Congo Expo Trip Thread...

[bartonmd]

It's probably closer to getting a job that takes you 2 days, and you make $120,000... and you do this 5-6 times a year, whenever some gringo rolls up and needs help...

If we agree to disagree on this, that's fine with me...

MIke

[HARDTRAILZ]

I may be wrong, but part of me just deeply feels like he took advantage of the situation. He literally had his ass saved by people doing repair work or digging work and paid little money.

If you want to go live in the Congo and dig ditches for 3 days for $50 bucks. I will gladly give you $100 to do it for a week.

There is something lost in the transaction. $50 is alot to them, but they dont have money. We have money and $50 is nothing. You would have to pay me more than $20,000 to live there for a year. That should be a lifetime wage in the Congo, but I wouldn't do it.

He literally had his life or at least truck saved. He could have been there a year waiting for parts and then having his visa run out and been trapped. Instead he had to spend a small amount of money to him, but large amount to the workers and survives. To me my survival is worth far more than $20,000 dollars in any scale of economy.

it was 3 days of digging for approximately one months salary using his numbers.

[Philberto]

While I won't necessarily that $50 is the same everywhere you go, I do get the impression from this guy's journal that they are there to take what the want from the country, not necessarily give anything back. They skirt around toll booths, arguing that the money doesn't go back to the roads, but don't search for a way to counteract that by investing the money they would have spent on the toll into something that would actually improve infrastructure.
When you are an insanely rich man (relatively) in a country of abject poverty, you should spend what is a small amount of money to you in order to affect the lives of others. While some may argue that a person's wealth makes no difference, would you expect to get paid the same amount to change your neighbor's oil as you would to change Bill Gates's? I mean, by all rights he could pay you the same, but most philanthropists who believe in stimulating the economy through the roots-up, rather than the trickle-down effect go out of their way to spend more than necessary to the contractors, laborers, and lower-level employees of this world, believing that this helps improve the quality of more lives than in any other way.

[Blackout]

While I won't necessarily that $50 is the same everywhere you go, I do get the impression from this guy's journal that they are there to take what the want from the country, not necessarily give anything back. They skirt around toll booths, arguing that the money doesn't go back to the roads, but don't search for a way to counteract that by investing the money they would have spent on the toll into something that would actually improve infrastructure.
When you are an insanely rich man (relatively) in a country of abject poverty, you should spend what is a small amount of money to you in order to affect the lives of others. While some may argue that a person's wealth makes no difference, would you expect to get paid the same amount to change your neighbor's oil as you would to change Bill Gates's? I mean, by all rights he could pay you the same, but most philanthropists who believe in stimulating the economy through the roots-up, rather than the trickle-down effect go out of their way to spend more than necessary to the contractors, laborers, and lower-level employees of this world, believing that this helps improve the quality of more lives than in any other way.

Very well said.

[HARDTRAILZ]

I say $50 to me is the same as $50 to me no matter where I spend it. It may worth something different to who I give it to, but to me it is what it is. If I gave Gates 50 he would laugh, if I gave the guy by the exit ramp from the highway 50 he would think I was a hero.

[Trail X]

However, if you recall the people in the crowds wherever he goes... someone shouts "give me money". Because "whites" have become known for handing out too much money for menial tasks. If you start rewarding racism and corruption with money every time... their life continues as is. Not sure if you heard, but many of them planned on taking the money and investing in alcohol or drugs. Few are far-sighted enough to save the money and improve their lifestyle.

It happens in the US - we hand out money to people just because they are poor. To many, this sustains their life and their life continues as is - they have no pressing reason to try to improve their situation. Sure, some take advantage of the cash and attempt to turn around their life... but the majority does not.

I believe I would have done something similar in their situation. Obviously they paid more than normal people did for most things... but they also haggled so they would not keep inflating the persona that white people have all the money in the world and would pay any price. I have no criticisms for what they did on that account.

I would have tried to be a little more prepared for the road though - that did annoy me a bit - but made for a great story.

[bartonmd]

However, if you recall the people in the crowds wherever he goes... someone shouts "give me money". Because "whites" have become known for handing out too much money for menial tasks. If you start rewarding racism and corruption with money every time... their life continues as is. Not sure if you heard, but many of them planned on taking the money and investing in alcohol or drugs. Few are far-sighted enough to save the money and improve their lifestyle.

It happens in the US - we hand out money to people just because they are poor. To many, this sustains their life and their life continues as is - they have no pressing reason to try to improve their situation. Sure, some take advantage of the cash and attempt to turn around their life... but the majority does not.

I believe I would have done something similar in their situation. Obviously they paid more than normal people did for most things... but they also haggled so they would not keep inflating the persona that white people have all the money in the world and would pay any price. I have no criticisms for what they did on that account.

I would have tried to be a little more prepared for the road though - that did annoy me a bit - but made for a great story.

Exactly.

[janesy86]

I agree 100% with James and Mike, but can see where you guys are coming from with the $50 being $50.

The locals mostly just wanted the $$ b/c they were white, he mentioned many times how he asked the guys trying to extort money out of him if it was just b/c he's white, and they responded with a 'yes'. He even mention how some of the Fathers they met up with were embarrassed for their peoples actions/ demands.

And Frederick and his wife I wouldn't say were 'rich', well to the Congo they were, but they sold their home and everything they had to go on these expeditions and had everything they had left packed in their car. Saying this they ran out of their own money and had to contact their family back home to wire more out.

So I also agree that they should have been a bit more prepared than they were, seems stupid to me to go out in that area with what had, both in vehicle, recovery equipment and funds.

Truly a great story, thanks for the link Mike.

[Philberto]

This story just hit Jalopnik right now:
http://jalopnik.com/5697358/the-first-people-to-drive-across-the-congo-in-20-years

[Regulator1175]

I just finished reading the trip report last night. All through the report I was thinking "wow what a cheep bastard". However, when reading through his final remarks, he brings up some very valid points, and I see what his thinking was. I see where a large influx of American money can cause more harm then good to their economy.

I really appreciate the analogy of the unknown backpacker that he mentioned. Buying a 50 cent souvenir for 4 dollars will just mean that the seller will no longer sell it for 50 cents if he knows he can hold out for 4 bucks. Worse then that, he will start his price even higher the next time, in the hopes to make more.

His post numbers 539 and 540 have to be one of the best explanations I have seen for this. Having traveled myself in some impoverished areas I can see where his line of thinking is coming from and relate it to my own experiences. When in Iraq we had no problem paying 10 bucks for a rotisserie chicken, because it meant real food for us. That same chicken was being sold at a fraction of that price to the locals. Why would that vendor want to sell it to a local then, if he new a bunch of soldiers were going to come by and buy up his supply? It just means that an Iraqi family was going to have to find their food elsewhere, or pay more for that meal.

What an amazing journey that was! I couldn't imagine ever embarking on something of that magnitude in an unfamiliar country. I certainly give the guy all of my respect for taking on such a journey!