TravelStream™ news feed for member pointenoirexpat on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/pointenoirexpat en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:23:01 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1254140350/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1254140350/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1254140350/tpod.html Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:23:01 -0400 Dark Point

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Pointe-Noire, Kouilou, Congo

Two of our closest friends left town for good. It is kind of like college here, people come and go.  It is also like college in that you get close to friends quickly and develop huge amounts of love for people you've only known a short time.  And that is exactly what happened to us.  Angela and Klaus have abandoned all of us here in Pointe-Noire for such trivialities as dependable electricity and water you can drink from the tap.  It was sad to see them go but sadder knowing that they can go to Farmer’s Markets and the cinema.         
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1254140122/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1254140122/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1254140122/tpod.html Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:18:29 -0400 Dark Point

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Pointe-Noire, Kouilou, Congo

I cannot seem to get healthy. We have been here for over a month and I am still struggling with assimilation.  Last Thursday I came down with a sore throat, on the heels of what we like to call here "Africa bum".  I let it ride, convinced that it was nothing, but went yesterday to the clinic, where the doctor confirmed that I had an infection.  A whole day of sleep yesterday and I am back in the classroom today.  The antibiotics that I am on seem enough to choke a pig:  1000 milligrams three times a day for 8 days.  The drugs have done well on my throat, but are doing a job on my already vulnerable digestive system.  I try hard to stay healthy and safe here, but it is really just an uphill battle.  Bathrooms here are usually pretty poorly equipped.  You can expect to find a toilet that won't flush, no toilet paper, soap or towels.  I usually carry tp around in my purse along with sand-sanitizer.  If I can’t wash my hands, then neither can the waitress or cook.  I can’t figure out if it is a cost-saving measure or hygiene is just not that important.Last year during a bout of severe Africa bum, I had to use the local supermarket’s bathrooms, and it looked exactly like a set from one of the “Saw” movies.  I vowed never to buy unpackaged food, fruits or vegetables from that place ever again.  You can get sick from any restaurant here, I know at least one person who has been wiped out everwhere, and this has got to be the reason.  But, since eating out is really the only form of entertainment, we all keep taking the risk, and hoping to become acclimated.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1253192077/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1253192077/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1253192077/tpod.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:00:05 -0400 Dark Point

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Pointe-Noire, Kouilou, Congo

Last year, before we left, we chose a school called Les Poussins, for the kids. We were told that the school began on Monday, September 7. On the 5th we were having a small gathering at a local restaurant for the school families to get to know each other, when a friend of mine informed me that the school had delayed opening until the 14th. They didn't even call us to let us know! We ran out the next day and bought all their school supplies ($140). This same place doubled the tuition in October last year, once again, no one could find a different program, so parents just had to take it lying down. We were taking the school kids on a field trip the first day and had no seats left on the bus for Oscar and Henry, luckily, Melanie offered to take them. Then on the evening of the 7th, the school called to tell us that they had cancelled Oscar's class! Completely! At this point it was too late to get into another program, so they just decided to fuck us over. When we went to complain, the place was in the middle of a huge building project, the entire school was torn apart: dangerous holes and tools and scraps of sharp metal everywhere. Then we had to argue to get our money back! We had to return three times! Finally they agreed to take back the school supplies, and give us our money for Oscar, but wouldn't return the deposit we'd given for Henry's tuition, saying that Henry was still welcome to come, like we can send him without sending Oscar?That's how it is here, Fuck you and if you don't like it, fuck you some more! And while re-telling this story to a friend, she told me how "lucky" I am to be able to bring our kids to our school, and how other moms here don't have that choice. NONE OF THE OTHER MOMS HERE WORK!!!!!!!!!! I wonder how "lucky" her husband would feel if he had to take his kids to work with him 8 hours a day? It has been only a week since we opened the school and I am already day dreaming about teaching in a normal school, just responsible for one grade or even just one subject. I dream about other teachers and administrators, I am tired of feeling like we are mired by the apathy of others.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251441284/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251441284/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251441284/tpod.html Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:41:15 -0400 Dark Point

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Pointe-Noire, Kouilou, Congo

