There was a tea shop we went to where they can "red" and "gold" teas with rose petals. And absolutely, of course, there are Catalan flags everywhere, both displayed and to buy. One small thing to note for those visiting Catalonia on this day is that beyond the fact that it's one of the few days when locals outnumber tourists on Las Ramblas, there are different Calatan flags one will see and there a reason for this. There is the standard one of red and gold stripes, which is the official flag. Then there is another one with a red star at the top of it, which is the flag for an independent Catalonia. A small thing that most might overlook, but it is a definitive statement. The only Spanish flags you'll see out during the day are the ones for the old republic, which Franco overthrew in his coup that consist of a flag of red, yellow, and purple. A salute to what could have been better times 60 years ago I suppose.
It's a fun holiday and a shame that April 23rd never really gets that much coverage in guidebooks to Spain for some reason, as it's a cool to witness and you don't have to be Catalan to do the whole rose and book exchange.
23 04 2008 0 comments
Tags: books, catalonia, spain, the europe
Reviewing Elegy
While in Madrid, I had the chance to see the film Elegy, which is yet to be released in the US. Rarely has this been the case as movies released in the US often take 1-2 years to make it to Europe, so everything that in the English language is playing when I visit here came out forever and ago.
Despite being an English language film, the reason it has come out so much earlier is because Penelope Cruz is Spanish as as well as the director, Isabel Coixet who is actually Catalan. So, without spoiling the ending or any plot bits for those back home, I'll kick out a review a bit ahead of the curve, since it appears to be getting a limited release when it does come to the US at the end of June.
Overall, I didn't much care for the film. The script is decent and the directing is quite well executed by Coixet. The cinematography is quite good as well. But, the film just never really clicks. To a large degree, I blame the producers and actors. Ben Kingsley and Cruz should never have been put in the same scenes together. Their chemistry is awful. I've never really cared for Cruz's acting that much and this is just another example of her not really shining. In the scenes where she doesn't appear and it's just Kingsley, the film works quite well. It happens to showcase what is probably the best performance by Dennis Hopper that I've ever seen and the scenes with him and Kingsley are great to watch. The scenes with Patricia Clarkson and Kingsley also work very well. It's to the point where I'm wondering if it is indeed the producer's fault for working to get Cruz in to the film for her name or if there is something that Coixet was trying to do with Cruz and Kingsley that didn't work or I didn't get. I don't think that it helped that these were the first bedroom scenes that Kingsley has ever done in his 40+ years of acting.
On a completely subjective note, the story is also something that didn't really appeal to me. It's set in New York and is very much what I consider to be a New York type of story in that it's a pandering view of a few individuals who don't have to worry about any real life concerns (like paying the electric bill or cleaning the shower.) At no point did I ever really feel like I was given a reason to give a damn what happens to the two main characters. Not good.
On a five scale, I'd probably give it a two and a half. It might appeal more to some than others, especially for those who live in NYC and must love these types of films as they keep getting produced. If however one is a tremendous fan of Cruz's breasts, then by all means, I wish you happy viewing as you will get a tremendous dose.
Watch a small chunk of the film if you're interested.
22 04 2008 0 comments
Tags: film, spain, the europe
Damn, I'm even more Huge on Iberia
It had been awhile since any updates to the whole I'm Huge category. This was mostly due to the fact that my life in US America is built more to my large requirements. Now that I'm back in The Europe, I'm again reminded of my ogre-ocity.
Last year, I wrote up a bit about how, I'm Huge on Vueling. Well, I gotta tell you that Vueling was dreamy compared to trying to fold my 193cm of height in to the seats on the Iberia flight I took form London to Madrid. While Vueling designs their seat rows on certain flights to not accommodate those over 175cm in height, I think that Iberia must build for around 150cm. I was screwed in those seats and then of course when the turdle in front of me reclined his seat, I was just completely out of luck.
It's true it was a short flight, but it was still two hours of me doing my best impersonation of an accordion. Just another airline to cross off my me-so-lanky list...
21 04 2008 0 comments
Tags: airplanes, im huge, spain, travel
Enjoy the Jamón. Enjoy, La Cabaña.
Yeah, I know, I won't shut up about jamón. It's freakin' delicious and the only place I can get it in great abundance is in Spain because Spaniards love it so much that they don't want to export it to the US in any large amount. Now that's a smart people.
