The Republic of Congo

I’m on the road again visiting my 189th country: The Republic of Congo, aka Congo-Brazzaville. In case you didn’t know, there are two Congos — this one, which occupies the north bank of the Congo River, and the much larger Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) on the south side of the river.

Here’s a fun fact to know and tell: Brazzaville, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Congo, sits directly across the Congo River from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. These two cities are the world’s closest national capitals.

Brazzaville, like Kinshasa, has the usual African central business district full of high-rise hotels, office buildings, shops, restaurants, gridlocked traffic, honking horns, dust, mud and exhaust. Outside the CBD, there are vast slums of tin-roofed shacks.

People speak French here. Although I was able to make myself understood from the first day, it took me a few more days to get used to the accent, and I never learned any of the colorful local slang.

I prefer Brazzaville over Kinshasa because it’s 1/6 the size of its neighbor across the river. It’s also quieter, safer, the police are less corrupt, and the food’s better. I spent a couple of evenings enjoying a Ngok beer at a riverfront bar watching the sun set. Kinshasa is lovely at a distance.

Most of the Republic of Congo is jungle. With 85% of its population living in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa. A luxurious way to see Congo’s untouched jungle is by riding La Gazelle, an express train that links Brazzaville with Pointe-Noire once a week. This train resumed service this past April after having been shut down for seven years due to a disastrous derailment.

Although the engines were manufactured in 2012 in Indiana and the Korean-made passenger cars are clean and comfortable, the railway itself was constructed in 1921 and has not been upgraded. So, to call this an “express” train is a bit of an exaggeration. It took 18 hours to travel 502 kms (312 miles) at an average speed of 28 kph (17 mph). Of course, the reason for riding this train is to see the Mayombe forest that it travels through. So, 28 kph is perfect for bird watching, plant identification, watching for primates and waving at children alongside the track. The video above is a 5-minute synopsis of my ride.

The Republic of the Congo is the fourth largest oil producing country in sub-Saharan Africa, and Pointe-Noire is the center of the county’s oil industry. Half the size of Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire has much less traffic, and there’s a beach or two in between the derricks and container ships.

Although Pointe-Noire has no remarkable buildings or other famous sites, it was easy to find good French bread, delicious food and fine wines.

The cuisine at local restaurants was classic French-African mix. The French wines at the local grocery store were all under $10.

In all, I spent six nights in the Republic of Congo. That was enough to get the general idea. Although I could’ve booked tours to see lowland gorillas, a salt marsh or a waterfall, I’ve seen those sites elsewhere. I enjoyed practicing my French, taking a scenic train ride, and soaking up the local culture.

Stella couldn’t join me on this adventure because getting a visa for her Ugandan passport was too difficult. While I’m traveling, Stella keeps busy in an AirBnB apartment in Kigali, Rwanda. Kigali is a safe, orderly city that makes a good base for my travels. There are two more countries coming up on this solo adventure. Stay tuned!