One of the small joys of being back in Congo is the lovely sound of our neighbor's dog. Once he gets going he can bark for hours.  Our first night last he barked from 2am until 6am.  Today he woke me up at the crack of dawn, and is still barking his head off.  I have never hated a creature that I have never met as deeply as I despise this dog.  As I type this I have a punchy, sleep-deprived 4 year old on my lap that should be asleep for at least the next hour and a half, who will be cranky and out of sorts all day.                 Gil Courtemanche talks about how in Africa everybody is a little chief, all scrapping for their piece of power, however tiny.  Whatever power is had is used to its fullest authority.  David and I got pulled over last year by a military guy (who had no jurisdiction over traffic) who then tried to extort about a hundred and twenty dollars from us.  Because, you see, it was his corner.  Just like some thug at home.  Needless to say we left him holding David’s license, in the dust.  Customs officials pick their noses and wipe them on your passport.  There is a guy has been kicked off the police, but still has his uniform, who wanders drunk around Pointe-Noire harassing people in the street for cash.   White guys strut around the pool side, ordering the teen-aged girls that they’ve bought for the afternoon, to bring them a drink, a towel, a menu.  Chuckling as she scurries away.  The power to say no or to say yes to something that someone needs or wants is better than actually supplying them or denying them.  Money equals power equals abuse of that power, however minute.                So of course I can’t just go up to my neighbor and say "Hey Buddy, what’s up with your dog?  He wakes up my kids, can you help me out?"  First of all, he is rumored to be someone of actual political and military power and is surrounded constantly by an entourage, I’m not even sure which one he is, secondly, how would I get around the guy with the AK sitting at the door to his compound with my crappy French?                And to be fair, it’s my own fear of the unknown, the gun, and the power which prevents me from approaching the neighbor who may be the nicest, most approachable guy in the world.  He might look straight at me and say “Holy cow lady, I am so sorry about my dog, thanks for letting me know in such a neighborly way and I’ll take care of it”.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251308539/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251308539/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251308539/tpod.html Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:07:56 -0400 Dark Point

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Pointe-Noire, Congo

Our arrival was immediately Congolese -- we'd only received two landing cards on the plane, but the not-so-helpful gentleman in the glass booth at the airport needed four. Then two baggage cart entrepeneurs descended upon us, and it turned out we needed both to help us push past customs guys looking for cash and out into the parking lot. Our friend Angela had arranged to pick us up, even though the flight arrived at 6am. She even brought us breakfast supplies in a basket and stayed long enough to enjoy a cup of coffee before heading off to work. Our favorite guard, who named his most recent baby after Ann-Mary (her first name is Chesty (?), her third name or second middle name is Cloutier) was here and helped us get our bags upstairs and welcomed us back. The next day he brought us a Gordons Gin bottle filled with peanuts and a couple of bags of popcorn sweetened with honey for the kids. We just hung out at home for most of the day, unpacking and getting re-familiarized with our place and what we needed. I went food shopping with Oscar while AM and Henry snoozed. The Indians at the Park N Shop greeted us warmly, the Lebanese guy at the cafe changed my Euros for me and didn't charge me for the two madeleines I had in my hand, and I stopped at the Casino supermarket to get a few healthy things to help push the white bread/white sugar blob down through the kids' digestive system: whole wheat pasta, whole wheat prune bars, organic apple/pear sauce. Yeah, more information than you needed. The next day was a long sleepy morning and a tennis outing with the boys at Circle Naval. There is a volleyball court with nets strung up at either end to prevent runaway balls, so we whacked a tennis ball and a whiffle ball against that for a while and two older boys came along and took my serving and fetching duties, allowing me to scoot up to get a cafe au lait on the deck outside of the upstairs restaurant. We saw the first of a double feature that night on Angela's roof -- Kill Bill 1 and 2 -- while the kids watched Ice Age in her apartment below. Sunday to the beach with our newer friend Giliane, a sweet house and a great hostess. A bunch of kids, a bunch of the folks we normally hang out with plus a French guy who runs the water bottling factory here in town. He rode his quad up from town. It's about a forty-minute trip, with maybe half of it more or less off-road. And now we have a couple of weeks to get the school up and humming while working out the social and athletic engagements of the little guys.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251299238/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251299238/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251299238/tpod.html Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:09:45 -0400 Dark Point

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Pointe-Noire, Congo

Time at home was far too short, didn't get to spend quality time with some people that I'd really love to have seen, ugh. Also, Lyle did not return with us this year, after relentless skin infections last year, we decided to let him move in with his girlfriend, Lucy, and her person Jean. From all reports, Lyle has made the adjustment perfectly. If only I could stop blubbering over it. Ironic as it may be I have decided that I officially hate flying, I feel a sinister longing and entitlement as I walk through first class, with the rest of the coach passengers. The sheer acreage of the seats, the personal screens, the actual metal forks, all make me salivate. The idea that the seats actually recline makes me want to throw myself whining and begging the cabin crew to please please have some fucking mercy, I know everybody wants it, but I really really need it! Especially on the leg from CGD to Pointe-Noire. Needless to say what I really do is walk meekly back to my crappy seat like all the rest of the sheep.It was a much easier landing this time, less shock, less anxiety, and a friendly face, Angela, to meet us at the airport. We had a nice weekend; cinema on the roof and a day at the beach. Then my slave-driver administrator made me go to work on Monday. Had to happen sometime I suppose.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251204450/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251204450/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1251204450/tpod.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:59:41 -0400 Dark Point

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paris, France

So we had a twelve hour layover in Paris on our way back to Pointe-Noire from the US. We checked our carry=on bags and caught the train to Les Halles on a 90-degree day. Just when we had been roasting on a slow-moving train long enough for our minds to wander over thoughts of a hotel swimming pool (we did that last year), we popped into the city and followed the crowd up into a mall that led out onto a park-like setting behind the Louvre. In two directions were small urban shopping/restaurant districts, busy with locals and tourists. Unfortunately, all the playgrounds in the complex were cordoned off for re-furbishing, but there was plenty of green grass to lie about on and run around. We met some teenagers who seemed like they were from North Africa, smoking a hookah with discs infused with coconut oil or something. There was a nice old church that we went into, but nothing terribly cultural about the bulk of our time. Getting back to the airport was slightly tricky, as the right train became the wrong train, then the next one through didn't go to the international terminal. One Parisian guardian told us out of the blue to get off the train before it went back to Paris, then another worked in customs and led us right to the terminal we needed. AM got a chair massage in the airport and the boys slept the night away while parents struggled to get comfortable.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1238360100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1238360100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1238360100/tpod.html Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:57:09 -0400 Dark Point

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Long Beach Motel, Congo

Took a step way out of Pointe-Noire this weekend, to a distant camp on an isolated stretch of beach.  Fantastic, even though the waves were a bit bullish.  And that's an understatement.  Ann-Mary got her socks knocked off, in a manner of speaking, trying to board what seemed to be a mild-mannered wave.  They weren't tall, but fat.  When they broke, and water came running up the shore, it was almost at knee level, and the undertow took the feet out from under a few kids more than once.  But there was a lot of other fun happening, and we all did get into the ocean plenty.  There is also a river running calmly past the camp, and there is a perfect bend with just enough depth to make it into something more than a refreshing rinse-off.  For one small fee, the cabins come with dinner and the following day's lunch, served under a 20 x 20 thatched roof palapa.  Dinner was accompanied by a fire just big enough to roast marshmallows on.  When the storm blew in, the fire was abandoned and the palapa sheltered us from most of the rain.  We were able to wait out the rainstorm that blew over, huddling together in the driest corner and marveling not only at the whipping wind but how, combined with the spattering rain of the approaching storm, we actually felt chilly.  A rare treat in the Congo. The food rated 8 out of 10, but we've made another reservation and we'll see if they don't put on something a little better than the standard fish and fried bananas.  The fried potatoes were actually very good, but the best part of it all was the time out of mind with friends and dogs and kids and space and sunshine and water.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1236716340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1236716340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1236716340/tpod.html Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:23:28 -0400 Dark Point