One of the first experiences (as well as the best) that I had with jamón was at this place in Figueres called, La Cabaña, which just means, 'the cabin'. They make their own jamón from the regular levels up to pata negra, which is one of the highest grades (and yes that does literally mean, 'black duck'.) The place readily makes up for its rather odd location and basic ambiance with delicious meats, cheeses, pan con tomata, and a good list of the local wines.
It's because of the outward appearance that a great many people would probably skip the place. Nestled between a couple of strip club/whore houses on the northern outskirts of Figueres, along the highway to the French border, most people would find it about as welcoming as a gas station bathroom. Dining outside means listening to the large semi trucks rambling down the highway in front of you, but who cares and I think the jamón makes you deaf to the noise anyways, so one can just eat and enjoy.
So, after so much chatting about it, how does one find this place? This is not easy and it's what makes the chase of this elusive house of meats so enjoyable. Their business card says, "At Kilometer 760, exit Highway Number 3 in the direction of Figueres." It's not the easiest place to get to. For those who are bold, I believe that on Google Maps, it's right here, but that's something of a guess without an exact address.
21 04 2008 0 comments
Tags: catalonia, figueres, food, spain, the europe
Bienvenidos a España. Olé, olé, olé. Joder tío...
The misconceptions of Spain by those who visit are too numerous to list. At the top are some of my favorites, such as, "They're such a musical people!", "They have a real zest for life!", "It's just a constant party in Spain!" Obviously to assume one thing or another about a group of people, no matter how easy it may seem, paints you the color ass in the end; a color I have known to take from time to time.
Spain is a lovely, wonderful country and I have enjoyed every minute I've been in it, both last year and this, as well as what are to be many more in the future. While the generalizations of Spain can get out of control at times, the ones regarding the fact that Spaniards love jamón are very much true. I love jamón and anyone who visits the country, unless a staunch non-meat eating fundamentalist will love jamón too. And it's also true that Spaniards do enjoy life on what may seem like a greater level than those living in Northern countries. They also enjoy the sun more simply because they actually know what it looks like, unlike when one lives in London.
But for visitors, when you ride the train from the Barcelona airport to the center, you may find that things are even better than your guidebook would have allowed you to imagine. If for instance a group of 10 sixteen year-old girls get on and start singing and clapping "flamenco style" without any prompting, suddenly all those stereotypes seem a bit more real and a grin springs forth from your jet lagged face as you get ready to hit the Ramblas, sangría, and those damned sombreros.
Once again though, things aren't what they seem and truth is in the eye of what the tourist wants to believe as true. The clip I posted below was from when #1 Fan and I left the Barcelona airport two days ago. A group of drunk, trashy, suburban girls got on the airport train to go in to the center. No, this was not the Spanish zest for life you hear in their song. These were a group of Catalonia transplants being about as classy as a strip club as they went out for a Saturday night on the town, bottle of Fanta mixed with vodka in hand, jabbering away in Spanish, not Catalan (again, how is the Spanish language in danger of extinction in Catalonia?) Have a listen and enjoy. And be on the listen for ¿porque no te callas? somewhere in the middle as they quote the "genius" of the king sometime back. The kids are still loving that one.
20 04 2008 2 comments
Tags: barcelona, spain, the europe
Barajas Airport in Madrid is Messy Design
Yes, that's right, Madrid has fired a warning shot across the bow of the design world in Spain. Their aim was pointed squarely in the direction of Barcelona, Spain's design center. It's just that this attempt comes somewhere around two decades two late.
This all boils down to the new Terminal 4 and I suppose the number one issue I have with the new terminal (which is the newest and most heavily designed of the four) is that is was just done so that Madrid could thumb their noses at the rest of Spain and dance around singing, "Neener, neener, neener. We're the capital. Ha, ha, ha-ha, ha." Definitely not the best approach for a country dealing with extremely strong and prevalent secessionist groups.
So, instead of spreading out the flow of air traffic for intercontinental flights like we do in the US, they decided to force everything to bounce through Madrid when the destination is outside Europe. This isn't to say that if you're flying on British Airways or Air France to or from the US, that you have to go through Madrid to get to Barcelona, but if you're flying on Iberia, you damned well better believe that you're going to touch down at Barajas before getting to continue on. So naturally, this construction is going to be self-fulfilling in that there will indeed be much more air traffic at Barajas than say, Sevilla, Granada, or Barcelona because of the mandate to force more traffic to go through there. Such is the thinking in Madrid. And such is the reason that an ETA terrorist blew up a massive chunk of this new terminal in December of 2006. These things don't make people happy.
Looking past the political ramifications of this terminal, there is the fact that it sucks. The design is not something I care for on an artistic level, but that's a completely subjective thing. The biggest problem is that it's pointless and doesn't work. For instance:
What the hell are those big exhaust pipe looking things on the floor? Will they reheat my tea that grew cold from the lengthy ride on the Metro to the airport?
Why are the trash cans only 30 cm deep (a foot for metric-so-scary-land)?
Why is it that when people walk through a door that is clearly marked for those arriving to pass through that an alarm goes off at irregular intervals?
Why can people not figure out how to open the bathroom door to leave?
Why is it that when there is the least bit unfriendly weather (heavy rain in this instance) that they have to only run one of their two runways? SFO runs every damned runway even when there's fog.
And most importantly, how is it in a building that isn't even two years old, the ceiling leaks like a sieve when is rains?
It's for these and a number of other reasons that I vote this 21st century construct a massive failure, despite the fact it won the Stirling Prize; a prize that obviously weights federal masturbation higher than passenger usability. If it doesn't I'm at a loss for why this catastrophe won an award other than the fact it built wavy ceilings to scale never before imagined possible. It's crazy that on so many level, it's actually less usable than LAX despite all the money that went in to this gigantic potato chip.
19 04 2008 0 comments
Tags: airports, madrid, spain, the europe, travel
Madrid: A Monumental City
At this point, I am no expert on Madrid. I've spent nearly three days here and most of that was in the rain. But, it's been a good taste of the city and enough to have a few thoughts on it.
Overall, it's an interesting town. Obviously at 5.5 million people it is the biggest city in Spain and it definitely feels that way with it's massive sprawl, due it's cornfield-esque starting point in the absolute and very flat heart of Spain. So, it's only sensible that there would be a great many things to see in Madrid and a great many things to do. As I mentioned previously, a lot of the activities are based around being outside, but it's the case that there are many things to see indoors as well. The museums for instance, are excellent. The Prado tops the list with one of the most amazing collections of art that I've ever seen. Countless works that I've only seen in art textbooks are here, like the Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch or Las Meninas by Velázquez among countless others.
Then there is the Reina Sofía Museum, which has a good number of known works, but at a cost of great controversy. For instance, it has Dalí's most famous works, which were basically stolen from Figueres to give this very new museum something to show. Then of course there is Guernica by Picasso which was only supposed to hang in The Prado once it was returned to Spain, but now hangs in the Reina Sofía. Beyond these famous works, the museum feels quite empty and haphazard as the collection was built artificially. But, if you're an art fan, you will absolutely have to go and see these paintings, which is what the federal government was scheming to bank upon.
Beyond cultural displays, Madrid is a great town to walk around. It is relatively flat and there are a lot of neighborhoods to see. The only thing that I couldn't get in to was how austere these neighborhoods were. Maybe it was just the rain, but you'd walk in to one neighborhood and it would be all bars on a street. Then, you walk in to another and it's all restaurants. Then another would be all pensions or just houses. There was no variety to what was in each neighborhood making them a bit off-putting and not terribly welcoming to hang out in. By contrast, I could probably spend the rest of my life in just Eixample or the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona. Lavapies (feet washer in English) by contrast is best for cheap going out and is pretty dead during most of the day.
Towering above all of this though is the fact that Madrid is a capital and capitals have big freakin' buildings. Whether it's the Royal Palace or even just the post office, everything is on a huge, monumental scale that was indeed intended to dwarf the common citizen and make them awestruck at the capital of their country. These buildings are grand and impressive, but not approachable. I think this is where my main problem with Madrid lies in the fact that I have a lot of trouble really digging in to it.
Don't get me wrong in this, Madrid is definitely worth visiting, but if you haven't seen other Spanish cities like Barcelona or Sevilla, make it a city of less priority on your Spain checklist of sites. Any trip of 3-4 days there is bound to be a great time; especially if done when the weather and thusly the businesses are more welcoming. After all, a 1.50€ glass of good red wine in a bar and affordable jamón in the restaurants, is pretty hard to beat when it comes to startin' up the good times.
19 04 2008 0 comments
Tags: madrid, spain, the europe
