How will I get around the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)?? 🇨🇩 [S7-E82]

In this video, I am trying to find a way to get around the DRC – via the Angolan enclave called Cabinda. But, due to a broken crane, I can’t take the normal ferry and have to take the cargo boat. However that boat doesn’t run on a schedule and only goes if enough cargo is booked for it. Because of that, it often doesn’t run for two weeks. I am very anxious to get out of Cabinda and do not want to risk getting stuck there for two weeks…

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You go tomorrow? – No, now, now But it already left! I have to keep on searching.. .. Until I find somewhere to stay the night Point Noire, REPUBLIC OF CONGO Season 7 – Eps. 82 Good morning internet it is 8:30 in the morning and welcome back to the channel

Welcome to Point Noir in the Republic of Congo. I am dripping with sweat already The humidity is through the roof so I’m eager to get on Alaska and start going I already packed her but uh, before I go I want to kind of, show you on the map what’s going on

Because the next part is going to be what to say maybe a little tricky So I actually finished this side of the map for now You can see I started in Morocco and then went down and now I am here at this part of the Congo

So I’m going to flip the map. Here you see again the last bit that I did um, but now it also includes the whole of the Southern Africa And of course in or was it Season five,  I think. I already rode through Southern Africa

Through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe so I will not go through the same countries again of course so this part I already did. So my goal for now is to get to Angola Because I haven’t been to Angola yet. Now the thing is, you have Angola and I am right here in the Congo

And you have the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in between with a tiny little slice of land And I’m not going to go through the DRC, I have a couple of reasons for that. I think the main thing is that the security and especially like at the the mouth of the river Congo

Is really bad. Uh, also well you can get a visa here but then you would have to ride back up north    And cross further north where it’s a bit more safe. Uh, the visa is also really expensive and either way  

I’m not really feeling it. I was like, do I really want to go to the DRC, I don’t think so there’s   an option to avoid having to go through the DRC at all and then I don’t have to get the visa

And all that hassle and that is by going through Cabinda and this little piece of land you see   here this is actually Angola as well, so it’s an enclave of Angola so that means I am going to   cross the border into Cabinda today that means I’m already in Angola and then from here from Cabinda  

I can actually take a ferry all the way to Luanda, the capital of Angola so that is my plan So today I’m going to cross the border into Cabinda. The ferry will not go today it only go three times  

Per week I think but it’s not so easy to manage to get a ticket and I need to change money And there’s all sorts of things that I have to arrange before I can go on the ferry anyway

So that is my plan for today get to Cabinda sort everything out and make sure I can catch the next ferry So yesterday I actually installed my phone mount again because I can’t use my tablet at the moment for navigation If you missed the last episode, I managed to destroy my tablet

Unfortunately, it’s totally my fault. So but for now I can just use my phone it’s not ideal but it will do Goodbye! Oh, this was a really, really nice place  to stay. Such a cute little house I had Was really lovely. Now I’m going to leave Congo and uh well, in Angola

That is a Portuguese speaking again. So no more French Already when I was in, where did they speak Portuguese? In Guinea-Bissau right It also means that uh, this Congo was the last country that I’m riding through where they have the Central African francs The money So I’ll be having a new currency in Angola

So it’s not a very far ride today actually it is 116 kilometers From here till Cabinda but I have the border crossing and according to my information that border crossing is not the fastest in the world

They might be a little slow there so that might take me an hour or two to get across the border Alaska is still running poorly so I can’t wait to really empty, empty both the tanks in Luanda Is this already the border? Ah I think so Oh, it was a lot closer than I thought Okay

All right that was already Congo side this is Angola Okay last hurdle Good morning So I’m now in this office. Um, I only need one more stamp and then I’m in in Angola but the guy was like yeah, yeah just wait here and then he just left

And he hasn’t come back. I have a feeling something important is happening Because all the officers are lined up outside so I have a feeling there’s like someone   important going to cross the border  that’s the feeling I have but I’m not sure

Anyway the border crossing so far went pretty fine. I was out of the Congo really quickly And then for Angola, you don’t need a visa anymore they changed that rule a few months back So I could enter Angola visa free, the only thing is they don’t stamp your Carnet de Passage here

So I had to do in temporary import for Alaska and that just takes a lot of time because they have to do I don’t know they have to fill in all the details and blah blah blah. So that took a while

And um, but yeah it’s done so Alaska is in, I’m in. Now I just need a police officer to come back Let’s go Good morning You registered right? – Everything Everything done – Yes Okay Thank you, bye! That was that Now it is still 100 kilometers to Cabinda

But first things first, welcome  to Angola woohoo! Oh well welcome to the enclave of Angola, Cabinda Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I also already exchanged some money I exchanged the last CFA that I had for Angolan Quanza.. they’re called I will change some more money when I reach Cabinda, I’ll change some dollars

The rates are better in Cabinda than they are at the border So I just changed some money here to pay for the temporary import and to have some cash But I’ll get better rates in Cabinda Good morning – Good morning How are you? – Good I’m Dutch Dutch Yes The Netherlands or Holland

Yes, The Netherlands You have to understand when they say ‘ Holland’, it means ‘ The Netherlands’ It’s the same It’s the same, but The Netherlands [ he means Holland ] are two provinces But there exist more provinces to make up the country It’s true So, Holland is more well known

Yes, but I am from Holland You are from Holland – Yes You came from Holland? – Yes Alone? – Yes Thank you Thank you – Go well Thank you. Bye! I think I’m going to first find a place to stay

And then I can leave Alaska and my stuff and then I’m going to go to the terminal And try and get a ticket for the next ferry There are super long lines everywhere for the banks for the ATMs Here as well so I think yeah, it’s probably better to just change dollars   [at the black market]

Then uh.. stand in line for hours Ah, that’s the ferry terminal see It’s a bit busy there 3 days later… I am under quite a bit of stress at the moment to catch the ferry Oh it’s been so stupid. I was here, today is Wednesday I was here on Monday at the ferry terminal

And then they sent me away at the gate they were like it’s too busy you can’t buy a ticket now    Come back tomorrow morning. So then yesterday morning I came and they said, uh yeah the crane that will lift the bike on board is broken so you can’t go with the normal ferry

But there’s a cargo boat that comes it will arrive on Wednesday and leave on Thursday But you cannot buy the ticket yet Because it’s not yet in the system that boat. So then they said, come back tomorrow at 1 o’clock

So on Wednesday, 1 o’clock. So today I come at 1 o’clock, I wait for an hour And then finally they say, ah no that cargo boat is already leaving now At 3:00 so it already arrived early earlier and it’s leaving already so you cannot go anymore

And I’m looking at him, I’m like please please please. And I said, when is the next boat and they’re like we don’t know I said, oh please please. I literally beg them and eventually this really nice lady is like okay okay I’ll book you on 

But then obviously I didn’t bring all my  luggage because I thought I was only going   to buy the ticket today. So I said, I have to go and fetch my luggage So she’s like you have to be quick, you have to be quick

I said give me 30 minutes. So I raced back to the hotel and then I packed Alaska as quickly as I could And now I’m racing back and I really hope I’m still on time And that Marta managed to get the paperwork in order Okay I should park the bike.. I don’t know

I think I’ll just park in front again first Thank you You go tomorrow? – No, now, now But it already left! No no – Which boat? Ferry boat! – Ah Ferry boat! Where do I go, where do I go? I think it’s that one Actually

So I made it in time, you can see by my  red face how much I rushed and I was running up and down with my bags in the heat. Rushed back here, I have a feeling the same thing happened  

Remember, what was that? Customs in, when I entered Panama. When they also said, yeah we can do it But you have to do this and this and this and there’s little time and they didn’t expect me to actually   pull it off. I have a feeling maybe the same happened because I made it back in time

And they were surprised like, oh that was fast and then suddenly they were all starting to talk again about how it’s not possible to load my  bike because the paperwork are not ready yet   And it should have been done hours before and I don’t know they wanted to send me away I think again

Um, now they left, the three people that  kind of have been working on my case They’ve now, they jumped in a van and left and they told me to wait here But uh, the boat officially is supposed to leave in 20 minutes. I really don’t know what’s going to happen now

But I really hope they’re not going to going to send me away again for the third time I really hope so Where did he go? I’m so confused, one of the guys came back and first he said tomorrow Come tomorrow and then he said follow me in my car

So I’m confused, I don’t know.. what’s happening now And also don’t know which car, this one? Am I following this car Ah okay Maybe he was joking that it was tomorrow I don’t know Or maybe I have to leave my bike now I don’t know, I really don’t know At least I’m taking some steps

Maybe he was just messing with me when he said not today but tomorrow Okay. Next step Again one step closer Now I’m here How’s it going? Yeah see I’m sure it’s that one Or not? No that one, that one Cabinda it’s called Yes yes. He was just messing with me

Saying that I couldn’t go today I’m telling you You are joking! How’s it going? We are leaving. I made it I made it And uh, we are now leaving. I cannot believe that I am on this ferry now Because yeah, I was under the  impression that today I was buying a ticket

For a boat that maybe was going to leave tomorrow So it was all a little bit a little bit stressful but now I made it to like an awesome cargo boat And it’s only me and one other passenger, there’s nobody else

So it’s wow, it’s luxury. There’s air conditioning here and I think this boat is also it’s going to be a bit more comfortable the crossing. Because basically, while I am going around the DRC Congo Basically what we’re doing is we’re passing right at the mouth of the Congo River

And um, that’s a pretty strong river with some pretty strong rapids So it might be a little rough when we’re going right across the mouth of the Congo River So being on this ferry is probably a lot better than on the little passenger one

So yeah, I’m so happy. Um, the only thing is I don’t think we’re going to make it before dark ‘Cause it’s now 4 o’clock and yeah, he did say if we’re lucky we can do it in 2 and half hours But uh yeah, I think I’ll just arrive in the dark

Um but anyway, that’s fine and then I’ll arrive in Soyo which is then still about 400 kilometeres to Luanda I was hoping to catch a ferry all the way to Luanda but that’s not going to happen Um, so I’ll still have to ride Alaska who still rides quite poorly uh, 420 kilometers

But I’m sure I’ll make it but the biggest important hurdle is taken now, I am on a ferry sailing around the DRC So I am super, super happy So I just go to the left right? Oh to the right. The gate is that side Okay, thanks so much Lou Bye

Oh, I made it to Soyo. I am so happy Like you wouldn’t believe It is now close to.. I think 8 o’clock So I’m literally going to find the nearest um.. hotel No maybe this way Good evening! – Good evening! I spotted a big hotel just kind of next to the port here

So I’m just immediately going to go there And um, see if I can stay the night there Actually, I’ll put my blinkers on because my tail light is actually not working anymore. It’s broken First hotel is full I really dislike riding in the dark Can’t see anything

It’s extra dangerous I think to ride in the dark Because in many places they don’t put like caps on like the sewage Uh, I don’t know how you call those [ Manhole covers ] So if you don’t watch out you can ride in that with your front tire And oh.. I don’t want to think about that

Fingers crossed they have room here We don’t have room. I have to keep on searching Until I find somewhere to stay the night So third place had room, it’s actually a very decent room that I got here And they have a restaurant which is still open. So I’m going to immediately run to the restaurant

Because it’s now 8:30 and I didn’t eat anything anymore after breakfast Because well yeah, I didn’t see coming that I was going to be on the ferry today So I’m a little bit hungry now, so let’s see what they have in the restaurant

So it turns out that the kitchen was still open, but they didn’t have any food left So anyway, they did whip me up something Uh, let me see. I think it’s like egg sandwiches was the only thing that they could make me Ooh, actually.. it’s actually pretty decent

It’s like a.. like a breakfast roll, two of them And something to drink. So I’m going to have my breakfast rolls for dinner That was it for today. Uh yeah, sorry what a crazy day

Uh, I don’t know how I’m going to put this video together because it was all.. well, I was all over the place But the main thing is, I made it to like kind of mainland Angola

I am super happy because yeah, this was a hurdle that and once I was in Cabinda like, I couldn’t change my plan and still go through the DRC So I had to find a boat and yeah, because the crane was broken it had to be the cargo boat

And if you’re unlucky, you can wait for two weeks for that thing Because it only goes when it’s full. So I think ultimately, I was super lucky and really there were some people at the port that really pulled some strings  for me

To still get me on today. Uh, but yeah anyway, it was just a lot of running around So I’m going to eat this, have a shower and go to bed. And then in the next video I’m going to ride to Luanda Where Alaska is going to get some very very needed TLC

So that was it for today, I really hope you liked this video if you did please give me a big thumbs up Subscribe down below and then I will see you in the next video