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Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, South Africa

We got off to a really late start and a long flight with Trans Air Congo, a subsidiary of Gabon Air, no surprises there.  So we missed our connecting flight out of Jo'burg, but luckily were able to re-book for another flight leaving almost immediately.  Jo'berg airport is an amazing structure, more mall than airport.  There is actual food to eat and tons of shopping.  You can rent a phone for your stay for about R200, $20 American.  The Rand is about 10:1 with the US Dollar, so to convert all prices, you just move the decimal point on space to the left.  Remember to save all your receipts because on leaving the country you can get all of your tax back, but only on goods, not services.  That means that your big spending like on your car and hotel will be taxed, but you can't get it back.  We books our domestic flight and car hire through kulula.com, which turned out to be a great deal, the car hire only cost us about R2000 for the week, but be warned, they will not double check any of your booking stuff, so insist on insurance.  (Driving on the left is harder than it looks, especially because all the cars are manual transmission and you'll need to shift with your left hand)  Cape Town itself is amazing, small enough to get around without a problem, but big enough to serve all your cultural needs.  The people are incredibly friendly, tons of free or cheap parking, and all shopping is really really inexpensive.  Beautiful art for about a tenth of the price, no kidding, jewelry, clothes, etc.  You money goes really far.  For example, we had dinner at a really elegant outdoor restaurant which had the most delicious mojitos, I had 5, yes, five, all for R150 total.  Yipee!  We stayed at a place called Rosedene for our first four nights which was an adorable little guesthouse slightly on the cliff of Table Mountain.  Rosedene was quiet and peaceful with a little pool and a great breakfast every morning.  The staff was extremely helpful with everything from directions, phoning restaurants for bookings, or handing out a bag a beach towels for a day at Boulder's Beach.  They have a main house with guest rooms, and also a small stand-alone cottage which was our room.  It was perfect, we could sit out by the pool and relax after we'd put the kids to sleep, and not worry about their noise level during the day. The other rooms were taken by a tour group of Norwegian couples who were charmed by our little men. Our first day we headed to the Two Oceans Aquarium on the V&A Waterfront.  Great exhibits of frogs, sharks, giant crabs, and lots of other little fishies.  They have a viewing area for Penguins which is also a staffed kid's area.  There are people at art tables to guide kids through craft activities; there is also a climbing structure as well as books and toys.  We spent a couple of hours there and then headed for lunch and a stroll down the wharf.  The shopping is at its most expensive here, but fun to look.  We got great house brew and a fine lunch for a ridiculous price.  Tipping happens in South Africa, and 10-15% is standard.  The people are friendly, no attitude at all in any restaurants, be aware that if you are going out for dinner, it is best to have a reservation, called a booking, or you may not get in, even on a Tuesday, even early.  South Africans go out to eat a LOT, at these prices, why wouldn't they? We headed up Lion's Head on a cable car which was really cool, takes four minutes, and although the cue is formidable, it actually moves along pretty quickly.  We also checked out a place called Simon's Town and a beach called Boulders, which has real live penguins running around and swimming with you and they are the cutest things in the world.  Penguins in Africa?  You say?  Well the reason that they are there is because the water is freezing cold.  Boulders is especially nice because the beach is surrounded by large boulders, natch, which protect it from sharks.  Simon's Town itself is a cute little town with lots of tourist-friendly shops selling lots of cute African knick-knacks.  But again, even shopping in these boutiques, the prices are remarkable; you can get handmade silver jewelry for R180.  We also visited the Spier Vineyard and tasted and then bought some really yummy wines.  They have play structures, a cute deli where they will pack you and adorable and appetizing picnic, lots of African art and a big bird and cheetah rehabilitation program.  Our kids got to pet a cheetah and have their picture taken with him.  His name was Josef and looked as if he couldn't have cared less about eating our kids, so that was good.  With two preschoolers, it's not the easiest  thing in the world to roll along wine tasting here and there and the only other vineyard that we checked out was Groot Costansia had no electricity the day we visited and shooed us off pretty quickly.  Speir was the only winery that we actually got to, but we were more than happy with the wines we bought and brought home six bottles which they were kind enough to pack properly for us.  We checked the box at the airport and came home with all six bottles intact.Mostly our trip provided us with the ability to eat and eat and eat.  We swam in the pools and felt relaxed in a way that Pointe-Noire doesn't provide for.  We drank iced coffee and crank cocktails and felt content.  There wasn't any point where I felt overwhelmed or ready to go home, in fact, I could've stayed another two weeks. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1234898280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1234898280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pointenoirexpat/1/1234898280/tpod.html Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:28:39 -0500 Dark Point

