Across The DRC Day 3 – Luozi Ferry across the Congo River
The Road Chose Me Volume 2 OUT NOW!!
The Road Chose Me Volume 2: Three years and 54,000 miles around Africa
Finally ready for what many assume is the biggest challenges on the entire West Coast, we drive a short distance on some extremely nasty and washed-out dirt roads until the mighty Congo River comes into view. I see the ferry chugging away just as I drive down the hill, so there is plenty of time to wait.
Digging around the abandoned buildings I find the official price board, and my Jeep counts as “Vehicle Leger” at 16,500 Congo Frans. That’s about $14USD for the Jeep and I to cross the river. Later, when the ferry man sells me a ticket he writes out an official receipt, and has no problem giving change. He is happy to accept either USD or Congo Frans, as is everyone in the DRC.
The ferry steaming away
Prices for the ferry. At the time, the Congo Franc was 1,250 = $1USD, so the ferry was about $14USD
From a distance the river looks extremely beautiful and clean, almost like a lake. Up close it is actually flowing quite fast and smells like a sewer. I watch fishermen time and again pull up nothing but plastic in their nets. I can’t help but roll the Jeep down until the tires touch the water for photos. I feel like this river is a huge milestone on the journey, and signals the change I know is about to come. The sun is scorching hot and I soon retreat to the shade of the trees, where all the locals on foot are sensibly waiting.
Tires in the mighty Congo River. Time to test the snorkel?
The ferry apparently waits until it is full on the other side, so we doze in the shade for almost two hours before we see it crossing back. I am happy to see it has a large truck on board, making me feel a little more confident about it holding our combined weight.
From the second the truck drives off there is a mad scramble, with my friends driving on first and then me behind. We have just enough length, and I am relieved we both were able to get on the same ferry. The instant our two vehicles are on board the ferry begins to move, with foot passengers and motorbikes scrambling every which way to get on. The ferry is really just two pontoons that have been stuck together with some scrap steel, and a big diesel engine slapped aboard. While it all seems flimsy and ad-hoc, I realize these guys do this every single day of their lives, and everything will probably be fine.
If it can support this truck, I *hope* it can support us
The big diesel engine screams loudly, and I soon find myself chatting to the foot passengers, ferry crew, and even the captain who is more than happy for me to climb up into the bridge. As we make the twenty minute crossing huge storm clouds develop on the horizon, and I even see the occasional bolt of lightning touch down. The wind hitting us alternates from stinking hot to extremely cool, the signal of the approaching storm.
Jeep on the ferry. I triple checked it is in gear and the e-brake is on as hard as I can pull it
Chatting to locals on the ferry
Rolling off the ferry is painless, and we soon find ourselves in a severely dilapidated shanty-town on the Southern side of The Congo River. Hoards of children run to the road and enthusiastically hold out their hands, screaming at the top of their lungs “GIVE ME MONEY!”. (in English)
All are clearly furious when we do not.
Not much room behind the Jeep on the ferry…
Coming off the ferry, on the Southern side of the Congo River
After a few hundred yards the town ends and we find ourselves once again plodding on a severely pot-holed and muddy track – the only track leading out of this town.
After many more hours we thankfully find a tiny spur off the side, and find the perfect high ground to make camp and watch the thunder and lightning roll by to the East of us. Soon after setting up a very withered old man comes by to shake our hands, and is delighted to explain the women with him are his wife and daughters. All are carrying huge loads of firewood and green leaves, and all are smiling from ear to ear, though the women seem hesitant to actually approach us.
How was the road on the other side? Rainbows the whole way
…and more mud, of course
The DRC is intense!
Camping on high ground, thankfully out of the mud and bugs
-Dan
Hi Dan,
Some spectacular stuff and congratulations & thumbs up for staring down the customs officer that tried to shake you down but I think in your shoes I would have just folded and paid him the ten bucks. Then again maybe if you easily pay the ten bucks next thing you know your vehicle doesn’t meet specifications and the next bribe jumps to a hundred so who knows what is the best procedure in all cases for handing a bribe demand?
Your photographs are great but maybe add it a few more that aren’t Congo postcard stuff but your campsites, you cooking dinner, hanging out having a beer with the guys in the bar etc just normal day to day life shots to give us an idea of the more regular stuff experience of your trip.
That ferry looked kind of scary and I am thinking would I trust it with an IVACO Daily 4×4 and an azalai camper and I guess so looking at the Mercedes truck but I would have been going solo rather than sharing the ferry.
Anyway stay sharp and enjoy yourself.
Cheers n beers, Dave
Is it possible for you to add an RSS feed? (So I can follow you on https://digg.com/reader . I added you on Instagram, but don’t see any text.)
Hi Dave,
For some reason the RSS feed on my site has been broken for a long time. I have tried to fix it, with no luck.
So, sorry about that!
-Dan
My wife and I have made a couple of road trips out of Arua, Uganda. We used a Toyota crew cab 4×4 Tacoma, standard shift right hand drive lifted suspension. The roads in Uganda and south Sudan are very dangerous and full of pot holes as a result of the overloaded transports that carry goods all over Africa. If you say Yes, one time to a bribe they will clean you out. Hold your ground and keep your US dollars out of site. Great story and I am sure there is more to tell.