Checkers!

Toni Lyn is out in the field.  A place called Djolu. I'll let her tell more about it when she gets back but if you look at a map of the DRC that shows forested areas and non-forested areas in different colors and look at the center of the forested area, you will find Djolu. Toni Lyn is in the center of a rain forest that would stretch from the Mississippi to the Atlatic Ocean. She is half way through a 10 day trip. That is as much of an update as I can give because there is no internet and no cell coverage. A few days ago I got a 2 minute call from her on the satellite phone they have and she sounds like she is having a good time.

Just before she left we made friends with fellow Americans Karl and Olivia. Toni Lyn knows Karl through the work network here and they invited us over for pizza, beer and the NFL playoffs. Later in the evening Karl mentioned that he was going to build a chicken coop in his backyard. I volunteered to help him. Below is a picture of the sprawling A-frame "chicken house" as his son Ty calls it. We pieced it together out of salvaged lumber from the crates his furniture was shipped in. What it lacks in structural stability is made up in the creativity and resourcefulness with which it was constructed. We decided the worst thing that could happen if it collapses is they have chicken for dinner. We still need to put up the shelter portion where the chickens nest and add the chicken wire but it is coming along.

Can you do the chicken dance? bok bok bok

Karl and his son Ty and the almost finished frame of the "chicken house"

This weekend was also the first hash of the new year - I was finally able to go running. We went to a lake outside of Kinshasa called Lac Ma Vallee and it took about 2 hours to get there but I was able to sneak a few pictures on the way without anyone noticing. We did a little over a 10k in the usual hot and humid weather. The terrain consisted of several steep sandy slopes (the kind you are tempted to sit on your butt and slide down), 10 foot tall grass as tough as razors, dodging trees, and at one point a 20 foot wide stream crossing. It was awesome.

This is the main road leading through Kinshasa about 2 miles from downtown.

A line of shops about 1/2 hour outside of town. Notice wide open storm drain between the road and the sidewalk. Watch your step!

Lac Ma Vallee where we ran this weekend

If you squint you can see a bucket balanced on this guys head. Cool.

A view from the half way point of the run. Notice the terraced rice fields in the center.

The terrain was so rough plants started growing between my toes. Also, cut off soccer socks make great gaiters.

Business is still moving at 6 PM on Sunday night as we head back to town.

Random thought:
Lately I have been working up the courage to walk around the neighborhood. Just outside our gates is a group of people at stands selling bananas, pineapples, mangos, manioc plus other strange items like small orange packets of Kleenex. For some reason, anyone who sells stuff here sells tiny orange travel packs of Kleenex. I have never seen anyone actually use a Kleenex here. I never see Kleenex lying around with the other garbage.

Random image:
Look closely in the middle left of the image below. These two old guys are playing checkers. The table is painted in the checkerboard pattern and the pieces for each side are yellow and blue beer bottle caps. That's right: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.