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Pointe Noire, Congo

Call him Ismael.  He's the brother of Ali, the guy who owns the garage.We went for a long while without any worries from our car.  We didn't exactly know where we would bring it to get fixed, so that was a good thing.  Finally, we knew we had to get around to doing a few minor repairs over the winter vacation (a/c, rear brake light, windshield wiper fluid not squirting...), and luckily our friend Regis also needed to do some work on his car (among other things, he had locked his keys in the car while at the beach and had to resort to smashing a vent window... that needed to be fixed before his wife and kids returned from Paris).  So he introduced me to the Lebanese-French brothers, who did what we needed, although the air conditioning was not exactly what you'd call cold.  Still, it was blowing better than before so we lived with it okay until there was kind of an explosion the next week and then we were getting what you'd call hot air coming through the blowers.  So they re-attached the hose that blew off, and we were back to lukecold air, which we figured we could live with.  Then we had a flat tire - discovered in our driveway, luckily, since we couldn't find a jack or tire iron in the car.  So our friend Angela brought her tools over and the guard took care of it for us.  But when we brought the car over to the garage to get the tire fixed, I asked Ismael to check the air conditioning to see if they couldn't get it any colder.  They returned us the car with a new tire, showing us the old one was ripped beyond repair, but the a/c was back to being kind of warm when we got around to driving the car the next day.  They are super nice at the garage, always willing to follow me home and take the car and bring it back to us at the house.  They don't even leave a receipt, so we go back when we want to know how much it cost.  So when I went in to tell them it really wasn't working and did they want me to pay for the new tire, Ismael was shocked that the a/c wasn't working.  It was just a fuse he said, but he came out to confirm that it wasn't doing the job.  I was going to bring it in tomorrow evening so he could repair the latest flat (go figure-- lots of puddles and bumpier roads as a result?) and take care of the a/c, but today the car died on Ann-Mary while she was at the kids' school.  A classmate's dad gave them all a lift home, and I went back this afternoon with the mechanic's employees.  They tried a new battery to no avail, then recruited some guys from the bar that the car was parked in front of to push-start it. The car that we came in then lost its rear bumper on the puddly bumpy road back to the garage, but the guy shoved it into the back seat, and we continued on our way back.  Now they'll have the car back to us tomorrow - a/c hopefully fixed, flat tire repaired, and they're going to give me a jack and tire iron to boot.  As a sidenote, our client company bought the car there to begin with, so I think they feel a little bit more obliged to do us right than some anonymous garage might.Sidenote number two:  last weekend I was pulling away from Melanie's house, turning around where a driveway was barricaded with cinder blocks in front of a house under construction, and I drove into a drainage trench!  Oops!  I never saw it, and of course to either side of the driveway there are bumpers to prevent such an accident.  Even with 4 x 4 action, there was no getting out of it, and Angela tried to pull us out with a rope made out some kind of strapping that the guards next door produced, but it snapped on the first try.  So we called Regis, the former 18-wheeler trucker (he drove in the States for a few years), and he of course had an appropriate strap but it was Valentine's Day night and he was in the middle of dinner.  So we had another drink with Melanie and Angela, and Regis finally showed up to yank us to freedom.So if we get a jack and a tire iron and a strap or chain to stash in the car, and the flats and the a/c are fixed, and we get a new battery or starter or something, then maybe we can be trouble-free for another couple of months.  We feel entirely fortunate to have had all of these incidents happen so close to home (both flat tires discovered in or close to our driveway), so we have no excuse for being unprepared the next time something happens. 
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