There was a problem at the airport in Lubumbashi and I remained in Congo for three days while the rest of the team made their way to South Africa. On Sunday, I went to explore the bush for the day. Our driver brought us here and dropped us off with water, a stove, cassova, machetes, hoes, and axes. This is amazing; another adventure for me here in Congo! I am ergonomically challenged as I carry more than I think I can handle through the bush. I am here with my dear friend Idah, two students from the University, and a soldier in Joseph Kabila's army but he is a land man for the day. We walked until we found a tall termite hill protected by the shade. It became the camp. We hiked along the river. From across the river, a small puff of smoke whispered through the trees toward the awakening sky. A fly landed on my leg. No doubt the black fly is the carrier of river blindness. We saw a man cultivating lettuce and cabbage in the distance. The students showed me the cannibus growing among the vegetables of the farmer's garden. Idah handed me something to eat which looked like a small brain with two hemispheres in a neat little bowl. This sweet fruit is called makoki in the Kiluba language. It is delicious and seedy. The farmer tried to convince me that my woven bracelet on my wrist is really meant for a man. I asked him to trade me some bijoux for it but he puckers his lips instead. He must have thought that I said 'bisous' which means kisses in french. Without anything in return, I gave him the bracelet. We made our way back to camp. The others rested momentarily before picking up the hoes. Our vantage point on the hill is going to be transformed into a shelter.
