Survived the first fortnight or so of trekking inland. Started out by Yellala Falls and followed along the Congo river as best we could. Nothing like the Amazon: full of rapids, steep gorges, and mostly impassable currents. Could have done the walk in half the time if not for that – but heard reports of at least five people who’d died or lost their kit on our way, so – could be worse.

There’s a railway being built south of Matadi toward Kinshasa to bypass the river; of course that means all the wildlife is being driven off – first Tebo we found was a half-decayed carcass, riverside. Railway’s not just a problem for that reason: apparently it’s driving off its workers too. If they haven’t fled for their lives, they’ve dropped dead of dysentery or exhaustion.

Think I’ll stick to the river route, myself.

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