Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
two layers of protection from sharp rocks for each wheel. I just had to make sure that I
pairedthetirestoreceiveoptimalprotectionandtomakesurethatthewornoutpartsdidn't
overlap.
After mass, Sister Louise called me and asked if I was going to have a rest day. I
told her that if I fixed my bike before lunch, I would be on my way. And so after a de-
lightful breakfast with all the sisters, they went to teach at the primary school and I went to
work on my bike.
Afterremovingallthetires,cleaningthem,therimsandtighteningthefreewheel,I
carefullyinspectedallfourtiresandpairedthem.ThenIputeverythingbacktogethermak-
ing sure none of the worn out sections overlapped. The front wheel was first. I placed one
tire in another and mounted it on the wheel. It went on like a charm. The rear wheel was
the same. I then cleaned the components and oiled them and adjusted the gooseneck, the
front brakes and trimmed the brake pads. My final repair was the suspension chord of the
rear panniers. When I finished, I sat back and was really pleased on how it all turned out.
At 11:30 a.m., the cook came by and asked me if I wanted to visit the children's
centre. I jumped at the chance. However, I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Some of the
childrenweresomalnourishedthattheyseemedlikeskeletonswithskin.Thecooktoldme
that families walked here for dozens of kilometres with their children and upon arrival the
children were immediately placed on a food program. It certainly put my bike problems
into perspective.
WhatissogutwrenchingisthatZaïrehasthepotentialtofeedAfrica.Ithasenough
minerals (copper, gold, cobalt, tin, columbite-tantalite (coltan)-which you get the metal
tantalum for cell phones
etc.
), oil, natural gas, lumber, fresh water, human resources and
hydro-electric potential to make Zaïre an African superpower. However, corruption and
inflation was strangling the country. Back in 1992, a plane loaded with 17 tons of the
new 10,000,000 zaïrian bank-note was banned from departing the Brussels airport. The
Belgian government had to step in for they knew what happened when President Mob-
uto introduced the 5 million zaïrian bank-note: economic and political chaos. Inflation was
spiralling out of control as the country's people were dying. The bottom line was that the
governmentinstitutionswereineffectual.Ifitwasn'tfortheworkofthemissionariesinthe
missionhospitals,schoolsandmaternitywards(andtheirWesternsupporters),therewould
have been far more deaths. I prayed for the African Union (or at least a few neighbouring
African nations) to pressure Mobuto to step down. It never happened.
I was so moved as I left the children's centre that it was hard to eat lunch for I kept
picturingwhatIjustsaw.Tokeepmymindoccupied,Ihelpedwiththedishesandthenvis-
ited the chapel to say the Rosary. I also kept busy with my bike. Since my only spare tube
still had a flat, I decided to work on it after my visit to the chapel. That was when Sister
Louise asked me if I wanted some cookies and coffee. Need I be asked?
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