AARoads Forum

User Content => Road Trips => Topic started by: Dougtone on November 24, 2010, 10:18:19 PM

Title: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: Dougtone on November 24, 2010, 10:18:19 PM
A travelogue with photos of a 4X4 road trip through the Congo.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50799 (http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50799)
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: JREwing78 on November 25, 2010, 12:56:19 AM
They're absolutely nuts. That's probably a desirable attribute in someone seeking to do this. ;-)
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: Alps on November 25, 2010, 10:41:07 AM
I'm hooked. Great find Doug!
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: yanksfan6129 on November 25, 2010, 02:09:06 PM
Gach. I was on page 40 of this and suddenly that website stopped working on my browser...

So interesting!
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: corco on November 25, 2010, 11:42:28 PM
That really stokes my inner wanderlust fires. Great find.
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: iwishiwascanadian on November 26, 2010, 02:35:43 PM
I finished the whole thing yesterday, it was riveting. 
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: 3467 on November 26, 2010, 05:33:32 PM
I went to Google maps and looked at parts of their route from satellite and it makes the trip seem even more amazing.
Congo supposedly has 60 million people. There has been only one census so who really knows but I would sure like to know where they are.It really looks like true wilderness there still
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: Scott5114 on November 26, 2010, 05:57:56 PM
An amazing story. It really goes to show you the benefits of having good roads (think of that other truck that was stuck waiting for parts for a year!)...
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: english si on November 26, 2010, 06:11:18 PM
DR Congo covers a rather large area, and the large cities are pretty populous with shanty towns. There's also a lot of refugee camps. There's also not a developed economy meaning that there's not a huge amount of travel. You'd have a lot of people near to the River Congo, which the road doesn't really follow. Plus it's probably sensible to stay away from major highways, given the war-torn nature of the country.

There are apparently has 70.9 million people, not 60, and given that the population density is just 75.9ppl/sq mi. The (rather sparsely populated - especially away from the Pacific in the West) United States has 83 people/sq mi and the UK has 660. There's plenty of room for these people that you wouldn't see many.

Given all that, one would imagine it's pretty empty looking along the road.
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: mightyace on December 01, 2010, 10:48:09 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 26, 2010, 05:57:56 PM
An amazing story. It really goes to show you the benefits of having good roads (think of that other truck that was stuck waiting for parts for a year!)...

It put's into perspective our grumbling about potholes, I-99 and Breezewood!

Not that we shouldn't fix our potholes and such but, warts and all, the USA has one of the best road networks on the planet.
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: The Premier on December 01, 2010, 12:25:34 PM
Quote from: mightyace on December 01, 2010, 10:48:09 AM
the USA has one of the best road networks on the planet.

But not for long if we can't get our roads and bridges fixed.
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: Sykotyk on December 01, 2010, 03:32:08 PM
It was definitely an interesting read.
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: mightyace on December 01, 2010, 04:25:41 PM
Quote from: The Premier on December 01, 2010, 12:25:34 PM
Quote from: mightyace on December 01, 2010, 10:48:09 AM
the USA has one of the best road networks on the planet.

But not for long if we can't get our roads and bridges fixed.

Agreed.  I was thinking about saying something about that myself, but that is a subject for a different thread.
Title: Re: A Roadtrip Through the Congo
Post by: Scott5114 on December 02, 2010, 02:59:44 AM
Even so, it would probably take a half century of neglect before the US road network could even begin to sink to Congo's level.