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to get me to the top. Finally, even the two police checkpoints were stress-free. They were
really a pass-slowly-with-a-friendly-wave type of checkpoint and I moved on.
I arrived in Bankana by 4:00 p.m. and was welcomed by Father Buziots. When I
asked him if I could camp, he gave me the guest room instead and was up front to tell me
that he had no food to give me. I told him that I did not expect any. So I left to go visit
the market to get something to eat. Just as I left the compound, Father Buziots called me
back and insisted that I have an escort. So a young seminarian came with me. I bought him
dinner as well and we chatted over bread, maniok, greens and sardines.
When we returned to the church, I met a visiting Presbyterian minister and the
group of us conversed into the night until the mosquitoes drove me mad. I bid them all a
goodnight and returned to my room to apply more mosquito repellant. I crawled onto my
bed and used my mosquito net as a blanket. I woke up twice in the night. The first time,
something large was flying in my room (I thought it was a bat) and the second time I heard
someoneoutsidemywindow.Hehadalantern litbutthenquicklyextinguished it.Iwasn't
fazed forIstrongly believed he was just the night watchman. Ifell asleep quickly and slept
until morning.
I woke up the next day earlier than usual. I watched the sunrise and was filled with
an excitement to start. The homily at mass centered on Christ's charity and how it has no
boundaries,noconditions,andisrealandaliveandnotjustanidea.Heembarrassed meby
using me as an example. After breakfast of coffee and bread, Father Buziots gave me his
address and we parted (and as promised, I wrote to him at the end of the tour).
I started cycling at 7:15 a.m. The day proved to be a hard cycle but a most reward-
ing one. The road dropped down to a river 3 kilometres after the village. The descent was
slow due to the vast number of potholes and unpaved sections. However, the views easily
compensated for it. The climb on the other side of the river was fairly easy but long. Luck-
ily it was still early in the morning so the heat wasn't a factor. At the top, there was a flat
section again, but it was badly potholed. The descent to the wide Kwango River crossing
was absolutely breathtaking. I have never seen anything so beautiful, not even in Europe.
I wanted to photograph it but was warned by the Canadian Embassy staff to be careful of
what I photographed for this was a troubled area. Hence, I refrained from taking any pic-
tures.
I crossed the river and decided to have lunch. Just as I was finishing, a man ap-
proached me and said he was the chief of police. He had a plain-clothes assistant with him.
He wanted to see my documents. I said sure and he proceeded to do some writing for 10
minutes as he stood over me. After he folded up everything, in a serious voice he asked me
to follow him to his hotel. There I waited as he began to write everything again. I read his
FrenchBiblewhilehecopiedeverymarkinginmypassport(includingvisasfromprevious
countries). I stayed patiently for 20 minutes in the sun as he did this. I knew instinctively
what his real motivation was but I didn't bite.
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