40 years ago I was in Brazzaville (French Congo) then a communist country called "Democratic Republic of the Congo). I drove my FJ-40 Land Cruiser from Brazza to Point Noire a few times....long drive on a dirt track, right through the middle of no-where and down through the jungled coast ranges. The EU was funding a new railroad route through the jungle...We would get permission to follow their work road which cut off a 100 miles or so. Both Kinshasa (formerly Leopoldville in Belgian Congo - Zaire) and Brazzaville - French Congo - were on the Congo River above the 300 miles of raging rapids - the head of navigation for 1500 miles of navigable waterway on the Congo River and tributaries. The trick was to get from the coast up to the Stanley Pool. Both countries had railways leading up to the capitals which made the economy work.

I took a young embassy officer from NYC with me once...he'd never seen so much green desolation, In a town called Loudima, we were driving slowly up the "Main Street" when we saw a white guy. We stopped, He was a Cajun. There were 9 of them from Houma LA at a government run sugar plantation outside of Loudima maintaining sugar mill equipment. I was the consul and was supposed to know every American in country...I hadn't a clue they were there - in a communist place yet! Somehow the Congolese (really the Congolese were educated - a tribesman on the beach in Pointe Noire was using the subjunctive - the university for all of French Equitorial Africa was in Brazza) somehow understood their French...it was difficult.

Last edited by Argo44; 12/17/20 11:13 PM.
Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch